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Well… it’s better late than never, right?! Time to talk about what I read in October! Somehow November has been getting away from me. Crazy that we’re halfway through the month! I was a little disappointed in my # of books read in October, but quickly got over it after thinking about how much crazy stuff has been going on in my life! Other than continuing to make our new house a home, my school switched to hybrid learning (meaning I had to change my therapy schedule AGAIN). I’ve finally adjusted to my new schedule, but now COVID numbers aren’t looking too good. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be teaching in person but I’m excited for the holidays and to have some time off to read more again!
Before we begin: If you are inspired to read/buy any of the books I share, I have an affiliate account with Bookshop.org (and an Amazon shop page). Bookshop is a great way to get books online while also supporting local bookstores. I HIGHLY encourage you to shop through Bookshop and support Black-owned bookstores if you can. I have made two “shelves” on the site: my 2020 reads and some books that are on my TBR/books I’ve bought recently.
2020 READING GOAL UPDATE.
EXCITING NEWS! At the beginning of October I officially hit my 52 book goal for 2020! I unofficially upped my goal to 75 books and right now I’m at 59. We’ll see if I hit 75 but regardless, I’m so hype that I read over 52 books this year. Truly never thought I could make it happen. Thanks quarantine, I guess?!
Now let’s chat about what I read in October:
52. Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
5/5 stars.
I listened to this and read the ebook which was a great combination! I enjoy listening to nonfiction/memoirs and this was great to have on while doing chores/getting ready in the morning. I also liked that I could listen to it with Ryan in the room and we could learn and chat about some of the topics together! Definitely eye opening as a white feminist and should definitely be required reading for all feminists everywhere… and looking @ you, 55%.
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it here (Bookshop) (Amazon)
53. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
4/5 stars.
Adored the representation in this book. A black trans teenager? Desperately wish that YA was this amazing and inclusive when I was growing up! This book dealt with a lot of tough topics that I really appreciated. I learned so much, and it makes me so happy to know that kids are getting this type of representation in books. More like this, please!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it here (Bookshop) (Amazon)
54. The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
3/5 stars.
I liked the main character Rachel a lot as well as the premise of the story. However, I easily guessed every “twist”. I just wanted more of a thriller aspect from this book. I agreed with and appreciated the comments on rape/victim blaming/sexual assault trials. Definitely an important storyline but it fell flat in execution for me. Maybe if I hadn’t gone into this expecting a thriller I wouldn’t have been as disappointed!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it here (Bookshop) (Amazon)
55. These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
3/5 stars.
I’ve read an insane amount of YA this year (mostly because of my book club). I think at the time I read this book I was getting YA fatigue which is why I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.
I loved reading this in October around Halloween and I loved the fantasy/witchy elements of the book. The world building was super fun and I loved that there were different types of witches introduced. The cover definitely doesn’t showcase how stressy/intense the book gets at times so don’t be fooled! Great LGBTQ+ representation as well! Love to see it.
Solid YA book but decided it would be my last one for a little while!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it here (Bookshop) (Amazon)
56. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
4/5 stars.
Loved this! Super spooky and definitely got me wanting to get into more books with paranormal elements in time for Halloween (hence my next read). Super well done ghost story with interesting characters and setting. Loved the alternating timelines but found myself wanting to know more about the past timeline more than the present one (happens to me so often!). Solid thriller/paranormal book and I hope to read more by this author!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it here (Bookshop) (Amazon)
57. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
4.5/5 stars.
My man, Riley Sager! Some of you might remember my obsession with Final Girls in 2018. Sadly, though I own all of his books, I hadn’t read any others. In my quest to find and read another paranormal thriller before Halloween hit, I picked up Home Before Dark! Loved it. Spooky, interesting, thrilling, the whole package. I was a little spooked but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. Was a little slow at parts, but a super solid thriller by one of my fav authors! Can’t wait to read the rest of his books and do an official ranking. This was definitely a favorite of all the books I read in October.
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it here (Bookshop) (Amazon)
BOTM 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! For November, I ended up skipping the month because none of the selections were speaking to me.
BOOKS I BOUGHT IN OCTOBER.
Crazy Stupid Bromance, Troubles in Paradise, Grown, In a Holidaze, Transcendent Kingdom, The House in the Cerulean Sea, Ghosts of Harvard, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
CURRENTLY READING.
I’m currently reading American Royals by Katharine McGee in preparation for tomorrow night’s book club meeting! Let me know what you’re reading in the comments.
