October Book Report

Plus what I'm stoked to read during this year's Big Gray Dark

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a lovely little bookstore along the river in the Methow Valley

It’s been a hectic month and I know I’ve been saying that a lot lately, but especially with our temporarily less-mobile toddler, there’s been even less time for rest, relaxation, and reading. I’ve been leaning heavily on audiobooks and feeling so thankful for them! 

But, we are entering the absolute best reading season— the Big Gray Dark! November is my least favorite Seattle month because it gets so dark, so quickly, for so many hours each day. The glorious silver lining to this is that there are more hours each day to snuggle under covers with books. And I am excitedly prepping my TBR. 

I’m currently finishing: 

• Martyr by Kaveh Akbar (print)

• The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue  (audio)

• Finding Me by Viola Davis (audio)

Up next are these stacks! There’s a 0% chance I'll get to all of these by the end of the year, but gosh, is it fun to have such exciting piles to choose from!

where should I start?!

As always, I’d love to know what you’re reading, too! Share in the comments so we can all expand our TBR piles 🤓📚

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October Reads

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

This was thoughtful and tender and a slim volume, though it took me longer than I expected to get through. It was slow but not boring, just not gripping like the many books I fly through, and I don’t mean that in a bad way! The protagonist was very sad for a lot of the book, which gave the narrative a languid quality, and all of the things that made her sad were very relatable. I felt like she was me, my friends, but also a stranger? The ending has also ensured this one knocked around in my brain for a while, and I’m dying to discuss what it all means. 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

I devoured this— great audio! A mystery within an epic family drama set in the Adirondacks. It was a good follow-up to North Woods (which I read last month) with its reverence for the outdoors and the woods almost playing another character in the story. There’s a reason you’ve read about this one everywhere.

Same as it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo

A sweeping family drama but also an intimate analysis of one woman’s reckoning with a specific season of her life that dredges up previous seasons, as they do. Lombardo weaved the tale superbly and created vivid scenes with spot-on dialogue – I felt like I was literally in the story. I am a part of the family, feeling their big feelings, and living their lives with them. 

I finished this one last night, and Reader, I WEPT. I’m sure more thoughts will come once it’s marinated, but for now, I’ll say that I loved the deep excavation of human relationships and how intricate they are to the simple act of living a life.

Tessa Bailey Romance binge

Continuing my quest from last month, I did some critical work on the romance front. I stuck with one author and was impressed (and surprised?) at the breadth of storylines and smut-to-plot ratio among three of her books. It’s important to note that I listened to all of these on audio. I tried a print version and abandoned it very quickly — I think this is a genre I always prefer to have read to me.

Ranked below in quantity of smut to plot development (smuttiest coming first): 

Need Me (Broke and Beautiful #2): The sequel to Chase Me that I read last month, and I thought it better than the first in the series, story-wise. And smut-wise, actually. Not much meat on the plot but enough to keep things moving and though it was typically predictable, there were a few nuggets that surprised me, which I appreciated. 

It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sisters #1): This one started HORRIBLY because the main character was beyond cringey. But then she gets banished to Westport, and the PNW setting was all I needed to be wholly absorbed (in the actual story! I was rooting for them as people!). 

Hook, Line, and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters #2): Also set in the PNW with some Seattle cameos this time! This sequel was more plot-driven than the first mainly because the storyline was friends-become-lovers. So you have to get through a LOT of sexual tension before they turn up the heat. Very cute, and once you get there, also saucy. 

More Tessa Bailey is on deck for next month and a few other romances so stay tuned for continued updates on my romance education.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

A Harry Potter Education

As always, Harry Potter (audiobooks). This month, it was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

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That’s all for now! Share this with your best reading friends 📚✨

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