September Wrap-Up: Spark Joy Readathon
Hello bookworms!
I can’t believe September is already over, this month passed by in a blur! I’m so happy because I managed to read so many books this month and finish 3 audiobooks which I think is my record. I also participated in @readwithsam’s Spark Joy Readathon again and it was so much fun! I think she’s doing another one in January so keep an eye out and join in for more reading 😊 For this wrap-up I’ll include a link to each book’s synopsis and do a quick review along with my rating of the book (or audiobook). I will also include which prompt each book fulfilled but I used multiple books for the same prompt too. I’ll also include a link here for the books I received from Netgalley but that post is still a WIP so bear with me. Same with my post for all my Parliament Press House reads (thank you for the eARCS as well and click here to see the post which will be posted later this week). So without further ado, here are all the books I managed to get through this month!
I Hate Fairyland Book 4 by Skottie Young
Prompt: Book set in a different country
Review: I absolutely love the bright colours and the cute ‘candyland’ fantasy feel of the illustrations. I love the gore and the plot twists and the sass. I loved the characters and the storyline and just everything. I will recommend this series to everybody because it’s so great! I just love everything 😍 Also Gert is sassy as hell.
5/5🌟
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Prompt: Brand new book
Review: I love Greek mythology so this retelling of the Trojan War from Briseis’ perspective was so fascinating. There were also little bits from Achilles’ point of view so it was interesting to see the contrast between what he versus Briseis thought of their relationship. This was a very emotional read and I thought Barker did a great job with the portrayal of grief and the lives of women during war. Highly recommend this book!
5/5🌟
The Game by Linsey Miller
Prompt: Book by never read authour
Review: I’ve always wanted to play Assassin but I’ve never had enough people to play it with 😅 Or with people who would take it as seriously as Lia from this book. Anyhoo, I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand it kept me engaged throughout the entire book and I was so focused on reading and finding out who the killer was, but on the other hand the writing style was a bit off for me and some of the characters' actions such as those of Lia's parents were just… why. Some of the scenes of the dead bodies were so gory and gruesome but I loved it! This book was a great thriller even if I figured out who the killer was halfway through. It was also a fun way to experience the game Assassin without being able to play it in real life.
4/5🌟
The Swansong Conspiracy by Nick Vossen
Prompt: Book about travelling/adventure
Review: I’m not usually into sci-fi books but once I started reading this I couldn’t put it down. The way the story was told, constantly switching storylines, gave it a really urgent and action-packed pace. Out of all the characters, Tim was definitely my favourite because of his overdramatic and sassy personality. The book had a very light-hearted feel to it despite the violence and darker content; it gave me some Spy Kids vibes but with more violence. This book had a very solid ending so I’m not sure if there will be another book, but if there is, then I think the series will be like a TV series where the twins fight a new monster every episode while dealing with the bad organization called Haven. This was a very entertaining book regardless!
4/5🌟
This Will Kill That by Danielle K Roux
Prompt: Book by favourite authour
Review: I think Roux is definitely one of my new favourite authours! I really enjoyed reading this book and I need to read the second one ASAP! The cliff-hanger was so intense. I loved Alan and Kazuki’s relationship, they were such a heartwarming and cute couple. The rest of the characters are also very relatable so every reader can find a little of themselves in each character. I also really liked the scavenger hunt part in the story because there’s always something happening so the plot has a great pace. The premise of this story was also really interesting with how people are segregated into Color groups although not much of the ‘why’ is explained but I’m sure it will in the next book. Anyhoo, I highly recommend any book by this authour because she is an amazing writer 😍
4.5/5🌟
Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein
Prompt: Book with leaves
Review: I had very mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I really disliked Grace, the main character and thought the book was a mild train wreck. But on the other hand, it was pretty entertaining and I couldn’t stop reading it. I thought Grace was just a super immature and negative person who really needed an attitude check and I really didn’t like her at all. But at least she went through some character growth by the end of the book. Her relationship with Wade in the beginning was just…I don’t even know how that happened. Also Wade has a serious anger management problem, we learn more about it near the end of the book but it’s still no excuse. You just have to keep in mind that these characters are basically still children so that’s probably why they have no impulse control 😂
3/5🌟
Space Battle Lunchtime Volume 1 by Natalie Riess
Prompt: Book gifted to me (by Netgalley lol)
Review: Loved this! This combined my love of graphic novels and food perfectly! The cooking part of the story reminded me of my favourite anime Shokugeki no Souma aka Food Wars. The art style was great and the portrayal of all the aliens was so creative. It was so cool to see the different kinds of space food each contestant created. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next volume!
5/5🌟
Heaven’s Design Team Volume 1 by Hebi-Zou and Tsuta Suzuki
Prompt: Book entailing magic
Review: I LOVED this manga! This was such an imaginative concept about how animals were designed to survive on Earth. It was so fascinating to see the thought process that went behind the creation of each animal and the science behind why some animals wouldn’t survive. Encyclopedia entries of the approved animals were also included so you could learn more about those animals. This was such an interesting read and I can’t wait to read Volume 2!
5/5🌟
With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun Volume 1 by Hidekichi Matsumoto
Prompt: Book that makes me feel joy
Review: This was such a cute manga! The sound effects were a great addition in bringing the characters to life. I love how Matsumoto included real pictures of her doggo and kitty throughout the manga because they are super adorable! The stories in this manga were very relatable and it was cool to see the contrast between her Inu and Neko’s personalities. Her art style seems very basic but the exaggerated face expressions added humour to her stories. I also really liked how she included a little blurb about the different options that are available for where to purchase your pets. If you love cats and dogs then definitely check this manga out.
3.5/5🌟
The Gremillet Sisters Volume 1 by Giovanni Di Gregorio
Prompt: Book set in a different country
Review: I really really loved the art in this graphic novel but the story was a bit of a miss for me. I loved all of the sisters and their quirks and their sisterly bond that was in place for parts of the story. I thought Sarah acted a bit unnecessarily snappy towards her sisters at times so I didn’t like her too much. I thought the story would have had a different ending than it did because it had such a magical vibe and such a build-up to the mystery behind the sisters’ mom at the tree. The final reveal was heartwarming but a bit anticlimactic and I read it and realized the book was over. It was a very abrupt ending. I’m curious about what happens in the next volume though so I’ll probably still check it out.
3/5🌟
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (Audiobook)
Prompt: Book with a fall themed cover
Review: I loved this book! I listened to this book on Audible and I'm so glad I did that instead of reading it. The narrator really helped bring the characters to life and make the book just a tad bit creepier than it already was. Initially, I was on the fence about this book because I wasn't sure how scary it would be but boy did it deliver on the creepy factor! I loved it! The whole story with the Smiling Man was super creepy and parts of the book actually gave me goosebumps. I really enjoyed listening to this story and would highly recommend it for your spooky season TBR.
5/5🌟
Dead Voices by Katherine Arden (Audiobook)
Prompt: Book recommended to me
Review: This was the second book for Small Spaces and oh gosh it was just as creepy as the last one, if not creepier. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was so talented that I was literally looking over my shoulder when I was listening to this at night 😂 Mother Hemlock was one super scary lady and Gretel with her hunt for her bones oh gosh. I really liked how Coco got more of a main character role in this book and it was cool to see more from her point of view and to see her grow. Overall this book was another great Halloween read so put it on your TBR for spooky season!
5/5🌟
The Mystery of Alice by Lee Bacon (Audiobook)
Prompt: Book about travelling/adventure
Review: Holy crap this story was wild! I absolutely loved the voice acting in this audiobook 😍 This story was told in an interesting format because it's a series of video diary recordings made by the main character Emily. I really enjoyed the puzzles and riddles in this book and how Emily solved the mysteries of Audyn. The ending of this book was insane and I did not see it coming at all. The characters involved in Alice's disappearance were seriously messed up though. Overall this was an amazing audiobook and I highly recommend it
5/5🌟
So that’s my September wrap-up! Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these books. Also don’t forget to join in the next Spark Joy Readathon in January.
Happy reading and yay it’s officially spooky season 😊
