The month of October was busy due to school for me, however, I did read a few excellent books.
1. I started the month with a a bookclub pick - Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. This novel was perfect for the spooky season: a haunted house in the countryside of Kentucky, a mysterious evil-fighting occupant of the house, and a spunky and at times reckless main heroine. I also really enjoyed the author's note in the back of the book that details the inspiration for the novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
2. Katabasis by R.F. Kuang was another book I read for the bookclub. This was by far my favorite read of October. I really think R.F. Kuang's books are getting better. I skipped her debut The Poppy War trilogy, did not really care for Babel, really liked Yellowface, and LOVED Katabasis. In this novel, we follow two PhD students as they journey into hell to rescue their professor. It is smart, engaging and I enjoyed every single chapter - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
3. The next book was a cover buy. It was $5 at the Barnes & Noble cafe and looked really appropriate for the season, so I could not pass it by. Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice is a cute YA novel and centers around two rival cafes. I thought the plot was very contrived, and the characters did not behave their age and frankly did not have any common sense, I only finished it because it was really short - ⭐️⭐️.
4. I am Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy is a gut-punching and raw memoir by one of Nickelodeon's child stars, who is best known for her role on the shows iCarly and Sam & Cat. McCurdy does not hold back and describes in graphic detail the abusive relationship she had with her mother. Some of the things she talks about are really hard to read about or even imagine. I highly recommend this for those who like non-fiction and Hollywood memoirs - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
5. I finished off the month by reading 4 short stories from Amazon Prime reading collection. Three of them were paranormal romances perfect for the season, and one - by Cheryl Strayed - was a contemporary women's fiction story that I really enjoyed. I definitely recommend all of them if you need something quick to read.
