Overall mood: hopeful – the light is nearing at the end of the tunnel of my reading slump, but I’m not out of the woods just yet. My reading is settling back into what I know to be a steady, interested normal, so we will see what October brings in terms of my reading.

Books read:

A Bitter Cut by Anna Lee Huber

I fell right back into my love for historical fiction mysteries with A Bitter Cut, and the writing conventions and similarities between this one and The Anatomist’s Wife feel so familiar and welcoming after a long stint away from the sub-genre. I love the characters in this series, the murder mystery element was phenomenal, and I was intrigue by the historical context and links within this novel.

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

I challenged myself to read this series this month and to consistently post my reviews of the books as I read them. Wild Magic was a book I started several months ago, but then life got busy. I put my foot down so to speak and told myself to read the books, and I am so glad I did. This is a fun teen fantasy with amazing world building, developing the world within the Song of the Lioness Quartet further, and bringing in a new set of characters to engage with and appreciate. I liked it so much I jumped almost straight into Wolf-Speaker, so I would recommend those looking for some good old-school fantasy to pick it up.

Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce

Wolf-Speaker did not disappoint. It was different, fun, exciting, and worked to establish the differences between this series and the original series to great success. The creatures in this book are so interesting from a reader and writer perspective, the way in which these creatures are written is especially intriguing, and I really enjoyed this read.

Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce

Emperor Mage changed the scenery and stakes in a way I wasn’t expecting, and provided a great contrast to what we have seen in previous books. The real-world themes and inspirations threw me a little, but it wasn’t detrimental to the reading experience. What I found with this one was that I was starting to get a little iffy about the relationship between two characters, but again it wasn’t damaging to the story’s overall enjoyment.

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

I love this series, i love this author, and I will not stop talking about A Trade of Blood for the rest of the year. It is a phenomenal addition to the series and had so many incredible parts to the story, from the character developments and interactions to the drama of the mystery and the character conflicts. There was never a dull moment while reading this, and it really goes to show how fantastic fantasy can be. If you haven’t read The Tainted Cup yet to start your journey with Ana and Din off then you need to get your hands on it.

I forgot to take a photo of the book while I had it, but I read The Sons of Echidna by Athena M. Bliss for a little silly goofy fantasy time. It was a great break from the more serious, straight-laced characters and a dip into the chaotic found family trope that I love. I also read my friend’s master thesis on food customs and practices among one of the Inuit tribes in Canada which was submitted as a graphic novel. This was both a look at better understanding how these people live, including the controlled hunting of seals as their primary iron food source and their most profitable avenue for selling products (using as many parts of the seal as possible in a respectful way to earn money, which then get spent on basic necessity that are incredibly expensive because of the cost of getting them to these remote villages). It was also a significant study into the differences between indigenous and western society regarding things like sealing/hunting, the misinformation spread to demonise indigenous communities when their cultural practices differ from the western, and the importance of understanding indigenous perspectives when considering a vast array of issues.

Currently reading:

The Realm of the Gods by Tamora Pierce

Almost done with this series, and I am about halfway through The Realm of the Gods, but this last one is a bit slow-going. I don’t know what it is, but the energy and excitement has dropped away for me and this novel doesn’t have that spark to it. Hopefully it is just the stage I am at in the book, and I will get that pick-me-up soon.