September TBR

I have so many plans for September, it’s difficult to know where to begin – much less how I’ll ever finish! Here are my current thoughts on my TBR for the month… although they’re definitely subject to change with whatever whims may strike. (Mood reader problems, amirite?)

#SeriesSeptember

• Game of Thrones (or A Song of Ice and Fire), by George RR Martin. I know, I know, I know. But I haven’t ever read the series, despite making serious headway in the first book a few times before being distracted by other things, and it would fit several categories on the #seriesseptember Bingo card, including “Blast from the past” (been on my shelves for quite a while), “You own it now start it,” and “Now you can watch it.” I’d like to finish watching my DVDs of the show series as well. So, this one would check a lot of boxes if I can manage it.
• The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood. I read The Handmaid’s Tale in July, so this one would qualify for “That’s a wrap,” “Now you can watch it,” and maybe also “Double it up,” although I wouldn’t be reading both volumes of the duology in the same month.
• Willa of Dark Hollow, by Robert Beatty. We’re currently reading Willa of the Wood as our family read-aloud and should be finishing it within the next week or two, so it would be pretty easy to roll right into the second book of this duology for a “Double it up” and/or a “Wrap it up.” Of all the series I’m potentially going to tackle this month, this is the one I’m most likely to succeed in finishing. But we’ll see.

New-to-Me Authors I Love, Redux

In August, I fell in love with several new-to-me authors, including a trio of middle-grade and YA storytellers whose works I read over a single weekend. So, this month, I want to read more from those three novelists in particular, with the following books. (These books might also fit the “Double It Up” prompt for #seriesseptember, although I won’t be reading both works by the same author in the same month. Not that I needed another reason to dive into these!)

Banned Books Week

September 18-24 is Banned Books Week, so for the second half of the month, I’ll be reading these works that have been frequently banned or challenged in schools and libraries.

• The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo. This book has been challenged or banned in schools and libraries primarily on allegations that it’s hostile towards religion, particularly the Catholic faith.
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou. This book has been challenged or banned in schools and libraries primarily on allegations of being racist (“anti-white messaging”), violent and/or sexually explicit.
• It’s So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families, by Robie H. Harris. This book, along with others by Robie H. Harris, has been challenged or banned in schools and libraries primarily for its descriptions and depictions of the body and its discussion of sex and sexuality.

The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments also have faced various challenges and bans, so finishing that duology would serve another purpose for this month as well.

What books are on your TBR for September?