It was another slow reading month for me: I only finished 8 books. (I say “only” because that’s low for me; I know it is very, very high to others.) I am trying to come to terms with my slower reading pace these days, but I’ve built an identity on being a voracious reader so there’s something deflating about it. I’m working on it! Anyway, let’s dive into October reads:
Books Read
1) Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (★★★★★ – print, owned, Book of the Month) – A new favorite of the year about a woman living in the 1960s who becomes the host of a cooking show.
2) Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (★★☆☆☆ – e-book, Libby) – A rather lackluster F/F romance about two old friends who reconnect after 10 years apart.
3) The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson (★★★★☆ – audiobook, Libby) – The third book in a fun YA mystery series. The entirety of the book takes place during one day when the teens are snowed in.
4) Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi (★★★★☆ – audiobook, Libby) – An excellent novel about a girl living in Afghanistan whose entire family is killed during a coup, and how she finds her way back to Afghanistan 30 years later to get some answers.
5) A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy (★★★★★ – print, owned, Thriftbooks) – A heartwrenching book from the mother of one of the Columbine killers that details what she was thinking, feeling, and doing after the massacre.
6) The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren (★★★★★ – print, owned, Amazon) – A fun contemporary romance involving a new dating app that uses DNA to match people up.
7) Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay by Phoebe Robinson (★★★☆☆ – e-book, owned, Amazon) – A book of essays from a comedian that didn’t quite land for me.
8) To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn (★★★☆☆ – e-book, Libby) – The fifth book in the Bridgerton series. I have given up on Julia Quinn knowing how to write a good male hero.
Book Challenges
1) Book Club: We read Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus in October, which is a book we all gave 5 stars! Since this was my suggestion, I was very happy to see it so well-received.
2) Unread Shelf Challenge: The prompt for October was “a book that makes you nervous.” I ended up choosing A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold. I chose to interpret “nervous” in the way that I was nervous that reading the book was going to be a very emotional experience. And while this book was very emotional, it wasn’t too much for me.
3) Goodreads Challenge: I am quickly finishing up this goal, which was to read all of the books I added to my Goodreads list before 2018. In October, here’s what I checked off:
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (DNF) – Mostly a “not right now” book. I tried to start it, but it just wasn’t the right time. I have a physical copy of the book and I put it back on my bookshelf. I do want to read it, but I need to be in the right headspace.
- A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy (★★★★★)
- The Nix by Nathan Hill (DNF) – I just decided I didn’t care to read a 600+ page book with a white male protagonist.
Book Stats
- # of books read: 8
- # of pages read: 3,081 pages
- Genre breakdown: Romance (38%), Fiction (25%), Nonfiction (25%), YA (22%), and Nonfiction (13%)
- Format breakdown: e-book (38%), print (38%), and audiobook (25%)
- Fastest read: A Mother’s Reckoning (7 days)
- Slowest read: Sparks Like Stars (13 days)
- Star average: 3.88
- % of books by or about BIPOC or the LGBT community: 38%
- Abandoned books: 1 (The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett)
- Goodreads goal check-in: I set a goal of 135 books this year and currently, I am 9 books behind schedule. Ahhhhh.
Superlatives of October
- Favorite book of the month: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- Favorite romance of the month: The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
- Most disappointing read of the month: Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay by Phoebe Robinson
- The book that totally lived up to the hype for me: Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
- The book that was the hardest to get through: A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold
What was the best book you read in October?
So many thoughts here. How fun that your book club pick was such a gem. I listened to the book back in summer and I hated the narrator. I would have preferred reading it.
Also I want to read Rebecca after it was mentioned or rather referred and woven into my favorite book in October “Reading List”. But I understand that it needs to be read at the right rime.
And last I love your book stats in the end. I may have to steal that idea for next years book review to spice things up a bit.
Ugh, a bad narrator can really taint a book. I’m sorry that the one for Lessons in Chemistry was so bad! I read the physical copy and really enjoyed that format.
Steal away, friend! 🙂
Okay, I’ve been putting off the Soulmate Equation because I am not always Christina Lauren’s biggest fan, but I have it on audiobook and will make it a priority to get through it before it’s due. I’m so excited that you recommended Lessons in Chemistry to your book club and everyone loved it!! That must have made you feel so good.
The best book I read in October was probably Down Among the Sticks and Bones, the second book in the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire. The author’s ability to set a tone of absolute DREAD is incomparable. Both of the books have had super sad endings, though, so that’s something to know going in.
I will be interested in your thoughts on The Soulmate Equation. I just really want a dating service that finds who I’m compatible with using DNA. Sounds much easier!
8 books is still a “voracious reader” in my book 😉
Haha, touche! Funny how our brains forget that 8 books is still A LOT OF BOOKS to read in a month!
I recently reread Rebecca – I had read it as a young teen – and HOO BOY IT IS DARK. So, yeah, maybe wait on that one?
Also I don’t know where else to put this comment but I’m so sorry your friend Bri hurt herself and didn’t go on her cruise! Also, love that you love your Roomba!
I just need to be in the right mood for Rebecca, I think. Or maybe I’ll try it on audio. I tend to do better with darker themes in my audiobooks.
My poor lil Bri. It was so sad when she had to cancel her cruise!
I am so glad that your bookclub loved lessons in chemistry! It will be one of my best reads in 2022! And I really want to see the apple series they are making. I just love Elizabeth Zott so so much!
I read 7 books in October which is kind of average/typical for me. It I know what you mean about less than your avg feeling defeating. That is how I would feel if I read 4 books, which is still a good amount!
Oh, how did I miss the news that they were turning it into a TV series? How exciting! I think it will translate so well to the screen. Elizabeth Zott 4EVER!
I read Lessons in Chemistry but didn’t enjoy it as much as everyone else did- not sure why. I’m intrigued by A Mother’s Reckoning. It sounds like a tough read but I might try it.
I also had a slow reading month in October- which for me only meant three books, sigh. I need to get out of my reading rut!
I know a few other people who were rather “meh” on Lessons in Chemistry, so you’re not alone in the way you feel! Not every book is for every reader – I get that!
8 books sounds huge to me. I usually fall asleep over my book in the evening (and that does not have to do anything with a book being boring). The only book I read was “Other Birds” By Sara Addison Allen so I guess that makes it my best one 😉 No seriously though, I enjoyed reading it!
8 books is a lot of books to read in a month – I don’t know why I feel like it’s not a great monthly average. It’s still more than a book a week! Sigh.
I tend to fall asleep easily when I’m reading, too, so I feel you on that!
I also enjoyed A Mother’s Reckoning (I mean – such a tough book and topic, but I thought it was well written and fascinating while heartbreaking).
I read and loved My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout in October – probably my fav book from the last few months (but it’s also tough and definitely touches on some very difficult topics, which I didn’t realize in advance).
Well-written and fascinating is a good way to describe A Mother’s Reckoning. What a painful thing to go through.
As always you blow me out of the water!
I have never read Christina Lauren, but now… now I think I might need to take the leap. Also Lessons in Chemistry sounds like it is just right for me. So thank you for adding to the TBR… it’s a rather daunting list, and just getting … daunting-ier? 🙂