Woooowww what a month of fun reading. I read so much this month, you guys! There were many days where I got to sink in and read for hours, which is not a typical reality for life with a toddler. It was delicious and renewing, and I just love October so very much. I didn’t add any books to my (very small) 5-Star Stack this month, but still read a lot of great stuff (including one I LOVED that I finished in the wee sleepless hours of this morning!) and just had an enjoyable time overall. READING’S THE BEST!
Here’s what I read during the month of October:
Sabrina & Corina: Stories, by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (One World 2019): My favorite book of the month was a short story collection set in and around Denver featuring Latinx/Indigenous women of every age and circumstance. Fajardo-Anstine is a master of “show don’t tell” and I felt a deep connection to each of her characters. See my full review here.
The Love Hypothesis, by Ali Hazelwood (Berkley 2021): The aforementioned book I finished early this morning, that kept me awake for much longer stretches than my body would have liked, was this delightful rom-com set in a Stanford University biology lab. Great STEM content, great steam content, I loved every second. Full review to come.
Go With the Flow, by Lily Williams and Karen Scheemann (First Second 2020): This younger YA graphic novel was so fun, full of authentic characters and excellent representations of friendship, and scrappy, next-generation feminism. I loved it so much. Read my full review here.
Other Words for Home, by Jasmine Warga (Balzar & Bray 2019): Beautifully written middle grade novel-in-verse about a Syrian girl and her mother coming to American to escape the political unrest at home. Read my full review here.
Good Girl, Bad Blood (Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #2), by Holly Jackson; narrated by Bailey Carr and full cast (Penguin Random House Audio 2020): I very very much enjoy this YA murder mystery series, especially on audio, for its excellent narration production, its thoughtful portrayal of trauma, and its twisty mysteries. Can’t wait to read book 3. Read my full review here.
The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the South, by Michael W. Twitty (Amistad 2017): My slow-but-steady for the last few months, this culinary history/memoir is massive in its scope and incredibly personal at the same time. It’s a challenging read, but well worth it. Read my full review here.
The Project, by Courtney Summers (Wednesday Books 2021): YA thrillers are just about the perfect speed of thriller for me, and this one kept me on the edge of my seat, especially in the second half. I still have some questions that I never expect to get answers for, but I thoroughly enjoyed my immersive reading experience with this one. Read my full review here.
My Plain Jane, by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton (Harper Teen 2018): I had so much fun flying through this paranormal reimaging of Jane Eyre from the same team who brought us shapeshifting Tudors in My Lady Jane. Full review to come.
Stepping Stones, by Lucy Knisley (RH Graphic 2020): Cute and emotional middle grade semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a girl who has recently left the big city and her dad to live with Mom and stepdad Walter on a farm. This wasn’t my favorite Knisley work, but I’ll definitely read the sequel, due out this coming spring. Read my full review here.
Tahira in Bloom, by Farah Heron (Skyscape 2021): A fun, escapist summery read with a diverse cast and a sweet enemies-to-lovers romance and a main character who I grew to appreciate despite her irritating beginning. Read my full review here.
Jackaby, by William Ritter, narrated by Nicola Barber (Highbridge Audio 2014): This YA historical paranormal mystery had a lot of elements I like, and gave me a lot of Sherlock Holmes vibes. I didn’t quite love it as much as I hoped, which I think may have been largely due to the audio narration. Full review to come.
Next Year in Havana, by Chanel Cleeton; narrated by Kyla Garcia and Frankie Maria Corzo (Blackstone Audio 2018): This book was perfectly fine and held my interest well, although I found the romance in the modern timeline to be pretty unbelievable (although sweet) and the romance in the past to be more believable (although a little cringy). But I was fascinated by both the modern and historical Cuban setting and want to read more set there. Read my full review here.
Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books 2020): My third (and least favorite) Backman book so far, was still very much in the unique Backman style I love so much, but rubbed me the wrong way in tone. There’s a lot going on under the surface of this hostage-situation-gone-wrong novel, and I felt very affectionate toward each of the characters by the end, despite them having been quite grating for the first half. Read my full review here.
Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams; narrated by Shvorne Marks (Simon & Schuster Audio 2019): I appreciated a lot of things about this contemporary novel about a Jamaican British woman in her twenties, although it dragged for me in the middle and had me groaning frequently abut Queenie’s bad decisions. Read my full review here.
The Kiss Quotient, by Helen Hoang (Berkley 2018): This romance had a lot going for it at first, but I really felt cringy about the possessiveness that this relationship grew into, and a certain moment near the middle that made me angry. Read more about it in my full review here.
I can’t wait to see what the next two months of reading have in store! I am fairly confident October will go down as my most productive reading month of 2021 (given family visits/holidays/traveling coming up in Nov & Dec), but I am hoping to finish checking off reading tasks from all the Reading Challenges I found myself completing this year (correction: Reading Challenges I found myself starting this year. We’ll see if I complete any of them!)
What was your favorite October Read? Let me know in comments!
She Can't Stop Reading 