What I Read: October

October is for spooky reads, thrillers, and mysteries. I read some really good ones and was disappointed in a few of them. I also read Ann Patchett's new book for a book event the weekend before Halloween. It was a good reprieve from the spooky reads because I was needing a break at the time.

Fall break reading over coffee at breakfast.

Book and snuggles on the couch with the pets and the kids over fall break.

Books:

• Bloodline by Jess Lourey- I picked this book up at an independent bookstore in Minnesota. It sounded like a great spooky read for October. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I liked it okay.

• Lore Olympus: Volume Five by Rachel Smythe- I was really excited for another volume. These are pretty much always a sit down and finish it in one setting and then wait for the next one to come out. I've tried reading them on my phone as they are released online, but I prefer reading it as a book.

• The Maid by Nita Prose- This was one of the books up for vote for October's book for Book Club. It didn't win and I thought it sounded good. On my way home from Book Club I stopped at a Little Free Library and I saw a copy, so I picked it up. I was excited about it, but it was kind of blah. I liked that the main character was neurodivergent and it was interesting to see how that caused her not to realize when she was being used.

• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett- I enjoyed this one, but didn't love it. It was an interesting story and I liked how it was a mother telling her daughters about the past. I also liked that it was set during Covid and they were all stuck on their farm together.

• The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown- I preordered this, it was the 3rd Wild Robot book, and didn't tell the kids it was coming out. They were so excited when it arrived that we stopped the read aloud we were reading and started this one. It was my favorite book of the three. It was very good!

• My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine- I was so excited about this one. I had it on hold at the library and it wasn't supposed to come in until after October. My mom came to visit and brought it with her, I couldn't wait to read it. It was okay, I was a bit disappointed.

eBooks:

• Redeemed by P.C. and Kristin Cast- This was the 12th and FINAL book of the House of Night series, freaking finally! I struggled so much to get through it, it took me over 2 weeks to finish it. I really didn't like it at all. I was hoping they'd go all out and the last book would be as good as the first few books. But this one was from the villain's perspective for a lot of it and I hated her sections. There was a lot more blood and gore and it felt unnecessary and more just there for shock value. 

• Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney- This book was so creepy and so good. There was a plot twist that completely shocked me and I loved it!

Audiobooks:

• The It Girl by Ruth Ware- This was our October book for book club. I did not like it. The character development just wasn't there and I didn't care about any of the characters. I loved In a Dark, Dark Wood, but also did not like Woman in Cabin 10. I'm willing to give her another chance just based on how much I loved In a Dark, Dark Wood but if I do and don't like it, I won't be reading any more of her books.

• I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara- After listening to Paul Holes' book, I really wanted to read this one. I'd had it on my TBR list for quite a while because a friend recommended it to me. I thought October was the perfect time to read it. It was so well written and really good. I should have spaced it out from the other GSK book more because there was a lot of overlap so I spaced out occasionally.

• The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub- This had so much potential. A Pride and Prejudice retelling from Lydia's perspective and she's a witch? Yes, please! But it just didn't hold my attention and I struggled through it.

• The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg- This was a recommendation by a co-worker and I didn't like it that much. It was okay. I may have liked it more as a book than an audiobook. The audiobook was really slow.