SEPTEMBER READS

I was able to get an even more diverse variety of books read this month. I continued to mainly focus on making a dent in my physical TBR of already-owned books and I'd say I succeeded nicely at that goal. Interestingly enough, this is the second month in a row, my top read was not a fantasy book. 

1. SCRUM


I gave this a solid 4/5 stars

If you can get past the initial shock of the author's rather boastful writing style as well as the fact that the book can feel a little too idealistic or sales-pitchy, there is some really awesome content in here for anyone with even a passing interested in Scrum. It reaffirmed some concepts for me and also made me think about things that I hadn't pondered in a little while despite being part of a Scrum Team. Sutherland is one of the creators of Scrum, so this is definitely a must read for newcomers and Scrum veterans alike.  

2. BREACH OF PEACE


I rated this 4/5

Although it's a bit light on Character and Worldbuilding details, this dark, fantasy novella delivers on mystery and action served up at a delightfully fast pace. While this is not for the faint of heart when it comes to violence and gore, it does a great job with handling some truly harrowing moments and maintaining a sense of unease throughout it's 140 pages. 


3. WHITE SAND (VOLUMES 1-3)



The series overall was a 3.5/5 for me

The first two volumes of this graphic novel trilogy are some of the best that I have ever had the pleasure of reading through. Unfortunately, the final installment really dragged things way down for me when it had the perfect setup to deliver on a tremendous conclusion. Up until this third entry, I thought for sure that this series would be my top read for this month, but my disappointment in how it went dropped the whole trilogy down this list. It's a shame that I am left with such a sour note, but I will absolutely be keeping these in my collection if only to pick up the first two and revisit all of the stunning visuals. 

4. FORTNITE X MARVEL: ZERO WAR


I gave this a 3/5 for what it was

More of a little bonus read for me at the tail-end of the month, this promotional comics crossover is a fun little series for fans of the Fortnite video game (especially if they are also a Marvel fan). While I didn't love every aspect of it and am glad I read it digitally via the Marvel Unlimited app, I am still happy that I read through this. I had a decent time with it, but I don't think I will ever forgive the writer for how horrendously awful they managed to handle Spider-Man. 

5. THE FINAL HOUR


A 2/5 for me

Had I not received this as a gift from a family member, I would likely not have picked it up, so perhaps I am simply not the target audience in spite of my being a practicing Catholic. Overly indulgent writing, lackluster citation, and and overemphasis on demonic forces made this all feel far too fantastical to serve as quality spiritual reading for me. I think there is a segment of Christians that will love this book, but sadly I did not find myself in that group. 


Here's hoping that October will be another good reading month (by my standards) since there's a lot more books I'd love to get through that are already on my shelves! I am also working my way through Brandon Sanderson's WORDS OF RADIANCE on Audible and Elliot Brooks' PEACE AND TURMOIL on Kindle so I'll be continuing those as well. 

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