My October Monthly Wrap-Up

October was a tough month, not so much for me but for close friends and family. It was a reality check, a reminder to hold close the people I love.

Here’s what I read in October:

• Blue Skies by T.C. Boyle
• Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake
• All Clear by Connie Willis
• Cinnamon & Gunpowder by Eli Brown
• Talking at Night by Claire Daverly
• The Postcard by Anne Berest
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

My favorite reads: 

I loved Talking at Night, a novel recommended in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide.  It reminded me quite a bit of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, but I liked it even better.  You won’t always like the two main characters but I like a book that can make me root for people even when they are driving me crazy.

The Postcard is a novel that’s really nonfiction, about the author’s family history in the Holocaust. I think the author wanted to take some license with dialogue and locations but nearly all of it is based on fact. It’s a perfect (though horrible) companion to The Choice, and I plan to write about both books for Nonfiction November.

All Clear is the fantastic sequel to Connie Willis’ Blackout.  Willis’ stories are full of “time travel gone wrong” but this book really embraces the idea of what it means to potentially disrupt historical outcomes. I don’t like time travel stories that are so circular they make my head hurt, but Willis has the perfect mix of fantastic historical detail and science fiction exploration.

I read Island of the Blue Dolphins because I needed a Newbery award winner for my 52 Book Club challenge. I love books about nature and living in the wilderness, and this book was lovely, though the ending made me a bit sad. I was also a little concerned about a white male representing the story of a native woman, but it didn’t raise concerns as I was reading it. She’s an incredibly strong character.

Disappointing reads:

Cinnamon & Gunpowder was perfectly entertaining but not terribly memorable. 

On the blog:

I reviewed The Blue Castle and Blue Skies. I wrote about my trip to Europe, my remaining reading goals, recommendations for Hispanic Heritage Month, and my top ten atmospheric books for Halloween reading.

Books for challenges:

• TBR Pile/Backlist Reader: All Clear
• Nature/Environment: Island of the Blue Dolphins, Blue Skies
• 52 Book Club: All Clear (a secondhand book), Island of the Blue Dolphins (Newbery winner)
• Reading Around the World: The Postcard (France)

What I’m reading now:

I’m reading/listening to Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time. I also have The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean.

What’s coming up:

I’ve got two ARCs to read, The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher and So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan. Then Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero.

Added to my TBR: 

I picked up a pile of books at my library’s used book sale – I love the last day of the sale when you can fill a bag for $10. It’s an opportunity to grab what looks good, and I figure I’ll just donate what I don’t read. I’m particularly happy to have scored a copy of Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland.

Things that made me happy this month:

The return of Baking Show and Sex Education. Warm weather and beautiful fall foliage. Quiet time at home with Mr. CG, Max and Jasper. Getting some of our home improvements done. Pumpkin pie smoothies.

In November we’ll be visiting family in Boston and thinking about the holidays (and dreading the cold weather). I hope you’re enjoying your fall and reading something good!