BOOKS READ IN AUGUST:
Firestarter by Stephen King- 5 stars This in my opinion is one of King's better novels. The themes are evocative and the relationship between Charlie and her father are strong and heart-wrenching. Plus, this novel is exhilarating. The final "battle" scenes are one of the most intense and horrifying final showdowns I've come across in a novel. If you are a fan of Carrie, then you'll love this. It's like MK ULTRA brought to life through King.
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh- 4.75 stars This is a remarkably slow, but intense psychological novel about Eileen, who works at a juvenile prison. It is one of the best character studies I've read and I highly recommend it is you are interested in slow stories that build-up to a bang. Check out my review here.
The Whisperer in Darkness- H.P. Lovecraft 4 stars This is one of Lovecraft's better works and I'm almost done with the monstrous bind-up of 20 collected stories that I've been making way through for almost two years. Lovecraft is a hit or miss with me. This one is a hit, but it is also not a memorable one.
When I Am Through With You- Stephanie Kuehn 5 stars This is an intense psychological YA thriller that has been a hit or miss with Kuehn fans. I'm a new fan to Kuehn since reading The Smaller Evil and finding it brilliant. I was so excited for this one and it was leaps and bounds better than The Smaller Evil. It was intense, cruel, and shocking. More YA authors need to reach for this level in the YA thriller genre. Check out my review here.
The Beguiled- Thomas Cullinan 3.25 stars I was excited for this one because I've never read Civil War fiction before, but this was a bit of a bore. There were moments where I was totally engrossed and the drama was enrapturing, but a good bit of the time, I didn't feel like picking this one up and had to force myself to read a couple of pages. It took me far longer to read this book than I intended. Don't know if I would recommend it.
The Outsiders- S.E. Hinton 5 stars I've been meaning to read The Outsiders since I saw the movie a couple of years ago and I hadn't gotten around to it. I was planning to read it for BookTube-A-Thon, but since I didn't I decided to take it with me to college. The minute I finished The Beguiled I started The Outsiders and was instantly smitten. This is a beautiful story that tackles themes like social class, friendship, and youth dying. It was emotionally moving and I now know why everyone loves it so much.
Beasts Made of Night- Tochi Onyebuchi DNF 2 stars I wanted to love this one. It sounded like it would be wonderful and I thought I would love it. However, I struggled to get past page 50 and I knew I couldn't make it to page 100. I sadly had to DNF it. Check out my review here.
Thoughts on August: Overall, August was a successful reading month for me despite how busy I was with band camp, moving into my first apartment, and returning to university. I had four books that I would consider favorites of this year and have made it onto that shelf. I only DNFed one book, which while I'm sad about, I also am happy that I didn't force myself to finish it because time while you are in college is precious and I don't have time to waste on books I'm not enjoying. Completely five novels and short story is a pretty successful month of reading for me!
When I Am Through With You- Stephanie Kuehn 5 stars This is an intense psychological YA thriller that has been a hit or miss with Kuehn fans. I'm a new fan to Kuehn since reading The Smaller Evil and finding it brilliant. I was so excited for this one and it was leaps and bounds better than The Smaller Evil. It was intense, cruel, and shocking. More YA authors need to reach for this level in the YA thriller genre. Check out my review here.
The Beguiled- Thomas Cullinan 3.25 stars I was excited for this one because I've never read Civil War fiction before, but this was a bit of a bore. There were moments where I was totally engrossed and the drama was enrapturing, but a good bit of the time, I didn't feel like picking this one up and had to force myself to read a couple of pages. It took me far longer to read this book than I intended. Don't know if I would recommend it.
The Outsiders- S.E. Hinton 5 stars I've been meaning to read The Outsiders since I saw the movie a couple of years ago and I hadn't gotten around to it. I was planning to read it for BookTube-A-Thon, but since I didn't I decided to take it with me to college. The minute I finished The Beguiled I started The Outsiders and was instantly smitten. This is a beautiful story that tackles themes like social class, friendship, and youth dying. It was emotionally moving and I now know why everyone loves it so much.
Beasts Made of Night- Tochi Onyebuchi DNF 2 stars I wanted to love this one. It sounded like it would be wonderful and I thought I would love it. However, I struggled to get past page 50 and I knew I couldn't make it to page 100. I sadly had to DNF it. Check out my review here.
Thoughts on August: Overall, August was a successful reading month for me despite how busy I was with band camp, moving into my first apartment, and returning to university. I had four books that I would consider favorites of this year and have made it onto that shelf. I only DNFed one book, which while I'm sad about, I also am happy that I didn't force myself to finish it because time while you are in college is precious and I don't have time to waste on books I'm not enjoying. Completely five novels and short story is a pretty successful month of reading for me!
BOOKS READ IN SEPTEMBER:
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God- Jonathan Edwards 1 star This is my second time reading this and I still abhor it with a passion. If this all the Christian literature that is tackled in schools, then it continues to perpetuate negative views toward Christians. Read my review here.
The Things They Carried- Tim O'Brien 4.5 stars Another reread for me, but this time I absolutely loved this novel. It totally blew me away and my professor taught this novel in a way that spoke to me. My high school teacher preferred us to tell her what it was about, but this is not the kind of the novel for that literary study. I loved it so much that I'm letting my dad read it. Check out my review here.
Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust- 5 stars I read an ARC of this on my phone and it was a wonderful Snow White retelling. I absolutely loved and adored this novel. It stole my heart and has themes that break the barriers of typical fantasy novels. Check out my review here.
Thoughts on September: My reading month wasn't nearly as productive as August, but that's because there were a lot of football games and a ton of essays to write. Even though my reading month wasn't great, I read two novels that made it to my favorite shelf. That to me is a huge accomplishment.
BOOKS READ IN OCTOBER:
Young Goodman Brown- Nathaniel Hawthorne 4.25 stars I wasn't the biggest fan of The Scarlet Letter, but I really enjoyed Young Goodman Brown. I personally think that Hawthorne is a better short story writer than novelist. Check out my review here.
Interpreter of Maladies- Jhumpa Lahiri 4.25 stars I read this for my lit class and after reading The Things They Carried it paled a bit in comparison, but it was a lot of fun to read short stories from the Indian culture. It's a culture I'm not very familiar with, but I really enjoyed this and plan on checking out another Lahiri collection.
The Tell-Tale Heart- Edgar Allan Poe 4.75 stars This was my first time reading this story and I really enjoyed it, but the writing snagged a bit at certain parts. Check out my review here.
The Fall of the House of Usher- Edgar Allan Poe 4.5 stars This was a great story, but it is a little long and a couple of paragraphs could've been cut. Check out my review here.
The Cask of Amontillado- Edgar Allan Poe 5 stars I reread this and it was amazing. This is one of my favorite Poe stories as well as short stories. It's fantastic. Check out my review here.
The Raven- Edgar Allan Poe 5 stars This is like my umpteenth reread and it still holds up. There is a reason why this poem is so iconic and a major influence in literature. Check out my review here.
The Norton Anthology American Literature Beginnings to 1820- 2.75 stars (for the stories I read) I had to read this for my American Lit class and we covered a large portion of the stories in here. Check out my review here.
Lamb to the Slaughter- Roald Dahl 5 stars My best friend told me about the short story with the preface that if she were to kill someone this is how she would do it. I was instantly intrigued and this is my first time reading anything by Dahl and color me impressed. This is a quick story, but it packs a punch! Check out my review here.
The Haunter of the Dark- H.P. Lovecraft 4.25 stars Now this is Lovecraft done right. Some of his stories are a real drag and hard to get through (even the 20 page ones), but this one was intense, creepy, and a lot of fun.
Revolutionary Road- Richard Yates 5 STARS! This is a new all-time favorite for me. This novel was so emotionally gripping and cringey. I loved it to bits and pieces. I've recommended this to several people and I also adore the film. It's a masterpiece. If you love suburban living stories, tragedy, and classics, then this one is for you!
My Fair Princess- Vanessa Kelly DNF 2 stars I thought that I would enjoy this historical romance, but sadly this book lacked substance and it was not fun. This is the first HR I've ever DNFed and I don't regret it. Check out my review here.
Daughters Unto Devils- Amy Lukavics 4.25 stars This was the perfect horror read for Halloween. It was creepy and it had me slightly paranoid. It also featured pigs and I hate pigs (thanks, Spirited Away), so I was definitely spooked. Check out my review here.
Thoughts on October: October was an incredibly successful reading month. I felt so productive and I read one of my favorite books of the year for a class. All the books and short stories I read were pretty good and the only real dud was My Fair Princess.
The Cask of Amontillado- Edgar Allan Poe 5 stars I reread this and it was amazing. This is one of my favorite Poe stories as well as short stories. It's fantastic. Check out my review here.
The Raven- Edgar Allan Poe 5 stars This is like my umpteenth reread and it still holds up. There is a reason why this poem is so iconic and a major influence in literature. Check out my review here.
The Norton Anthology American Literature Beginnings to 1820- 2.75 stars (for the stories I read) I had to read this for my American Lit class and we covered a large portion of the stories in here. Check out my review here.
Lamb to the Slaughter- Roald Dahl 5 stars My best friend told me about the short story with the preface that if she were to kill someone this is how she would do it. I was instantly intrigued and this is my first time reading anything by Dahl and color me impressed. This is a quick story, but it packs a punch! Check out my review here.
The Haunter of the Dark- H.P. Lovecraft 4.25 stars Now this is Lovecraft done right. Some of his stories are a real drag and hard to get through (even the 20 page ones), but this one was intense, creepy, and a lot of fun.
Revolutionary Road- Richard Yates 5 STARS! This is a new all-time favorite for me. This novel was so emotionally gripping and cringey. I loved it to bits and pieces. I've recommended this to several people and I also adore the film. It's a masterpiece. If you love suburban living stories, tragedy, and classics, then this one is for you!
My Fair Princess- Vanessa Kelly DNF 2 stars I thought that I would enjoy this historical romance, but sadly this book lacked substance and it was not fun. This is the first HR I've ever DNFed and I don't regret it. Check out my review here.
Daughters Unto Devils- Amy Lukavics 4.25 stars This was the perfect horror read for Halloween. It was creepy and it had me slightly paranoid. It also featured pigs and I hate pigs (thanks, Spirited Away), so I was definitely spooked. Check out my review here.
Thoughts on October: October was an incredibly successful reading month. I felt so productive and I read one of my favorite books of the year for a class. All the books and short stories I read were pretty good and the only real dud was My Fair Princess.
BOOKS READ IN NOVEMBER:
Different Seasons- Stephen King 4.75 stars overall I started King's famous novella collection at the end of August and finished it November. There are some incredibly strong stories in this collection and the majority of them are inspirations for movies that are considered to be the greatest films of all time. I would rank them in this order:
Apt Pupil- 5 stars This follows a young boy who is obsessed with Jewish concentration camps and discovers that a former SS Nazis lives in his town. What unfolds is a disgusting and horrifying game of cat and mouse. This has one of the best endings I've ever read and it was one of King's most horrifying novels. It doesn't need werewolves, ghosts, or vampires because he looks at the true monsters- the ones that look just like us.
The Breathing Method- 4.75 stars This is the final story in the collection and it is very eerie. King sets the tone with a man narrating a story he was told in a club that he attends. I have so many theories on the club and its meaning to the story itself, but it took a horrifying turn.
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption- 4.75 stars I LOVE THIS MOVIE! The novella is great, too, but it is lacking a certain something. I think it has something to do with the characters that the movie chose to flesh out. I wanted more of those characters, but they aren't really present here. Still amazing though.
The Body- 4.25 stars This is the movie Stand By Me is based on and it's a classic. I really enjoyed it, but again, it was lacking something. The novella was also a little to long winded, but it's a very unique story and different from a lot of King's works.
Donners of the Dead- Karina Halle 4.5 stars Another horror novel! In the last recent months I've been a horror kick. This novel was a lot fun because 1) Donner party 2) zombies 3) it's a horror romance, which I'm pretty sure is a sub-genre Halle made up. Check out my review here.
The Crime Book- 2.25 stars (subject to change) I really thought I'd love this. I'm a huge true crime fan, but this was boring and tedious after a while. Plus they didn't cover some of the most famous in certain sections and I'm pretty sure my ARC copy was missing at least 75 pages. Hoping to write a review for this one soon.
Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie 4 stars I finally read another Christie. This one is not nearly as good as And Then There Were None and I was planning to give it a 3-2.25 stars, but the reveal was so masterfully done and well-plotted. It made sense! All the signs were there and I hadn't guessed it at all.
The Screwtape Letters- C.S. Lewis 5 stars I've been reading this one for quite some time. It is not a novel that I can fly through in a day, even though it is very short. I absolutely loved the chapters and the Christian philosophy that Lewis broaches. Also the ending was beautiful and wonderful.
The Norton Anthology American Literature 1820-1865- 3.41 stars I was introduced to some amazing writers in this collection and I definitely plan on checking out their novels. Check out my review here.
The Easter Parade- Richard Yates 4.25 stars This is no Revolutionary Road and it's good, but it's not great. The ending is what really made me lower my rating from a 4.5 to 4.25, but I'm still glad that I read it.
Thoughts on November: November was a pretty successful reading month. Not as good as October, but still a good month overall. Two of the books made it onto my favorites shelf and I would highly recommend them.
Currently Reading/Hoping to Finish in December:
Great Tales of Horror by H.P. Lovecraft I'm currently on the last story in this collection and I'm just ready to finally finish this mammoth collection that I've been reading for almost two years.
Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly I started this on January 4th and I would like to finish this trilogy. This is the worst book in the trilogy by far and I'm not a fan of it, but I'm determined to finish what I've become invested in.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck This is my second time reading East of Eden and it's not as much of a priority to finish. My goal is to just get halfway through it, but if I finish it that would be great because I would like to reread a King novel next.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens This is my current audiobook and I have a pretty good feeling that I'll finish this one before the end of the year.
Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts I did not purchase this textbook for my Harry Potter & Philosophy class to only read six chapters. I will read all the other chapters because I can.
The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles Similarly to the aforementioned HP textbook for class.
Against Forgetting- Carolyn Forche Another textbook for class that I will be finishing. I'm about 1/5 of the way through these poems and I'm going to finish this collection.
Helter Skelter- Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry I started this before Manson died and before AHS: Cult incorporated him into Kai's psychological devolving. So far, it's very well-done and I really like the style. I'm hoping that this will be a true crime novel that I love and will recommend.
Of Poetry & Protest Another text for class that I plan on finishing. I'm actually over 50% of the way through it and I highly recommend this poetry collection. It's beautiful and well-done.
Branded by Keary Taylor I'm currently trying to clean out Kindle reads that I bought when I first acquired my Kindle and this is next on the list. I've started and so far, I may DNF it.
A Wilderness Station- Alice Munro I read a bunch of stories in this collection for class and I want to read the whole collection.
The Girl with All the Gifts- M.R. Carey I'm currently reading this on my iPhone and I'm really enjoying it. It's anywhere from a 3.5-4.25 star read at the moment, but I'm not at the 50% mark yet so there is a lot of room for my opinion to change.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik- I'm in the mood for fantasy and this is delivering so far. It feels like coming home. I'm adoring it.
Collected Cover by Raymond Carver I read a bunch of his stories for class, but I think I'm going to read a couple more and then decide if I want to finish the collection or not.
Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts on these novels? Let me know down below in the comments!
Different Seasons- Stephen King 4.75 stars overall I started King's famous novella collection at the end of August and finished it November. There are some incredibly strong stories in this collection and the majority of them are inspirations for movies that are considered to be the greatest films of all time. I would rank them in this order:
Apt Pupil- 5 stars This follows a young boy who is obsessed with Jewish concentration camps and discovers that a former SS Nazis lives in his town. What unfolds is a disgusting and horrifying game of cat and mouse. This has one of the best endings I've ever read and it was one of King's most horrifying novels. It doesn't need werewolves, ghosts, or vampires because he looks at the true monsters- the ones that look just like us.
The Breathing Method- 4.75 stars This is the final story in the collection and it is very eerie. King sets the tone with a man narrating a story he was told in a club that he attends. I have so many theories on the club and its meaning to the story itself, but it took a horrifying turn.
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption- 4.75 stars I LOVE THIS MOVIE! The novella is great, too, but it is lacking a certain something. I think it has something to do with the characters that the movie chose to flesh out. I wanted more of those characters, but they aren't really present here. Still amazing though.
The Body- 4.25 stars This is the movie Stand By Me is based on and it's a classic. I really enjoyed it, but again, it was lacking something. The novella was also a little to long winded, but it's a very unique story and different from a lot of King's works.
Donners of the Dead- Karina Halle 4.5 stars Another horror novel! In the last recent months I've been a horror kick. This novel was a lot fun because 1) Donner party 2) zombies 3) it's a horror romance, which I'm pretty sure is a sub-genre Halle made up. Check out my review here.
The Crime Book- 2.25 stars (subject to change) I really thought I'd love this. I'm a huge true crime fan, but this was boring and tedious after a while. Plus they didn't cover some of the most famous in certain sections and I'm pretty sure my ARC copy was missing at least 75 pages. Hoping to write a review for this one soon.
Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie 4 stars I finally read another Christie. This one is not nearly as good as And Then There Were None and I was planning to give it a 3-2.25 stars, but the reveal was so masterfully done and well-plotted. It made sense! All the signs were there and I hadn't guessed it at all.
The Screwtape Letters- C.S. Lewis 5 stars I've been reading this one for quite some time. It is not a novel that I can fly through in a day, even though it is very short. I absolutely loved the chapters and the Christian philosophy that Lewis broaches. Also the ending was beautiful and wonderful.
The Norton Anthology American Literature 1820-1865- 3.41 stars I was introduced to some amazing writers in this collection and I definitely plan on checking out their novels. Check out my review here.
The Easter Parade- Richard Yates 4.25 stars This is no Revolutionary Road and it's good, but it's not great. The ending is what really made me lower my rating from a 4.5 to 4.25, but I'm still glad that I read it.
Thoughts on November: November was a pretty successful reading month. Not as good as October, but still a good month overall. Two of the books made it onto my favorites shelf and I would highly recommend them.
Currently Reading/Hoping to Finish in December:
Great Tales of Horror by H.P. Lovecraft I'm currently on the last story in this collection and I'm just ready to finally finish this mammoth collection that I've been reading for almost two years.
Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly I started this on January 4th and I would like to finish this trilogy. This is the worst book in the trilogy by far and I'm not a fan of it, but I'm determined to finish what I've become invested in.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck This is my second time reading East of Eden and it's not as much of a priority to finish. My goal is to just get halfway through it, but if I finish it that would be great because I would like to reread a King novel next.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens This is my current audiobook and I have a pretty good feeling that I'll finish this one before the end of the year.
Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts I did not purchase this textbook for my Harry Potter & Philosophy class to only read six chapters. I will read all the other chapters because I can.
The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles Similarly to the aforementioned HP textbook for class.
Against Forgetting- Carolyn Forche Another textbook for class that I will be finishing. I'm about 1/5 of the way through these poems and I'm going to finish this collection.
Helter Skelter- Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry I started this before Manson died and before AHS: Cult incorporated him into Kai's psychological devolving. So far, it's very well-done and I really like the style. I'm hoping that this will be a true crime novel that I love and will recommend.
Of Poetry & Protest Another text for class that I plan on finishing. I'm actually over 50% of the way through it and I highly recommend this poetry collection. It's beautiful and well-done.
Branded by Keary Taylor I'm currently trying to clean out Kindle reads that I bought when I first acquired my Kindle and this is next on the list. I've started and so far, I may DNF it.
A Wilderness Station- Alice Munro I read a bunch of stories in this collection for class and I want to read the whole collection.
The Girl with All the Gifts- M.R. Carey I'm currently reading this on my iPhone and I'm really enjoying it. It's anywhere from a 3.5-4.25 star read at the moment, but I'm not at the 50% mark yet so there is a lot of room for my opinion to change.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik- I'm in the mood for fantasy and this is delivering so far. It feels like coming home. I'm adoring it.
Collected Cover by Raymond Carver I read a bunch of his stories for class, but I think I'm going to read a couple more and then decide if I want to finish the collection or not.
Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts on these novels? Let me know down below in the comments!
Wow, looks like you read some awesome books this past semester. I need to read Stephanie Kuehn's newest one. I've really loved the ones I've read by her. Yay for finally reading The Outsiders. That's been a favorite of mine for YEARS! You should check out That Was Then, This Is Now. Not as good, no, but you DO get to see a little bit of Ponyboy (post Outsiders) and I kind of love that.
ReplyDeleteI love Edgar Allan Poe. I read so much of his stuff when I took a whole course on him in college. It was a favorite class of mine. His detective fiction/mystery stories are great - and they even inspired Arthur Conan Doyle! I recommend them if you haven't already read them.
-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I really did! Yes you totally need to pick it up! I've heard that That Was Then, This Is Now is one of her better works outside of The Outsiders. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely check it out!
DeleteThat sounds like a fun course! I definitely want to read more Poe. Thanks for the suggestions.:D
So many books read during the semester!! You've done so well
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!:D
DeleteI read The Outsiders in middle school, and while I don't remember it, I know I liked it! Sorry to see you didn't like Beasts Made of Night though since that's one I want to read :-/ To be honest I didn't like Branded, but I really liked Keary Taylor's Eden Trilogy, and I enjoyed her House of Royals series too.
ReplyDeleteThe Outsiders was great. Maybe you should revisit it! I think it's definitely one of those novels that you can go back to. Aw, hopefully you'll have more luck with Beasts Made of Night Than I did. I actually DNFed Branded. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but it was boring and it wasn't holding my attention.
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