Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: September 2025

Hello, everyone! It's time for another reading wrap-up, this time for the month of September. This month was very interesting when it comes to my reading. I didn't find any new favourites, but most of the books I ended up finishing were intriguing enoung. Plus, I feel like I made good progress on my horror TBR, which makes me feel even more exciting for my October reading. 

Here is what I read this month: 

Books I've Completed in September

• Η Ιστορία του Άρχοντα των Δαχτυλιδιών - Manolis Parousis: At the beginning of the month, I was still on a The Lord of the Rings high. So, this book that had been sitting on my TBR for years was a most logical choice. It ended up being my least favourite book of the month, since I felt it didn't offer any insights on The Lord of the Rings or go deeper into the lore (which was the reason why I picked it up).
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson: Even though this book was not in my horror TBR, it was still a book I had been wanting to read for a really long time. It was actually a book club pick, and I'm glad that I finally had a reason to prioritize it. It was definitely creepy, but apart from the atmosphere it failed to engage me all that much. 
• Change - Mo Yan: Then, I decided to read this short autobiographical essay that I had received as a gift a couple of months earlier. Since I'm doing a reading around the world challenge, it was a great pick for China. In general, it was fascinating to read events from Mo Yan's childhood, revealing what it was to grow up in China at that moment, and under that political situation. 
• The Eyes Are the Best Part - Monika Kim: I finally started reading the horror books that intrigued me for quite some time with this one. I'm glad that I wasn't disappointed, even though I also had my gripes with it. You can read my extensive thoughs in my review.  
• Tender Is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica: Then, I followed the one cannibalism book with another, which made the comparison between the two inevitable. I can't begin to describe how wonderful the writing is in this book, it impressed me from the very first paragraph. However, it is a heavy book, so I would recommend it with caution. You can read my thoughts in my review. 
• Several People Are Typing - Calvin Kasulke: Even though it has been some days since finishing this book, I still don't know how to rate it. I mean, on the one side, it was unique and it felt like reading the office's gossip. But, on the other side, there were many things left unaswered, which I would love to learn. In any case, if you are looking for a mixed media book, this is DEFINITELY the one to read. 
• Αναζητώντας το αόρατο σύμπαν - David Elbaz: The second nonfiction book of the month was about space. The title righly translates into "in search for the invisible space", translated to Greek from French (can't find an English translation though). This book talked about dark matter, dark energy, and black holes. Even though I've encountered these terms before, this was the first time reading a dedicated book. 
• 100 Poems - Seamus Heaney: This was a collection of peotry I was reading during the entirety of the month. I just read a couple of poems every morning, and it felt great to ponder over them during the day. I got this book from Dublin a couple of years ago, and it introduced me to Seamus Heaney's poetry. 
• Bunny - Mona Awad: I literally finished this book yesterday, and I'm still processing what I read. Right now, I feel that I've fallen victim to the hype, which made the book feel underwhelming to what I was expecting (I'm making it sound like I've rated lowly, but actually no). However, I'm going to write a review soon, so I'll probably unpack my thoughts in more detail there.

Books I DNFed in September

• The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides: This is yet another overhyped book that I hadn't read. Since I was commuting a lot this month, I thought that I'd listen to the audiobook, especially because I liked the listening experience of The Fury by the same author. However, after listening to the first 10 chapters (almost 2 hours), I wasn't invested at all, and decided to pick it up. Maybe I'll try it physically some other time.

 

What did you read in September? 

What are you planning on reading for spooky month?