September books.

It was bound to happen that my reading would slow down. It always does in the fall, no matter what season of life I'm in. I read one book around Labor Day and I just finished one last weekend. 

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth I got this as an ARC through Netgalley. I love it when they just up and send me books instead of me requesting (begging for) a new release by one of my preferred authors. 

I really enjoyed the first chunk of this book. It was an interesting premise. I love books that take place in Australia, for some reason. I did feel like there was something "off" about many of the characters, though. Getting into the second half and finding out how the pieces were actually put together...meh, I wasn't overly-overly impressed. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't pulled in to the point where I couldn't stop reading. I read The Younger Wife this summer and I think I liked that one better. 

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney This was a Book of the Month from August. It definitely took me over a month to read because I'm awful at hardcovers these days. I much prefer the kindle. 

I wasn't quite a fan of Rock, Paper, Scissors last year. I didn't get the hype, so it wasn't amazing. Alice Feeney's older books like Sometimes I Lie and His & Hers were so much better. 

Daisy Darker was a spooky and creepy locked room mystery, perfect for Halloween. I know many weren't fans of it and I can see why. It moved very slowly, had few redeeming qualities in terms of characters, and had constant time jumps. I also felt like you had to be willing to really visualize the setting (just like in Rock, Paper, Scissors). Those aren't my favorite kinds of books. It's too much work. 

I will say that the twist was one I expected and it actually kind of redeemed the book for me. The fact that it took me a month+ to read this story though...probably not a ringing endorsement. 

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Currently reading:

I skimmed Pete Hegseth's book The Battle for the American Mind.  I just really struggle to read non-fiction, especially on the kindle. He did a podcast interview that made me really interested in what he had to say but NF generally puts me to sleep these days. 

I'm reading, half-heartedly, The Last Housewife. Reviews for this one are all over the place. I find the writing to be a bit much. The main character definitely has a case of Main Character Syndrome. I may end up finishing it. 

I barely began I Must Betray You and I just couldn't do it. Historical fiction takes too much thought. It's easier to stay contemporary right now. 

And let's take a look at those library holds:

I literally think I'm getting farther from A Flicker in the Dark, not closer.