Ah, October…the month of pumpkin spice lattes, candy corn and watching scary movies. Too bad those are all things I can’t stand. Unpopular opinion, I know! In my defense, I’m not a fan of pumpkin pie so why would I want pie-flavored coffee? I’m also a vegetarian so candy corn is out – it’s made with gelatin, although even if I could eat it I wouldn’t. And scary movies? I absolutely loved them as a kid but somewhere along the line I completely lost my tolerance for the gore. I’ll take a good jump scare any day but blood and guts? I’ll pass, thanks.
So what do I love to do in October? Bake spiced cookies and Halloween themed goodies, break out my puffer jacket for long, crisp hikes with my dogs and oh yes, snuggle on the couch reading a good book. Or eight. I really enjoyed (almost) all of the books I read in October. That’s more than I can say for September – when I only managed to read three books. The reason? I forced myself to finish a book I didn’t like which a) is against my personal Rules for Reading More and b) made me avoid reading altogether.
I vowed I wouldn’t suffer the same fate in October and ended up having a much better month. So now, on to the (mostly) great books I got to read this month:
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
A subtle but arresting commentary on colonialism masquerading as a fantasy novel. That alone makes it worth reading. The Gilded Wolves is the first in a series and while I enjoyed it, I’m not sure I enjoyed it enough to read the second. I guess time will tell – stay tuned.
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
I was trying to take a break from reading a novel set in World War II (there are so many great ones!) but I finally broke down and read this one. I’m so glad I did! loved the dual timelines of WWII and the 1980s – both filled with rich characters, many of whom were based on real people.
What Could Be Saved by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz
This book gets my five-star favorite award for October. I adored this book. There were dual timelines in this book as well and they intertwined beautifully, complementing each other perfectly. I couldn’t get enough of the Preston family and their story – stunning, devastating and ultimately uplifting.
Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore
I bought this book as a “Blind Date with a Book” from my local indie bookshop. The description on the wrapping read “fiction/fantasy, humor/comedy/raunchy, historical, re-telling, mystery, NY Times bestseller.” The description was fairly accurate and though there were moments when I literally laughed out loud at some of the clever lines but I wanted to like it more than I actually did. It should have been right up my alley – a little fantasy, a little mystery, a little Midsummer Night’s Dream (I once played Titania for crying out loud) – but it just wasn’t my cup of pumpkin spice latte…
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Another book in a series – this is the follow-up to The Inheritance Games. I don’t remember where I first heard about this series but I’m really enjoying it. Although not my typical fare, I’m really loving the quick, satisfying storytelling with a good dose of puzzles and mysteries to unravel.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
This is one of those books I resisted solely because it seemed like everyone was reading it. But I finally broke down and joined them and realized everyone was reading it because it’s a pretty good book. A slight twist on the dual timeline approach (am I sensing a theme here?) that worked really nicely. I love books with messy stories that don’t get tied up in a neat package at the end. The Paper Palace certainly fit that bill, while staying true to the characters and still feeling satisfying to the last page.
An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
What can I say? I’ve fallen headlong for Maisie Dobbs. I always say these are the books I was wishing for when I read Agatha Christie (I’m sure I just need to give Ms. Christie another chance). This particular Maisie Dobbs story was one of the stronger ones so far – this is number five in the series – and focused more on the case than on Maisie’s personal story. Gypsies, unexplained arson and the closing of one very significant chapter in Miss Dobbs’ story made for a great return to post WWI England and my new favorite investigator.
The Boy in the Field by Margo Livesey
The Boy in the Field was an engrossing book that was less mystery than family saga. I loved the story of the Lang children and how the discovery of the title character affected each of them in subtly life-changing ways. A quiet little story told with utter charm and delicacy.
That’s what my October reading life looked like! Have you read any of these? Do you agree? Disagree? Think I’m crazy for hating candy corn? Do you have any suggestions for what to read next month? I’d love to hear! I’d also love it if you join my mailing list. You’ll get notified of future blog posts and be one of the first to hear about some big projects I have coming up in the new year. (Ooh…teaser!) Click here to get the inside scoop or message me with your book suggestions – I can’t wait to hear them!
This, and you, are beautiful! So very proud of you, my dear friend!