What I Read: October

I didn't notice it until just now as I prepared to publish this post, but October was very fiction heavy. I only read a couple nonfiction books which I think tells a little about my overarching mood. I was more interested in fun than serious books although I had one book in particular which was nonfiction and heavy. I was getting in a funk with my running because I've been stuck running from the house every day, so I chose all fun audiobooks to give me a little extra excitement for my runs.

Books:

• Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things #1) by Gwenda Bond- This was our book club pick for October. I missed the September meeting so I didn't get to vote. This was a prequel to the show Stranger Things which I have never seen. I went into it with an open mind, thinking maybe I'd like the book so much, I'd want to watch the show. I wasn't very impressed with the book. It was okay. Our host who has watched every episode of the show said the show is much better than the book was but I still have no interest in watching it.

• The Testaments by Margaret Atwood- When I saw Atwood was coming out with a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, I put it on hold at the library right away. Even having it on hold before the book was released, it took a while for me to work my way up the list. I enjoyed this book and liked how it all came together and how we got a better sense of what Gilead was by seeing it through the eyes of multiple characters. I didn't think it was as good as The Handmaid's Tale but was still worth the read.
  

• Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer- This was our book club pick for November and I was a little terrified to read it. I was worried it would be overly upsetting and would make me feel depressed as I read it. Krakauer did a wonderful job of stating all the facts and making you feel the story while also not making it overly depressing. It was one where I would get sick and frustrated at times but I also couldn't stop reading it.

• Marked by P.C. Cast- This is a book about vampires set in Tulsa! One of my friends kept recommending this series to me (The House of Night) and then gave me all the books when she was finished with them. I figured October was the perfect time to read one. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was fun to have her mention lots of places I frequent. It was pretty obvious she was a young adult writer and her writing was cringe worthy at times. I'd compare it to Twilight. The writing isn't that great, but the storyline is good enough that it keeps you reading. I'll definitely be reading more of the books in this series, especially since I have them! I ended up finishing this book on Halloween which I felt was perfect!
  

eBooks:

• Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg- A while back one of my friends at book club recommended this book. It may have been when we read The Feminine Mystique. I've had it on my list for a while and finally felt like giving it a go. I really enjoyed it and I felt like it was very informative for anyone in the work force, not just women. I recommended it to Ty but I doubt he'll read it. There were a lot of interesting facts and stories that relate across the board.

• Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey- This was such a fun read. I saw it listed in the Book Page magazine I pick up at the library and just had to read it. I love Tom Hanks and the mention of Nora Ephron was enough to make me want to read this. It's funny because I love Ephron as a writer but I'm not wild about her romantic comedy movies that she's super famous for. As a movie I think this story would have made me sick with its cheesiness, but as a book I found it light and fun and sweet.

  

  Such a cute cover too!

Audiobooks:

• Whisper Network by Chandler Baker- This was on Reese's book club list and since I'd liked all the books on the list that I had read, I thought I'd try it. It was good. I didn't feel like it was on par with the others on the list, but I enjoyed it. It reminded me of Big Little Lies because of how it was written. It was suspenseful and you got little snippets of people being interviewed in different sections of the chapter. I was listening to this at the same time as I was reading Lean In and they complimented each other well. Lean In was actually even referenced at one point in this book which was fun! 
  

• The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth- I think this may have been recommended to me on Goodreads since I listened to Big Little Lies. It was also set in Australia and was set around a possible murder. I liked how it was written and really enjoyed the book until the end which was a huge bummer for me. I hated what she chose to do with one character in particular. It was still really good and was one of those that made me excited to fold laundry. Something a character said in the book that I loved was, "A problem is only a problem until you solve it."

• Love and Ruin by Paula McLain- This book was about Martha Gellhorn and her relationship with Ernest Hemingway. The book was interesting and I enjoyed it, but it left me wanting to know more about her life after her marriage to Hemingway ended. She was one of the most famous war correspondents of the 20th century and I'm certain her life story would be much more interesting than the story of her relationship with Hemingway. Ironically enough, it was the mention of Hemingway that drew me in to read this story.