Q3 Book Wrap-Up

As Q3 comes to a close, it’s a perfect time to reflect on my reading journey for the quarter. I read a total of 19 books, and in this post, I’ll be sharing my Q3 book wrap-up.

JULY (9 Books)

1. We Were Girls Once by Aiwonose Odafen – ★★★☆☆½ (3.5 stars)
2. Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh – ★★★★★ (5 stars)
3. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid – ★★★★☆ (3.75 stars)
4. Bad Tourists by Caro Carver – ★★★★☆ (3.75 stars)
5. Jaded by Ela Lee – ★★★★★ (5 stars)
6. Skin & Bones by Renee Watson – ★★★★★ (5 stars)
7. The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren – ★★★☆☆½ (3.5 stars)
8. Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie – ★★★★☆ (4 stars) – Book Club Selection
9. This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan – ★★★★☆ (4 stars)

AUGUST (4 Books)

1. Grown Women by Sarai Johnson – ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
2. Real Americans by Rachel Khong – ★★★★☆ (3.75 stars)
3. Good Material by Dolly Alderton – ★★★★☆ (3.75 stars)
4. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore – ★★★★☆ (4 stars) – Book Club Selection

SEPTEMBER (6 Books)

1. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue – ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
2. The Wedding People by Alison Espach – ★★★☆☆½ (3.5 stars)
3. Broken: Not a Halal Love Story by Fatima Bala – ★★★☆☆ (3 stars)
4. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller – ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
5. Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight – ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
6. Real Americans by Rachel Khong – Re-read for Book Club

Must-Read Books!

• Skin & Bones by Renee Watson
• Jaded by Ela Lee – ★★★★★ (5 stars)
• Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh – ★★★★★ (5 stars)

Surprising Discoveries: New-to-Me Authors

• Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight
• Grown Women by Sarai Johnson
• Jaded by Ela Lee

Books I DNF’d

And So I Roar by Abi Dare
I fully blame myself for attempting to read this one. I didn’t particularly enjoy A Girl with the Louding Voice, and I went into this blind, not realizing it was a sequel. Was there a need for a sequel? Absolutely not. The inconsistent writing style and lack of character growth were disappointing. I found myself bored by page 50 and ultimately decided to DNF it. It felt like the author was pandering to the Western audience, and I was just not here for it.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself
I struggled to get into this book. It felt like the author—who has proven her writing skills—was trying too hard to showcase them. The prose seemed unnecessarily wordy. While the story itself might be compelling, the writing distracted me. I encourage you to give it a shot; it may just not resonate with me.

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Q3 has been a good reading period for me! I explored a mix of stories, from those that truly surprised me to a few that didn’t quite work out. I’m especially excited about the must-reads and new authors I discovered this quarter and also the fact that I utilized my local library. As we head into the final stretch of the year, I can’t wait to see what other books I end up reading and share my thoughts with you.

What were your favorite reads lately? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

To read Q1 & Q2 wrap-up, click here. You can also search titles to read my review.