Hello friends, happy Monday! I hope you’ve all had a great month… September really did hold on to summer and I’m very happy about that… now it’s time to start embracing Fall. But before we think about the upcoming season and spooky season, let’s jump into how my September looked for me!

Currently Reading:

IT by: Stephen King. I’m now just passed the halfway point… and nothing has really happened. This is a very, very slow moving book. We’re still setting up for what’s to come. I’m sure once all the characters sit down together back in Derry the plot will take off, but getting here has felt like an eternity. That’s not to say I’m not enjoying this, I am, I just want more to happen; I’ve got to be patient.

Crime and Punishment by: Fyodor Dostoevsky. My next classic and I feel like it’s going to be a doozy… I feel like my brain breaks just a little because I’m like what is happening, why is he talking in circles, why is everything being repeated – it just feels like a lot is going on and I think I just have to get used to it. So, in short, I am enjoying this, but I feel very lost.

He Who Drowned the World by: Shelley Parker-Chan. This is the last book I received from last year, now all the books I’ve bought/received from last year are soon to be read (I feel pretty good about that!). I’m glad I read the first book before diving into this one because I would have been SO lost. This picks up right after the events of that one. So far, I love the writing, much like the first, but it’s been slow (clearly the theme here). I have faith it’ll pick up because the other one did… plus it’s almost 500 pages long, so I still have a ways to go!

What I’ve Read:

70/100

Bookshops & Bonedust by: Travis Baldree. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really wanted to like this one as much as the first, but it didn’t work out for me. Still a very cute, cozy story.

In the Serpent’s Wake by: Rachel Hartman. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Speaking of what didn’t work for me, this novel was not what I was expecting and was just not what I wanted.

Bird Summons by: Leila Aboulela. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was really good, until it hit the mid-way point and became a magical realism novel and I wasn’t into it all that much; still a really well written novel, with great characters.

Aesop’s Fables by: Unknown. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed reading these fables, sure some were better than others, but as a whole, such a joy, and great lessons to be learnt.

Good Talk by: Mira Jacob. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a memoir told in graphic novel format and I loved it. It was very reflective and really brought up raising kids and how that really changes how you view everything.

Love, Life and the List by: Kasie West. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked the concept, but the characters were so flat it felt really hard to believe in the story.

The Woman in the Library by: Sulari Gentill. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was unlike anything I’ve ever read before, a novel within a novel, essentially. The characters weren’t my fave, but the plot was good!

She Who Became the Sun by: Shelley Parker-Chan. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was an immersive (audio with the physical) re-read so I could read the sequel… but I really enjoyed this the second time around, too.

Links to my my blog posts this past month:

Links to posts I enjoyed around the blogosphere:

I missed this from last month… but Holly @Nut Free Nerd posted about books that have August energy

The Orangutan Librarian posted the results to her Book Olympics

Marie @Drizzle and Hurricane Books shared the cover reveal to her book coming out in October!!

September really delivered when I said I wanted the summer to continue onwards. The weather lasted quite a bit and I enjoyed it, now as we end the month, I think I’m ready to start embracing fall… I’ve had a few pumpkin flavoured drinks to start the transition!

Highlights:

✨Discovered the town of Port Hope, ON

✨Went to the beach… twice

✨Ate delicious ice cream, multiple times 😋

✨Had a girl’s night

✨Went for sushi

✨Explored an antique market

✨Discovered parts of Innisfil & Thornton, ON

✨Threw an end of summer party

✨Got a new phone

✨Went to a bunch of bookstores

✨Explored more of Ontario in Creemore, Stayner & Collingwood

✨Connected with old friends

✨Went to a comedy show

✨Attended a Bratz themed birthday party!

✨Hiked for the first time!

What I’ve watched:

Dexter; season 2. Again, like last season I couldn’t remember what happened in this one, but I liked where it went. We explore the Bay Harbor Butcher, a.k.a. Dexter and it was a whole season of going in circles; Dexter not wanting to get caught, but then finding peace with getting caught… only to lose that peace in the end. I remembered what happen to Dokes, I just couldn’t remember the finer details and OMG Lelia! How could I forget about her?! What a conniving little bitch! Ugh, she made me so mad… as she was supposed to. I really rooted for Dexter and Rita this season; Rita was a much stronger character and it was so good to see. Deb was also stronger, too. We’ll forget her whole weird love affair with Lundy, that I could leave, but I also saw why she fell for him. You can read more of my in-depth thoughts from my wrap-up post I wrote a few years ago.

Bear in the Big Blue House; season 3. I finished the next season of this… and I recently found out that there are episodes missing from Disney+, I’m not sure why, but I don’t think I’m going to go out of my way to seek out the missing episodes… although the Christmas episode part 2 I wouldn’t mind seeing. I liked that we got themed episodes this season, like Thanksgiving and Christmas… I can’t remember if we got Halloween, but I wouldn’t be surprised. This was another solid season of teaching kids the lessons of life. We got to see more of our characters from around town like Doc Hogg and Jeremiah Tortoise, which was nice, it made the world feel bigger. We also got to see more family from each of the characters, especially Tutter, which was great, too. This show still manages to make me laugh at the silly things these characters get up to as they learn.

Star Trek: Picard; season 1. I can’t believe I’m coming to an end in my Star Trek journey! My last complete show and wow was it ever a lot. I have to admit, I wasn’t 100% sold in the first few epiosdes, but as we got mid-way through the season, I was more into it. I think around the time Seven showed up, I was more invested. I loved Seven in this, she had her humanity restored to her so she’s completely different than she was on Voyager, but I loved her. It was so interesting to see a lot of our old friends again. I look forward to seeing more in the next two seasons. The fight of humans vs. robots was so intriguing. I loved that they brought Data back for this, so clever and just an overall joy to see him. The way this season ended though, oh my goodness was it ever sad. You think one character is going to die, but another ends up going. It was a beautiful send-off. I look forward to seeing where this show goes.

The Simpsons; season 21. This was an alright season for me, I don’t know I didn’t feel as into it as I’ve been in the past. I mean we are 21 seasons into a show, things are bound to dip at some point, but I just didn’t think the comedy was all that great. I found episodes could be a bit of a snooze. I did like how they snuck Side Show Bob in this season, that was creative because it can get repetitive after a while. We got to see more of Chief Wiggum, and his friendship with Homer was interesting to say the least. His whole character makes me laugh… but sometimes I think they play his dumbness a little too far – I get it’s supposed to be exaggerated but, sometimes it’s not even funny… it’s sad. Last season I questioned if Homer still worked at the plant and we got him back at work this season, so I guess that answers that. I’m obviously going to continue watching… only 14 more seasons to go before I catch up, so I’m intrigued where the show will go.

List of Movies:

• Disney Movies
  • The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again – not sure this needed a sequel because the jokes weren’t funny, the movie was long and boring; they should have just stuck with the original.
  • Unidentified Flying Oddball –what happens when a guy creates a clone to ride in a rocket that travels back to King Arthur’s time… that’s this movie. 100% wacky, but not overtly bad; I was definitely more invested than I thought.
  • The Black Hole – if you like sci-fi, you’ll probably enjoy this… I really liked it. The robots were really interesting.

Star Trek (2009) – the remake films they did a few years ago, and to continue with my Star Trek journey, crazy to believe that’s coming to an end… anyways, I liked this origin tale of Spock, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise. It was done well with a lot of great references and nods to the original.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) – I don’t really know what the point of this film was, I found it too long and it dragged with not a lot really going on.

Star Trek Beyond (2016) – I liked this one better, but not as good as the first. It was enjoyable, but also nothing special.

What I’m watching:

Bear and the Big Blue House; season 4. Damn, the show really changed this season. It’s the same, but also very different… we’re actually leaving the Big Blue House. I feel like this is Tutter’s world and we’re just living in it.

Boy Meets World; season 5. I’m still plugging away at this… I’ve finally gotten to the good episodes of season 5, it only took 7 episodes. Shawn and the purse, that episode was golden. I don’t remember it, but watching it I had so much fun. I look forward to more episodes like it.

Dexter; season 3. I’m a few epiosdes into this, the first 2 were a bit slow, but it’s starting to pick up, I forgot that Jimmy Smits was on the show as Miguel… I look forward to this because I remember his and Dexter’s relationship.

Picard; season 2. I’m not even halfway yet in the season, just a few episodes, but so far I’m enjoying it. I’m liking the time travel and rectifying the time-line. It’s been interesting!

Instagram & YouTube videos from the month:

How was your September? Read, watch, do anything interesting? Let me know!