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SEPTEMBER WRAP-UP

September passed awfully quickly. One moment I was sitting for my semester finals, the next moment I'm in Japan eating my weight in food, and after that I'm back in college for my last semester. Time flew by extremely quickly.

This month marks the start of author interviews (link) on this blog! It was daunting at first since in my culture, we typically consume and not ask. However, ever since the last few years of secondary school when I was taking SPM (similar to the GCSEs), I became more fearless, after all, what's the harm in asking. It was a great experience because I was able to understand more about the author, the story and learn more about the thought processes the author had when writing each scene. After all, it's great to be an active consumer!

In terms of books, this month was an interesting month. I've read a lot more books that I thought I had. 

1. The Back Door of Midnight by Elizabeth Chandler


A friend of mine lent this book to me and it was his favourite. He didn't tell me much about it since he said it was a mystery and he wanted it to remain mysterious. 

This book is from a series but it can definitely be read as a standalone. It was difficult to get into it since the start was slow and draggy however towards the middle, you start getting fragments of clues and it begins to get interesting. I liked that it was very direct and it met the objectives of the story without added fluff. 

You can read my review here!


2. How Black is the Shadow by Andrew Layden


One of the bests books I've read this month. The whole time I was reading this, I imagined it as a movie set in a Merlin-ish setting. It is definitely a book that you'll get hooked on. 

The main character, Kat is stubborn, tactical and has a goal in mind. However, she's not the only one with the same goal. After losing her brother, she goes out to seek a relic in order to resurrect him. Illiterate and only with a few fireside stories to guide her on her journey, she begins her desperate journey to bring her brother back to life.

You can read my review of it here!


3. Beneath the Earth by H.S. Stone


I've started reading a couple of short stories this month and here's one of it! 

Laura and her schoolmates are having their senior year camping trip on Aislado Island. A long awaited trip on an island paradise with her friends and her boyfriend, what could go wrong? Too much. Far too much. It begins with a student disappearing and many more to come. They realise the island is far from safe and it lurks beneath the Earth. 

You can read my review of it here!


 4. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne


Another book that I could totally imagine as a movie (although it has been done many times).  The whole time I was reading this, I imagined Benedict Cumberbatch as Phileas Fogg and (towards the end) Priyanka Chopra as Aouda. I loved this book and it was one of my favourites for this month too. Although it was focused on Phileas Fogg's bet with his friends to travel around the world in eighty days, there was more to the story than that. There were adventures, conflicts, loyalty and love. I also especially adored Passepartout's loyalty to his master.


5. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom


Another one of my friend's favourites. Between Tuesdays with Morrie and this, I preferred this a lot more. Perhaps the first three people that Eddie met in Heaven moved my heart in so many ways. It was difficult reading this book in public because I know that I'll definitely be left sobbing after each encounter. If you're looking for a book that makes you learn to observe things from a different view, do pick this up.


6.The Ladies' Man by Jessica Edwards


Another short story. 26-year-old Lisa is celebrating her birthday alone again by watching The Notebook and crying. She is desperately in search of her Mr. Right and her best friend and co-worker, Laura, helps her.

Review to come.


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That's all the books that I've read this month. I had a lot more time on my hands since I was on a semester break. There's a ton of books waiting for me for the upcoming month due to many book challenges and I absolutely can't wait.

Cheers to a better month ahead!
-J



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