October felt like an incredibly slow reading month, but I ended up finishing 5 books. For me, that’s a low month of reading, but all things considered, it was a pretty solid reading month. It’s been hard lately to focus on books so I’ve opted for a lot of easy romances, which don’t require much brainpower and I’m always rewarded with a happy ending.
So, let’s jump into my reviews!
Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book published by an author from Africa): Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (4 stars)
I’m so glad I finally read this book, and it’s all thanks to the Book Riot reading challenge. I hadn’t even heard of this novel before I started listening to the Book Riot podcast, but they raved about her writing and this book especially. So I went in with high expectations and I’m happy that all of my expectations were completely met. My only complaint, if I had to give one, was the length of the novel as it’s almost 500 pages long. It took me two weeks to finish, and I read pretty fast, so just be warned that this is a novel you are going to have to devote some time to. But I loved the characters and the plot, and it was such an interesting look into race and culture. This novel had an impact on me and I feel changed after reading it.
TLC Book Tours Read: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (2 stars)
I reviewed this on my blog earlier this month and you can read my review here.
Others (read for fun!)
The Secret King by C.J. Miller (4 stars)
A fun Harlequin romance! This involved royalty, made-up countries, arranged marriages, a murder plot, and a sweet romance. I loved every cheesy minute I had with this novel.
To the Brink by Cindy Gerard (4 stars)
I’m rereading The Bodyguards series by Cindy Gerard because I love it so much. This story is one of my favorites. It’s a fast-paced romantic thriller that involves a kickass heroine who made me smile the whole way through this book. The characters are vulnerable and heartbreaking, and the plot keeps you on your toes from beginning to end. Love this author!
My One and Only by Kristan Higgins (3 stars)
This was probably not my favorite novel from Higgins, but it was sweet and lighthearted and romantic. I wasn’t a huge fan of the love story in this book, and the fact that their issues were never fully resolved bugs me. (I hate the “love conquers all!” concept because it’s so unrealistic.) But hey, I don’t read romance novels for realism – I read them for the escape they provide. And escape is exactly what this novel gave me.
BOOK STATS // OCTOBER
# of books read: 5
# of pages read: 1,903
quickest read: The Secret King (3 days)
longest read: Americanah (14 days)
diverse: 1
formats: ebooks (3), physical books (2)
What was the best book you read in October?
I was also very glad that I read Americanah. It was a tough book to get through since the subject matter was so heavy and I had to take time to process everything in the book but I thought it was a great read. It definitely opened my eyes to many things about race and culture.
I read 9 books in October which is a lot for me, but I had a lot of flights so I read a lot on planes and in airports. It’s tough to pick a favorite, though. It’s a three-way tie between The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar, The Engagements by J.Courtney Sullivan (if you haven’t read this you should; I think you would like it!), and The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri.
Best book I read in October was probably The Love Goddess’ Cooking School; there was something about it that just had me fully intrigued and I couldn’t put it down. I think you’d like it if you need yet another book to add to your TBR list 😉
You’ve got my October reading beat by 5 books! 😉 I’m picky when it comes to what I read, so I’m contemplating what I pick up next.
Also, have you seen/heard that “Room” is now a movie?? I’m curious to see what parts they include and skip!
Best book I read in October would have to be Between Gods by Allison Pick. It’s a memoir detailing the author’s journey in converting to Judaism and uncovering and understanding her ancestors’ experiences of the Holocaust. Heavy reading, but it was thought-provoking and philosophical. It emphasized that we are all on our own spiritual journeys, and that those journeys are not always easy. But if we hand ourselves over to God/whichever religion you identify with, then we are better for it.
I really enjoyed Americanah as well and feel like it gave me a completely different perspective on race and culture. One thing I was completely ignorant about before is the cultural differences between 1st or 2nd generation African Americans and African immigrants to America. I thought it was really interesting how different those two cultures are from each other, which in hindsight should have been obvious to me and I’m a little embarrassed I was so ignorant about it!