September Wrap Up/October TBR

September finally brought the start of university. Let's see how that affected my reading.

S.T.A.G.S by M.A. Bennett
September started off with the urge to read a lot of thrillers so I picked this up. And was immediately disappointed... This opens with such a strong line but drags and drags, only to end in a very open way that really doesn't offer any closure. There were moments of action that were fun, but in the end I didn't find this to be as bloody as it promised.

Monstress vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu
This graphic novel, however, was the perfect pick me up! The artwork in it is stunning and the story was compelling - if a little confusing at the start. I really liked Maika as a character and can't wait to get my hands on volume two, as this is a series I'll definitely be continuing.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
One of Us is Lying was a bit of an odd one and I'm still not sure whether I liked it or not. There were parts that I did and parts that I didn't, and I liked the characters even when I thought they were annoying and cliche. I didn't think the plot was the best way to handle and represent mental health, and I guessed it pretty early on, so it wasn't the bets thriller out there. But it was fun, so, three stars?

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
After two okay to middling thrillers I suddenly had the urge for fantasy and so decided to re-read The Kiss of Deception. I'm really glad I did as it was a fun, quick read and I actually enjoyed it more this time around. Not enough to change my initial rating, as the issues I had with it still remained (and you can read about those in my full review), but enough to carry on with the series.

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
And after enjoying the first book so much of course I had to pick up the sequel. (I also planned on reading the third and final book but never got round to it. Maybe one day.) I actually loved this - despite its flaws. It was such a good sequel that I felt really expanded some areas of the world and I thought the character growth and development was really well done. Definitely excited to see if the next one improves, too.

An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison
And then uni started and I got excited about clinical psychology. This book was a very interesting look into bipolar from the eyes of both a patient and a professional, but I couldn't help but feel that it focused a bit too much on Jamison's academic achievements. Which I do totally get, it just wasn't why I picked the book up. I also felt that, had I read this faster in a shorter period of time, I would have got more from it. Nevertheless, I am interested in reading her thoughts on other topics.

See How They Lie by Sue Wallman
Despite a bit of a slow and somewhat predictable start to See How They Lie, I really liked it! It was quite an easy going thriller that didn't require too much brain power to get through, yet it still managed to captivate me and compel me to reach the end. It wasn't quite as dark and gritty as I expected, but I'm not mad about it as sometimes that's what you need.

I don't really have many plans for October as I'm still very much settling into a uni routine and haven't quite figured out how to read for fun around my required reading. So far, most of my reading is done on the train and at night if I'm not too tired, which is okay. I started Kiss Me First a few days ago on the train and so would like to finish it in October, as well as finally get to Lolita, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat as studying psychology again has really put me in the mood for a lot more literature that touches upon it. However, these plans are subject to change as it's my birthday on the sixteenth and I don't know if I'll receive any books!

What did you read in September? What do you want to read in October?