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)

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.