October was a pretty great month. I always really enjoy reading things that are a little bit spooky and I need to make that a goal to try and read things that are spooky more often. It seems silly to limit it to one month of the year. Overall, it was a pretty good reading month in my opinion. I ended up reading 21 things, which I am pleased with. I also hauled a few books, and have decided to roll these two kinds of posts together.
The books I hauled in October are:
- Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
- One by One by Ruth Ware
- The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo
- Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
I’m pretty excited about all of these books. I’ve heard great things about Legendborn and I absolutely love Ruth Ware. None of them are on my TBR just yet I think but I can’t wait to get to them.
Let’s get into my October Wrap Up.
1. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a really neat mystery. I liked the premise and it gave me total Serial Podcast season 1 vibes. I liked the main character’s motivation for trying to solve the mystery, but I have to admit that there were a few moments in this that totally made me cringe. However, if you can suspend some disbelief, you will definitely have fun reading this. I just wouldn’t take it too seriously.
2. This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: There will be a full review of this up on the blog closer to it’s release date in January.
3. The Nanny by Gilly McMillan
Prompts: Thriller: A Thriller, Trick or Treats
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I found the premise of this pretty intriguing, but I just wasn’t as keen on the execution. I didn’t like how the mother never listened to what her daughter was telling her. Sometimes you have to trust your children, and if she’d done that then the whole thing would have been a lot easier for the lot of them.
4. Raybearer by Jordan Ifeuko
Prompts: Put a Spell On You: Has Magic, Fantasy: Read a Fantasy, Lovett’s Meat Pies: Unlikable Character
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: There is a full review of this up on the blog here.
5. Horrid by Katrina Leno
Prompts: Carve Pumpkins: Face on Cover, Eyeball Soup: Eye-catching Cover, Bob For Apples: Sink Teeth into Tome
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: While this book had it’s flaws, honestly I was just so into it they didn’t even bother me. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the setting. The house was so spooky, and honestly I loved the open endedness of the ending. I recognize that it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but for me it was the perfect October read. I highly recommend it!
6. Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries
Prompts: Candy Bowl: Graphic Novel/Novella
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This graphic novel had a ton of potential. There was a lot of great build up, and I liked the message. The art was beautiful and I really wanted to love this. However, it felt a bit rushed and the ending really left me hanging. I wanted more to the story, and more in this series, but I don’t think it is a series.
7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a re-read for me, and I had a lot of fun reading it. I think I had more fun this time around than the first time. Tamlin is still the worst though, even if you don’t see it in this book.
8. Heartstopper Vol 1 by Alice Oseman
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This graphic novel was a quick but wonderful read. I loved the characters and loved the development of the story. I will definitely need to read the next one.
9. The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton
Prompts: Devil’s Food Cake: Black Cover
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: It took me forever to get around to reading this book but I’m so glad that I finally did. I really loved the characters and the story. I also really enjoyed the setting. It felt very atmospheric. I loved the overall plot of this story too and how it was about a daughter overcoming her toxic relationship with her mother. I highly recommend this.
10. Permanent Record by Mary HK Choi
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a really interesting story. I liked the relationship between the two characters and I especially enjoyed the journey that our protagonist went on. It was really nice to see his growth over the course of the novel.
11. Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: Honestly, this book was so good. To be honest I think I liked it a little bit more that Dear Martin. Quan was a really interesting character to read about, and you really empathise with his struggle. I liked the different formats that the story took on as well. This book is coming highly recommended from me.
12. The Beautiful by Renee Adhieh
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This book was lovely. I enjoyed the dichotomy between Celine’s point of view and the point of view of the villain. It made the story extra intriguing. I had a lot of fun with the setting. The narrator of the audiobook was very good as well. I am looking forward to the sequel.
13. The Merciless II by Danielle Vega
Prompts: Scary: Read a Horror, Punch Bowl: Char who Fights, Ouija Board: Book You’ve Been Warned About, Superstition: Based on Mythology
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This series is really interesting to me. Honestly, the first one was a little better because parts of this really made me laugh. However, I was still engaged and found it interesting enough. I will be continuing with the series.
14. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I have read this so many times I don’t really have anything new to say about it.
15. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: See the review for R+J.
16. Crave by Tracy Wolff
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I can see why this book is compared to Twilight. It definitely has problematic aspects, but I had fun reading it. It felt a little bit like junk food, and I can see a lot of teenagers really enjoying it.
17. The Revenge of Seven by Pittacus Lore
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This wasn’t my favourite in the series. It was interesting enough and while stuff happened, it didn’t feel as action packed. I was looking for something more after the last book.
18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I also don’t have anything new to say about this one.
19. Jackaby by William Ritter
Prompts: Monster Mash: Has a Monster, Couples: Read a Romance, Besties: Buddy Read
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This is going to be one of my #bestiemademe books, so you can expect a review pretty soon!
20. Eleanor: The Crown Jewel of Aquitaine by Kristiana Gregory
Prompts: Silly: Make You Laugh, Time Warp: Set in a Different Time, Hang Out With Pets: Animal on the Cover
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was another re-read and I had a lot of fun with it. It’s a nice bit of nostalgia.
21. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This book was amazing. I was hooked from start to finish. You need to read this series.
What did you read in October?
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