september's reading wrap*up & faves of the bunch!!
here they come… one at a time as they happen… every monday’s weekly reading book review video for the month!
title links take you to the book’s page on bookshop.org where you can learn more about the tale, and if you purchase the book, you’ll be supporting the local independent bookstore of your choice— all while conveniently shopping for books online. (we can’t all make it to the bookstore EVerYdaY. or so i’ve been told.)
;)
happy colourful reads to you!
and as ever, in the comments, let me know what stories you’re reading, loving, watching, listening to, enjoying…! or if you’ve read any of the books shared!
until soon,
xo,
*hallie :)
✨ weekly reading book review september 2024: episode one!! ✨
this week i read:
☠️ THE ENCHANTED LIES OF CELESTE ARTOIS by ryan graudin
✨ MORE DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP by satoshi yagisawa
☠️ AN ELDERLY LADY IS UP TO NO GOOD by helene tursten
currently reading:
☠️ MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT by riley sager
miiiiiight read next:
✨ THE SWIFTS: A GALLERY OF ROGUES by beth lincoln & illustrated by claire powell
☠️ THE DECAGON HOUSE MURDERS by yukito ayatsuji
☠️ OVER MY DEAD BODY: UNEARTHING THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA’S CEMETERIES by greg melville
what stories are you loving right now?!
with dreams of many s’mores to come,
✨xo,
*hallie :)
✨ weekly reading book review september 2024: episode two!! ✨
this week i read:
☕️ MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT by riley sager (started out nice & supernaturally spooky, but overall... um, "meh?")
☠️ AN ELDERLY LADY MUST NOT BE CROSSED by helene tursten
☕️ THE SWIFTS: A GALLERY OF ROGUES by beth lincoln and illustrated by claire powell
bn special edition: here.
currently reading :
☕️ THE FULL MOON COFFEE SHOP by mai mochizuki
maaaaaybe reading next :
⚡️ KELCIE MURPHY AND THE RACE FOR THE REAPER’S KEY by erikae lewis (upper mg /ya-appropriate fantasy!)
☕️ THE WITCHING WIND by natalie lloyd (signed indie pre*order from the book and cover, chattanooga, tn!!)
☕️ SONG OF THE SIX REALMS by judy i. lin
☕️ SEMICOLON: THE PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE OF A MISUNDERSTOOD MARK by cecelia watson
what stories are you loving right now?!
i’m in the studio for the final sprint towards the scbwi carolinas conference next week!! learn more in the crayon box!! (& get double STICKER MAIL this month, too!! ✨https://www.patreon.com/halthegal )
with my graphite*smudged fingerprints on the page,
xo,
*hallie :)
✨ weekly reading book review september 2024: episode three!! ✨
this week i read:
✨ THE FULL MOON COFFEE SHOP by mai mochizuki
✨ ONCE THERE WAS by kiyash monsef
✨ LOLA by karla arenas valenti
watched:
✨ TO CATCH A THIEF
imdb link; here
packing on my road trip & miiiiight be reading next :
✨ THE DEVIL’S STORYBOOK & THE DEVIL’S OTHER STORYBOOK by natalie babbitt
✨ A STRANGE THING HAPPENED IN CHERRY HALL b byjasmine warga
✨ STALKING JACK THE RIPPER by kerri maniscalco
new cover & barnes & noble sale: here
& for dear greenville book club :
❤️ ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by chris whitaker
what stories are you loving right now?!?
with all my powdered sugar glaze love efforts,
❤️xo,
*hallie
✨ weekly reading book review september 2024: episode four!! ✨
here’s what i read this week:
⚡️ THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS by megan shepherd
⚡️ THE DEVIL’S STORYBOOK & THE DEVIL’S OTHER STORYBOOK by natalie babbitt
⚡️ TEMPLE ALLEY SUMMER by sachiko kashiwaba (illustrated by miho satake)
⚡️ A STRANGE THING HAPPENED IN CHERRY HALL by jasmine warga
i listened to:
⚡️ what went wrong's three episodes on THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy
apple podcast link to the show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-went-wrong/id1512847066
& started watching:
⚡️ PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS on disney+ in my post-scbwi carolinas conference haze…
currently reading :
⚡️ ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by chris whitaker (hopesfully in time for book club wednesday!)
miiiight read next:
⚡️ LIBRARY GIRL by polly horvath
{video also featuring my for-me bookhaul from main street books davidson !! }
what stories are you loving right now?!
with all my confetti*laden soul,
❤️xo,
*hallie
✨weekly reading book review september 2024: episode five!! from my car!! ✨
here are the books i read (by booklight) this week:
✨ ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by chris whitaker
✨ THE DECAGON HOUSE MURDERS by yukito ayatsuji
✨ THE WITCHING WIND by natalie lloyd (lovely! appalachian magic; for fans of natalie &/or STARFISH by lisa fipps!!)
✨ CRUSHED by melanie conklin (wow! consent and anxiety and soooo many important topics to have with kids these days—all handled clearly and without being too explicit to open the conversation!! and within a great story so it didn’t feel preachy!)
watched for the first time:
✨ THE SIXTH SENSE (1999; great episode by what went wrong podcast made me do it. the movie was sadder than i expected!!) :(
currently reading:
✨ FUNNY STORY by emily henry (it’s good to laugh again; she remains the banter & tension/chemistry queen!)
be well out there my friends…
❤️xo,
*hallie
✨🌟 most enjoyable, engaging, or otherwise insightful or hilarious books i read this month… (yes, all but one are middle grade! 😄)🌟✨
from the top:
☠️ AN ELDERLY LADY IS UP TO NO GOOD by helene tursten (adult mystery/dark comedy/crime in translation from the swedish. also perfect tiny pocket classy format size that made me feel like i was in an austen movie! 😂🖤📖 )
🏮TEMPLE ALLEY SUMMER by sachiko kashiwaba (japanese ghost story/inter*generational supernatural neighborhood mystery adventure with a young male protagonist.)
😈 THE DEVIL’S STORYBOOK & THE DEVIL’S OTHER STORYBOOK by natalie babbitt (snarky faerie tale fables.)
💙 CRUSHED by melanie conklin (dealt with #metoo and sexual harassment and anxiety and panic attacks and shifting friend groups in an accessible, story-forward, conversation-starting way for all ages. )
💖 THE WITCHING WIND by natalie lloyd (socio-economically diverse, magical realism, southern appalachian storytelling with body-strong positivity and disability rep and found friendship circles & the ability to speak to crows! 🐦⬛🥰 )
🌸 LOLA by karla arenas valenti (mexico-city magical realism with a house built around a tree + an accessible portal fantasy quest to save the tree and her brother. ❤️ )
🐢 A STRANGE THING HAPPENED IN CHERRY HALL by jasmine warga (diverse mg art museum mystery with ghosts and a turtle and a whodunnit! )
what were some of your favourite stories this month?!