State of the ARC is a monthly meme temporarily hosted by Sarah at All The Book Blog Names Are Taken meant to motivate you to finish up your long overdue ARCs (Advanced or Early Reader Copies). This is its original intention, while some bloggers have tweaked it a bit for their own purposes, such as just keeping ARCs in order by due dates. Or you can just be a hot mess like me who sometimes misses publishing dates (or ignores them altogether) and needs a way to stay organized on what has been read, reviewed, or is still begging for attention. Thank you to Evelina @ Avalinah’s Books for coming up with this super helpful monthly meme.

I finished August with 19 ARCs left to be read. 

Hi all! This post is always scheduled for the first of the month, but I got a little delayed because of Yom Kippur. Our High Holy Days were really nice, for the most part. My sister came to visit from out of state, and it has been so nice to have her here. It’s always so much prep for like, 2 hours of a holiday meal, but it is so worth it to see everyone devouring and loving the foods I made.. 

The weather is finally cooling down, and I’m so ready for autumn to fully arrive, although I have been indulging in some pumpkin-flavored beverages to help me feel fall-ready. Mom is doing okay, and having my sister around is so good for Mom too. I’m thinking that I might have to take another vacation—my last was for Thanksgiving 2024. Also, I have a long list of people around the country to visit, and I haven’t seen nearly enough of this big country as I’d like to.

I was incredibly impressed with how I did with my NG ARCs in September. I’m all caught up on overdue ARCs, and I’ve started working on my October ARCs. I got approved for 7 ARCs in September, but I managed to read more than I was approved for, and my ratio went back up to 97%. I have no complaints and plan to keep building on my progress.

October is an easier month for me, since there are only 3 of my ARCs being released. I’m so excited for a few of them, and I’m really enjoying the one I’m currently reading. Hopefully, I can build on my progress from last month and continue to stay on top of my NG ARCs. The perk of being so busy all the time is that I don’t have enough time to request too many new ARCs. I think I have one request outstanding for now, and even with my 7 new approvals, I have 5 less ARCs on my list than last month.

Here’s how this month went for my NG ARCs:

I got approved for 7 new books in September:

1. The Witch of Willow Sound by Vanessa F. Penney
2. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (audio)
3. Impostor by L.J. Ross
4. Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly (audio)
5. The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer
6. What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher
7. This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman

These are the ARCs that I read and reviewed in September, with links to my reviews:

1. Cammy Sitting Shiva by Cary Gitter — see my review here.
2. As a Jew by Sarah Hurwitz — see my review here.
3. The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin — see my review here.
4. The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz by Anne Sebba — see my review here.
5. The Witch of Willow Sound by Vanessa F. Penney — see my review here.
6. The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill — see my review here.
7. A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig — see my review here.
8. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts — see my review here.
9. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (audiobook)
10. Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly — see my review here.
11. Edam and Weep by Linda Reilly (audio)
12. What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher — see my review here.

Here are the ARCs I still have to read:

1. Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell | Amazon
2. The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer | Amazon
3. The Tattered Cover by Ellery Adams | Amazon
4. The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten | Amazon
5. The Last Vampire by Romina Garber | Amazon
6. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque | Amazon
7. The Storm by Rachel Hawkins | Amazon
8. The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia | Amazon
9. Impostor by L.J. Ross | Amazon
10. Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson | Amazon
11. This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman | Amazon
12. Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai | Amazon
13. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth | Amazon
14. The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer | Amazon

Which ARCs are you excited about this month? Do we have any in common? Have you already read any of these?