Monthly Round Up/What’s on My Plate: August/September

Here’s my round up post for August combined with my ‘what’s on my plate’ books for September. My reading is still a bit slow and if I don’t enjoy a book immediately it really throws me off track so for now, even if it’s a highly anticipated book, if it doesn’t work for me by 30% I’m setting it aside. This month I’ve read six books and I’m about 20% into my current read. Plus I did start to read one of my September books but that is a DNF, I’ve read the first 30% and it really isn’t working for me so it is what it is. Without further ado:

These were the books I read in August:

  1. The Unknown by Riley Sager
  2. A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
  3. The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty
  4. They Say A Girl Died Here by Sarah Pinborough
  5. Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren JA Bear
  6. Kiss Slay Reply by Rachel Harrison (review to follow)

I had seven books on my shelf for August (two of the above are from my September book list). Unexpectedly I had to set aside Daggerbound by T Kingfisher as it wasn’t working for me – it could be a mood thing because I usually love her books. I will try to pick it up again in a few weeks and see if I get along better. My other two outstanding books for August were Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst and The Two of Us At the End of the World by CA Fletcher. I’m hoping to still get to these although not this month as I have quite a long list.

What’s On My Plate: September

  1. An Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino – this is a DNF, I read 30% but it wasn’t working for me
  2. Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren JA Bear – already read and reviewed (spoiler alert – it was amazing)
  3. Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley – this is my current read
  4. Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison – already read (and I loved this) review to follow shortly
  5. The Island of the Lost by Daisy Stephens
  6. Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson
  7. Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor
  8. Pictures of You by Josh Malerman
  9. The Faerie Handmaid by Louisa Morgan
  10. Bodies of Magic by  Freya Marske
  11. Exit Party by Emily St John Mandel
  12. Pride, Prejudice and Peril by Jessica Bull
  13. Worry Box by Chris Panatier
  14. The Court of Venus by Bel Banta

So, my restraint obviously flew out the window for September – or perhaps I just got trigger happy because there were so many good books. Anyway, I’ve already read two off the list and unfortunately had to set one of the others aside and given I’ve started the Lucy Foley book I think I could probably fit in another six books (wishful thinking maybe but hopefully I’m not as busy this month as last), which does mean I will have to carry some books over (but, October and November are currently light months and so I’m hoping to do some serious catching up). One can but hope. Here are the lovely covers (Pride, Prejudice and Peril cover is not the final cover):

Backlist Book

For the moment I’m not tackling the list I created at the start of the year as I’d like to catch up with my review books from the last few months to get back on track.

Bookforager‘s Picture Prompt Book Bingo

And the ‘wordy’ version:

Picture Prompt Book Bingo 2026 (text version)

1. A teacup and saucer  2. A set of weighing scales  3. A moth  4. A hand holding some fanned out playing cards
5. A hot air balloon  6. An acorn  7. A human eye  8. A cooking pot hanging over a campfire
9. A griffin  10. A large, old key  11. A hand holding a threaded needle12. An octopus  
13. A plant being repotted  14. A skull and crossbones  15. A decorative water fountain16. A pinch-clip purse  

This month I\e gone for a rather cheeky fit – A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett for No.14 – A Skull and Crossbones. If you’ve read the book I think you’ll understand why but I don’t want to give away spoilers – definitely poisonous goings on and a particular part of the body involved.

Monthly/Weekly Wrap Up/What’s On My Plate August/September

I’m trying to post a wrap up for the end of each month, mainly to help me to keep track of my reading and at the same time look at what I’m intending to read during the month ahead (inspired by Books Bones and Buffy’s What’s on My Plate.

This month’s wrap up post will be a bit messy again like last month’s because I’m combining it with my weekly wrap up.

Weekly Update

Well, I’ve had my six week check up and my hip is progressing well.  I’ve not been using any walking aids for about three weeks and I’ve been keeping up with the exercises and so far so good.  In the past week I continued with some of my September reads and completed  No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes which started a little slow and then won me over, The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey which I did have a few issues with and I also read A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis – which I really enjoyed and crammed into one delicious sitting.

Next Week’s reads

I shall be continuing with my September review books so will be picking up The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan, No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead and maybe I’ll have time for a third and check out The Naked Light by Bridget Collins.

Reviews Posted:

  1. Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
  2. A Tangle of Time (The Hexologists #2) by Josiah Bancroft

Outstanding Reviews

My Monthly Wrap Up:

Books read in August:

  1. The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine
  2. Hemlock and Silver  by T Kingfisher
  3. Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
  4. Damned by Genevieve Cogman
  5. This Vicious Hunger by Francesca May
  6. Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
  7.  The Hexologists: A Tangle of Time by Josiah Bancroft
  8. This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
  9. No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes
  10. The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey
  11. A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis

I’ve had a very good reading month reading 11 books, I completed all my August review books and even made a dent in some of my September reads.  No DNFs this month fortunately.

Here’s what I’m hoping to read in September (and I’ve already read three so should be able to tuck into my October books all going well – good thing too as I have quite a few books that month):

  1. No Friend to this House by Natalie Haynes – read rtf
  2. The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey – read rtf
  3. The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan
  4. No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
  5. The Naked Light by Bridget Collins
  6. A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis – read rtf

BTB

Lets just be honest – I’m not doing well so far – I need to give my head a big 0wobble.

Bookforager‘s Picture Prompt book bingo.

and the text version:

PICTURE PROMPT BOOK BINGO 2025 (TEXT VERSION)

1. A prehistoric flint knapped stone knife 2. A lighthouse 3. An apple on a leafy branch 4. An archery target with three arrows in it
5. A very large mechanical telescope 6. A human skull 7. A stag 8. The ruins of a temple-like structure
9. A crab 10. A sheaf of wheat 11. An old mechanical typewriter 12. A cluster of four mushrooms
13. A fringed umbrella / parasol 14. A chemistry set-up of bottles and tubes 15. A stylized sun with a human face 16. A Roman helmet

Today, I’m ticking off another prompt.  No. 16 – A Roman helmet – and I’m using This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara.

The prompts I’ve crossed off so far:

No. 3 – an apple on a leafy branch – Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisther

No.10 – A Sheaf of Wheat – The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst –

No. 11 – An Old Mechanical Typewriter – The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia

No.8 – The ruins of a temple-like structure – I’m using Daughter of Chaos by A S Webb

No. 12 – A cluster of four mushrooms – I’m using Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

No. 13 – A fringed umbrella/parasol – I’m using A Fortune Most Fatal by Jessica Bull

No.14 – A chemistry set-up of bottles and tubes – I’m using Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

No.9 – A Crab – I’m using The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – if you’ve read this already you’ll be able to guess why.  There are some very unusual creatures in this story.

No.6 – A Human Skull – I’m using The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North – because this is about a serial killer and there are definite human remains included in this one.

Number of books read this year: 63

Sunday Post/Weekly Wrap Up plus Monthly Wrap Up/What’s On My Plate August/September

Today I’m combining my Weekly Wrap Up with my Monthly Wrap Up plus What’s on My Plate for September.

Sunday Post

Books read this week:

I didn’t manage to fit in as much reading this week but I’m still getting ahead with reviews and comments/blog hopping so I’m relatively happy.  I’ve also posted my second batch of cuts for SPFBO which leaves me with five titles to explore further.  I think some of my more recent reads have slowed me down a little.  This week completed and reviewed The Mercy of Gods by James SA Corey. I then picked up one of my September books, The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart – this is good, the writing is excellent, but I am finding it a little slow but I think maybe I needed to fit a quick, light read inbetween.

Next Week’s Reads:

I’ll be continuing primarily with my SPFBO books this week and also hoping to pick up So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison which I’m really looking forward to.

  1. Storm Child by Michael Robotham
  2. The Voyage Home by Pat Barker
  3. The Mercy of Gods by James SA Corey

Outstanding Reviews