September 2026 reading round up

I had an absolutely awful reading month in September - I've been rewatching Bones, which has really taken up all of my time, and I've just generally been in a bit of a reading slump. I am, however, off on holiday in October; a proper 'fly and flop' holiday, where I plan to get *plenty* of reading done! Anyway, here's what I did manage to read in September... 

Whistle by Linwood Barclay

This was our book club pick for September - we always spin a wheel to decide on a genre, then everyone throws in some book suggestions and we do a poll to choose. This month it was horror, and this was the book we landed on. I am a huge fan of Linwood Barclay, and this is his first actual horror book - and my first ever horror read! I didn't think it was particularly scary, though it had very creepy elements. I really enjoyed it; there's a split timeline, and we're following a woman who moves her & her son to a rural house for the summer, where some really weird things start happening. In our other timeline, we're in a small town following the chief as he tries to solve a string of disappearances and very odd events. As the two stories merge, we're allowed a glimpse into a dark underworld that really gets under your skin... 4 stars!

Big Little Truths by Lianne Moriarty

I loveeeee Lianne Moriarty, and I was so pleased to be back in the world of Big Little Lies - this time for the sequel, ten years on, when the little kids are now teenagers and the mums have all moved on from those crazy events... or have they? I listened to the audiobook of this which was fantastically done, and honestly I just really enjoyed it. 4 stars from me.

The Bali Bucket List by Ava Wilde

Genuinely one of the most dreadful books I've ever read; this was a NetGalley ARC and that's the only reason I didn't DNF it - I think it might have been written by ChatGPT, which is gross. Girl's relationship breaks down so she flees to Bali to "find herself" in the most sad and disrespectful way, blogging about it all, and that's basically all that happens.It's very spicy, but in an incredibly cringe way, and the characters are awful. Hate hate hate hate hated it. Poor decisions, awful scenarios, pathetic people. 1 star and that's being generous.

Two Couples by Cathryn Grant

Another NetGalley ARC, and another one that really wasn't great. It's a thriller about two couples (duh) who buy a remote lakeside holiday home and find a dead body in the pool when they arrive. One person wants to call the police while the others are reluctant to do so - nothing really makes sense, and there are a few twists but none that add much to the plot, and generally it was just quite boring/predictable. 2 stars.

Andddd that's everything I read in September 2026. Started off well and went dramatically downhill! We go again in October...