The story is so fascinating and the art is amazing! Great if you like fantasy and a mysterious cat.

I wanted to like this book so much! Not to say I didn't like it, but it wasn't anything revolutionary. The writing was fantastic and the essays are incredibly detailed, thoughtful, and well-researched. But it's not as "searing", "funny", or "angry" as I expected, and wanted (based on the cover description and reviews said). It was definitely very articulate and there's amazing one-line zingers, but overall I was left wanting more. The best essays were those that really hit home and focused on her chronic illness and healthcare in America, that's where you actually feel her emotions through the writing. The rest seems like filler.

The best lines were, "In a country plagued by problems in which individual grit is not nearly enough to prevail over rotten systems, working hard begins to feel more like a Sisyphean task than a practical solution" (37) and "We want our sick people to inspire us, battle disease, tough it out when faced with adversity...where does that leave those of us who are just too tired?" (55).

This book was even better than the first. Grumpy x Sunshine and the longest slow burn, but really wonderful. It felt like a very fleshed out story, with multiple sub-plots that kept the story going. I really love the setting and that there are a consistent cast of characters we can rely on to help the narrative.

Lauren Asher books are just fun! Couldn't put this one down. The characters weren't my favorite, but they had interesting back stories. I do love that it's set in Lake Wisteria and we got crossover from the Dreamland series. It did have my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers and second chances.

I never thought I'd say that I enjoyed a scary book as much as I did, but The September House is so tongue-in-cheek that I was more intrigued by the main character Margaret than I was scared of the residents or happenings of the house. The writing and light tone (despite the dark and intense subject matter) definitely saves this one from being truly scary, and honestly I could use a ghost housekeeper in my life (even if she is a nuisance). That isn’t to say that this book is devoid of anything horrifying, there is A LOT of blood and if you can’t stomach reading about mangled body parts, murders (especially of children), and domestic violence, then you may want to skip this one. If you can though, the ending is well worth it.