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Ashley IN MEDIAS RES

• Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (#1) by Juno Dawson
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• Think and Grow Rich for Women: Using Your Power to Create Success and Significance by Sharon L. Lechter * 

*Ashley wants to point out that she’s been waiting for this to come off hold at the library for over a month because she didn’t have time to finish it the first time… It’s a struggle.

Nikki IN MEDIAS RES

• I Didn’t Sign Up for This by Dr. Tracy Dalgleish
• Life Lessons from Psalms by Max Lucado
• Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (#1) by Juno Dawson

Ashley FIN

• The House Witch by Ann Murphy-Hiscock
• Chasing Her Fire (Bailey Brothers #5) by Claire Kingsley
• The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
• Blissful Masquerade (Ruthless Desires #1) by Elira Firethorn
• River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan
• All Fires the Fire by Julio Cortázar

Nikki FIN

• Chasing Her Fire (Bailey Brothers #5) by Claire Kingsley
• The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
• In Scot Water (The Hots for Scots #4) by Caroline Lee
• Getting Scot and Bothered (The Hots for Scots #3) by Caroline Lee
• River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan
• Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas
• All Fires the Fire by Julio Cortázar

Darling Readers, this month of September has been an adventure in learning more about the Hispanic experience by reading Hispanic and Latinx authors. We also got a headstart on reading for Witches in October with River Woman, River Demon. Then I started leaning into my witch-ness by re-reading The House Witch and buying it in a dead tree version to keep as a reference guide on my bookshelf. I didn’t have the time I wanted to have to read more comfort reads, and so only two romance novels were read this month. Additionally, I didn’t finish reading either of the two non-fiction books I wanted to read this month and I am feeling a little bit of a certain kind of way about it. Regardless of my feelings of finishing extra non-fiction books, I’m now at 75 books for the year and ‘on track’ to meet my goal for 100 books by the end of the year. 

I’m going to travel in time to talk about a trip Nikki and I took to Chattanooga for the annual Honors College Alumni Gala. Part of what I absolutely adored about seeing these people is that we, without trying, started talking about books. Books, reading, and discussing what we read was such a formative and integral part of our UTC Honors College experience that it is the main reason why we write this blog now. To be fair, we’re reading and discussing less literary titles these days than what we did fifteen (plus) years ago, but we’re keeping part of the academics alive by aligning our reading goals with our value of celebrating diversity.

What was a formative reading experience for you, even if it was after adulthood began?

~Ashley

Darling readers, it has been a month!  While I don’t agree with Ashley that the titles we read and discuss here are less literary than those from yesteryear (because I don’t appreciate the maths on that count).  This month’s blog titles were definitely worthy of consideration for an honors syllabus (and let’s be real, honors was the reason I had anything to say about our first title), although the additional titles we read to cleanse our palates may not be worthy of a two hour seminar (and neither is any text or email threads that may or may not exist concerning those titles).  

We are slowly but surely (and no, I’m not stressing – much – about being behind schedule) continuing on our Maas Adventure reread.  This month, we reread Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) which I lovingly referred to as “Rowan, no.”  Yes, I did refer to Throne of Glass #1 as “Celaena, no” and I feel like “Chaol, no” could have been fun for Crown of Midnight (#2).  Out of respect for spoilers, I won’t say more about these titles other than I’m thoroughly enjoying the reread, and if you have started on any of Maas’s other series, then you need to read all thems.

While I could see a fun honors seminar with any Maas book (yes, even A Court of Frost and Starlight), I struggle to see one going well with Getting Scot and Bothered, or any title in the The Hots for Scots series honestly.  I do indeed contain multitudes and I enjoy a fun hang.  These books are not series, nor do they take themselves seriously.  They are not, nor do they claim to be historically accurate, and that is fine.  We have long said a book has to own what it is, because I don’t want to read only “serious” works, whatever that means.  These titles are not serious, and I SO enjoyed emailing Ashley when that first “ ‘tis what she said” hit the page, and they JUST. KEPT. COMING.  (pun intended)  If a hobby isn’t fun or relaxing, then why continue it?  These titles are both!

What is something notable you read this month?

~ Nikki 

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