Hoohoo, guys!
Time for a little wrap up. September was a bit of a weird month. I was on vacation first, then had two weeks of doing absolutely nothing before starting a job in October. I haven’t been this free since I finished school. So let’s have a closer look at travelling to Poland, what I read and what I blogged.
Poland
We went to Poland for almost two weeks, first a few days at the Baltic Sea where we had lots of wind, a beautiful beach and a bit of rain. Those were amazing days anyways, we had our bikes with us and drove to the nearest town, we had wonderful walks through the forest and along the beach and had our food stolen by boars on the camping site.
Afterwards, we enjoyed two days of Gdańsk where we had a little apartement at the outskirts of the city and took our bikes into Old Town every day. The Old Town really was absolutely gorgeous and there was so much to see and to do. Two days definitely aren’t enough for Gdańsk and I shall definitely go back, especially to have a look at the maritime museum(s) which we didn’t have time for in the end. I can definitely recommend the city for a city trip.
But I have to admit I was also glad to leave the busy city with its many people and tourists to spend a week in Masuria in a house a bit away from everything else but at the edge of a lake where we had our own little landing stage and boat in the forest. It was such a stark contrast to Gdańsk where instead of beautiful houses we had high trees all around, where there were no people but instead bellowing stags, a sounds I never heard before. I’ve also never seen so many stars and a darkness so absolute. I could have stayed there much, much longer and just enjoy myself and nature. I hope I’ll have the chance for such calmness again.
Books I Read
The Stars Beyond the Stones by Bonnie Wynne
The Price of Magic #3
The Scions roam free, and only the sorceress can hunt them…
After the battle with storm god Molech Suun, a city is in ruins and a new Archmage holds the Syndicate’s leash. But while Gwyn has accepted her fate – to hunt down and destroy the remaining Scions – her loyalty is still to her old master Faolan, held captive by a cunning necromancer.
Saving Faolan means leaving the wizards and the Clockwork City behind. With the shapeshifter Lucian at her side, Gwyn embarks on a dangerous journey across the sea, to lands where pirate kings rule and wild magic sings.
But sorceresses are heir to a dark legacy of blood – and Gwyn soon finds that she’s the one being hunted.
The Scions want her dead, and a new enemy sends threats and warnings that can’t be ignored. As Gwyn struggles to balance her desires and her destiny, she finds herself unprepared for what awaits her beyond the city walls. And far to the south, amid the ashes of a fallen kingdom, a familiar foe is setting deadly plans in motion…
I really enjoyed this book. I love the whole series and characters with all my heart. Bonnie Wynne has created a beautiful world which the reader gets to explore, each book is set in another place and I love that for us because the author definitely has a vivid imagination which she brings to the page in wonderful words. This instalment felt a bit like a filler for the next book but I still loved it! Read my full review here.
FadeAway by Anabelle Stehl
Away #2
Als Kyra ihr Studium in Berlin beginnt, ist sie fest entschlossen, das Vergangene hinter sich zu lassen. Denn auch wenn sie nicht vergessen kann, was geschehen ist, so will sie sich dafür einsetzen, dass andere nicht das gleiche Schicksal ereilt wie sie. In einem feministischen Podcast macht sie daher regelmäßig auf Missstände an ihrer Uni aufmerksam. Niemand weiß, dass sie diejenige ist, die hinter dem erfolgreichen Format steckt – niemand bis auf Milan, der eines Abends plötzlich in ihrem Aufnahmestudio steht und der ihr Herz gefährlich höher schlagen lässt. Dabei ist Milan genau die Sorte Mann, die Kyra eigentlich meiden wollte.
Ein richtig, richtig gutes Buch mit wundervollen Charakteren, deren Charakterentwicklung wirklich super beschrieben ist. Es behandelt viele wichtige Themen und man merkt, dass sich die Autorin auch privat mit diesen Themen auseinandersetzt. Sie umfassen vor allem Feminismus, Sexismus und persönliche Traumata und es wird meiner Meinung nach sehr gut mit ihnen umgegangen, es wird gezeigt, wo jede*r einzelne etwas tun kann, wo aber auch Grenzen sind. Ich liebe Anabelles Schreibstil total und mochte diesen Band noch lieber als den ersten, der mich schon sehr begeistern konnte.
Love with Pride by Lea Kaib
Neue Stadt, neues Ich: Als die introvertierte Stella ihr Studium am College in Haydensburgh beginnt, ist sie froh, ihr altes Leben hinter sich zu lassen. Sie möchte nicht länger die unbeliebte, unsichtbare Außenseiterin sein. Dieses Mal wird alles anders, dieses Mal wird sie Freund*innen finden und ganz sie selbst sein können. Dann trifft sie auf Ellie, die so ganz anders ist als sie selbst – impulsiv, immer fröhlich –, und ihr ganzes Leben steht plötzlich Kopf. Denn diese Freundschaft fühlt sich nach mehr an, so etwas hat Stella noch nie erlebt. Doch im Gegensatz zu Ellie kann sie mit ihren Gefühlen nicht offen umgehen, und das könnte der Anfang vom Ende der beiden bedeuten.
Ein Buch, auf das ich mich sehr gefreut habe, das mich aber leider nicht ganz überzeugen konnte. Teilweise musste ich mich echt dazu zwingen weiterzulesen. Das lag vor allem an den Charakteren, mit denen ich gar nicht warm geworden bin. Stella fand ich sehr widersprüchlich und mit Elli konnte ich leider nicht viel anfangen. Auch die Beziehung der beiden erschloss sich mir nicht ganz, da ich nicht nachvollziehen konnte, was genau die beiden eigentlich aneinander finden. Es war mir alles etwas zu oberflächlich.
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Evangeline Fox was raised in her beloved father’s curiosity shop, where she grew up on legends about immortals, like the tragic Prince of Hearts. She knows his powers are mythic, his kiss is worth dying for, and that bargains with him rarely end well.
But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, she becomes desperate enough to offer the Prince of Hearts whatever he wants in exchange for his help to stop the wedding. The prince only asks for three kisses. But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’s pledged. And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy.
Definitely one of my favourite books of the year! I absolutely loved this magical book, full of beautiful, sometimes almost lyrical writing that put the story into a perfectly fitting atmosphere. While it had a slow, wintery-magical air sometimes, the book was still full of action and plot twists and death, even. I cannot recommend Once Upon A Broken Heart enough and you can read my full review here.
Fence Vol. 1-4 by C.S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad +
Fence: Striking Distance & Fence: Disarmed by Sarah Rees Brennan
Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing wunderkind, and dreams of getting the chance and the training to actually compete. After getting accepted to the prodigious Kings Row private school, Nicholas is thrust into a cut-throat world, and finds himself facing not only his golden-boy half-brother, but the unbeatable, mysterious Seiji Katayama…
Through clashes, rivalries, and romance between teammates, Nicholas and the boys of Kings Row will discover there’s much more to fencing than just foils and lunges.
When I tell you how obsessed I am with this series! I rushed through the comics and the two novels within a week and I am craving more! I love the characters so, so much and their little found family means everything to me. If you enjoy oblivious dumbos, gay sports and wonderful friendships, please do yourself a favour and pick up Fence. I also made a wholeass blogpost with reasons why you should read the series here.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother’s identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.
After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother’s abandoned greatness.
I really liked this one but I didn’t love it. I can’t even say why exactly. I liked all the intrigues, the plots, the games for power and revenge and the politics. I also loved Zhu’s character development from the nothing she was to growing into the greatness she wants to achieve. The book was beautifully written and I’ll definitely read the next instalment as soon as it’s released!
Simone Breaks all the Rules by Debbie Rigaud
Her strict Haitian immigrant parents enforce no-dating rules and curfews, and send Simone to an all-girls school. As for prom? Simone is allowed to go on one condition: her parents will select her date (a boy from a nice Haitian immigrant family, obviously).
Simone is desperate to avoid the humiliation of the set up – especially since she’s crushing on a boy she knows her parents wouldn’t approve of. With senior year coming to a close, Simone makes a decision. She and her fellow late-bloomer friends will create a Senior Year Bucket List of all the things they haven’t had a chance to do. On the list: kissing a boy, sneaking out of the house, skipping class (gasp!), and, oh yeah – choosing your own prom date.
But as the list takes on a life of its own, things get more complicated than Simone expected. She’ll have to discover which rules are worth breaking, and which will save her from heartbreak.
This was such a great book that is very easy to read and has such a light, fitting writing style while discussing strict parents, finding yourself and being Haitian-American. I loved the focus on friendships and characters’ relationships in general, the family descriptions as well as the unplanned friendships we make along the way. I very much recommend this book!
Reputation by Lex Croucher
Abandoned by her parents in favour of a sea view, middle class Georgiana Ellers has moved to a new town to live with her dreary aunt and uncle. At a particularly dull dinner party, she meets the enigmatic Frances Campbell, a wealthy socialite and enchanting member of the in-crowd.
Through Frances and her friends, Georgiana is introduced to a new world of wild parties, drunken debauchery, mysterious young men with strangely alluring hands, and the sparkling upper echelons of Regency society.
But high society isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and the price of entry might be more than Georgiana is willing to pay.
Ah, I LOVE drama. And this book was filled to the brim with it. I enjoyed the writing style and Georgiana’s character and her development. She has to learn some important lessons but finds friends and love along the way while also realizing who she is and who she wants to be. It was also quite diverse, with Black and Indian characters as well as queer ones.
Blogged
- Das Meer der Legenden von Babsi Schwarz | Musik der Orte – Vorstellung der Orte mit Hilfe von Playlists
- The Stars beyond the Stone by Bonnie Wynne – ARC-Review
- Exciting book releases | September – in which I present the books I’m most excited for in September
- FadeAway by Anabelle Stehl | Love with Pride by Lea Kaib | Cursed Love by Tanja Voosen – Mini-Rezensionen
- Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber – ARC-Review
- Bi Visibility Day – On my experience on being bi, why we need bi visibility day and book recommendations
- 10+ reasons why you should pick up Fence – on my newest bookish obsession and why you too should become obsessed with it
- September Book haul – all the books I got in September
And that’s September wrapped up! How has September been treating you? What made you happy last month?
Until next time,
