sometimes i actually like what i read! | SEPTEMBER WRAP UP

LINKS AND THINGS:
INSTAGRAM: / chandlerainsley
GOODREADS: / chandlerainsley
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banner & intro art by: linktr.ee/rachelhumbert
FAQS
◈ Where do you put your dust jackets?! - they're in a storage container in my closet
◈ Where are your bookshelves from? - they are ikea billy bookcases with trim pieces added to the front
◈ What's your skincare routine? - current faves are linked in my amazon shop
◈ What do you use to film on? - a canon 90D (lens info in amazon shop)
◈ Where do you get your audiobooks - library, libro.fm, audible plus

[@anjalibhat14]

I didn’t even start the video yet, it’s just so wonderful to see you joyous in the thumbnail

[@amyd714]

Three videos on one week?! You are spoiling us Chan 🤩😎

[@brennasullivan8273]

My favorite book I read this month was: Desperate Measures by Katee Robert. A dark Aladdin retelling where Jasmine ends up with Jafar.

[@erinkelly6577]

That was GOOD!!!!!

[@Ilikefrogs..]

That sounds interesting!

[@brennasullivan8273]

@@Ilikefrogs.. it was a quick read! It was a modern day take on if Jafar was was a mafia guy and Aladdin was the bad guy.

[@rebeccaridgway1117]

I’ve decided that I’m not going to read MZ’s backlog despite some of her books being all time favs for me. Im not a fan of how some characters talk about other women. I read All Rhodes Lead Here and it felt much better in that way. I’d love a guide to video bc I think it’s good for people to draw attention to those themes while still enjoying her books

[@stephaniem1107]

Agreed. I read Lingus and the sl*t shaming and woman on woman hate was so strong I cringed nearly the whole book.

[@ashtonreads]

@@stephaniem1107 Same! I was SO disappointed in that book and couldn’t stand the heroine’s slut shaming. The hero deserved someone who respected his past career/relationships and I didn’t understand why he even liked her.

[@iyah1046]

I've never enjoyed her books and I think it's also because they're so long and not much really happens and the writing doesn't feel very good or very strong? I have a hard time reading her writing for some reason. It's clunky...

[@jenhasaplan]

every damn time I read “flabby” in RC&M, I felt a piece of my soul shatter. cannot fathom this is the same person who wrote the wall of winnipeg & me 🥲

[@94AnnaAnna]

Good to know I'm not the only one questioning Mariana Zapata's books. I've read Hands Down recently and couldn't believe I actually liked books by this author in the past :/ I added What If You & I to my tbr, it sounds really good!

[@Katiedora122]

I also struggle getting into YA contemporary books now because of my age, so I tend to stick with rereading my favorites unless something great comes along that is personally recommended to me. But I still read YA fantasy, and my favorite book of September was A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. The writing style was very different than her other works, but the magic system/school was really interesting. The narrator was cranky and funny, and spends a lot of the book raging against the general system. (And there was the line that Novik apologized for regarding locs that fits in context but was actually unnecessary, though again the biracial main character calls out a lot of bad shit in the world)

[@alyrica0505]

Mariana Zapata is one of my favorite authors so I would love to see a guide to MZ. That being said I wouldn't want it if reading them disturbed you in any way.

[@toribrookss]

i think i commented this on the vlog you did for unhinged but oof, def gotta pick that one up! it sounds so good! also yay for the car wrap-ups!!

[@kendall09]

I love that you are already looking out for our Christmas reads. Love you Queen ❤️

[@chandlerainsley]

[@gabimatrecito2903]

a man called ove by fredrick backman was by far my favorite! really solidified how much i love backmans storytelling after first reading anxious people

[@archeve1909]

added three books to my tbr after watching this vid although I already have like 100+ books that I haven't read in my tbr🤧

[@chandlerainsley]

love to see it

[@JanaMorgen]

My two favorite books from the past month were people we meet on vacation (loved it more then beach read) and then for the wolf, which had great fall vibes.

[@favbookshelf8788]

Amazing Recommendations, I am soon gonna add some to my tbr !! Thank you for sharing.

[@KatieColson]

Back with the Classic Chandler Car Angle 💯 !

[@chelsikay13]

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun and Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff were my favorites this month! They're very much on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to tone and genre, so that's interesting 😂

[@MsHenrei]

OMG! The Charm Offensive. So so good. I loved it and didn't even have any expectations 🥰🥰

[@sharonperezserrano8736]

I just read Unhinged and really love it. It has a lot of smut but that was not a problem for me. Glad to have followed your recommendation.😍

[@gloriaaaaa]

i love your wrap ups! i hope next month is a good reading month for you

[@chandlerainsley]

i don't have a ton of recommendations with this vibe but i really do think Kate Stewart's Ravenhood series fits the bill

[@EvaraLia]

I’ve been reading The Secret Book and Scone Society series, they’re fun quick reads. I enjoyed the third book the most, so far.

[@victoriahanashiro9761]

My favorite historical romance is What the wind Knows by Amy Harmon. You should read it!!

[@bebella9005]

Best book I’ve read in September was definitely The Air You Breathe, by Frances de Pontes Peebles. It was so so good, I highly recommend it! Great video 🖤

[@amberrhea5293]

The best book I read this past month was Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet. I bought it on a whim for $.99 on my kindle and I loved it. Very fairy tale-ish.

[@audreybeebee]

Favorite book of September was new release Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, which might have reignited my love for YA fantasy! I thought I'd finally outgrown it lol. I didn't realize until I finished the book that's sort of a spinoff of the Caraval series, which I'd never read, but I was able to follow everything regardless. And my favorite thing about this one is that it's setting up enemies-to-lovers but it actually plays around with the antagonism and tension between the two leads without rushing to bring them together. Like the promise of the "lovers" part is even left for the sequel(s) and that was a breath of fresh air for me because I've read a lot of enemies-to-lovers attempts where the transition away from "enemies" happened way too easily.

[@crystalsbookishlife]

I'm really hyped to find out if you are a St. Vincent stan OR a Derek Craven stan. I love St. Vincent buuuuut I think I still like Derek better 🤣

[@thetorturedreader]

i didn’t read anything until the very last of september, when i started Skye Falling on the 29th. such a great book omg. 5 stars.

[@gloriaaaaa]

also the dare by harley laroux was a really fun and quick novella and i really liked the love interest, manson.

[@kadabra4009]

Favorite book I read in September was probably The Darkest Temptation by Danielle Lori! It was definitely dark and smutty but it also had a slow-burn vibe to it! Gotta love the grumpy-sunshine trope especially when the grumpy here is a morally grey inked Russian mobster. 🥰👌🏼

[@tasneem4004]

The Quarry Master and Marriage for One were some of my 5 star reads this month...absolutely loved them 😍

[@chandlerainsley]

haven't heard of that first one but i adore Marriage for One! so glad you also liked it

[@tasneem4004]

@@chandlerainsley The Quarry Master is a monster romance...grumpy sunshine trope. It has become an all time favourite grumpy hero..he is just adorable😍

[@editsbytam3132]

hi bestie !! you called 'unhinged' 'psycho' twice in this lmao but anyway I LOVED THIS GLAD TO SEE A FOUR STAR READ for u

[@laurendevine8487]

I really like Unhinged! I was surprised I liked it so much and I also felt like there was one too many smut scenes which is shocking for me as well. I started the next one in the series but felt like it was too similar, so I paused. I will probably go back to it after I read something else in between

[@art3mis898]

I read 12 books this month and most of them were so good. My favorites were as follows Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica . This hooked me from the first page . It was a great Thriller. Hang The Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur . It was sooo cute . It was just a lovely romance and the friendships were incredible. Dial A for aunties by Jesse Q sutanto . So fun

[@chandlerainsley]

loved Dial A for Aunties! and i'm super excited to get to that Alexandria Bellefleur book at some point myself

[@yasminnn8]

My favorite books this month are Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire and The Project by Courtney Summers (which I didn’t rate 5 stars but I can’t stop thinking about it).

[@megimihaylova98]

Time went by so fast, so I think i read this book in late August... But my first 5 star read in years was Circe by Madeline Miller. It was everything I want in a book and more, I cried and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed it!

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

Guurrlll! Reward yourself when you get through those 100 or so books with a month where you _ONLY_ read things you feel like picking up or something!!!😅🙏😁 (I don't know how feasible an idea that actually is or not; but, if nothing else, hopefully at least the thought counts for something?? Idk - but) _you deserve it_ ^-^ 💜

[@gloriaaaaa]

this month i really like priceless by miranda silver. the smut itself i didnt love (although it was kinda the point i think) but i lOVED their relationship and the guy was realllyyyy sweet during aftercare and more romantic parts.

[@annibtj]

ALSO read gothikana (which i think u have on ur goodreads tbr?) i loved it i thought it was a super good cross between dark academia and romance but could definitely see others reading it and finding it, like, cringey??? if u ever end up reading it would love to hear ur thoughts!

[@annibtj]

I read the clecanian series in september - hot aliens who go to school to learn how to be good husbands meet abducted human women. just found them super fun and easy to read but also surprisingly sweet and emotional??? (haven’t read much of the genre so can’t say how they hold up to others but! good for some easy enjoyable reading at least?!)

[@carolineblueskies]

Favorite book I read in September was Furyborn by Claire Legrand, which is the first book in her Empirium trilogy. I think it’s labeled as YA fantasy, but it’s pretty dark and has some spice, so it felt more in the new adult territory to me. It has really polarizing reviews on Goodreads but I loved it and I’m half through the second book and also enjoying it.

[@chandlerainsley]

i really enjoyed that one too! i'm hoping to read the trilogy all at once at some point

[@sarahkim5947]

Hi Chandler! Amazing books haul video that you posted! Love your books recommendations videos! You're the best booktuber ever&Thank you so much for sharing your books recommendation! I'm excited to read these books later on! Also, I recommend you to check out The Gifts of Imperfection Book by Brene Brown, Self-Compassion Book by Kristin Neff, James Patterson's thriller book&The Body Keeps the Score Book by Dr.Bessel Van Der Kolk are interesting, sad, romantic, beneficial&helpful to read! Also, I'm currently reading It Ends With Us book and that I enjoy reading that book!

[@FanpireBella]

I think Secrets of a summer night is the dullest book in that series, the other three are SOOOOO much better. My favourite is Lillian's story

[@ainsleemcnamara7514]

I read Cursed Luck by Kelley Armstrong this month and absolutely loved it! Kelley Armstrong was one of the first authors that got me into Paranormal Romance, and this book wasn't even on my radar until I saw it on Hoopla. But it just brought back memories of what I love so much about Paranormal Romance. It's mystery-heavy, and the romance is much more backseat/slowburn. But there's great romantic tension built, and such a fun twist, and I highly recommend it. It actually reminds me of some Ilona Andrews stuff I've read, so I think it would be a solid 3.5/4 star read for you (though I gave it a glowing 5 stars)

[@chandlerainsley]

oo i'll have to check it out. i was IN LOVE with her YA books growing up but i haven't read any of her adult titles

[@ainsleemcnamara7514]

@@chandlerainsley I loved her YA titles. Her Women of the Otherworld series is essentially the same world/same paranormal creatures but Adult. The first book, Bitten, I didn’t love, as the hero is too Alpha-y for me (it’s definitely a 2000s Paranormal Romance lol) but the series just gets better and better, and I easily consider it an all time favourite!

[@ashtonreads]

Interesting what you said about the Mariana Zapata book, because I felt similarly when I read Lingus! So many people loved that book, but I was disgusted by the amount of slut shaming and just overall hating-on-other-women thoughts coming from the heroine. It took me way out of the story and I gave it 2 stars. I haven't noticed those issues in some of her newer ones I've read, but I also have never given her a 5 star and struggle to understand the hype with her books.

[@chandlerainsley]

yeah i'm struggling myself! i loved Kulti and the Wall of Winnipeg and Me but it's been so long since i've read them that i wonder if i was just caught up in the slow burn romance since those were the first true slow burns i'd read. her more recent stuff has been kind of meh for me

[@doloresofcourse]

@@chandlerainsley - Kulti and Winnepeg are in my top 10 for books of that genre. I really like them but these newer books....eh.

[@rachelhumbert6440]

The Ex Hex!

[@chandlerainsley]

i'm so excited for that one!

[@Amanda-qt6lc]

My top book in September was yolk by Mary H.K. Choi. I also read the murder bot diaries which were fantastic

[@chandlerainsley]

oo i have both of those on my tbr! glad they worked for u

[@doloresofcourse]

I love Zapata. This one is low on the list. Her use of "snort, snorted, snorting" in this book should have been a drinking game. There was at least one snort every chapter. I'm not exaggerating. It triggered me so much while trying to read this, I actually sent her a message asking to stop using "snort" in her books.

[@Ilikefrogs..]

Lol, that's actually hilarious.

[@gelifr9387]

Favorite book I read for September was Scoundrel of My Heart by Lorraine Heath.

[@chandlerainsley]

i still need to try that author!

[@shelbytaggartreads2739]

I really enjoyed What If You & Me but I also disliked the final conflict, which is why I gave it 4.5 stars versus 5. If you enjoyed that one, you’ll also really enjoy book 1, which I gave 5 stars. Hope you get to it soon!

[@evilredcaboose]

Ouch on the rock romance. Don't think that I I'll be reading any time soon

[@readinginthelairlunadrakon8028]

In sep i finished 'A kiss of shadows" by laurell k hamilton. paranormal erotica {heat level 5}, fae royal court politics. 5/5 stars

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I haven’t heard of so many of these 👀

[@mm5xo]

only read 2 books in September and they were thrillers! i gave 4 stars to then she was gone and 3 stars to sharp objects.

[@chandlerainsley]

i love those ones!

[@c4tlad]

shkdjsdjthis video came just in time

[@listenwithprecious]

Read secrets of a Summer Night too

[@youngbloods_t]

I read Ask the Passangers twice and it didn't really do something for me either tbh. When it comes to Mariana Zapata, I only read From Lukov With Love and Kulti, and if you'd do a guide to her books I think it could bring up a discussion and point out the books that have the themes you mentioned so people would be aware (if you'd be comfortable with it ofc)

[@chandlerainsley]

yeah i think for me the hesitation rn is that i'd probably need to reread all of her books to make sure i wasn't missing some hidden misogyny and given how long her books are... not sure it's worth the trouble rn lol

[@youngbloods_t]

@@chandlerainsley Oh yeah, ofc not lol

[@nikagibanica8421]

If you're looking for a good holiday/Christmas romance you should check out Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan

[@chandlerainsley]

i'll add to my tbr! thanks!

[@DumiNihi]

Have you read menace by j.m darhower? I just finished it and it was GREAT!!

[@chandlerainsley]

i have! it's fantastic!

[@emonroe26]

Check out Managed by Kristen Callihan for an actually well-done rockstar romance. I re-read it this month and enjoyed it just as much the second time, I ate that shit up like candy

[@chandlerainsley]

it's one of my faves! :)

[@pandareads]

I read Unhinged too and I really liked it but I thought the smut was kinda meh. 4/5 stars though 😊

[@wiktoriabadora1243]

I think my favorite book of September was Bunny by Mona Awad

[@chandlerainsley]

oh that's good to hear! i'm reading it this month for a video :)

[@wiktoriabadora1243]

@@chandlerainsley can't wait to hear your thoughts because it's extremely weird and divisive

[@michellestratford9753]

Have you read any Lavyrle Spencer? Her writing itself is beautiful, and she has quite a few awesome historical romances, as well as many set in the 80s and 90s . Her romances are gentle, but her sex scenes are fabulous. After watching you for about a years, and I think you'd enjoy her books 😚 ❤️🚙🇨🇦

[@crystalsbookishlife]

Wow that MZ book 😬😬 that's honestly kind of shocking she put that in there

[@chandlerainsley]

right! was really disappointed. i know she's always been into potty humor and some of her older books have girl hate but i never expected that level of ... yikes

[@BookedandBusy]

Lmao what a title

[@chandlerainsley]

and it's only half true

[@BookedandBusy]

My favorite book that I finished in September was Dune. It was once again a shit reading month 😂😂. I really like the idea of using wrap ups to only talk about books that aren’t featured in videos. Wrap ups are my least favorite videos to film which is why I started doing recent reads but I don’t like filming those and they don’t perform well either 😂 maybe I’ll try this in October

[@raffaelae1020]

Zapata's book was ok but not amazing. the drama was not necessary.

[@sabrinalc1587]

I’ve come to the conclusion that Mariana Zapata is not for me. The amount of weirdness, sexism and shaming in Lingus was mind boggling. I understand that the narration doesn’t necessarily reflext the author’s pov, but if all that doesn’t lead to a plot point…why is it even in the novel? Too me that just reads as the author having those ideas. And the bathroom humour as a grown woman is just cringy and not for me

[@chandlerainsley]

i really don't like the bathroom humor either! lingus i believe was published around the same time as rhythm, chord, and malyhkin... her other books aren't really like this but i'm not really excited about reading her recent releases now

[@laurlovesliterature]

Super disappointed in the Mariana Zapata story!!!