Reviewing the Past Three Months

Hello everyone and welcome/welcome back to my blog, Books and Hooks! Since I have been away from blogging for the past threeish months, I decided that in today’s post, I would just give y’all an overview of what my life has been like lately. Let’s get right into it!

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September

September was when my school started back up after summer break, and it took me off guard. This year, I am taking dual enrollment courses at a nearby college, and those were a bit more time-consuming than the normal school that I do. I did really end up enjoying the classes, though I am glad that the fall semester is over now.

Books I Read in September

In September, I did not get much reading in. I like to blame this on my school.

Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery – This one was sweet, like every other Anne book that I have read so far. It was a bit of a letdown from the third one, which I enjoyed immensely, but I did like reading Anne’s letters to Gilbert. I always find it fascinating to read about Anne’s adventures, and this book was no different.

Hail, Holy Queen by Scott Hahn – This one was very good, and I would recommend it to anybody, whether they are Catholic or not. The book really captures some of the reasons that the Blessed Virgin Mary is an important part of the Catholic faith, and was overall a very beautiful book.

Photos from September

Most of these are nature photos, but there are also a few from my zoo trip, of my current read at that moment, and of a hummingbird that we found that was injured.

My sister’s dog, Ava, just chilling.

I really like this one!

😋

My sister and I were both reading books in the Anne series when this photo was taken.

We found this hurt hummingbird.

What Happened in September?

September seemed to me a busy month, but most of that feeling stemmed from the fact that school, and other activities such as my homeschool group meetings, were beginning again after the lovely summer. I went to the lake several times with my family, which is always fun. My family also visited the zoo with our homeschool group, as seen in a few of the above photos. Other than that, I cannot remember much of what happened.

October

Books I Read in October

The Summer of Lost Letters by Hannah Reynolds – This was a pretty good book. I picked it up on a whim at the library and enjoyed reading it. I really liked the writing style. There were a few things about this book that I did not like, but I was able to overlook them because they weren’t major parts of the book. I think that the overall story was interesting.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – This was a reread, and I enjoyed it so much more this time around. I got so much more out of it reading it a few years later. There are so many things that I noticed and picked up on this time reading it. I also saw the movie a couple of weeks ago and I really liked it (more about that later in this post).

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – It came time again for my annual reread of this series! Honestly, this series is just one of my favorites, I never tire of reading it, and I seem to get something new out of it every single time I read it.

Photos from October

There are considerably fewer photos from October, but still a few that I would like to share.

Reading The Hunger Games.

What Happened in October?

A lot of my relatives visited in October, which was fun! I had a fun time visiting, going thrift shopping, and just spending time together with my relatives. Other than that, my October mostly consisted of schoolwork.

November

I can’t believe that November is already over and that we are into December now. This year has gone by quite fast, but I am ready for 2024 and all of the adventures that it is sure to bring.

Books I Read in November

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – This reread was amazing. This book is definitely one of my favorites in the Hunger Games series. I love this book because it’s really the book where Katniss and Peeta’s relationship changes, and they actually begin to be friends.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – This may be my favorite book in the series, but it is so sad as well. The ending always gets me. 😢 I will never stop talking about how much I find the ending (and most of this book, to be honest) of the series quite bittersweet.

Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery – This book was so good. There were many ups and downs, tears and laughs, and I think that it has to be one of my favorite books in the series so far.

Fable by Adrienne Young – This book was surprisingly good. I didn’t have much expectations of it, but I enjoyed it enough. While there were some annoying things in it, I believe that I will continue with the series. It ended on quite a cliffhanger.

Photos from November

Thanksgiving pies!

Our Thanksgiving appetizers.

I really loved the movie!

My mother’s new dog, Bingo. ❤️❤️

What Happened in November?

November was a pretty chill month. I finished up my dual enrollment classes for the semester and spent quite a bit of time outside. Despite the hate it receives, I think that November weather is just so nice. The gray skies and chilly weather and skeletal trees…I definitely could not live with this all of the time, but it is so beautiful in moderation. Thanksgiving was nice with my family and plenty of yummy food. In November, I also saw the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie. I would highly recommend it! I think that most of the aspects of it (the acting, songs, scenery, worldbuilding, etc.) were very well done. It was pretty true to the book as well. I was contemplating writing a movie review for it, if that’s something y’all would be interested in reading.

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That’s all for today’s post! How was your autumn? What plans do you have for the rest of the year? I’d love to chat in the comments! I have some really fun posts coming up, so keep an eye out for those. Have a lovely week, and I will be back next Monday!

~ Rebekah