Forever Lost in Literature: Month in Review: September 2026

Happy October to those who celebrate! I've certainly grown into a huge October fan over the years because I am a big fan of the spooky season, of course, and I know many of my fellow readers/bloggers are as well. But this post is about September, so let's backtrack a little and first note that September truly, truly flew by for me, and I'm not sure I like that, haha. Did it fly by for anyone else?

In personal news, September really had a lot going on! I've still been preparing for an upcoming performance in a local student showcase which has been quite up and down for me, haha, but it's been a fun process nonetheless. Work has been pretty busy, but not too bad just yet (October/November should be busier), and I've started another community college course for some reason--I guess I just can't stay away! This time it's a character rigging course in Maya, which I'm not sure is going to be my favorite, but it's great knowledge to have nonetheless. Not too much else going on to share, so let's move on to the books (and really, the reason we're all here).

In reading news, I've been really getting back on track still with my reading! September derailed slightly, but I still read some fantastic books and I am so ready for October reads (and I already have some TBR ideas going, so maybe I'll share a highly, highly tentative TBR post for October, but we'll see how it goes, haha). I didn't get quite as many reviews up as I meant to, but I also realized a lot of my ARCs are for October books, so as long as I can stay on top of those, October should have considerably more reviews! For September, What Feeds Below and The Sixth Nik were probably my top two reads of the month.

How was your September and what books have you been reading? Any reading-related goals? Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!

# books read: 12

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: I really loved this body horror-heavy tale and cannot recommend it enough for anyone who enjoys exploring dark places full of horrifying creatures--safely within a book, of course!

Out of Body: Stories by Chris Vanjonack

Source: NetGalley/Publisher | Format: eARC
Thoughts: These stories were hit or miss, but many more hits than misses and overall I quite enjoyed this collection! My review is also up for this one already.

The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus

Source: Publisher | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! It was delightfully unique and I really enjoyed the different ideas Kraus explored throughout. My review is already up, and the link can be found below!

If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light by Kim Cho-yeop

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a really intriguing collection of stories that has surprisingly not stuck in my head as much as I'd have expected it to, but I'd still very much recommend it to any sci-fi fans who prefer a slightly more literary style.

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Source: Library | Format: Ebook
Thoughts: I truly thought I was going to love this, but I am so disappointed to say that I really did not. I really wanted more whale time and whale focus, but instead I got a lot of family trauma that just wasn't really working for me.

The Franchise by Thomas Elrod

Source: Library | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: This is one of those where I really liked the concept and ideas explored, but the story itself and the characters were a bit lacking and didn't really grab me.

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: I've read a few Simon Winchester books in the past, but I somehow managed to never pick this one up until recently, and I'm glad I did because it was just as interesting as everyone always seems to say!

The Chinese Lady by Bo Wang

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: My review is already up for this one as well! I was a little mixed on my feelings on this one, but overall I enjoyed the story and appreciated the author's attempts at doing something different with the narrative style.

Ember and the Ice Dragons by Heather Fawcett

Source: Library | Format: Ebook
Thoughts: This was my first middle grade read from Heather Fawcett and I really enjoyed it! It was a really cute concept and I of course loved the Antarctica setting. I would love to read a sequel for this one!

The Islands of Elsewhere by Heather Fawcett

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: And after my first middle grade form Heather Fawcett, I moved on to another because it popped up on Libby and I thought, why not! This was also really fun, and although I think the pacing and plotting was a little off, I'd still recommend it.

Accidental Demons by Clare Edge

Source: Library | Format: Ebook
Thoughts: This was such a cute and clever middle grade story about a girl who belongs to a family line of witches that can easily summon demons, something that becomes considerably more of an issue when she is diagnosed with diabetes and finds that checking her blood essentially acts as a blood summoning... and she's accidentally summoning a lot of demons. I thought this was one of the most clever ways to incorporate an exploration of chronic illness in a way that really drives the plot and also tells some incredible lessons. Highly recommended for young readers!

A Dog in Georgia by Lauren Grodstein

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: For this being a book about a woman traveling to the country of Georgia to look for a stray dog, there was a considerable lack of searching for the stray dog. This isn't something I'd typically read, but it showed up on Libby and I thought I'd give it a read--and I'm not sure it entirely worked out for me, haha.