Well, life got extremely busy in October, so I didn’t read as much as previous months. I also got a ton of holds in from the library all at the same time, so I had quite a romance reading streak that I didn’t plan for! Overall I read 5 physical books and listened to 2 audiobooks.
Here’s a look at what a read and my synopsis and rating for each book.
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1. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
Bodie Kane has moved on from her difficult and traumatic past. She is married with two kids and runs a successful podcast. But when her boarding school invites her back to teach a two-week course, the past quickly catches up to her. With the help of her students, she begins to dig in to the murder of one of her classmates, Thalia Keith. Upon reflection, Bodie realizes that not all the details add up, and she begins to wonder if they have convicted the wrong person.
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
2. You, With a View by Jessica Joyce
After the death of her beloved grandmother, Norlle finds an envelope with photos and pictures of a man who is not her grandfather in her grandmother’s things. Noelle posts a video on TikTok to see if anyone knows who the mystery man is. Turns out it is her high school nemesis Theo’s grandfather Paul. When Noelle and Paul meet, she discovers that her Gram and Paul had planned a roadtrip but never went. With nothing else to do, Noelle decides to go on the trip herself. Before she knows it, Paul and Theo are tagging along. Noelle and Theo must behave themselves in front of Paul for two weeks. Hopefully they can survive without killing each other while also making some memories along the way.
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
3. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Florence is a romance ghostwriter who can see ghosts. The only problem is that she no longer believes in love. With a deadline looming, she is unsure what she will do. When her father dies unexpectedly, she returns home to her hometown in South Carolina where her family runs a funeral parlor. To her surprise, her new editor Benji shows up in ghost form, and the two start to form a bond as Florence navigates the trauma of her childhood, her breakup that left her devastated, and the grief from the loss of her father. Talking to ghosts has always been normal to Florence, but this is the first time one has stuck around so long, and the first time she has started falling for one.
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
4. Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler
Millicent Watts-Cohen, aka Millie, is on a quest to reunite the ashes of her elderly best friend Mrs. Nash with the love of her life, Elsie. When Millie’s flight is cancelled, she pairs up with acquaintance Hollis Hollenbeck, a grumpy (but secretly cinnamon roll) writer who doesn’t believe in forever love. The two set out on a roadtrip filled with obstacles along the way. Millie hopes to find Elsie and prove to herself and Hollis that true love does exist and can endure the test of time.
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
5. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
June Farrow comes from a long line of women who have succumbed to mental illness, and she knows that it is inevitably coming for her. Her mother left June as an infant and walked into the woods, never to be seen again. June has sworn that the curse will end with her—she will not fall in love or have children herself. But before June knows it, she is starting to have “episodes” herself, and she begins to dig into the truths of her family’s secret that was kept from her all these years. Suddenly June finds herself in a strange situation where she is somehow involved in an unsolved murder and has to make decisions about what she wants her life to look like.
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5
6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (audio, relisten)
Two young magicians, Celia and Marco, are bound to each other in a deadly competition to see who is the greater magician. The backdrop of their competition is a magical circus that appears on the outskirts of town without warning and is only open at night. The circus continues for well over a decade, and as Celia and Marco compete against each other, they also fall in love. The two must figure out how to withdraw from the circus and the competition so that they can be together.
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (audio, relisten)
Eleven-year-old Harry Potter, “the boy who lived,” has grown up with his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents when Harry was an infant. Unbeknownst to Harry, he is a wizard who has been invited to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry leaves the dull and mundane life and starts his first year at Hogwarts. While magic is beautiful and enchanting, evil is lurking, and Harry must figure out what exactly is going on at Hogwarts.
My favorite book of October was You, With a View. I loved the chemistry between the characters, and the addition of Paul (the male main character’s grandfather) was just adorable. I am so impressed that this was Joyce’s debut novel and can’t wait to see what she writes next!
What was your favorite read of October?