September Reading Wrap-up
This month I really felt like I was coming out of my reading slump, hooray! I ended up reading a big stack of great titles that reminded me why I love reading, and today I’m sharing 8 of my favorites. Maybe one of these will be just what you need to break out of your reading slump…
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Cliff Chiang (art), and Matt Wilson (colors)
This comic series about a group of badass time traveling paper girls from the 1980’s is perfect for fans of Stranger Things. I devoured every volume in two days.
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
Two teens get on a bus in Oakland. One goes to a big public school, the other attends a fancy private school up in the hills. Their routes only overlap for a few blocks, but one strike of a lighter changes both of their lives. Journalist Dashka Slater covers this (true) story with incredible nuance.
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
My son and I are both obsessed with the Morrigan Crow books. Obsessed! This middle grade fantasy has characters you will fall in love with, loads of adventure, and is fantastic on audio. Book two is called Wundersmith, and book three, Hollowpox, releases October 27.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Chanel Miller’s memoir swept me into her experiences so completely I literally could not put it down. A must-read for all adult humans in 2020.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
After languishing on my unread shelf for years, learning that Ready Player Two comes out on November 24 is what pushed me to finally read this — and I am so glad I did! If you’re in the mood for a propulsive story set in an all-too-believable dystopian future, this could be your next read.
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
The American Civil War, now with zombies and a zombie-slaying Black teen heroine! Super satisfying, and a sequel is already on the shelves.
Kindred by Octavia Butler
A modern Black woman spontaneously time travels back to the pre-Civil War South in Octavia Butler’s speculative fiction classic. Clear your schedule because you’ll want to read this in one sitting.
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
In book 16 of the Three Pines series, we travel to Paris with the Gamaches, which sets the stage for deeper character development as Armand struggles to become closer to his son Daniel. The scientific premise of one plot strand had me raising my eyebrow a bit, but that was my only quibble and it did not detract from my reading pleasure one bit.