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September-October Reading Wrap-Up and Buzzwordathon Update

  • 6 days ago
  • 6 min read

SEPTEMBER READS


1.     Never a Hero by Vanessa Len (YA Fantasy) (509 pages) (5⭐️)

This is the second book in the Monsters trilogy about a girl, Joan, who discovers she’s half-monster. In this book, she and her first love, Nick, are on the run from the Monster Court. This was a reread in anticipation of the final book’s release. This is a fantastic middle book as it nicely progresses the plot and is never boring. The stakes are even higher than in the first book.

 

2.     Once a Villain by Vanessa Len (YA Fantasy) (500 pages) (4⭐️)

This is the conclusion to the Monsters trilogy. Joan and her friends are in a race against time to defeat the newly crowned monster queen. This book is the darkest, most dystopian coded book in the series. It’s incredibly fast paced. I never could have foreseen the way that the trilogy’s love triangle is resolved.

Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!

 

3.     Muzzled by Eileen Brady (Adult Cozy Mystery) (250 pages) (3.5⭐️)

A veterinarian, Kate, stumbles across the bodies of her clients – two breeders of show dogs. She must solve the murders. This was refreshing for a cozy mystery as the protagonist isn’t as cookie cutter as most in the genre. There’s not really any romance unless you count Kate being hung up on her terrible ex. I wasn’t shocked by the reveals, but I still enjoyed the journey it took to get there.

 

4.     Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose (Adult Cozy Mystery) (250 pages) (5⭐️)

The titular Pomona is a hotel heiress who is at risk of losing everything if she can’t solve her grandmother’s murder. She teams up with Gabe who is the son of her former nanny. I was worried Pomona would be an insufferable protagonist as she’s described in the synopsis as spoiled. Unexpectedly, her character was what made me love this novel. She goes through immense growth and even has a romance with Gabe.

 

5.     Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass (Adult Thriller) (296 pages) (2⭐️)

Psychologist Finley is receiving threatening notes from an anonymous source following the mysterious disappearance of her husband. This book sounded like it was going to be SO GOOD based on the synopsis. Unfortunately, the book was SO BORING instead and Finley was a terrible protagonist.

 

6.     With a Vengeance by Riley Sager (Adult Thriller) (383 pages) (2⭐️)

Anna Matheson gathers together the six people responsible for destroying her family on a 13 hour train ride. They’re to be arrested when they reach their destination, but soon the bodies start piling up. I find Sager’s writing of his female protagonists to be very flat. I liked Anna, but outside of her desire for vengeance there isn’t anything to her. This book is full of twists and I did have a fun time reading it Eventually, though, all the twists and reveals became fatiguing.

Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!

 

7.     The Blood Orchid by Kylie Lee Baker (YA Historical Fantasy) (386 pages) (4.5⭐️)

This is the finale to the Scarlet Alchemist duology. In this book, Zilan and her cousin Wenshu search for the mythical island of Penglai. Zilan is a very strong protagonist and this book details how haunted she is by the events of the first book. I was surprised by the return of the Empress – it didn’t feel needed as there was already a main plot that included plenty of obstacles to face. This novel has a lot of action and alchemy. Overall, this is a great YA fantasy duology.

 

8.     All Fudged Up by Nancy CoCo (Adult Cozy Mystery) (352 pages) (3⭐️)

Allie moves to Mackinac Island to renovate and reopen the McMurphy, a hotel that has been in her family for generations. Then she finds a body in the hotel and most of the island believes she’s to blame. I really liked Allie and her circle of supporters. The hotel having been in her family for generations made me more invested in the story of saving the hotel. This book includes recipes to the fudges in the story which I thought was a cute touch.


SEPTEMBER DNFs


  1. Who Moved by Goat Cheese by Lynn Cahoon (Cozy Mystery) (read 89 pages) (49%)

This book follows Angie who is opening her own farm to table restaurant when a goat dairy farmer she did business with is found dead. There wasn't any one reason why I DNF'd this book, I just gradually lost interest while reading and knew I wasn't going to continue the series.


  1. Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson (Cozy Mystery) (read 155 pages) (46%)

This book follows Madeline who inherits her aunt's bookstore. Shortly after her arrival, she begins receiving threats. I DNF'd this book for 2 reasons. The first was Madeline was a pretty unlikable main character. The second was that it was surprisingly dark for a cozy mystery, so it wasn't really what I'd been expecting or wanting.


OCTOBER READS


  1. Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller (YA Fantasy) (385 pages) (3.75⭐️)

This is the sequel to Blade of Secrets. Magical bladesmith Ziva and mercenary Kellan are in a race against time to save Ziva's dying sister. They find themselves captured by a power hungry prince who seeks to use Ziva's magic for his own selfish goals. As someone with a diagnosed anxiety disorder, seeing anxiety represented (by Ziva) in a fantasy setting has been very special for me. The pacing of this book was much improved from the rushed pacing of book one. The magic system is unique but feels underdeveloped.

Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!


The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (YA Mystery) (438 pages) (2⭐️)

A film crew comes to film a documentary on the unsolved disappearance of Bel's mom, Rachel. Then, while filming, Rachel returns. Bel believes she's lying about something and is determined to figure out what. Bel is a well written character, but she's also an unpleasant one. The reason I rated this book so lowly was because the reveals were obvious and frustrating.


  1. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Adult Historical Fiction) (332 pages) (4..75⭐️)

Taking place in the early 1980s, Joan Goodwin is among the first female astronauts in NASA. As she works to become one of the first women in space, she is falling in love with fellow astronaut Vanessa. They must hide their relationship or risk losing everything. This is my third favorite of Jenkins Reid's historical fiction novels. It's full of beautiful and heartbreaking moments as well as ones where you hold your breath. The cover advertises it as a love story, but it's also so much more.


  1. To Fudge or Not to Fudge by Nancy CoCo (Adult Cozy Mystery) (352 pages) (3⭐️)

This is book two in the Candy-Coated Mystery series about Allie McMurphy who has taken over her family's historic hotel and fudge shop on Mackinac island. In this book, her dog Mal digs up human bones and Allie joins a reality show baking competition. I liked how this book focused more on the mystery whereas in the first book it was more of a subplot. I do think there was too much going on - it was like two books in one.


  1. The Last Tiger by Julia & Brad Riew (YA Fantasy) (395 pages) (4.25⭐️)

This novel tells the story of Seung (who is poor) and Eunji (who comes from an affluent family). They live in the Tiger Colonies which are under the authority of the Dragon Empire who are hunting the tigers to extinction. Seung and Eunji's relationship is inspired by the authors' grandparents love story, with the Tiger Colony being a stand-in for Korea and the Dragon Empire for Japan during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Ironically, the love story is the weakest part of this story, but the book actually inspired me to learn more about the period of history on which it is based.

Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!


OCTOBER DNFs

1. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young (Magical Realism) (read 110 pages) (34%)

This is about the titular June Farrow who is hearing and seeing things just like her mother did before she disappeared decades ago. June is determined to end the curse plaguing her family. The magical aspect of this book was really intriguing, but I DNF'd it because June was an incredibly bland character to follow.


STATS:


PAGES READ (JAN-OCT): 20,938 (AVG. Book Length: 373.9 pages)

AVG. STAR RATING (JAN-OCT) 212.75/280 ⭐️ (AVG. 3.8⭐️)


2025 Buzzwordathon

Youtuber Booksandlala (Kayla) does this annual event in which every month she gives a prompt for either a specific word or concept for you to find in book titles. In order to not stress and have fun completing the challenge, I'm not worrying about doing it in order - just finding them all within 2025.



Buzzwords/Concepts:


  1. Truth and Lies
  2. ✅Water words: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
  3. ✅Thing (words with 'thing' in them): If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
  4. ✅Animals: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
  5. ✅"To"/Guides : The Best Way to Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale
  6. Memory related words
  7. ✅Punctuation: Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
  8. ✅With: With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
  9. ✅Events: The Block Party by Jamie Day
  10. ✅Violent words: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
  11. ✅Never: Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown
  12. ✅Alliteration: Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

 
 
 

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Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller (book review)

GENRE: YA Fantasy LENGTH: 385 pages   PLOT This is the sequel to Blade of Secrets and the conclusion to the Bladesmith duology. Ziva and Kellyn are captured by an evil prince who intends to use Ziva’

 
 
 
Once a Villain by Vanessa Len (book review)

GENRE: YA Fantasy LENGTH: 500 pages   PLOT In the conclusion to the Monster trilogy, Joan, Nick, and Aaron and their allies find themselves in a timeline ruled by monsters. They must stop Joan’s evil

 
 
 

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