What I Read in September 2024

---

Hello! This month's post is gonna be much shorter than in months past because I've been in the biggest reading slump of my life this month. For almost two weeks, I couldn't pick up anything (whether it was a physical book or my Kindle) and it was kinda driving me crazy. Thankfully, I was able to get out of that (thank you, Riley Sager), but it still hasn't left me with that much this month. With all of that said, I read 5 books this month. Let's talk about them!

To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders: I rated this ebook 6/5 stars and finished it on September 4th. I found this book on Kindle Unlimited because everyone on BookTok was raving about it, so I decided to go for it, and lemme tell you, they were right. The hype is well-deserved on this one. It's MM, childhood friends to lovers, and follows Ellis and Lucky as they get to know each other as kids and then their strong friendship through into adulthood that eventually turns into something more. As someone who is neurodivergent, I was surprised by the neurodivergent rep in this book by Ellis. He didn't start speaking until he was three years old, and I was the same way. I also faced a lot of bullying growing up for being the quiet girl who never spoke because she never really knew how to. I've never felt seen by an MMC before but Ellis made me feel seen and represented in a way that was just so beautiful to read. I wish I could read this again and again, I loved it so much. Please, do yourself a favor, and go read this. I promise it's worth it.

"He was my beginning. And my never-ending. There’s a lot I’ve never told my best friend. The fact that I love him. That I miss him every day he’s gone. That, sometimes, I ache for him with a ferocity that leaves me breathless. Lucky Buchanan tore into my life as a boy, wild and daring, my opposite in every way. He drew me in, stole my heart without trying. He hears me, even though I rarely speak a word. But I always knew this place wouldn’t be enough for my free-spirited friend. I knew he wasn’t mine to keep. So why, when I finally try to get over him, does he sweep back into town? Why is he upset? Why is there tension between us for the first time in years? I never saw a future where Lucky could be mine. But now, unless I want to lose my friend, I might not have a choice but to tell the truth. My heart belongs to him. It has from the start. If only I knew how to hold onto a creature that’s meant to fly."

Final Girls by Riley Sager: I rated this audiobook 4.5/5 stars and finished it on September 20th. I love Riley Sager’s writing, and this was no different. I’d definitely recommend the audiobook though, I found it much easier to get through than the physical copy. The only reason why it’s not a 5 is because it didn’t totally wow me. But, you know what it did do? It got me out of a two-week-long reading slump, and that’s an accomplishment.

"Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout's knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and, with that, one another. Despite the media's attempts, they never meet. Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past. That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which make Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished."

The Situationship by Abby Jiminez: I rated this ebook 4/5 stars and finished it on September 24th. I thought this was cute! I liked seeing how Maddy and Doug met, and what could've come from them if they'd gotten their own book. With that said though, I still think they deserve their own full-length story in that universe. I'd only recommend this one if you've read Part of Your World, Yours Truly, and Just for the Summer by her.

"Travel nurse Maddy doesn't have time for a relationship, not even with the ruggedly handsome farmer who she feels a spark of attraction to. Doug is a walking green flag. After a run-in with Maddy thanks to the Wakan town mascot, Kevin Bacon the pig, he can't help but feel the spark too. Even though she doesn't plan on staying in Minnesota forever, Maddy believes she and Doug can still have a fling… or maybe they’ll just find themselves in a situationship."

Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh: I rated this book 5/5 stars and finished it on September 25th. This is the first book in the Boys of Tommen series and follows Johnny and Shannon. I bought these books on a whim off of UK Amazon because I liked the covers on them better than the US ones. I've decided I wanted to read the entire series this year, and so I jumped into this one almost right away. I haven't felt emotionally invested in characters like this since I finished the Magnolia Parks Universe. Magnolia and BJ kinda remind of Shannon and Johnny in a way that I feel super connected to them on an emotional level. I can't wait to read more about these characters, I already know I'm gonna continue to fall in love with them. The only thing that I'd be wary about is how big they are; this one was about 800 pages, and the rest of them are around that length. Just keep that in mind when you want to start this series, as it will probably take you a while to get through it. With all of this said though, I did have a great time, and I would totally recommend it.

"His first, last, and only true love has always been rugby. Until now. He wants to save her. She wants to hide. She's damaged. He's determined. Fate brought them together. Love binds them. Johnny Kavanagh has everything going for him. On the rugby pitch, he's a force to be reckoned with. Primed for stardom, he's heading straight for the top. Nothing can possibly get in his way, right? Not even the shy new girl at Tommen College. The one with the sad eyes and hidden bruises. The one that distracts him like no one ever has. Plagued with a hidden injury and desperate to impress the scouts watching his every move, Johnny has been placed on a pedestal so high, he has no room to make mistakes. Striving to maintain balance, and on the crest of the International Summer Campaign, Johnny needs to keep his head in the game. He needs to stay focused, and cannot afford to let distractions get in the way of the bigger picture. But what happens when a lonely girl with sad eyes becomes the only picture? Life has never been easy for Shannon Lynch. Bullied and tortured, she arrives at Tommen College mid-way through the school year praying for a fresh start and desperate to shake off the demons that plague her. On her very first day at the prestigious private school, she comes into contact with the notorious Johnny Kavanagh. Thrown through a hoop over her feelings for him, and desperate to keep a low-profile, Shannon finds herself once again the target of bullies as she forms a fragile alliance with rugby's rising star. Falling into a complicated friendship and grappling with their undeniable chemistry, Johnny and Shannon must face obstacles that threaten their relationship. Two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks collide. Friendship, first love, rising fame, horrifying secrets, and pain all fuel together in Binding 13. Hearts are binding and lives are entwining in Binding 13."

Run on Red by Noelle W. Ihli: I rated this ebook 4.5/5 stars and finished it on September 27th. I was in a reading slump when I started this book and got about halfway through it before stopping to pick up something else because it felt like it was going slow. When I picked it back up today though, it was super fast-paced and I didn't see the twist coming at all. I'd recommend this one to anyone who wants a fast-paced short thriller that's bingebale/easy to read in one sitting.

"A rural country road. No cell signal for miles. A terrifying game of cat-and-mouse. By the time Laura and Olivia notice the headlights tailing them through the hills, it’s too late. What seems, at first, like a case of road rage quickly unfolds into a heart-pounding chase—and a battle for survival. Who are the men in the truck? What do they want? And can Laura and Olivia outrun—and outsmart—them long enough to call for help, even if it means taking their chances in the hills on foot? As their situation grows more perilous, the girls realize that the real terror has only just begun. But flight won’t save them from their pursuers. If they’re going to make it home alive, they'll have to fight."

---

So, that's it. September was a super slow month for me, and I'm still not entirely sure why, but I'm hoping that October will be better. I'll see y'all next month!