With the start of each month, I like to set an ambitious to be read (tbr) goal for myself. Sometimes I don't stick to it, sometimes I do, and other months I don't have it in me to read as much as the previous one, but still; setting my monthly tbr is one of my favorite parts of the month! Especially when the dark academia fall vibes are upon us.
1. The first book on my tbr list for September 2022 is a book I’ve already begun, and it just so happens to be my most anticipated release of the year; Babel by R.F. Kuang.
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What an incredibly captivating marketing line! I don’t know about you, but I’m invested in the story of Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan taken from Cantan by Professor Lovell, a man shrouded in secrecy, and destined for Oxford's exclusive translation program, Babel. Set in a fictional version of Victorian England (one of my favorite time periods to read from and about), Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History, deals with topics of colonialism, language/etymology, classism in academia, and more. And it does this all while putting a fantasy twist on it. I loved the Poppy War by Kuang (I’m in the middle of Book 2 as of writing this but have put it on pause to devour Babel), and just from the opening pages, I can tell this book is somehow going to surpass it, which is an incredible feat. I mean, what more could you ask for than the perfect mixture of Dark Academia and Fantasy? My two favorite genres, wrapped all in one!
2. According to Goodreads, “The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.” It’s a gender-swapped Aladdin-esque tale (inspired by stories
from One Thousand and One Nights), and I’m absolutely here for it. I don’t know much else about this one except that it promises to be full of intricate, Middle Eastern inspired magic. Plus, the cover is stunning –– I’m discovering more and more that I’m a sucker for white covers with splashes of color. I don’t really need more information than that to know I’ll be falling (pun intended) in love with this September read.
3. This summer, I read The Importance of Being Earnest and loved it; it’s hilarious and oddly sophisticated in that Oscar Wilde way. And while I’ve studied sections of his most famous novel before, I’ve never actually read The Picture of Dorian Gray. And that needs to be
changed immediately. It’s the perfect recipe for a start of fall book: aestheticism, corruption, death. I’ll also admit I’m beyond excited to watch the film version with Ben Barnes as soon as I finish the novel. Although, I’ve been informed by my sister that Ben Barnes looks absolutely nothing like book Dorian. Still. I need it in my life ASAP.
4. Nothing screams Dark Academia like Ancient Greece. I want to get my hands on Peter Green’s translation of The Iliad and Emily Wilson’s of The Odyssey, but until then, I’m consuming all the Greek myth retellings I can! This past month I listened to Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles on audiobook and really enjoyed it. So when I saw Daughters of Sparta in the bookstore for $4, I just had to get it. I’m excited to read about the Trojan War from Helen and her sister’s POVs. The cover also just screams fall with the dark tones paired alongside oranges and other pale colors. Are you starting to realize a theme? I’m a sucker for a good cover.
5. Recently on my Instagram, I shared this reel exposing myself as never having read a V.E. Schwab book. Would you believe me if I said I’ve met Schwab twice?? Own all the books? And still haven’t gotten around to any? I’ve been going back and forth about which one to start with. On the one hand, A Darker Shade of Magic screams Beth! Different versions of magical London? Check. Fantasy? Check. Intriguing characters and plot? Double check. But then there’s Vicious, which is a friends to enemies story and to me, that screams “read me now because I’m a little dark and will have complex characters.” So, I’ve finally settled on Vicious. Hopefully when I return at the end of the month with my reading wrap up I’ll A. Have read my first Schwab novel and B. Fallen in love.
6. Padawan by Kiersten White is a book I hope to get to soon, but I’m not sure I will. Not because I don’t want to, but because I’m very much a mood reader and a Star Wars
novelization doesn’t really give me the fall vibes. That being said, Kenobi is hands down one of my favorite characters, so I would like to read all about him. I’m nearly half way through Season 4 of the Clone Wars, so I have a feeling that despite it not screaming fall, Padawan will somehow slip into my read books of September.
BONUS! – Time for the bonus round. Earlier this year, when I had hopes of starting this blog, I wrote about all my buddy reads. Newsflash, they’re hard, although I’ve mostly kept on top of ⅔. They’ve just become a little more flexible is all. In December, one of my besties and I are going to Disney and Universal. As avid fans of Harry Potter, we wanted to read the whole series before we got there. Well, it’s the first week of September and we haven’t even finished Book 3 yet, so clearly that’s going well. That being said, rereading Harry Potter is always one of my favorite experiences; I just love everything about the story and it feels like coming home. It’s also perfect for any season, although especially fall/winter. I’m currently in the middle of Prisoner of Azkaban and anytime I read about Remus Lupin, I just want to curl in blankets with a good book, dressed in my oversized cardigan, and sip tea. That being said, I’m aiming to finish POA by the end of the month with the ambitious hope of starting Goblet before it's over. Like I said though, based on the track record thus far, this goal doesn’t sound too promising!
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