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It’s already time to talk about what I read in October! I’m back with another monthly reading update! Since I started my new job as a speech therapist I knew it would take a month or two to get into a groove with balancing work and life (aka reading). I only read TWO books the entire month of September which made me sad so I tried hard to do better in October! I read two books in October and two books this past weekend, so I’m including them in this post! Hopefully I can stay on track in November. I feel like I got into a little rut with reading spooky books (I could NOT get into reading Dark Places, but I will keep it on the back burner).
Here’s what I read this past month! If you want to catch up on what I’ve read so far this year, here are my reading update posts from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September. And if you like keeping up with what I read in real time, you can follow me on Instagram where I post pics of what I’m reading or add me on Goodreads!
35. Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
3/5 stars.
This was a book club book for October! This book was super hyped up in my head but my feelings for it ended up being “meh”. I was much more interested in Maggie’s story so I felt like I wanted to rush through the other two women’s parts. The book was good in that it gave me glimpses into the lives of other women totally unlike me, but there was really no plot for much of it so I felt like I was just going along for the ride.
36. The Whisper Man by Alex North
5/5 stars.
I’m so excited to have read this book in October. It was the PERFECT spooky month read. I finished this book in exactly 1 week and I looked forward to reading it each time. I loved how all the characters were sort of connected and I couldn’t wait to see where it would go. All-in-all a solid 5 star read that gave me some chills every once in a while. Def recommend if you’re into serial killers, police procedurals, and some strong character development/backstory.
37. Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness
4/5 stars.
I finished this one the other day, and it was so great! JVN is amazing on Queer Eye so I knew that I had to read his memoir ASAP. When the New York Times article came out about his HIV positive status, I knew that this book was going to be SO much more than just a quirky happy-go-lucky memoir. He touched on EVERYTHING in a way that let us really see his pre-Queer Eye journey (good, bad, and ugly). I loved that this book was written exactly as he speaks, although I understand that it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. I saw a few reviews out there already that were dropping it a star or two because of that. I didn’t mind it, but there was some repetitiveness which is what personally made me knock it down a star. He goes on lots of ~rants~ about figure skating and gymnastics, which is fine, but is not usually even relevant to what he’s talking about and it took away from the story too much. All-in-all really quick and easy to read memoir!
38. Matilda by Roald Dahl
5/5 stars.
I was Matilda for Halloween and I actually don’t think I ever read Matilda the book before in my life. I’m a terrible person. I bought the book immediately after I decided I was going to be her for Halloween and I finished it in ~almost~ one sitting. I love Roald Dahl’s books because they don’t really feel like children’s books. I was wrapped up in Matilda’s story and it brought back so many memories and feelings from when I first watched the film. Similar to how I felt reading A Series of Unfortunate Events, my young tender heart just couldn’t take it when kids had mean parents/no parents/evil authority figures. So needless to say, I was feeling so bad for Matilda but, obviously, it all works out in the end! If you haven’t read this yet, I highly suggest it. I’d love to get a full boxed set of all Roald Dahl’s books so I can make sure I’ve read them all!
Get it here. Roald Dahl boxed set.
BOTM November Pick(s).
I always get a ton of questions about which book I picked for my BOTM box so I decided to add it into my monthly reading round-ups since they usually are posted at the beginning of the month. This month, I decided to go with The Family Upstairs and Queenie as an add-on!
I’ve been a BOTM member since May 2017 and I love it! It’s the best book subscription box I’ve found. Every month, Book of the Month chooses five books and I get to pick the one I want. (And if you sign up with my referral link, we’ll both get a free book!)
Books I bought this month.
I was hesitant to put this section into my reading round-up because Ryan may actually cut me off (hehe just kidding love you) but it helps me keep track of what’s new and I love seeing what other people are buying so I thought you guys might too! In October, I bought High Achiever, Over the Top, The Secrets We Kept, The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, and Matilda.
Currently reading.
I just finished Matilda and Over the Top over the last two days soooo I am picking something new from my shelf! I am trying to read books on my shelves that are up for Goodreads choice awards so I’m leaning towards Ask Again Yes and then Maybe You Should Talk to Someone as my ~nonfiction~ read. I’m keeping Dark Places on the back burner for now and see if I can get myself into it later on this year.
