September 2022 Wrap-Up + Haul

Another month gone, another anti-climatic wrap up. September was quite a stressful month and I was actually too stressed/anxious to read much of anything. That being said, I read one book this month (and it was really good) and only hauled three. For that reason, I'm including both my wrap up and haul together! I'm hopeful that October will be better (once we find a new apartment) as I have a bunch of exciting spooky/witchy books on my TBR for this season. Anywho, let's go ahead and dive in!  

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1. 

Title: Babel

Author: R.F. Kuang

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review

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August 2022 Wrap-Up

August 2022 Book Haul

Book Review: "Babel" by R.F. Kuang

Spooky Season Book Recommendations

Book Blitz: "Kingdom of the Feared" by Kerri Maniscalco

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This month was a small haul month but also a very Fairyloot-heavy one. I got three books this month and all of them were Fairyloot books from their YA and Adult subscriptions. I'm very excited about all of these and they're all so stunning, so let's just get into it! 

Up first, I have Babel by R.F. Kuang which was the adult book-only pick for August.  This edition came with a redesigned cover, foiling, artwork printed on the cover, artwork on the endpages, gorgeous digital sprayed edges, and came signed. It's honestly such a beautiful edition and I think I even prefer it to my Illumicrate edition (which I think I'm going to sell so I can keep the Fairyloot one). I also finished this book in September (it was the only book I read) so peep my review linked above! 

Then I have Belladonna by Adalyn Grace from the YA September box. This edition has an exclusive cover, artwork printed on the cover, artwork on the endpages, stencil sprayed edges, and came signed. This edition is absolutely stunning and I'm so happy with the changes they made as I much prefer them to the standard UK covers. I have really enjoyed the other book I read by her and the premise of this book is quite interesting so I'm definitely excited to read this (maybe soon?). I also know it's not a standalone so we might get a gorgeous matching edition for the sequel next year! 

The last book I got this month was Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young from the adult book-only September box. This edition has an exclusive cover, embossing on the hardcover, artwork on the endpages, digital sprayed edges, and came signed. I've loved everything I've read by Adrienne Young and I'm so excited for her newest release. Plus, this edition is absolutely gorgeous. 

These were the only three books that I got in the month of September, but I do have some Fairyloot preorders that are finally shipping across the next few months that I paid for ages ago so I am quite looking forward to those. But with the stress of moving apartments, I haven't been buying as many things (books or otherwise) so that we don't have more to move or store. Also once we have our budget figured out I can't wait to pick up some more new releases that I haven't been able to get yet. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "Babel" by R.F. Kuang

Title: Babel

Author: R.F. Kuang

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Page Length: 560 pages

Publication Date: August 23, 2022

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

What can I even say to describe this book? It was, in all honesty, a masterpiece. As I was reading, all I could think about was how much research, effort, and skill went into crafting it. Babel is a book with so much depth that tackles so many difficult themes and it was simply amazing. 

This is my first book by R.F. Kuang. The Poppy War is on my TBR, but I know I'll need to be in the right mindset for it based off of the trigger warnings I've seen and friends who have read it. However, the hype around Babel had me really intrigued and wanting to start it the moment I got my copy. 

Babel is not a book that you read in one sitting and breeze through. It has so many different elements to it that interweave that I think it would be impossible for me to read it in one sitting, even on a reread. It took me well over a week to get through, but I honestly thought it aided in my experience that I took my time reading it. 

This novel covers such a wide expanse of time (I want to say around 10 years?). To finish it and then look back at where it all began just 560 pages prior was a bit of a mindblowing moment. To think that Kuang was able to write a succinct story that covers so much time in just one self-contained book and have me still connect with it is a true nod to her storytelling skills. 

As I have a degree in English Writing and have moved from a different country to the UK, so much of the beginning of the novel felt so familiar to me. Of course, my experiences and who I am is wildly different from Robin and what he has to go through. But seeing a book character obsessed with reading and language and authors I also studied who is going through the same cultural shocks made me feel very connected early on. 

The characters truly shine in this novel. We have a solid cast of characters and it's incredibly easy to fall in love with them (like our main four) or to hate them (like antagonistic classmates or professors). Each had depth, had struggles, had varying life experiences that, at times, clashed with each other. It was fascinating to see how the characters and their relationships changed over the years and span of the novel. I have to say, my favorite is definitely our main narrator, Robin, though I have lots of love for others. 

One thing that is very prevalent in this novel is the way it addresses colonialism, racism, misogyny. Whereas many Western historical fiction books romanticize history and paint it in a prettier, more accepting light, Babel does the opposite. It pulls forth the dark, violent, and harmful past of the British Empire and the Western world. It critics it, it fights it, it seeks to dismantle it. While this is a historical fantasy, so much of what the book critiques was happening in real life. It was so powerful. 

Part of the exploration of colonialism comes from the way that language and translation was included, for example, in the British Empire profiting off of foreign languages while simultaneously looking down on said languages and where they originated from and treating foreigners who speak them as lesser beings. The dissonance and inner conflicts the characters go through as foreigners benefiting from studying translation at Oxford was something explored throughout the entire novel that ultimately leads to an explosive ending. 

Again, as someone who studied English and just loves learning, I loved all we got about language and etymology and translation. The amount of research that must have gone into this novel just in terms of etymology and languages must have been massive. I never felt like I was reading a boring textbook for school. Instead, I felt like I was learning to think about the world and communication in a new way. 

Lastly, I'll speak on the magic system of silver working. It was incredible. The magic was based around language and translation combined with silver to create magical effects. It's honestly so impressive that this historical setting relies so much on magic yet the magic talk is kept rather subtle. The magic isn't the forefront...the language and the plot and the themes are there instead. But the magic system plays such an important role in the book because of how reliant the country was on silver. This system is so unique and unlike anything I've read before and it just added that extra element to an already fantastic novel. 

Now, I will say, I subconsciously kept a distance I think as I saw loads of people online (specifically TikTok) posting videos of them sobbing and saying the ending was devastating. In that, I suspected at least part of the ending and honestly expected more heartache. I think if I had gone in without knowing other people's reactions, I probably would have also been sobbing. But I was mentally preparing myself the entire book and looking for all the subtle foreshadowing as to what would come. 

Overall, this was a phenomenal book, even from a purely objective standpoint without factoring in my emotional connection. It was amazing, it was so well-written, and it is sure to be a modern classic. Even though the plot is nothing like The Poppy War, I find myself so excited that I still have more works from Kuang to explore in the future. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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August 2022 Book Haul

Another August, another substantial book haul. I definitely wasn't planning on getting this many books but I also feel I did okay this month in terms of what I got. I got a total of ten books, some used, some new, some special editions. September will definitely be smaller, though, as I'll be focused on moving apartments and an increase in bills (thanks inflation). Let's go ahead and dive in! 

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The first book I got this month was Husband Material by Alexis Hall. This is the sequel to Boyfriend Material, one of my favorite romcoms of all time. I am so incredibly excited about this one and definitely would have read it already were it not for having to finish my dissertation this month. The cover is also stunning and looks spectacular next to the first book. I can't wait to dive into it in the coming weeks!

The next few books I got were from a charity/thrift shop I went to. I got four books for less than the price of one brand new, so I consider it to be a pretty good deal. The first one I got was the original UK paperback edition of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I was shocked to find this cover there as it's been out of print for a couple years but I had to get it even though I already had one. 

Then I grabbed Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen. I've never heard of this but the cover drew me in and then it sounded like a pretty badass historical fiction book I might enjoy. I've not got much else to say about it as I haven't read it yet or know too much but I will say that I am looking forward to reading it eventually. 

Up next I grabbed The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. I'd seen the cover around for a few years so I decided to finally read the flap and I decided that it was right up my alley for the price. It's a murder mystery and I'm a big fan of those in TV shows, so I'm looking forward to potentially diving into similar books. This was apparently pretty popular and is the first in a series, so if I like it I'll definitely pick up the others too. 

The last book I got from the charity shop was Becoming by Michelle Obama. I've had this one my wishlist for years, so I couldn't leave it behind when I saw it. I'm not sure when I'll get to finally reading it but I am looking forward to it as I've heard nothing but good things over the years. I'm also just so happy with thrift shops and the ability to get hardcovers like this for affordable prices. 

Then I got my August YA box which included Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen. This Fairyloot edition has an exclusive cover, ombre sprayed edges, artwork on the endpages and hardcover, a ribbon bookmark, and came with a signed bookplate. I think this is a stunning edition and it looks great on my shelves. I also have heard pretty good things about this one so I'm looking forward to reading it soon. 

Up next I got the UK hardcover of She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. I wanted to get this because it's such a beautiful cover, the paperbacks in the UK are so stiff, and the hardcover goes out of stock once the paperback is released. Luckily I was able to get this right in time before it sold out and it really is just as stunning in person. I also have just heard excellent things and am looking forward to eventually diving into this one. 

My Illumicrate book-only arrived next with Babel by R.F. Kuang. This edition comes in a slipcase with artwork printed on the hardcover, an exclusive cover, digitally sprayed edges, bonus content, and is signed. I knew when it was announced that I wanted to get it and this edition does not disappoint. It is stunning in person and I already know how I want to display it on my shelves in the future. I'm hoping to get to this book in the next few months as well as the hype around it has been insane.

I then got my Fairyloot preorder of Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. I ordered this a few months ago to match the first book's edition and I think it's beautiful. I like the simplistic elements of the special edition features and I think I prefer it over my Waterstones edition. I think the Fairyloot editions of this series are going to end up being my favorite and I can't wait to see what the third one will look like. 

Lastly, I couldn't help but get a physical copy of Triple-Duty Bodyguards by Lily Gold. I read this in the beginning of August and absolutely loved it. It quickly got put on my favorites list and I stuck the paperback on my wishlist to eventually buy. Then it went out of stock for ages and is undergoing a new cover so I decided when I saw this cover back in stock to get it immediately just in case. I'm so excited to have this and annotate it when I decide to reread in the future. 

Well, those are the ten books I got in August. The autumn in general will be a slower book buying time for me but I hope it's a time to power through all the books I've gotten lately. Did you see any favorites in this haul? What have you gotten lately? Let me know in the comments! 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

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