October Reading Wrap-Up

Sorry for the big gap between posts! Time just seems to have slipped away from me recently and here we are, nearly halfway through the next month.

Last month, I participated in Blogtober, which I reflected on recently and somehow also managed to read a whole bunch of books!

In October, I read a grand total of 25 books, which I will be giving very short reviews of down below or linking to my full reviews. This is 5 more books than September, which is odd, considering how busy this month was!

All The Books I Read In October:

1. You’re Not Proper by Tariq Mehmood (three stars)

A punchy, short and thought-provoking story that just lacked that something more for me.

2. Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott (two stars)

Sophisticated and stylish, but I found it slightly forgettable.

3. Soulbinder by Sebastian de Castell (four stars)

Check out my full review here, but in three words: humorous, heart-felt and magical.

4. Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart (three stars)

Powerful addition to the YA fantasy masses with a good message, but t seemed to heavily rely on some common YA cliches.

5. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (three stars)

A sparkly and fluffy romance, which was enjoyable but just not mind-blowing.

6. It Ends With You by S.K.Wright (four stars)

Really, really enjoyable. I’m a sucker for a well-done thriller and this was so gripping. You could never quite trust any of the narrators and it had great twists.

7. Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell (four stars)

This was a recommendation from Amy (Amy’s Bookish Life) that was perfect for the spooky month. Those dolls are certainly haunting. Dark, spooky and addictive.

8. The Price Guide To The Occult by Leslye Walton (three stars)

I thought that there was very little plot in the entire book, but the descriptions were beautiful and I really liked the discussion around mental health.

9. Someday by David Levithan (four stars)

The conclusion to the Every Day trilogy was just as sweet, inspiring and emotional as the first book in the trilogy (Every Day), which I quite enjoyed last year.

10. Happier Thinking by Lana Grace Riva (four stars)

Another book that I made a full review for, but simply put, it’s a fun, quick read that I’ll be picking up time and time again when I need a bit of a boost.

11. Charlotte Says by Alex Bell (four stars)

An equally disturbing prequel to Frozen Charlotte with more creepy doll mischief, mutilation and even murder.

12. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (three stars)

I was hitting a bit of a reading slump at this point, so I picked this up based off the recommendation of Alice. A very enjoyable, slightly unnerving mystery; I plan to continue the series, but I won’t be rushing to.

13. Open by Gemma Cairney (four stars)

A relatable, funny guide to teenage life and beyond that really struck a chord with me.

14. For Every One by Jason Reynolds (three stars)

Another quick but punchy read. Reynolds’ voice just comes across so strongly through  his prose, but it was over too quickly for me. I much prefer Long Way Down though, which I would strongly recommend.

15. Wildcard by Marie Lu (four stars)

This was utterly excellent. I have a weakness for morally grey and flawed characters, so the dynamics in this book were just great for me. However, I preferred Warcross, as the gaming aspect was so original and enjoyable, whereas Wildcard had far fewer gaming sequences.

16. Rosie Loves Jack by Mel Darbon (four stars)

This book utterly broke me. As in, I had a full on crying session. This book is beautiful, wonderful and deserves so, so much love. It’s very intense and tackles some massive issues. Rosie is the type of character who will stay with you long after the final page.

17. It’s All In Your Head by Rae Earl (three stars)

Another self-help/mental health guide for a month where I was struggling a little bit that was informative and enjoyable, but again, slightly forgettable.

18. Little Monsters by Kara Thomas (four stars)

This has been sat on my shelf for a while (from my Holiday Haul) and I’m so glad that I eventually got round to picking it up. Dark, delectable and gripping. This is exactly how I like my mysteries, at times fast-paced and at others, slow and building suspense.

19.  Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (and Other Lies) by Scarlett Curtis (anthology – four stars)

After the whole Topshop scandal, this book came firmly under the spotlight and it really deserves it. An accessible, inter-sectional look at feminism that I want to give to every teenager to show them what girl power really means.

20. The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich (three stars)

Another spooky read to get me in the mood for Halloween, however this didn’t quite pack the same punch as Frozen Charlotte. Enjoyable, spooky and introduces an interesting discussion around mental health, but again slightly forgettable.

21. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K Larsen by Susin Nielsen (three stars)

Henry was such an engaging character and this got a lot darker than I expected, but something just didn’t click with me.

22. Damsel by Elana K Arnold (four stars)

I traded for an ARC of this amazing and thought-provoking story. A very dark and twisted fairy tale, which does need some trigger warnings (let me know if a list of these would be helpful for you) but a really powerful story.

23. Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake (four stars)

Three Dark Crowns has quickly become one of my favourite series, so it’s no surprise that I adored Blake’s latest offering. A theory I’ve had for a while seemed to be confirmed, while the twists just knocked me off my feet again. Oh, the cruelty of making me wait another year for the next instalment.

24. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

I got a signed copy of this after meeting Becky & Adam at an event in London, which was pretty spectacular and I came home with a lot of books. This was so adorable, but emotional and delved into some heavy topics. I alternated between chapters of this and Two Dark Reigns and the cuteness of Arthur and Ben was a perfect contrast for the darkness of Fennbirn.

25. Slasher Boys and Monster Girls (anthology – four stars)

It’s rare for an anthology to really impress me, but this one bucked the trend. This was the perfect read for Halloween: genuinely creepy, spine-tingly, gory and dark. Some of the best scares were the subtle ones though; I’m looking at Marie Lu’s story in particular here.

Top Five Books of the Month:

So, those were all the books I read in October, but which ones did you read? What did you think of them?