Hi all, happy October! I hope everyone is enjoying the fall atmosphere! First off, this is a few days into October, so my apologies. Also, because I read so much in September, I’ve decided to post my October reading list separately. Now without further ado:
From my September reading list, I read two of the books I had planned to, though I started a few others. But given that most of the books I read were not on my list, I’ll just go through them regardless of September list status. Warning: spoiler alerts abound.
1.) Cursed
The first book I read I technically finished in August, but I read Cursed by Marissa Meyer. The book was good, and it wasn’t too hard to remember the world from when I’d read the first book. There was a good twist in it, with the tree Grandma lady whose name I am completely forgetting, and I was satisfied with my reading experience.
2.) Ninth House
I read Ninth House, which I’d previously started then abandoned. However, it was not too hard to get through, and I liked the mystery about the main character’s past. This is a series, so I will unfortunately have to wait for the next books, though I’m not too upset about it because my anticipation isn’t that high.
3.) We Were Dreamers
I read We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu, which I LOVED. This book was super interesting, from Simu’s career path as an actor, to his family life, to his experiences as an immigrant. I would highly recommend it, and though there were a few very dark memories, overall the book felt rather light, and I was left wanting more from Simu as a writer. I think it also inspired me to learn more about immigrant experiences, because it stoked the international relations major in me, as I love learning about different cultures and how they interact.
4.) A Deadly Education
I read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, which was fabulous. I sometimes struggle with world building for fantasy worlds, but this one was very good. It felt to me like a cross between The Maze Runner and Harry Potter, and I enjoyed the nuances in all of the main characters. I was very excited that this was a series, and I promptly read:
5.) The Last Graduate
The Last Graduate (book 2), and
6.) The Golden Enclaves
The series kept me intrigued, and I though everything was tied into the world very nicely. Nothing felt like it was out of left field, and some of the concept was very interesting. Even a month later I keep going back to the idea of the Maw Mouths, a monster that is a fascinating concept, specifically later in the series. For those interested SPOILER ALERT, I liked the idea of the Maw Mouths being hungry because they were created by people’s desire for safety. It was both disturbing and fascinating, and I think it is a really interesting justification for creating monsters. I enjoyed this series so much that I experimented with audio books so that I could walk and read. While that was more enjoyable than I’d expected, it made me notice a few flaws in the main character’s characterization in the last book, which she felt a bit pigeonholed into her naturally angry demeanor. I’m not sure I would have felt that way if I hadn’t hear the tone of the reader, so I suppose I will have to wait for a friend to read the series to ask them if they felt the same. Either way, very well done, and I would highly recommend this series for any dark academia fan!
7.) Save Yourself by Cameron Esposito
I read this book because Cameron actually came to my university to speak on an Arts panel, and I wanted to learn more about her story. The book talked a lot about identity and sexuality, but also discussed the comedy world very well. I would recommend this to people looking for queer media, or those interested in comedy. Cameron also talked a lot about her Catholic upbringing, which was very interesting to me, and added a lot of humor to the story.
8.) Under Construction by Chrishell Stause
I clearly started watching Selling Sunset in September, and when I looked up a few of the people, I saw that Chrishell had written a book. Her story is very interesting, from growing up in poverty to being on a soap opera to working in luxury real estate, and I wanted to learn more about her life! This book was a breeze, and while it was short, it was engaging and I enjoyed learning more about someone who I see on TV as a reality character.
9.) Gone Girl
The only reason I wasn’t afraid to pick up Gone Girl, (spoiler ahead), was because one of the people on Selling Sunset mentioned how they too would probably frame their husband for murder if they were to become a trophy-type housewife. That storyline appealed to me, so I picked it up despite it being labeled a thriller. I had also never seen the movie so I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, but I really enjoyed the twist with Amy’s part of view halfway through, where (spoiler alert), Amy isn’t a cool girl, and only wrote that way to frame Nick. While there were two scenes/plot points that did scare me/freak me out, (spoiler alert: when Amy got robbed and Desi’s safehouse) and one very disturbing part that still haunts me, I finished the book and really enjoyed it. It also started to become very funny to me, and while I’m not set on watching the film, I would recommend the book.
10.) We Were Liars
After reading Gone Girl I wanted something similar, so I borrowed We Were Liars. I believe it is a TV show, which I haven’t seen, but I was hoping it would be good. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the previous summers, and really liked the family dynamic. It reminded me of Dynasty and a bit of my own family, though not to such an extreme. However, the ending was really (spoiler alert) sad, as the dogs and her friends were dead and I didn’t much enjoy it, because it made the whole story feel kind of obsolete, as the friends had been hallucinated the whole summer. However, I think people might enjoy it because of the curveball, so I would be interested in discussing this with others. The story and writing of such a mystery was well done, and I would be interested in a sequel, had it not ended the way it did.
11.) I Kissed Shara Wheeler
This to me was a teen version of Gone Girl. It was well done, and I enjoyed that I could figure out the mystery. However, I felt that the main character’s motivations were a bit contrived, as she (spoiler alert) only wanted to find Shara so she would fairly be Valedictorian (really?), and thus I felt a bit detached from the investigation. I did like the ending a lot, regarding Shara Wheeler, and there were interesting themes surrounding private schools that are important today, yet I did not see the twist coming. Additionally, this takes place at a conservative school in a conservative town, and the author wrote from experience which was very educational and interesting.
12.) Shine by Jessica Jung.
This book was kind of teen-y in the plot, but I was very interested because it was written by a Kpop idol, and talked a lot about the industry, which I find fascinating.
13.) Bright by Jessica Jung
This was the sequel, and I enjoyed how the romance plot did not go the way I had expected, especially after the first book. This series was light and enjoyable, and I would recommend them to anyone interested in Kpop/being a singer/stardom.
14.) Caraval by Stephanie Garber.
This book had been on my list for a while, though I’d been putting it off because I was afraid it would be scary. While the cover does say “remember it’s only a game”, the book did not go off into horror movie territory, and instead felt like a junior version of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern to me. While I enjoyed the book, I struggled with it because I had loved The Night Circus, and Caraval just couldn’t compare in my opinion. Additionally, there’s a standoff in the book near the end that was really frustrating to me, and it made me really dislike the sister character. However, the next books focus more on the sister, so I am incredibly reluctant to read them. I talked about Caraval with a friend who mentioned she really enjoyed the later books, and she technically convinced me to give them a try. However I don’t have any interested in that at this moment, so we’ll see if I ever do continue with the series.
15.) House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
I finally started the Crescent City series, and it was really nice to read a familiar style, especially after my disappointment with Caraval. I had had many glowing review from friends, so I was really excited about the series. SPOILERS AHEAD: Right off the bat I loved how the main character started with a group of friends, which was something lacking in other Maas books. It gave the character a great home base, and helped establish her life in the universe. I also really liked the world building, because it was a fusion of magic and technology, with governmental issues and history that was very easy to understand, because it felt familiar to our world. While I really enjoyed the book and am very excited for the whole series, there was a huge tragedy a few chapters in, which made my reading experience much more unhappy. To be frank, I had been very excited about Bryce having friends, and then all the friends die. That was such a flip for me, and was rather heartbreaking because I had been so excited about those characters and their dynamics. However, the book was very good, and the showdown at the end was very well done, and set up the next book perfectly. Additionally, I enjoyed how at the beginning, Bryce felt very normal, and wasn’t some secret chosen one or something. While this did change a bit, her magical powers weren’t a stroke of luck or chance or something, but was rather a result of the character’s choices, which I really appreciated.
16.) House of Sky and Breath (book 2)
I did wait about a week in between these books to try to space out my consumption of guaranteed good writing, but I quickly gave in to temptation because (spoiler alert) I’d heard there was a crossover between ACOTAR and Crescent City. I didn’t know anything else, but I was really excited. The second book did a great job picking up where the first left off, and expanding on the world, particularly with the involvement of Hel. I have a few theories about this, and it was done in a way that we know a twist is coming. To be frank, SPOILER ALERT, my friend and I (we read the book at the same time) were cracking up about about the plot point that the great prince of Hel or whatever wanted to fight Bryce, but wanted her to train and get stronger so it was a fair fight. What an absolute load of bullshit, which was funny but also annoying because it made no sense. While I enjoyed the book overall, it became clear to me that there is not much growth to do with the main couple. This makes me a bit sad because ACOTAR was so drawn out, making it much more enjoyable. However, the ending threw a good wrench in, so that at least gives me hope for better romantic plots for Bryce and Hunt in the future. Another criticism I have is about Danika, the dead best friend. This book drew on Danika’s secrets to keep the plot going, which I found annoying. In the beginning, Bryce and Danika were super close, and now there are so many secrets between them, which undermines their whole relationship. And to add on to that, Danika is dead twice, which means they won’t be able to repair the broken trust, which makes me feel bad for Bryce, but also makes me frustrated that the plot devices keep being these secrets. One was enough, but now it feels like Bryce and Danika’s friendship was a whole lie, just to create the emotionally-angsty plot points. I suppose it feel overdone, as there are many other ways for the characters to find out hidden information, rather than Danika just being this all-knowing dead liar. Anyways, the ending reveal about the Asteri was interesting, and reminded me of The 100 and the From Blood and Ash series. And lastly, I had been waiting the whole book for the ACOTAR crossover, and it finally happened, for a total of five seconds. Let’s just say January needs to come faster, though more because I’m interested in the ACOTAR characters, less so about the Crescent City characters. Thinking on it now, I enjoyed the books, but not as much as my friends who loved them, which makes me a bit sad.
17.) It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
I knew absolutely nothing about this book going in, only that is was very popular on TikTok, and that a girl who had the dance class after mine last semester would walk around reading it. Like walking up the hill while reading. So, while I enjoyed the book, SPOILER ALERT, it was a big surprise to me that it was a story about domestic violence. The story was very well done, and while it was heavy, I promptly picked up:
18.) It Starts With Us (book 2)
Because I wanted to get to the happier side of the story. Overall, the series was really interesting, because it does a good job answering the “why not just leave” question, about those in violent relationships. it them goes further and talks about living with an abuser in one’s life. The first book in particular tackled a lot of ugly truths, with the characters being complex and not one-dimensional, meaning that (spoiler alert) the struggle between love and knowing that the abuse is wrong. A well done series, but it also left me feeling gross (as I’m sure most would feel after reading a poignant story about abuse).
19.) Normal People by Sally Rooney
This book had been on my list for a while, and it too was given glowing recommendations by friends. The only thing I knew going in was that my Aunt ? and I had tried to watch the TV show a few years ago, and had only gotten 10 minutes in because it was very grey and I didn’t want to keep watching. Reading the book felt very grey to me too, and while it was a story about love, mixed with growing up and mental health, I felt detached from the characters, and never felt particularly invested in them. Additionally, there’s a scene (spoiler alert) with Marianne and a photographer (whose name I don’t remember), which made me feel gross but was never given closure in the story. However, I did like the mental health aspect, and there was a scene (spoiler alert) when Connell was depressed and lying on the floor which was when I felt most connected and related to the story. This book wasn’t necessarily for me, though I’m excited to talk to more friends about why they enjoyed it so much.
20.) Happy Place
After that slew of depressing, realistic fiction books, I wanted happy books, so I read Happy Place by Emily Henry. I’m a big fan of hers, and while this wasn’t my favorite, I like the complexities in the characters, in a way that (spoiler alert) I knew they were going to get back together, but I didn’t want them to. However, I do feel like there should’ve been more foreshadowing about (spoiler alert) the main character quitting her career path.
21.) The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson
This had been recommended to me a few years ago, and after giving it a try, I thought, “not giving a fuck is not for me”, and I stopped it. However, I decided to give it a go given that I am now a bit more mature, and wanted another self-help book. I felt more willing to give it a chance, even if there were a few hard truths in there that I didn’t like. This time around I didn’t at all feel like ‘this isn’t a mindset for me’, and I really liked the book. It went quicker than expected, especially because I am currently slogging through 3 other self-help books at the moment and I was able to start and finish this one without getting annoyed and not touching it for a week. Instead, I finished it in I believe two days, and took many screenshots of valuable notes. Overall, I liked this mindset, and am trying to implement it into my own thought patterns. Highly recommend!
22.) Same Time Next Summer
Next, technically in October, I read Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan, which is an Emily Henry-esque realistic romance. Light and summery, and enjoyable! I particularly enjoyed the family dynamic of the main character, and the parents were really interesting because they were artsy and creative, and the main character slightly struggled with not wanting to feel embarrassed of them in front of her cookie-cutter fiancé. I thought that was a fun characterization for parent characters.
23.) Crying in H Mart
The last book on this list I finished October 3rd. I read Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, which I’d seen on some book lists a little while ago. It came up on my library app, and I started it without knowing anything about it or the author. It became clear a few pages in that the book was a memoir of Michelle’s Mom, who had died of cancer. While I knew that it wasn’t going to be a fun book to read, I stuck with it because I have a fear (which I think is normal) of losing my own mother to cancer. So, while the book was sad, I think it was a very valuable thing to read, because never before had I been exposed to what it was like losing a loved one, or even dealing with taking care of someone going through chemo. Overall, I enjoyed the book as much as one can enjoy a book about losing your Mom to cancer, though I do think there were a few too many recipes for me. The book describes a lot of food, which I unfortunately wasn’t always able to picture, given that I am a vegetarian without any direct ties to Korean cuisine. So while I knew a few of the foods from media I’ve consumed, or from personal experience, once we got to the recipe descriptions, I was not a fan. The regular food descriptions were engaging, especially at the beginning, because of how they related to the mother-daughter relationship, but the recipes specifically felt like too much for me. My other thoughts were 1.) I could’ve used more description to understand how Kye was cold. To me that felt like a more tell than a show, and thus I wasn’t able to grasp exactly how Michelle felt about Kye. 2.) I really liked the relationship Michelle discussed with her final Aunt, because it discussed family ties, even when you can’t communicate well. I think many people can relate to the odd family loyalty despite not agreeing with or not understanding their way of life, so while this was literal not understanding, I thought it was evocative and made me think. Lastly, it turns out that the Author is the lead of the band Japanese Breakfast, which I did not know until the end of the story. While I haven’t actively listened to Japanese Breakfast, I thought that added and interesting layer to the book, and I thought it was a very brave thing to put out into the world. Many thoughts because this was the most recent book I’ve finished, and I’m excited to discuss it with a friend soon!
So, that is the many books I read in September, due to personal things I’ve had a lot more downtime and a desire to escape into a book, so I think I’ll go back to a more normal reading amount for October. Stay tuned for that list!
Hope you are well!
Leann I Am 