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

Posted On 1 September 2026

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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):

Version 1.0.0

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 Round Up/What’s on My Plate: August

Posted On 1 August 2026

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I’m trying to keep on top of these monthly round up posts even if I haven’t made as much progress as I’d like. My reading is still slow at the moment. As I’ve mentioned we’ve been having various trips away and then hosting visits from family and friends so everything has been slightly chaotic. During my last round up I listed nine books that I needed to read for July. I’ve not done as well as I’d like with this but I managed to read five of those books. I still have a couple of reviews outsanding and I’m in the middle of one of the other books.

These were the books I read in July:

  1. This Blade of Ours by Shalini Abeysekara
  2. Nine Goblins by T Kingfisher
  3. The Eye of Leviathan by MA Carrick – currently reading
  4. The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  5. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by HG Parry
  6. The Winter Folk by Jen Julian

What’s On My Plate: August

  1. The Unknown by Riley Sager
  2. A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
  3. Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst
  4. The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty
  5. The Two of Us at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher
  6. Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
  7. They Say A Girl Died Here by Sarah Pinborough

This is a more manageable size list I feel – but, obviously I still have some catching up to do from the past couple of months so we’ll see.

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 have no books that fit the prompts – or at least I don’t think so. Here’s the books I ticked off last month:

A plant being repotted – Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons (this really is a perfect fit)

A hand holding some fanned out playing cards – The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru – I’m thinking of the card readings (tarot but playing cards can also be used)

A moth – Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher – gothic horror with insects, maggots and more

A human eye – A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett – this may seem a bit random but Ana, one of the two main characters in this series usually chooses to wear a blindfold in order to help her restrict all the sensory data and improve her thinking

A large, old key – The Children by Melissa Albert – keys, very unusual keys I might add, play a large part in this beautiful book

A Griffin – This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews – there are a few critters in this

A hand holding a threaded needle – The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett a group of women coming together, forming bonds and found family, there is actually literal stitching involved as well but I’m going more for the abstract idea here of the women joining together in times of need

Round Up: What’s On My Plate for July

Posted On 4 July 2026

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It’s been a while since my last round up so I’ll format this one slightly differently so as not to make it too lengthy. Instead of rounding up for June I’ll give an update of what I’ve read since February/March and also post my forthcoming books for July. My reading has been a lot slower in the past few months which certainly is not a reflection on the books themselves. I’ve enjoyed some absolute crackers. But, we’ve been away quite a lot and we’ve also had a lot of visitors this year, family and friends, which is fantastic but also takes time and attention away from other things. So, this year, by end of June I think I’m up to about 40 books – so I have some catching up to do if I can make it to my usual 100 in a year by the end of December. I’ll see how it goes, I’m not stressing about it.

In my last round up for (February) I posted the list of books that I was hoping to read during March (below) which I’ve updated here to show which books I read during that month. I had 8 books and apart from Steel Gods I read and reviewed them all. I will try to return to Steel Gods, I don’t know whether it was my mood at the time but I really struggled with it which was such a surprise as I’ve loved this author’s other books and indeed the first in this series:

  1. The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
  2. Steel Gods by Richard Swan – DNF
  3. Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence
  4. Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher
  5. Snake-Eater by T Kingfisher
  6. How To Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson
  7. Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons
  8. Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman

I then had a break during April so no reviews were posted and although I was reading during May I was only blogging a little. I posted four reviews as I was trying to catch up – which were:

  1. Death’s Daughter by SA Barnes
  2. The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
  3. We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune
  4. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

I’m nearly back on track with reviews. During June I posted the following:

  1. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
  2. The Unicorn Hunters by Kathryn Arden
  3. The Children by Melissa Albert
  4. All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan
  5. The Wonder Engine by TJ Kingfisher

What’s On My Plate: July

I have already posted a review during July which was for Two Little Liars by Michelle Harrison – but this was a review book from June and part of my catching up. The books I’m hoping to read during July (I’m currently reading a June book – The Tinder Box by MR Carey) are:

  1. This Blade of Ours by Shalini Abeysekara
  2. Nine Goblins by T Kingfisher
  3. The Eye of Leviathan by MA Carrick
  4. The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  5. The Amber Owl by Juliet Marillier
  6. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by HG Parry
  7. The Winter Folk by Jen Julian
  8. The Second Death of Locke by VL Bovalino
  9. Harbour of Hungry Ghosts by Eliza Chan

Quite a few books but I’m really excited for all of these so lets see how things go. I’d also like to backtrack to try and include some titles from May and June that my slower reading meant I didn’t get to.

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 two 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’m going to tick off a number of prompts:

A plant being repotted – Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons (this really is a perfect fit)

A hand holding some fanned out playing cards – The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru – I’m thinking of the card readings (tarot but playing cards can also be used)

A moth – Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher – gothic horror with insects, maggots and more

A human eye – A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett – this may seem a bit random but Ana, one of the two main characters in this series usually chooses to wear a blindfold in order to help her restrict all the sensory data and improve her thinking

A large, old key – The Children by Melissa Albert – keys, very unusual keys I might add, play a large part in this beautiful book

A Griffin – This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews – there are a few critters in this

A hand holding a threaded needle – The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett a group of women coming together, forming bonds and found family, there is actually literal stitching involved as well but I’m going more for the abstract idea here of the women joining together in times of need

Monthly Wrap Up/What’s On My Plate: October/November/December

Posted On 3 December 2025

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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.

I’ve missed one of my monthly wrap up posts so I’m going to try and give a quick update for October and November and what I’m planning to read in December.

My Monthly Wrap Up: October

The following is the list of books I posted in September that I was hoping to complete in October.  Lets take a look:

  1. Cinder House by Freya Marske
  2. Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
  3. The Cold House by A.G. Slatter
  4. House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
  5. Ring the Bells by CK McDonnell
  6. The Last Witch by C.J. Cooke
  7. The Possession of Alba Dias by Isabel Cañas
  8. Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason
  9. King Sorrow by Joe Hill
  10. The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah
  11. The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow

I’ve linked the books with reviews.  The Possession of Alba Dias I set aside because it was a period when my reading mood wasn’t good and so I shall be going back and picking that one up.  Murder Most Haunted I also made a start with – I’m not totally sure this one is going to work for me but I’d like to give it another shot.  The Last Death of the Year I’ve not picked up yet but I am excited to do so.

My Monthly Wrap Up: November

The following is the list of books I was hoping to complete in November.  Lets take a look:

  1. The Blackfire Blade by James Logan
  2. The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
  3. I’ll Make A Spectacle of You by Beatrice Winifred Iker
  4. Outlaw Planet by MR Carey

I have read The Place Where They Buried Your Heart – which I loved and already reviewed.  I’m currently reading The Blackfire Blade and Outlaw Planet is my next planned read.  It doesn’t look as though I read many books in November but I think some of my October reads were actually read in November but because I wasn’t posting weekly wraps it’s difficult to place everything!  This is why I need to be more organised.  Anyway.  It is what it is.

What’s On My Plate: December:

I’m hoping to catch up with review books that I’ve carried forward from October and also complete my last books from November (plus a late addition that went onto my September shelf:

  1. What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher
  2. The Possession of Alba Dias by Isabel Cañas (Carried over from October)
  3. Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason (Carried over from October)
  4. The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah (Carried over from October)
  5. The Blackfire Blade by James Logan
  6. I’ll Make A Spectacle of You by Beatrice Winifred Iker
  7. Outlaw Planet by MR Carey

If possible I’d love to complete these by the end of December but I recognise that I’m not reading quite as much at the moment as there are too many other distractions at the moment.  We’ll see.  Maybe I’ll have a strange burst of reading.  Never say never.

BTB

I’ve been terrible with this challenge this year – I think I’ll just declare this year a failure and start again next year with a proper list to try and get myself into gear.

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: No. 7 A Stag – which I’m using Clockwork Boys by T Kingfisher for (you’ll know why if you’ve read it).  I’ve also gone back through my list and I’m using The Vipers by Katy Hays for No.15 – A stylized sun with a human face – because the setting is the beautiful and dazzling island of Capri and the season is Summer – so plenty of sunshine and sparkling seas.  For No.4 – the Archery Target with Arrows in it – I’ve chosen the Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford because one of the female raiders is an expert shot with bow and arrow.

So, three more prompts left – not sure I’m going to make it this year, these last three are tricksy, a flint knife, a lighthouse and a telescope.  I might have to do some creative thinking.

The prompts I’ve crossed off so far:

No. 16 – A Roman helmet – and I’m using This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara.

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: 78 (well below target – boo!)

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

Posted On 30 September 2025

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Comments Dropped 12 responses

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

I’ve been absent from the blog for the past two weeks for a couple of reasons (nothing to do with reading slumps or being stressed with blogging and reviewing).  We’ve had family visiting, I’ve had an issue with my hip replacement which I won’t go into here (but has been stressful) and I’ve started some more language lessons so two of my evenings are now taken up with school and then of course homework!

I’ve been pushing on with my reading though and although I now need to post quite a few reviews in quick succession I’m pleased to be a little ahead with some of my review books.

Since my last weekly wrap up I’ve read:

  1. Cinder House by Freya Marske
  2. Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
  3. House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
  4. The Last Witch by CJ Cooke

and I’m now reading Ring the Bells by C. K. McDonnell.

Next Week’s reads

Complete Ring the Bells and then pick up either The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas or Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason.

Reviews Posted:

None in the past week.

Outstanding Reviews

  1. Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
  2. The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
  3. Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
  4. This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
  5. No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
  6. The Naked Light by Bridget Collilns
  7. Cinder House by Freya Marske
  8. The Cold House by AG Slatter
  9. Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
  10. House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
  11. The Last Witch by CJ Cooke

My Monthly Wrap Up:

Books read in September:

  1. No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
  2. The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan
  3. The Naked Light by Bridget Collilns
  4. Cinder House by Freya Marske
  5. The Cold House by AG Slatter
  6. Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
  7. House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
  8. The Last Witch by CJ Cooke

I’ve had a good reading month with 8 books and a good dent already in my October review books.

Here’s what I’m hoping to read in October:

  1. Cinder House by Freya Marske (already read)
  2. Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber (already read)
  3. The Cold House by A.G. Slatter (already read)
  4. House of Splinters by Laura Purcell (already read)
  5. Ring the Bells by CK McDonnell (currently reading)
  6. The Last Witch by C.J. Cooke (already read)
  7. The Possession of Alba Dias by Isabel Cañas
  8. Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason
  9. King Sorrow by Joe Hill
  10. The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah
  11. The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow

BTB

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

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 not ticking off a prompt.

The prompts I’ve crossed off so far:

No. 16 – A Roman helmet – and I’m using This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara.

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: 71

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