Offbeat Offline: September 2023 (Back and Meaning Business)

Welcome to Offbeat Offline, where I bring you up-to-date with what went on in my life during the month just gone, give you a sneak peek of my next shenanigans, and share my favourite posts of late!

What happened last month to yours truly? Oh, you know, the average blog hiatus. Except I spent it reading, and reviewing, and scheduling October/November posts 😂. It's funny, because as soon as I decide to sit a month out and only read for fun, I'm suddenly feeling overwhelmed by all the books I still have to review - ARCs, but not only - and I start to produce blog posts for the post-hiatus months. I have 6 more posts lined up for October...😮. Also, I got both good and bad news on the money front. The housekeeping, in the meantime, continued to suffer...

📚 DARKER THINGS. I read 7 books (all novels) in September, 2 of them ARCs. Speaking of which, I got approved for 3 - but I also downloaded a Read Now book from NG, the repackaging of a 2021 series starter. Only one sci-fi book in my list this time - the rest is a string of afterlife/supernatural/horror/fantasy stuff. Here's a rundown of my bookish activity for the month...

Approvals (3+1):

• The Soul Sector (Valcara Incorporated #1) by Michael Karolewski (Adult, afterlife/urban fantasy)

Not technically an approval - it was (still is) Read Now on NG. It's a 2021 release that the author decided to revamp in order to build some series awareness before putting forth Book 2 (out on October 31st). It's about a (damaged) young woman who ends up in the afterlife before her time, and is sent back with a job to do...one that she doesn't like. But the corrupt purgatory executives that returned her to Earth will dispatch her dead sister's soul to Hell if she refuses (or so they say). Also, saving the world may be involved...It was a fun one! 

• The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste (Adult, afterlife/mystery)

A suburban neighbourhood turned into a (literal) ghost town. Three survivors, among which a woman who lost her mother and sister to the supernatural phenomenon, and who's going back to the place after twenty years to uncover the truth. I haven't started it yet. Out in March.

• Aftermarket Afterlife (InCryptid #13) by Seanan McGuire (Adult, urban fantasy/afterlife)

I think the more years a series has been out, the more liberal the publishers become with their ARCs, because I GOT ANOTHER SEANAN ONE ASDFGHJKL 😮 😍. It's a good thing that I've managed to catch up with the InCryptid series in less than one year, just in time to finally try my hand at requesting the latest installment (which I started as soon as I got access to it and gobbled up in two days)...This one is from the POV of Mary, the Price family's ghost babysitter (yes, you read it right), and features practically every family member and ally, trying to stave off their arch-nemesis' bloodiest attack ever. Heartbreaking but awesome. Out in March.

• Three Eight One by Aliya Whiteley (Adult, sci-fi/fantasy?)

As usual with this publisher, I was given an epub, as opposed to temporary access to the file. Double perspective (two female narrators), double timeline (2314-2024), a story within the story. "An astonishing literary crossover novel about the pressures of growing up and the nature of authorship". I haven't started it yet. Out in January.

Reads (7):

• Mister Magic by Kiersten White (Adult, supernatural/mystery)

Totally worth the hype! Review to come in November.

• You're Breaking My Heart by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (YA, portal fantasy)

ARC. Really good! Review to come closer to pub date (which is in January).

• The Soul Sector (Valcara Incorporated #1) by Michael Karolewski (see above)

As I said, very entertaining! Review to come at the end of the month.

• Lucid by Jay Bonansinga (YA, supernatural/horror)

It could have been spectacular, if not for a few flaws. Still worth a read. Review on GR for now - on the blog at a later date.

• House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (YA, supernatural/horror)

Sheer horror and sheer beauty joined at the hip. Reread for full-review purposes.

• Aftermarket Afterlife (InCryptid #13) by Seanan McGuire (see above)

ARC. Review to come closer to pub date (which is in March).

• The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning (Adult, portal fantasy)

This one was a reread, so I'm linking to my review. These days I'm trying to reread at least one book a month.

Reviews (6...😮):

• Mister Magic by Kiersten White (see above)

Scheduled for November.

• You're Breaking My Heart by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (see above)

Scheduled for January.

• The Soul Sector (Valcara Incorporated #1) by Michael Karolewski (see above)

Scheduled for Thu. 28th.

• Lucid by Jay Bonansinga (see above)

To come at a later date (on GR for now).

• House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (see above)

Scheduled for November.

• Aftermarket Afterlife (InCryptid #13) by Seanan McGuire (see above)

To come in a mini-review round in February (like the previous installments in the series).

Here are my scheduled reviews for this month:

• Lost in the Moment and Found (Wayward Children #8) by Seanan McGuire (on Thu. 5th);
• Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai (on Mon. 9th);
• Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (Wayward Children #9) by Seanan McGuire, Under the Smokestrewn Sky (Up-and-Under #4) by A. Deborah Baker and Unbreakable by Mira Grant (in a mini-review round on Fri. 13th - these are all McGuire books under different pen names);
• Burn the Negative by Josh Winning (on Thu. 19th);
• The Soul Sector by Michael Karolewski (on Sat. 28th).

Reviews aside, I'll participate in the Tell Me Something Tuesday meme on the 24th (question: What's Your Favourite Supernatural Creature?). Sorry to be so scarce, but I really need to catch up on my reviews...I'll read your posts and comment on them though! 

💰GIMME SOME MONEY. This month has been a mixed bag with regards to our financial situation. My husband got a reevaluation of his disability, and he was bumped up to the next level, which - among other things - should come with an attendance allowance (we'll talking about a monthly sum slightly higher than my old salary). We're waiting for confirmation, but I think it's safe to say that we'll get the money, which is a huge relief...On the other hand, we're facing a 50% deduction from his salary for 6 months if he doesn't go back to work in November, which is just not feasible. It sounded like, with the disability revaluation, he could stay home up to two more years while maintaining his salary, but it turned out it isn't so. Now, even if we got the attendance allowance at the same time of the 50% cut (which is wishful thinking), it would be a disaster, because the allowance wouldn't cover the lack of half my husband's stipend. So he (via the local health authority he works for) applied for early retirement on the grounds of his disability, but even if he's allowed, we don't know how long we'll have to wait before his pension starts to come in...😓 😢

😐 FLATLINE.  Nothing else to write home about. It's still far hotter than it should be at this stage, but at least it's tolerable. My husband's ulcer is still healing at a glacial pace. My hair is still (or even more) subpar. I'm still busy and tired and apparently incapable to keep up with housework. And I have so many books to read, which is awesome, and I read them wicked fast, but then it takes me a week to review one...I'm also seeing more and more people migrate (ha!) to Bluesky, and...it looks like I won't need a desktop app to enter (I thought BS only worked on smartphones, but it doesn't seem the case), but I will most certainly need an invitation to join in...not so keen on starting anew on yet another social, but I guess it's become unavoidable...how many of you are on there? does anyone have a code to spare?

Since I was on hiatus, I haven't blog-hopped at all this month, so I've got nothing 🙁. But as I said above, I'm going to reprise my normal routine, so this section will be operative in my next monthly recap!

That's it for now. My next post will be up on October 5th, and it will be the review for Lost in the Moment and Found I mentioned above.

So, what were your highs/lows in the past month?