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September. WOW. This has been my most productive reading month. I’m not EXACTLY sure how I did it, although I am pretty tired all the time, ha! That might just be kids and work and side hustles, so it’s hard to prove causation…but still, I’m so excited with how many books I got to check off this month!

Of course I probably added more than that to my TBR lists, so we didn’t make any huge strides in whittling it down…

*ding, ding, ding* designates a part of a book that resonates with a different book I’ve read recently.

The Highland Lodge Getaway, by Julie Shackman: Three Mugs (ARC – pub date: 10.20.23)

This was a sweet holiday read with all the Christmas feels (Christmas markets, decorations, a Christmas store, etc.). I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope on this closed door romance.

*ding ding ding/trigger warnings*: Infidelity, grieving for father

Just Don’t Fall, by Emma St. Clair : Three Mugs (Book 1 of The Sweater Weather Series)

This was the first book of the series to be published, and I’ve been reading most of the books that have come out since! These are all closed door romance, so clean and sweet. That being said, I still got alllll the butterflies reading the chemistry between the characters in this book!

A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas: Two Mugs + Jalapeno (Libby loan, Book 1 of ACOTAR series)

So after finishing Fourth Wing and realizing that maybe I’m more into fantasy books that I’ve ever allowed myself to believe, I decided to listen to the suggestion of several friends and give this series a try. This was not my favorite and I struggled a little bit to finish it. It seemed to move a little slow, I wasn’t convinced by how quickly the two characters fell in love (and how much one of them was willing to do for the other), and was a little annoyed with how certain the main character was that she was going to die at every corner. I also felt like there were some obvious things the main character refused to see (which, I know, is typical, so I’ll let that slide!), and I found it hilarious how much it referenced other books/movies:

A Night at the Tropicana: A Short Story, by Chanel Cleeton: September Amazon First Reads pick

I wasn’t in love with any of the Amazon First Reads options for September, but saw this was a short story and figured I might as well. It was a nice quick read on second chances, and I liked the background on the Tropicana.

Ready or Not, by Cara Bastone: Three Mugs + Jalapeno (ARC, publication date: 02.13.24)

I really loved this book. It was sweet and thoughtful and no-nonsense. I stayed up super late to finish this one, and loved Shep. May we all find our Shep in life (I definitely did!). I loved the banter and humor in these characters.

The Fall Back Plan, by Melanie Jacobson: Three Mugs (Book 2 of The Sweater Weather series)

Book Two of the Sweater Weather Series. I think it was a little harder for me to identify with the tough business woman on this one, but still a super enjoyable read about a small town.

The Good Part, by Sophie Cousens: Three Mugs (ARC, publication date 11.07.23)

Another one of my favorites for this month. Would you regret fast forwarding to the “good part” of life? And miss all the building blocks that led to it? This had some Midnight Library feels, but focused only on one future possibility. I really enjoyed putting a 20-something year-old’s mindset in the life and body of a 40-something year-old. It made me realize there are some qualities to your younger years that you definitely lose as you get older, and maybe we do ourselves (and our family) a disservice by just focusing on getting through the day and checking things off the list. Maybe every now and then, it’s great to shirk off dinner duties and take an impromptu walk to the park, just because. There were a few literal laugh-out-loud moments.

The bedside clock tells me it’s five a.m., which is the worst of all the a.m.s – not early enough to guarantee getting back to sleep, but not late enough to contemplate starting your day.

A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas: Three Mugs + Jalapeno (paperback loan from a friend, Book 2 of ACOTAR series)

Now we’re talking! My friends convinced me to keep going with this series, and enabled me by letting me borrow all the paperback copies. So yeah, now I have to read ALL of them, and read them NOW (because once I start a series, I need to know how it ends!). I loved this book so much more than the first one.

*ding ding ding*: Definite similarities to Fourth Wing with “wards” for protection and mind windows/doors/paths for mind sharing.

Can’t Help Falling, by Courtney Walsh: Three Mugs (Book 3 of The Sweater Weather series)

Ohhhh this one was my favorite of the series, so far. I really liked the chemistry and characters in this one, and obviously can relate to a book-loving book store owner (not that I am one, but wouldn’t mind being one!).

I want to crawl into a hole and stay hidden until hell freezes over or Leonardo DiCaprio dates someone his own age, whichever comes first. Probably the hell thing.

Travels with Charley in Search of America, by John Steinbeck: Two Mugs (Libby audiobook)

I’m not gonna lie, I decided to read this one for cool points. I mean…John Steinbeck! I saw it on a list somewhere and added it to my Libby waitlist. It’s not a gripping listen, so I had to return it and wait to finish it on the second go-around. But I did enjoy it. I listened to this as an audio book and I HIGHLY recommend it. It’s narrated by Gary Sinise and he does a great job of making you feel like you’re in that time period.

I really enjoyed Steinbeck’s humor and observations as he travelled across the U.S. in his trailer (named Rocinante), with his dog, Charley. He muses on immigration, farm workers, slavery, racism, and the benefits of getting people to talk to you when you have a full bar to offer them. There are definitely some moments that clearly show how much has changed since this book, like men being the breadwinners and women staying home. His description of Montana have placed it even higher on my wish list of places to visit. And I also discovered that Abercrombie & Fitch started out as a “sporting equipment and attire” store -did you know that?! I definitely did not.

A part that made me laugh out loud was when he mentioned dining in a German restaurant: “The beer came in a can. The bratwurst was terrible and the kraut an insulting watery mess.” Ha!

*ding ding ding*: His description of Seattle reminded me of A Wild and Heavenly Place, and how a place can change so much so quickly.

I wonder why progress looks so much like destruction.

A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J. Maas: Three Mugs + Jalapeno (Book 3 of ACOTAR series)

Book 3 was pretty heavy – lots of war preparation and then the inevitable war. I’m surprised how OK I am with the violence and blood – who knew!? I think that stuff is outnumbered by the love and sense of family that the characters create between each other, which I’m loving and can’t wait to see what developments are in the next book. Which I’ve already started.

A Court of Frost and Starlight, by Sarah J. Maas: Two Mugs + Jalapeno (Book 4 of ACOTAR series)

As someone I know said, this was a nice “palate cleanser” after A Court of Wings and Ruin. Coming in at under 300 pages, it’s also a super quick read compared to the others. This really was a nice break from the constant action of the last few books, but I’m ready to get back to it in on the action with the next book!

What have been your favorite reads lately?

If you’re looking for your next read, here are some of my TBR lists:

You can also follow me along on Instagram for regular posts on what I’m reading (@alexs.reading.nook)

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