In September, I spent quite a bit of time reading, and while I strayed from my monthly TBR quite a bit, I got through more books than I had planned. This month saw some hits and some misses, but I am glad I gave each of these books a try. My September reading wrap-up goes over the books I read and shares a mini review of each book.
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September Reading Wrap-up
A Perfect Day To Be Alone by Nanae Aoyama
I listened to the audiobook, and it was fine. The narrator did a good job of giving the small cast of characters unique voices. The story itself was a bit odd, with the main character, Chizu, was quite bratty, despite being 20 years old, and I felt was almost abusive to Ginko.
This was a fairly short book, with the audiobook running about 4 hours. This may appeal to some, but for me, it was just okay. I’m not sure if I will do a full review of this one.
The Once And Future Sex by Eleanor Janega
I have enjoyed quite a few documentaries done by Eleanor Janega, so I was excited to read this book. There are a lot of details about how and why women in the medieval period were treated, and much of this is heavily influenced by the Christian religion and men’s interpretation of that book.
The second half of the book is where it really shined for me. This is when she highlights the women as land owners, the life of peasant women, the work they did, and the reasons why those positions were designated to women, plus how those roles were eventually taken over by men.
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
I had been on the fence about whether to continue this series or not. I liked the first book, but didn’t love it.
I thought this one was okay as well. It felt repetitive at times, especially when Murderbot mentions over and over again hacking a system to avoid being seen. I did enjoy the new character, ART, and some of the conversations between it and Murderbot.
Honestly, I’m still uncertain whether I will continue with this series. I get the appeal of it, but if I do read it, it will be through my library.
The End of Absence by Michael Harris
I don’t remember how this book came to my attention, but I knew I had to read it.
It really highlights how staying connected has disconnected us from so much. Acknowledging that the internet was not the first piece of new technology to “ruin” something from the past truly showed that this was not a unique experience, although the internet has had one of the biggest effects on life as a whole compared to other acts of technology takeover – such as the written work replacing oral history.
Reading about the author’s own struggle with the internet age and his experiment of going an entire month without any screens or internet was oddly refreshing. As someone who also grew up before the internet took over our lives, I also feel that desire to disconnect, while acknowledging that the world around me is heavily dependent on the internet to do anything and everything. His experiment also showed how quickly he was sucked back into the world of emails as soon as his technology-free time was up.
I do highly recommend this book to everyone, though I feel like it will have to greatest effect on those who are old enough to remember life before the internet, so essentially anyone born prior to 1985, as the author points out.
Ping Pong Vol. 2 by Taiyo Matsumoto
This was another book I was on the fence about. I found the first volume weird and didn’t quite jive with the story. However, since this was the last book in the series, I decided to give it a try.
I didn’t particularly care for this one, although the tournament at the end did grab my attention a bit; but overall, this series wasn’t for me.
Germination by Seth Ring
This was such a fun read. The worldbuilding is a big part of why I enjoyed it so much, but it’s also the character, both old and new, and of course, toss in plenty of action, and what’s not to like. Ellie really shines in this book; she’s come a long way, and I truly enjoyed watching her character grow and become stronger. She’s perfectly complements John and his strengths and weaknesses.
This book really expanded on everyone’s (both the characters and the readers) understanding of the world, who John is, and what dangers they are up against. However, there is still so much that is unknown and must be researched and explored in the future that I cannot wait to dive into the next book.
Summertime Rendering Vol. 2 by Yasuki Tanaka
We pick up, mostly, where the story started in the first volume, since Shinpei is once again reliving the same day. However, quite a bit has changed since that initial experience, and we learn quite a bit about why these Shadows are on the island, how they work, and how Ryunosuke knows so much about them. There is much we don’t know, and we get to learn alongside Shinpei just how dangerous a situation he is in.
We meet several new characters, and while some seem insignificant at the time, by the end, you realize just how important they are to the storyline. I love the mystery of this island, and more and more, the horror aspect of this story is showing up. I cannot wait to continue this series.
The Gunsmith #374 Deadly Election by J. R. Roberts
I’ve been curious about the Gunsmith series for years, especially since it’s over 400 books.
This one was fine. This does feel like a series that you can jump into at any point and not feel lost. The small cast of characters was refreshing, a there is a bit of action as well. My major complaint was that both women in this story appear to have been added purely so the main character can sleep with them.
While I didn’t love this book, I am still curious about the series and want to at least read the first book if I can find it.
Yona of the Dawn Vol. 44 by Mizuho Kusanagi
As with every book in this series, I absolutely loved this one. Being so far into the series, it’s extremely difficult not to spoil the series. However, what I will say is it’s great to still be discovering things about the dragon warriors this far into the series and I cannot wait to see how events will unfold in the upcoming volumes.
Spy x Family Vol. 8 by Tatsuya Endo
The cruise ship setting of this volume mixes things up a bit, especially with Anya and Twilight traveling separately from Yor. While Yor has her hands full protecting a mother and son from assassins, Twilight struggles to keep Anya entertained and embracing “having fun”.
There is plenty of action in this one, and I feel like we really get to see Yor in her element. Another entertaining and hilarious addition to this series, and I look forward to reading the next one soon.
One-Pound Gospel Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi
I am a huge fan of Rumiko Takahashi, and One-Pound Gospel is one of her series I have been meaning to read for years. Now that I finally own all 4 books in the series, it was time to start reading this one.
I did not expect to enjoy this volume as much as I did; after all, I have no interest in boxing, and having a nun as the second main character just seems odd. However, it’s this strange combination that is half of the appeal. We get to see both Kosaku and Sister Angela struggle with certain parts of their lives, while also finding support in each other. I look forward to continuing this series.
September 2025 reading wrap-up stats
- Books read: 11
- Books purchased: 6
- Books unhauled: 1
- Books DNF’d: 0
I hope you enjoyed my September Reading Wrap-up. What books did you read in September?
