The 20 Books I Read in October
I took my big solo road trip this month, so I did NOT expect to finish this many books, but a few audiobooks on the road helped! I had more one-star reads than ever this month, which was not super fun… here’s to better books to finish this year strong!
Some stats:
• 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read.
• 9 books by BIPOC authors.
• 3 library books.
• 8 were gifted from publishers.
• 3 nonfiction, 17 fiction, 20 total.
Here are the ?? books I read in October:
The Ex Hex
by Erin Sterling
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: thanks to @bookofthemonth for the perfect october read ✨ it’s a romance with magic and witches and curses, but it reads much more like a fun contemporary romance than a fantasy read, and it was cute!!
also this book confirms leading men named Rhys are 🔥🔥🔥. HERE FOR IT.
The Sweetest Remedy
by Jane Igharo
★★★☆☆ // amazon
review: thanks to @randomhouse for the arc of this one, and @bookofthemonth for the physical copy!
jane igharo writes romances with a lot of Nigerian culture woven throughout, and it’s so fun. this was the second book i’ve read by her, and i liked this one better!
the synopsis: “When a woman travels to Nigeria to attend the funeral of the father she never knew, she meets her extravagant family for the first time, a new and inspiring love interest, and discovers parts of herself she didn't know were missing.”
there were some slight What A Girl Wants vibes here, and family drama with characters i wanted more of, and a romance that was a little flat for me, but i flew through it and liked it.
Goodbye Again: Essays, Reflections, and Illustrations
by Jonny Sun
★★★★★ // amazon
thanks to @harperperennial for this one! i listened to the audio version of this lovely little book on my trip, and i loved it SO MUCH. it spoke riiiiight to me, with essays and thoughts on mental health, taking care of plants, relationship and family, finding ourselves in new places, etc. it was a treat to hear the author read this one, too. so, so good. 🙌🏼
Little Fires Everywhere
by Celeste Ng
★★☆☆☆ // amazon
review: listened to this audiobook on my trip (discovered 1.7x speed is my sweet spot!) and was not that impressed??? why did it get so much hype??? it could very much have been that i just don’t track well with stories on audio buuuuut also i haven’t liked anything i have read from this author so i think it’s me, i think i’m the problem 🤷🏼♀️
Paper Airplanes
by Tabitha Forney
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: thanks to @booksparks for this one! flew through it since getting home yesterday (pun intended!) and wow it’s not for the faint of heart. it’s a story of love and loss centered around 9/11, so triggers abound, and it’s mostly pretty raw and heartbreaking and weighty to read. i don’t know if i ever would have felt “ready” to read a book about 9/11 like this, but at the same time, i’m glad to have read this as i feel much more empathy toward those who lost loved ones in such a horrifically tragic way. the author told this story with honesty and heart, which i appreciated.
but oof— a heavy one!
The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus
by Rich Villas
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: i think it was @hayley.e.morgan who posted about this one and put it on my radar, but it took me a bit to get to it! villodas built on principles i’ve learned from folks like john mark comer and aaron niequist, adding new layers for me when it comes to how to live a life that is rooted in things of Christ. it’s meaningful and helpful without being trite or patronizing, it felt fresh and relevant without trying too hard, and i especially loved his thoughts on pursuing diversity in churches, fighting for justice, and keeping the Sabbath.
How the Light Gets In
by Louise Penny
★★★★★ // amazon
review: THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. 😭🤯😍
they just keep getting better and better in three pines, you all (aka @hannahreadsmoer) were RIGHT.
the parallel plots in this one had me HOOKED and i couldn’t put it down once i got to the second half/near the end… i couldn’t read fast enough!!!
inspector gamache, you are THE MAN. gahhhhh. so many feels.
what an eloquent review.
(YES these must be read in order!!! read them!!!)
My Last Summer with Cass
by Mark Crilley
★★★☆☆ // amazon
review: i complained about being behind on my reading goal and my bud @readalongwithnat was like “read graphic novels!!!” and i remembered @mikaelaandherbooks talking about this one, so i grabbed it from my shelf! it was beautifully illustrated, telling a sweet story of friends who grow up, grow apart, and find their way back to each other. i’m not an expert on graphic novels, nor have i read very many, but this one didn’t blow me away sadly. cute and sweet, but nothing stunning.
The Charm Offensive
by Alison Cochrun
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: i got this one on @netgalley from @atriabooksages ago and never read it, but it was the perfect bubble bath read. if you love the Bachelor franchise and Red, White, and Royal Blue, you will looooove this book. it’s like One to Watch or If The Shoe Fits but better?!? and with a relationship (and supporting characters) that not only break but shatter molds?!? representation ABOUNDS in this one 🙌🏼
The Reading List
by Sara Nisha Adams
★★★★★ // amazon
review: thank you to @bibliolifestyle + @williammorrowbooks for sending me this one that i finally am getting around to reviewing… i loved this book SO MUCH.
books about books are just a delight and this one was flawlessly done. the characters? nuanced and loveable and endearing. the layered storylines? impeccable. the realness around mental health, loss, grief, family, suicide, and love? stunning.
i bought every single book on the reading list from this book (several are already faves!) and just want every book lover to read this one and fall in love with these sweet characters like i did.
also the ending got me good. 😭😭😭
Not a Happy Family
by Sheri Lapena
★★☆☆☆ // amazon
review: read this one to officially finish my @bookofthemonth challenge for the year (aka reading 12 botm books!) and it was a dud to end on 😂 the family, as the title states, was v unhappy and v toxic and unhealthy and messed up, and i just don’t love a family drama where every character is miserable and unlikable 🤷🏼♀️
also spoiler alert but murdering your parents in cold blood is next level messed up 😬
Ace of Spades
by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: needed a good read and this was IT. i was hooked and intrigued and stressed the heck out while reading it, i literally didn’t put it down until i finished it! it really is a mix of gossip girl and get out, with a secret society that is racist AF and targets a private school’s only two Black students through secret texts and awful bullying. it’s a wild ride!
My Oxford Year
by Julia Whelan
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: started this one on audio after @tazandbellyreads raved about it, and i was not disappointed! it’s SO cute and charming and surprising, going to depths i didn’t expect, with so much heart. it was truly a delightful listen (turns out the author is also a renowned audiobook narrator!) and i didn’t actually pick up the physical book at all because i loved the audio experience so much. (1.5x speed was the money for this one 😂)
i won’t give away any spoilers, but if you love quirky characters, English settings, endearing love stories, and plots with surprising twists and turns, i think you’ll love this one!
Words from the Window Seat: The Everyday Magic of Kindness, Courage, and Being Your True Self
by Taylor Tippett
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: if you like @bobgoff (of Love Does fame) or @morganharpernichols or love scrolling pinterest for inspiring quotes or feel a desire to explore deep in your bones or you dream of big and beautiful things in this wild, wonderful world, you will love this book. taylor describes herself as a wildflower and a travelin’ lady, and her presence on the internet (and in the world) feels like a bright light and a breath of fresh air. truly, she’s a gem and this book featuring her words from the window seat (aka little love notes taped to airplane windows) and the stories behind them is lovely.
(if i had read this in my early 20s, i would have been truly OBSESSED. it did feel a little simplistic/young to me at times, but it’s perf for a younger audience.)
Before We Were Free
by Julia Alvarez
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: did i read this just because it was short and i could fit it in before the month ended? maybe.
but it’s poignant and compelling for the middle grade/younger readers, in the same way that Anne Frank’s diary was for me as a kid, telling the story of a girl in a world far more corrupted and unsafe and terrifying than any kid should ever experience. (this one is set in the dominican republic and is based on the author’s own life!)
also… did anyone else go through a major world war two reading phase as a kid? i read SO MUCH about the holocaust and survivors and that time period, which seems bizarre looking back??? but also i’m grateful for the awareness and empathy those stories instilled in me at a young age ❤️🩹
