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September brought about a new feeling of excitement toward reading. Perhaps the weather suddenly cooling off helped in that regard. I’ve begun to notice that inspiration strikes me in waves. I also find that when I am consuming less, in terms of social media, I feel much more open to creating.

September 1st also makes me wish I was about 18 years younger and receiving my official Hogwarts letter in the mail. Every autumn feels like the most magical time of the year. This is why I decided to read all of the Harry Potter books this fall.

Growing up I was not allowed to read the Harry Potter series. Watching all of the movies as a young adult didn’t fill in all of the gaps and I would regularly hear about how much was left out of the movies. And as someone who rolls their eyes at every movie adaptation, I decided it was time.

This month, I have read;

1. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling

2. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J.K. Rowling

3. “Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid (DNF)

I have been devouring the Harry Potter books. Even though I own physical books, I have been borrowing audiobooks from my local library so I can also listen to the story while doing other tasks.

[I listed “Malibu Rising” as a DNF because once I decided to read the Harry Potter series, I dropped everything else. So this book I will finish later in the year.]

I am also looking forward to doing a full write-up on my thoughts on the Harry Potter books. I know there is a bit of drama surrounding J.K. Rowling, but I am reading the books purely for the enjoyment of being able to read the books for the first time. Without going into too much detail, Glamour has a great write-up about what happened.

That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. The introduction to the wizarding world was nothing short of magical. However, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” dragged on purely because of Gilderoy Lockhart. I rolled my eyes every time his character’s dialogue was read. He was insufferable in the movie and probably even more insufferable within the book.

Now though, I am onto “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and feel much more involved with the story unfolding as Harry enters his third year at Hogwarts.

As for my October books to be read, I am really looking forward to re-reading a couple of my spooky favorites. Such as “We Have Always Lived in The Castle” by Shirley Jackson. And a light-hearted “The Ex Hex” by Erin Sterling. I am also extremely excited to dig into the sequel of “The Ex Hex” titled “The Kiss Curse” by Erin Sterling.

[Looking for recommendations for spooky reads? Check out my spooky mentions here!]

My complete list of October reads is a bit hefty;

1. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” by J.K. Rowling (Currently reading)

2. “Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling

3. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” by J.K. Rowling

4. “We Have Always Lived In The Castle” by Shirly Jackson

5. ” The Ex Hex” and “The Kiss Curse” by Erin Sterling

While I am speeding through the Harry Potter series because of how much I am enjoying the stories, I would like to pace myself a little so 1. I can re-read some other favorites during this time of year and 2. so I can keep the magical feeling alive throughout November.

I am 100% someone who goes into full-on “Christmas mode” once December 1st rolls around. So I’d ideally like to have moved on to more festive books by the time winter has arrived. Once it becomes cold and frosty here, all I want to do is make hot chocolate and get out the beanies and mittens.

That being said, I am thrilled I decided to finally read the Harry Potter books. I don’t normally read series, I am a big fan of a solid standalone novel. One of the reasons why I love Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing is her ability to write standalone novels, with worlds that can connect characters from different books to each other. (Such as Mick Riva in both Malibu Rising and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Which reminds me, I need to go grab a copy of “Carrie Soto is back”.)

I am also happy that my brain isn’t rejecting audiobooks anymore. I am trying to remind myself of the importance of showing up for myself and that includes my personal life too. Reading is something I have always loved to do, but as I grew older, made less time for it. So it’s time to change that and I am glad the Harry Potter books have been a fun way to ease back into making more time to read.

What are you reading this autumn? Let me know!