Hello there! How are you? I hope you’re well.
If you read my last wrap-up, you may have noticed I was not doing too well… but September was all about focusing on self care for me, and then I finally had a break from work and went on a couple of trips. Sure there have been off days still – but I’m definitely finishing this month in a much better place mentally. I hope you are too. I did drop off the face of the Earth a bit though as I caught an bug that just won’t quit and has knocked me for six since the end of Sept, and is STILL GOING!! Honestly, I just want to feel normal again haha.
Book-wise, the tail end of MiddleEarthAThon bumped my numbers up – but otherwise I didn’t actually read much in September (I only finished one book outside of MiddleEarthAThon). I went back into a slump for the whole month… But Gothtober gave me hope for October’s reading! Although I didn’t finish all my prompts, I did get in over 50% – so I’m really happy.
books finished
◍ The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien // 🎧 // ★★★★★
◍ A Gift For A Ghost – Borja González // 📱 // ★★★★★
◍ Mooncakes – Suzanne Walker // 📱 // ★★★★★
◍ An Elderly Lady Up To No Good – Helene Tursten // 🎧 // ★★★
◍ I Left The House Today! – Cassandra Calin // 📱 // ★★★★★
◍ The Merry Spinster – Daniel M. Lavery // 🎧 // ★★★
◍ The Tea Dragon Festival – Kay O’Neill // 📱 // ★★★★★
◍ Neon Gods – Katee Robert // 🎧 // ★★★☆
◍ The Haunting of Brynn Wilder – Wendy Webb // 📱 // ★★★★
◍ The Daughter of Doctor Moreau – Silvia Moreno-Garcia // 📖 // ★★★★
◍ October, October – Katya Balen // 📖 // ★★★★★
◍ Messenger of Fear – Michael Grant // 📖 // ★
◍ The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss // 🎧 // ★★★★★
◍ The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson // 🎧 // ★★★★★
◍ The Woman in Black – Susan Hill // 🎧 // ★★★★★
books partially read, finishing next month
Anatomy – Dana Schwartz
A Gamble of Gods – Mitriel Faywood
NEXT MONTH // readathons and book clubs I’m participating in
◍ The Bookwanderers // run by Celine @ StuffCelineDoes // continuation of the sweater weather reading challenge
◍ The Bloody Blades // this month we’re reading my pick – Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice.
[drafted ready to post the end of sept]
September rather feels like the month that got away from me – and how is September over already? The only way my brain wants to compute that information is by thinking that it’s actually 2021 still. Like, just where has the time gone!? I feel like time has lost all meaning to me at this point – I just have no idea anymore. I lived most weekends of September on the wrong weekend, thinking that anything planned for the following weekend was happening this weekend, and it was all very confusing – this probably didn’t help my feeling of losing an entire month.
I did attend Fantasy Fellowship Con online. It was a wonderful experience, and the people involved are all fabulous. I stumbled on them all rather last minute, but the group has brought me so much joy, even if I have mostly stuck to my promise to lurk after upsetting most the server and scoring a whopping -25,000 odd points on my “entrance exam” 😂
I got out for fewer walks than I had hoped to too – but autumn is definitely under way here (which is really early, usually I’m complaining the trees are still green at Halloween), so the walks I did go on where spectacular.
Over October I’ve mostly hidden away – but I did finally go on holiday too! I booked off half the month and spent it wandering around Norfolk, Edinburgh, and the Lake District. The views were all breathtaking, and I really need to get my arse up to Scotland again ASAP. It’s definitely one of my new favourite places (I always thought it would be). While travelling, I also managed to grab some food with Lizzie @LizzieIsElf and Hannah @LadetteM – it was so great to see them again!
Film and TV-wise, I finally watched the newest Thor – it was OK. I feel like it was trying to go back to a franchise suitable for children, but after the events of endgame etc. that were much darker, it just didn’t hit right to be honest. I felt the same about Dr Strange… Werewolf by Night was so so much better, I really hope to see more in this vein. I also watched Sleepy Hollow for the first time, and that felt like such a waste of Christopher Walken, but I loved it! The effects held up really well to be honest.
I’ve almost finished bingeing Fringe and really enjoyed it – although some plot lines stressed me out so much around the middle point. Ghosts is back on TV, and this has to be one of my favourite series along with What We Do in the Shadows (which has a UK date at the start of November (at long last!!)). I haven’t quite finished Ghosts yet, as I am trying to savour it, but so far its been hitting me right in the feels. And of course Taskmaster – if you haven’t watched it, please do! It’s such a good laugh.
I also have to mention the podcast Dungeons and Daddies. I’ve been listening to it off and on for over a year, but I started again and introduced Nathan to it has been the soundtrack of all our driving around this month. It is so freaking good!! It’s hilarious and chaotic, and Ron Stampler is everything. Even if you’re not familiar with Dungeons and Dragons (Nathan isn’t), I’m sure you’ll love it if you give it a go.
What was your favourite read of September/October – did you do everything you wanted to?
The Bookworm's Feast 
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