third quarter reading!
detailing all of the books that I read from july to september - the page turner library edit
hey there & happy day! welcome to the third edition of the library edit; a section on my blog dedicated to all of my literature thoughts & reads. thank you for being here! if you enjoy my content, please make sure that you are subscribed to get weekly updates straight to your inbox:
⛅️ welcome to my library!
the set-up: quarter month groupings! this month marks the closing of 2024’s 3rd quarter, which includes the months July, August, & September. this quarter, I read a total of 23 books!
my favorite books will have a little pink & yellow heart beside the title: 💝
my reading goal is to read at least 72 books this year! currently, as of September 30th, I am on my 72nd book (that’s 18 books ahead of schedule). almost there!
let’s begin! my third quarter reads: July 1st - September 30th
⛅️ July: this month, I read 14 physical books! my total page count was 5,742 pages, & my average rating was a 3.73 out of 5 stars.
All In - Jennifer Lynn Barnes: this is the third book in a series by Barnes called “The Naturals.” in this world, naturally gifted teenagers help the FBI solve cases, & sometimes, the cases become personal. I gave this 378 page YA mystery novel a 4 out of 5 stars! I really loved the characters & the twisty plot lines.
Trouble at Brayshaw High - Megan Brandy: this is book two in a a cheesy YA series about a band of brothers & a girl that’s “not like the other girls.” to be honest, would not recommend this series - I blame my book slump at the time for this pick. it deserved no more than a 3 out of 5 stars. it was 344 pages & I classified it as a YA high school romance genre.
Redeeming 6 - Chloe Walsh: longest book read this quarter! also the longest book I have read all year! first of all, any book that Walsh comes out with, I am going to read without hesitation. this was the fourth “Boys of Tommen” book by Walsh; it’s about the 1st & 2nd book’s female main character’s brother & his love story. it picks up right where the previous book left off. although, this book did have one of my least favorite tropes in it! it was a YA high school romance novel that was 774 pages long & got a 4 out of 5 stars from me.
💝 The Rom-Commers - Katherine Center: shortest book this month! also, a new 5 star read! it was a 321 page romantic comedy. first, I want to fangirl a little over the special signed copy that I was able to get my hands on - it came with a sticker & magenta edges!!!!! (as a long time reader, i feel like i have the right to comment that, sometimes, the cover does matter a tad) anyways, back to rating:
I want to start with how much I loved Emma! honestly, I would enjoy this book equally as much if it was just made up of her inner dialogue. the way she describes love & teaches Charlie what it means to her had me swooning. I could not have predicted the trajectory of this novel, yet it still comforted me like no other! heck, even the way the novel being written like Emma looking back on this period of her life as a movie character would was simply divine. all in all, Center knew what she was doing with this one!Reign of Brayshaw - Megan Brandy: absolutely not! do not read this! this was the third book in the YA high school romance series by Brandy. literally can not stand it - I gave this 409 page novel a 2 out of 5 stars. I think this is my lowest rated novel all year so far…I quit the series here.
Bad Blood - Jennifer Lynn Barnes: this is the final book in the YA mystery series by Barnes. I gave this 375 page novel a 4.75 out of 5 stars! it was such a good ending book, but it just did not compare to the first book that I gave a 5 stars to. overall, this was a 4 star series from her! anytime a young teenage girl gets to solve crimes with her pals, sign me up.
💝 Book Lovers - Emily Henry: my first Henry book! also, a 5 star read! started this in a physical copy in the airport & finished it on the plane while landing in Boston for my senior trip! I just adored Nora - anytime I relate to a main character in niche & important ways the book immediately gets lots of brownie points. the conclusion, perfect (& a perfect way to veer around “the third act breakup”).
I would marry Charlie! because i see myself in Nora! the details given in both cities & her sister’s side story seen through Nora’s eyes were so satisfying to read.
as a big sister of a little sister myself, I approve the banter commentaries & roles between them. also, as a book lover & “type A” girly myself, I approve this book with a big five star stamp! safe to say, I’ll be reading more of Henry! her words, her plot, her characters, the list goes on & on! it was a 373 page romance novel.Unsteady - Peyton Corrine: okay I only chose this book because someone said it reminded them of Johnny & Shannon from Chloe Walsh’s Binding & Keeping 13 novels, & they were right. was a little too invested here & it made me miss that series! nothing too interesting about this book, it was just a YA hockey romance. a 3.5 out of 5 star 360 page read to pass the time!
Under Locke - Mariana Zapata: again, anything Zapata writes, I’m gonna eventually read it. I just love her style! this was a 534 page biker romance novel that I gave a 4 out of 5 stars. this is a classic MZ tale. I think I even read it in the span of a day or so! her books are so long, but so fast paced.
Fox - D.J. Krimmer: here, I started a series by Krimmer that revolves around the same guy friend group - they all work in a tattoo shop. I only got three books in & this is the first one! honestly, this one was not my favorite because I just couldn’t make myself like the main female character. I did appreciate how each female character in Krimmer’s series here had some sort of illness to advocate for. in this book, I believe the age gap creeped me out a tad. I gave this one a 3 out of 5 stars & it was 383 pages.
Atlas - D.J. Krimmer: the second book in that same series! I liked this one much, much more! the characters felt a lot more realistic, & it had my favorite marriage of convenience trope. the way that Atlas treats Ren in this book is how everyone deserves to be treated in a relationship, & I will die on that hill. the way that Ren struggles with self-esteem & her type 1 diabetes is so raw that it left me feeling so emotional; I relate to her inner dialogue & type A personality immensely! also, the marriage of connivence trope always hits the spot for me - this book being no exception to that rule of mine. it was 346 pages & I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.
Ash - D.J. Krimmer: more tattoo romance! the third book in this series that I made it through - there are several more in this series, but I don’t feel the need to dive into those because I only read these to drag me out of a slump. did not really enjoy this one, but liked it better than the first one. I gave this 341 page novel a 3.25 out of 5 stars.
Truly Devious - Maureen Johnson: this is a YA mystery series that I actually don’t care to continue - after reading “The Naturals” series by Barnes & “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series by Jackson, it just did not hit the spot. it was a very long 420 pages & earned a 3.75 out of 5 stars from me! the backstory of the setting was really cool & so was the idea of the school setting itself! maybe I’ll pick it back up when all of the books come to Unlimited…
King of Wrath - Ana Huang: another marriage of convenience trope! this is the first book in a romance series by Huang, but I haven’t felt the pull to continue it yet. I gave this 384 page billionaire romance novel a 3 out of 5 stars! I just don’t think that I could relate to this one really.
July’s 5 star reads:
⛅️ August: this was the month of this quarter’s reading slump! & a pretty bad reading slump it was. this month, I read 3 physical books with a total page count of 1,589 & an average rating of 3.75 out of 5 stars. in fact, I think this is the month with the lowest amount of reads thus far.
The Serpent & the Wings of Night - Carissa Broadbent: this is the first book in a fantasy romance series by Broadbent! it was pretty intense! I really remember enjoying the main character’s backstory & the Hunger Games’ style trials she had to go through. although, not a biggest fan of the world or the specific type of vampires she created. I also don’t remember much romance here. this book was 485 pages & I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.
The Ashes & the Star Cursed King - Carissa Broadbent: my longest book read this month! at 617 pages! I liked this second book more than the first! much more romance & drama for my liking. I gave it a 4.25 out of 5 stars. I started this one the second I completed the first because the plot twist from the end of the first book was so crazy that I just had to know what went down next. would recommend!
Miles High - Liz Tomforde: shortest read this month, even though it was still 478 pages! this is the first book a romance series by Tomforde, but I haven’t wanted to keep going through the next books yet. this book was honestly just okay, I liked the male main character - he played hockey. I gave this sports romance a 3 out of 5 stars.
unfortunately, I didn’t have any 5 star reads in August! although, my top rated book this month was The Ashes & the Star Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent (4.25 out of 5 stars).
⛅️ September: ugh! this was the month of the nonfiction era. got lots & lots of school reading done — honestly, this still counts as a reading slump month. this month, I read 6 physical books with a total page count of 1,602 & an average rating of 4.42 out of 5 stars (3 of these I did not rate). so! much! nonfiction!
A Thousand Boy Kisses - Tillie Cole: longest book this month! oh dear. this book wrecked me. it was a really emotional YA romance book about to teenagers & their messy lives. man, they were really in love. there is a second book about the main female character’s sister, but I have yet to want to read that one. this was 352 pages - I gave it a 4.25 out of 5 stars. I read this as I was moving into college!
Build the Life You Want - Arthur Miller & Oprah: ugh! self-help nonfiction! my least favorite genre. I don’t usually pick these up, but this was a book for school. it was 204 pages & it took me 4 days to read. I don’t rate nonfiction!
A Different College Experience - Trueblood & Mills: shortest book read this quarter! at 175 pages, I started this book in May actually, & slowly read it until I completed it right before I actually went to college. Christian self-help non-fiction! I actually enjoyed this one. no rating!
💝 The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides: my first reread! my favorite book this month, & all time! obviously a 5 out of 5 stars. I consider this novel to be a classic literature piece. it was a 241 page masterpiece. the movie is also really good! the vivid, unforgettable experience the reader is granted simply by reading the words on these pages & visualizing the details is the mark of a true classic. the harrowing, yet enticing, journey through the male gaze exposes the true tragedy at hand: fleeting adolescence & the tendency for mental-illness to be swept right under the rug. the reader has no real, authentic picture of the girls themselves. most importantly, the why behind their deaths is hidden, but the act is proclaimed from the start of the novel. it left me with a sense of yearning that I have yet to escape; I only long to re-read the book until I am able to uncover all of its secrets.
The Long Walk - Stephen King: my second King novel! woah, I was not let down. I was really hooked the entire time even though the book is just about 100 teenage boys going through an event where they walk a long time. the ending! very on brand for King. in both of his books that I have read, I have gotten so attached to the characters. this was a 4 out of 5 star psychological thriller that was 312 pages.
Just Mercy - Bryan Stevenson: another nonfiction book! I also had to read this one for school! it’s all about the justice system - honestly, a good read. 318 pages with no rating! (this was actually my second time reading this book, but the first time was two years ago in an english class).
my only 5 star for September was technically The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, but it was a reread & doesn’t count for this month. in other words, it was my highest rated book this month!
⛅️ lastly, concluding statistics: in the third quarter of the year, I read a total of 23 books. my most favored genre was fiction romance! my longest book read was Redeeming 6 by Chloe Walsh at 774 pages, & my shortest read was 175 pages in Trueblood’s & Mill’s A Different College Experience.
total page count: 8,933 pages!
that’s 1,805 less pages than last quarter
average rating out of 5 stars: 3.96 stars!
amount of 5 star reads: 2!
3! if you include The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
that’s the same amount of 5 star books than last quarter
let me know if you enjoy the library edit! I love having a little space for my reads on the blog. thank you for being here & I hope to see you again soon! 🕊️
“therefore, encourage one another & build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11
ahhhh i want to read all of these books now!! i loveee emily henry!!! MISS YOUUU 🫶🫶🫶
These posts are always so fun!! I’ll have to add a few of these to my TBR! 😆