Nov 14 • 3 min read
The Books I Read In October
Gone is another month of 2023 and as year-end draws closer, I'm starting to review all the books I've read this year. I've been tracking my reading on GoodReads for several years now. Last year was actually the very first year I completed my intended reading goal. Although I've always been an avid reader, I only started to take reading more seriously once I dove back into the world of fiction. Now splitting my time between fiction and non-fiction, I feel way more motivated to tackle a reading goal each month to reach my overall annual reading goal. In 2022 I read 30 books, 10 books over my 20 book goal for the year. This year, I set a goal of 40 books and I'm about 85% finished. Beyond the feeling of accomplishment for completing my reading goal, it honestly just makes me so happy to have read so many amazing stories and authors. I've loved sharing my thoughts on books over on the blog, but I wanted to do a round up of my October reading in the 'sletter as well. If you've been looking for some good reads to add to your list, this one is for you <3 Books I read in OctoberQueen of Shadows & Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas (From The Throne of Glass Series) I'm grouping these two because when I binge a series, it gets a bit difficult to distinguish my opinions from book to book. Mostly because I switch from one to another so quickly, it's hard to remember where one story ends and another begins. I still haven't finished the Throne of Glass series but I do agree with the general consensus that it's a slow burn series and gets better and better as you read. This book cover was all over my bookstagram feed which is how I learned about it in the first place. I really enjoyed Etter's writing in this and it was hilarious reading about the tech industry's work culture being described in such a dark and morose way. The ending felt unsatisfying though and like a bit of a cop out unfortunately. This book was sent to me as an ARC (advanced reader copy) which is incredibly exciting. I knew nothing about the story nor the author going into it but it ended up being one of the best books I've read this year. Amy Jo Burns is an INCREDIBLE writer and Mercury solidified 'Family Stories' as one of my favourite genres to read. You can pre-order the book now which I highly recommend doing because this story will not disappoint. Someone said feminism, witches, magic-realism, and smashing the patriarchy is what this book is about and I said 'say less'. This was such a fun, light-hearted story and the perfect read to add to my October list. If you're looking for a quick read that'll make you cheer for the main character and feel warm and happy at the end, VenCo is definitely worth checking out. I don't know how I managed to read not one, but TWO dark and twisty novels in October but I did and I loved every second of it. Reading Bunny made me feel like I did too many psychedelics and was having a bad (but fun?) trip. This has a classic 'leave-you-wondering' ending so if you don't like ambiguity and confusion at the end of a book, this is probably not for you. But Bunny was an absolute page turner for me and I still obsessively question the ending even weeks after I finished reading. What have you been reading this fall? Hit 'Reply' on this email and let me know what books you've loved from this year so I can add them to my cart! Chat soon! Angel |
