October was a really busy month for me when it come to stress and all that, so I think I might have overcompensated by reading a whole lot more than I would have thought. Escapism is always fun. However, on the whole, it was a really good reading month and I read a lot of really wonderful things. I also got some really exciting books in.
Books I hauled in October:
- Burned by Ellen Hopkins
- Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
- A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
- Extasia by Claire Legrand
- Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
- I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall
- The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike
- The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young
- Lore Olympus Volume 5 by Rachel Smythe
- Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
- Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
- Sign Here by Claudia Lux
- When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey
- Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
- The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Friends Don’t Fall In Love by Erin Hahn
- The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
- Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
- A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
Books I read in October:
1. Secrets of Camp Whatever Volume 1 by Chris Grine
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a super cute graphic novel. The story was really interesting, and I liked the inclusion of all the fantasy creatures within the camp. It made me wonder what other kinds of creatures we were going to encounter as the series continues. Willow was a really interesting character. I enjoyed seeing her figure out what was going on with the camp, and trying to investigate certain circumstances. It was a pretty high stakes story, which was really fun. I’m excited to see where the story goes next.
2. Diaries of War by Nora Krug
Rating: no rating
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I picked this up becuase I had autoapproval through NetGalley. I found it interesting to see the different perspectives , but I admittedly don’t know very much about the war. I noted as I perused Goodreads that the ratings were turned off and many people didn’t like the premise. I can understand their perspective from the feedback they gave, and therefore will not rate it. However, I did like the art and the way the story was structured.
3. Transitions by Elodie Durand
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This was an interesting memoir, which also contained lots of extra educational information. It was interesting to read about coming out from the parents’ perspective, but it was still a little hard to read in places. I appreciated the statistical data included between sections of the journal. It helped to root everything.
4. Nothing Special by Katie Cook
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I had so much fun reading this book. It was well-written and I really enjoyed the art style. I liked the dynamic between the two main characters. I also really liked the radish spirit that travelled with them. It was super cute and unique. I definitely want to read more of this series and world. It was very cute.
5. The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I had so much fun reading this book. I devoured it in one sitting because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I did not like the main character, but that was clearly the point of the story. I also liked how it was hard to know who to trust and whether or not the house was haunted. It was a really atmospheric story, and I found it quite intriguing. I would definitely read more by this author.
6. Whisper of the Woods by Ennun Ana Iuvov
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I found this really creepy in an ominous sort of way. The premise was interesting, and I found the small town setting with the spooky woods really added to the creepy vibes. It was quick and fast-paced. The monster was really spooky, and I loved the unresolved ending of the story.
7. My Brilliant Friend by Chiara Lagani
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This was pretty interesting, but I did find it a little confusing. However, that’s probably because I knew next to nothing going into it. However, it was beautifully illustrated, with lots of beautiful colour. I thought that the story was intriguing, but I wanted a bit more from it.
8. Fangirl Volume 3: The Manga by Rainbow Rowell
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I found the characters really interesting. It’s fun to spend time with Cath and Levi again, and to see their romance develop further. I like Cath a lot, and her story makes me very emotional. The art is well done, and I love how the characters are designed.
9. Secrets of Camp Whatever, Volume 2 by Chris Grine
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This was a great continuation of the story. I liked learning more about the main characters and the world that they live in. I liked how things were more interesting, and that the stakes seemed even higher. The art is really great, and I appreciate the unique character design of each character. I still enjoyed the storyline, and I really want to know what is going to happen next.
10. Wine Ghost Goes to Hell by Sage Coffey
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This was a quick little read, but I did have some fun with it. The art style was slightly quirky, but it really added to the uniqueness of the story. You can tell that the artist/illustrator had a lot of fun with it. I also enjoyed the storyline. It had a pretty good message about not letting people take advantage of you. Overall, not my fave, but it was a solid good time.
11. Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I had a lot of fun with this story. It’s a quick read, and I liked how it gave you both the protagonist and the antagonist’s perspectives. It still kept me guessing, which was fun. I also liked the restricted time setting of the main story line as it really helped to build the tension of the story. The characters were well-developed. It was definitely one that will keep you on the edge of your seat just waiting to find out what will happen next.
12. It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This was definitely an emotional read. It’s always challenging to read about someone struggling with their mental health. It was illustrated in a interesting way, and it made the storyline of the memoir really stand out from other graphic novel memoirs that I have read. I would be interested in reading more of Zoe’s work.
13. Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I found Ash’s story really beautiful. The character felt really real, like a student I might find in my classes. Ash was well-written and well-developed. I felt for them as they went through their storyline. The way the story was written was quite well done. I liked the journal entried paired with the art. It was very well done.
14. The Oxherd Boy by Regina Linke
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I liked the simple design of this story. I don’t really read very many parables, but this was well-written and had lovely illustrations. There was some good lessons folded into it. The animal characters were a fun addition.
15. The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I definitely forgot that I had read this book before, and as I was reading it, I couldn’t help but feel it was very familiar. It was an interesting re-read for me. It was definitely recognizable as a Christopher Pike book. However, I didn’t find it as scary as some of the other ones. Despite that, I’m interested in watching the Netflix show based on it.
16. Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a fascinating read. I really found the main character interesting. He went through an awful experience, and it was really intriguing to read about who he was before, during, and after his kidnapping. Trauma is horrifically complicated, and it was definitely emotional to read about Sayers’ story. There was some twisty and twisted moments.
17. I Survived the Children’s Blizzard by Lauren Tarshis
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This book was really interesting one. I felt that the timeline was a bit jumpy in a weird way compared to some of the other ones. However, I liked the main character in the novel. I enjoyed how important family was to him. I like learning about these historical disasters as they’re not always something I know very much about. The author does a really good job at making them come alive.
18. Dead Seas by Scott Cavan
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This was an interesting collection. I had a hard time getting into the story, but I ended up really enjoying the end of it. It was just kind of hard initially to keep track of the characters.
19. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I loved this book. I thought that the power introduced, being able to see people’s love stories through a kiss, was really interesting and unique. The main character was quite well-written, and I loved her dynamic with X. The story was well-paced, and I liked that it was quick read due to the length of the chapters and the pacing of them. I also liked the mix of prose and multi-media with text message conversations, etc. I definitely cried at the ending. I didn’t expect it to have such a sad ending.
20. Lore Olympus, Volume 5 by Rachel Smythe
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I loved this continuation of the storyline. Persephone and Hades are so well-developed, and I just really love their dynamic together. I think the art is beautiful, and I love how colourful it is. I am excited to continue on with the series and get more into the world. It’s just such a wonderful love story.
21. Mimi’s Tales of Terror by Hirokatsu Kihara
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This was interesting. I liked the short snippets of scary stories, and all the different ways that the horror aspects manifested. It really kept me guessing about what was going to happen. However, I didn’t always love the dialogue. The art was really cool though, and really helped to build the tension.
22. The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I loved this book. Winnie is such a good character. I love how determined and stubborn she is. I also really liked her growth over the course of the novel. She grew a lot. I find the story very atmospheric with the forest setting and the nightmares. Some of my theories came true with this continuation, and I was so satisfied. I highly recommend this series.
23. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: Another re-read for school. I have a really fun time reading the book each time.
24. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This book was really well-written. I liked the multiple perspectives, as I enjoyed reading from both Opal and Arthur’s perspectives. A trope I enjoy in books is when there is a book within a book that holds hidden truths, and I really enjoyed this one. The house was also really well-developed. I liked how it was personified in a way. I felt that the author did a really good job at building the world, and including engaging twists into the story. The slow build of the romance between Opal and Arthur was wonderful as well. It was a lovely read.
25. Failure to Launch: A Tour of Ill-Fated Futures by Kel McDonald
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This was an interesting collection. The stories all had to do with an interesting theme, and were mostly things I knew very little about. I liked the discussion and covering of these various moments in history that I personally didn’t know very much about. I also liked how each had a different art/illustration style. However, some of the stories were less interesting than others.
26. The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a hard read for me. I picked it up as a physical read, but I ended up putting it down and not wanting to pick it up again. I had to read it via audiobook to allow me to push through a bit more. It’s well-written, but there were some aspects of the timeline that was a little bit confusing. I had a hard time immersing myself in the world initially. However, once I got into it, it got a lot more engaging, so I guess it just had a bit of a slow start. I absolutely did not expect the twist at the end, though perhaps I should have in hindsight.
27. I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I was curious when I found this book because I didn’t know that this was a book as well. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the movie (though likely a while ago), and I found the book a lot different than my memory of the movie, which I suppose makes sense. It was an enjoyable read, but I was hoping for a bit of a different vibe from it. It was spooky, but not nearly as spooky as I wanted it to be. I also wanted a bit more development of the characters.
28. Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a re-read for me. It’s an interesting premise. The character, Luke, is really interesting. This story really hit me in the feels this time around because I just really felt for Luke as he is forced to live in a world where he isn’t supposed to be alive, and can’t experience anything a normal young boy gets to experience. I definitely want to try to continue the series some day because I want to know where Luke’s story goes. I just need to find it.
29. I Survived the Battle of D-Day by Lauren Tarshis
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I really enjoyed this addition to the series. I’ve never really read something from the perspective of those who were in France on D-Day. It was a really interesting perspective. The main character was well-developed, and the storyline was really interesting. It was a really action-packed story. I also liked the years later epilogue where the protagonist was able to catch up with the friend he had had prior to the novel.
30. The Haunted by Danielle Vega
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was definitely a spooky story. It caught my attention from the first chapter, and I was definitely intrigued to keep reading as the story continued. I liked the premise. However, I wanted something a bit more from it. I definitely think that I will keep reading the series. I want to see what’s going to happen next.
31. Ruined by Sarah Vaughn
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I loved this graphic novel. It was so beautifully illustrated, and the characters were so interesting. I really enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between the two main characters. Their marriage of convenience forming into a relationship of love was so absolutely lovely. It was a really beautiful storyline. For some reason I didn’t expect it to be smutty, but that’s more on me than anything else. It was compared to Bridgerton. I highly recommend this.
32. Asgardians: Odin by George O’Connor
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I really enjoyed reading about Odin and some of the origins of the Norse world. I don’t know a whole lot about Norse mythology, and so it was interesting to learn more. I really like the way George O’Connor explores the myths with adaptations. It definitely held up to the Greek ones that I read before, though I was more familiar with those stories.
33. Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed revisiting Aly’s story. She feels so different than the other protagonists in the Tortall universe. The characters in this book is really interesting, and I liked seeing different parts of the world. Something I really enjoy in this world is that the gods are so close to the people and the influence that they have. I also really liked meeting a trickster god. It just feels very comforting and nostalgic.
34. #DRCL: Midnight Children, Volume 1 by Shin’ichi Sakamoto
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I liked the idea of this, but it didn’t really live up to my expectations. I thought the art was really beautiful, but the storyline wasn’t really my favourite. I think I just wanted more development to some of the parts.
35. Hex Americana by Bree D. Wolf
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. This storyline was so cute. I think the characters were really cool, and I loved the fantasy elements that were so fully incorporated. I also thought the racing storyline was really neat. It’s not my usual favourite premise, but it ended up being really interesting. I loved the slowburn of the love story. The characters were really interesting.
36. Lackadaisy Volume 1 by Tracy Butler
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I really liked the art in this story. The characters being cats was really unique and fun. However, I found it a little hard to read in places, and the storyline wasn’t always clear. It was decently paced, but I wish it had a different layout.
37. Digital Lizards of Doom by Gabriel Valentin
Rating: 2 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: **Disclaimer: I recieved a free eARC of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity. I was intrigued by the premise of this and how it was a mobile game. However, I found myself disappointed with the execution. I didn’t just want to read the conversation between the characters. I wanted to see more of the actual action of the storyline.
38. Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really loved the story of this. The characters were so cool, and I really enjoyed catching a glimpse at characters from her debut novel. I also liked the exploration of the world of country music. Erin Hahn just always hits such a sweet spot in my taste in books, and I really love the way she writes. I really enjoyed the storyline of this book, and the development of the relationship between the two main characters. They were just so well-suited for each other.
39. My Imaginary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cythia Hand, and Jodi Meadows
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I really enjoyed this collection of characters in this story. It was well written, and I really liked the way they were able to put together the two historical figures that they did. I really enjoy the way these authors play with history and how they incorporate humour into the story. I have a good chuckle with how they incorporate things that are significant in the modern era into their historical narrative.
40. I Survived the California Wildfires by Lauren Tarshis
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a really interesting story. I found the storyline that prompted the character to be forced to go to California was really interesting. It wasn’t like anything that I have read in the other books in this series. I really felt for the narrator and how he was supposed to deal with the horrible thing that happened to his family. The wildfires were hard to read about, but it’s an interesting way for them to be depicted. It was very well written.
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