October 2019 Reading Wrap-Up
Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!
I know it's a little late, but here is my October wrap-up! I feel like I didn't do very well this month, but I guess we'll let the numbers at the end do the talking. Aside from the fact that I failed both readathons I planned on participating in this month (oops (*takes shot*)), I read a total of 10 books this month--8 novels and 2 short stories/collections--which okay yeah is not my greatest feat. I guess in my defense I was actually doing a lot of socializing this past month? I mean my birthday was the last weekend of October so I basically didn't read anything from like the 25th to Halloween, so...anyway let's get into the books!
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1. Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer (Market of Monsters #1)
Star rating - 3.5/5 stars
Page count - 368 pages
Read from - Oct. 2 to Oct. 3
Thoughts - This was a very good debut novel overall. Call me crazy but I actually really love reading about morally gray and corrupt people, it’s just so interesting. Delving into sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies and whatnot. Schaeffer did so well with conveying that, especially the comfort of said tendencies, which is something I’ve noticed is a side effect of being a sociopath.
The plot was definitely a little chaotic, jumping from one problem to the next. It was very much an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” sort of novel. But the cliffhanger was pretty good and sets up the next book in the series very well, and I’m interested to see where the story will go next.
The friendship was definitely unconventional but I appreciated it, for some reason?
Very gory, I felt vaguely nauseated throughout the entire book, so major trigger warnings for blood and gore and body mutilation and torture. But honestly this was a pretty perfect pick to start my October reading, so I’m not mad at it.
This lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations. On the surface this book follows a traveling Shakespearean troupe and orchestra as they walk from settlement to settlement after the collapse of civilization. But in reality this story follows the lives of people all connected but never knowing how, focusing on their troubles of before and after the apocalypse has happened. And really there’s so much more to it than that, but I feel like this is one of those books that you really just can’t explain. It’s something you have to experience for yourself.
I’m so glad I picked this up. Even reading a book about the end of the world, I’m filled with so much hope of the future.
On one hand, it was very nice to be able to have more content with Simon and Baz and Penelope. I like Shepard a lot and his storyline is so intriguing I could read a whole book about him alone. And I like that Baz finally knows more about vampires, and not just from a mages perspective.
But like, was all that relationship drama really necessary?
Simon and Baz didn’t need to bounce around each other the whole time. And Micah, that plot point was utterly useless. I completely forgot about him literally the moment they left Chicago and I’m pretty sure Penelope did too. Is now a good time to say I’ve always wanted Penelope and Agatha together? I think it’d be wicked.
That cliffhanger bothers me so much though. Like I know that Rowell wrote this with a third book in mind, when she didn’t even want a sequel anyway, so like I get it in a weird convoluted way. But COME ON. It’s one of the most cliched cliffhangers out there—though to be fair I can’t think of a better way to end it. Maybe back in England with Simon having his wings and tail removed, already set up for the next term of uni? Give the boy a break.
AND HE DIDN’T EVEN FIND OUT THE MAGE WAS HIS FATHER. Biggest disappointment honestly.
So, in truth: this is a three star. The plot was average and the drama unneeded. But I’m taking away a star for that ending and the lack of true closure.
Will I still be picking up the third book? Absolutely. I still love my Dramatic Gay Sons™️ after all.
Literally. I just spent the last two hours screaming about this damn book with my parents. Not mad that I hated it, but mad that this book DID THAT.
THEY KILLED THE DAD. HOW COULD THEY KILL THE DAD.
Ugh.
Anyway it was pretty decent once the second half started. I’m still not a huge fan of the MC and the magic system bothers me as a witch, and there were a LOT of revelations of “this person is this person! Wait no you’re wrong, they’re ACTUALLY this person!” I did like that Morgan was a blood witch and was able to stop all the harmful stereotyping Hannah had internalized against her clan, but that’s pretty much it.
Am I going to read the next book? Oh absolutely. I’m invested in Hannah and Morgan’s relationship now, and I want freaking justice for her dad. Ugh I’m so mad about that! This is one of the few YA books out there with a healthy parental relationship where the parents are together and in love and they have a good relationship with each other and their kids and they go ahead and kill the dad. As someone who’s personally very close to her parents and especially my dad, it just hits a little too close to home for me.
So yeah. Three stars, because I can’t give it any higher than that for the problems, but I can’t give it any lower than that because I’m invested.
I’m shooketh.
What did I say at the beginning? Emotional rollercoaster. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel after all that death. Uncle Rick really isn’t holding back in that department, which I suppose is karma considering we as fans were disappointed with the ending of the Giant War, as there weren’t really any casualties, so now he’s just giving ALL the death to us. The realities of war, I suppose.
Still. There were a few characters in there that I was not okay to see pass.
My favorite part of this book HAD to be all the Reyna content. I freaking love Reyna okay? She’s such a badass in every sense of the world. And her decision at the end makes perfect sense (though it ruined a couple of headcanons I had).
I think I’m actually ready for the ending of this world. I’ve been holding on to Percy Jackson for over ten years now, but it seems right that the last book takes place where it all started—New York. Manhattan. Camp Half-Blood. As much as I’m hoping for Percy and Annabeth to have a starring role in the final book, it’s time they have a decent break. Graduate high school. Go to college. Maybe become permanent counselors at CHB, or move to New Rome. Actually no. They deserve to stay Greek.
Wow I got off topic. Oops. Anyways, fantastic as always. Excited for the next and last installment. Yada yada yada.
I know it's a little late, but here is my October wrap-up! I feel like I didn't do very well this month, but I guess we'll let the numbers at the end do the talking. Aside from the fact that I failed both readathons I planned on participating in this month (oops (*takes shot*)), I read a total of 10 books this month--8 novels and 2 short stories/collections--which okay yeah is not my greatest feat. I guess in my defense I was actually doing a lot of socializing this past month? I mean my birthday was the last weekend of October so I basically didn't read anything from like the 25th to Halloween, so...anyway let's get into the books!
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1. Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer (Market of Monsters #1)
Star rating - 3.5/5 stars
Page count - 368 pages
Read from - Oct. 2 to Oct. 3
Thoughts - This was a very good debut novel overall. Call me crazy but I actually really love reading about morally gray and corrupt people, it’s just so interesting. Delving into sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies and whatnot. Schaeffer did so well with conveying that, especially the comfort of said tendencies, which is something I’ve noticed is a side effect of being a sociopath.
The plot was definitely a little chaotic, jumping from one problem to the next. It was very much an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” sort of novel. But the cliffhanger was pretty good and sets up the next book in the series very well, and I’m interested to see where the story will go next.
The friendship was definitely unconventional but I appreciated it, for some reason?
Very gory, I felt vaguely nauseated throughout the entire book, so major trigger warnings for blood and gore and body mutilation and torture. But honestly this was a pretty perfect pick to start my October reading, so I’m not mad at it.
2. Paths: Three Short Horror Stories by Shaun Horton (ONE DAY READ)
Star rating - 3.5/5 stars
Page count - 28 pages
Read - Oct. 6
Thoughts - The three stories were interesting but I’m not sure I would classify them as horror. The first seemed the closest to horror but it was more sad than anything. The second is a time-honored classic of the butterfly effect and how there are fixed points in history that you can’t change no matter what. And the third story just confused me. The nightmares were creepy to read about definitely but I don’t understand the ending, I want to email Horton and ask him to explain the ending so badly!! I guess that means they’re good, if they’re sticking in my brain like that. But yeah as far as horror goes (and I mean I’m not an expert by any means) I wasn’t that scared or unsettled by these stories.
3. Cenote by Shaun Horton (ONE DAY READ)
Star rating - 4/5 stars
Page count - 27 pages
Read - Oct. 6
Thoughts - That was...unsettling. Though I did appreciate a good cryptic horror, especially since we don't get a lot of modern cryptids anymore, which is a shame. Nothing like a giant man-eating octopus to put you to sleep at night!
4. Sheets by Brenna Thummler (ONE DAY READ)
Star rating - 4/5 stars
Page count - 239 pages
Read - Oct. 7
Thoughts - Omg that was so precious!! Not only was the illustration style cute and aesthetically pleasing, but the story was hard hitting as well as being easily consumable for young readers. It talks about grief and loss in ways few middle grade books manage to do well. As well as conquering your fears. I’ll definitely be coming back to Brenna Thummler in the future.
5. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Star rating - 5/5 stars
Page count - 336 pages
Read from - Oct. 4 to Oct. 8
Thoughts - Wow.
This lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations. On the surface this book follows a traveling Shakespearean troupe and orchestra as they walk from settlement to settlement after the collapse of civilization. But in reality this story follows the lives of people all connected but never knowing how, focusing on their troubles of before and after the apocalypse has happened. And really there’s so much more to it than that, but I feel like this is one of those books that you really just can’t explain. It’s something you have to experience for yourself.
I’m so glad I picked this up. Even reading a book about the end of the world, I’m filled with so much hope of the future.
6. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (Simon Snow #1) (REREAD)
Star rating - 4/5 stars
Page count - 522 pages
Read from - Oct. 10 to Oct. 11
Thoughts - Reread Oct 2019 - reading this again in preparation for reading wayward son, which I just bought. I wanted to be familiar with the story once more. I still think SnowBaz is soft and pure, but I feel like I like their characters as individuals more than them as a unit the second time around. I’m trying to keep my expectations for wayward son pretty low, though, since I know that this was meant to be a stand-alone and also the summary of the book seems more like fluff than anything else and while I do love fluff, I feel like I need more than that with Simon and Baz. I don’t know, I feel like they could just get boring if action isn’t happening with them.
7. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell (Simon Snow #2)
Star rating - 2/5 stars
Page count - 368 pages
Read from - Oct. 11 to Oct. 12
Thoughts - I don’t...know how I feel about this??
On one hand, it was very nice to be able to have more content with Simon and Baz and Penelope. I like Shepard a lot and his storyline is so intriguing I could read a whole book about him alone. And I like that Baz finally knows more about vampires, and not just from a mages perspective.
But like, was all that relationship drama really necessary?
Simon and Baz didn’t need to bounce around each other the whole time. And Micah, that plot point was utterly useless. I completely forgot about him literally the moment they left Chicago and I’m pretty sure Penelope did too. Is now a good time to say I’ve always wanted Penelope and Agatha together? I think it’d be wicked.
That cliffhanger bothers me so much though. Like I know that Rowell wrote this with a third book in mind, when she didn’t even want a sequel anyway, so like I get it in a weird convoluted way. But COME ON. It’s one of the most cliched cliffhangers out there—though to be fair I can’t think of a better way to end it. Maybe back in England with Simon having his wings and tail removed, already set up for the next term of uni? Give the boy a break.
AND HE DIDN’T EVEN FIND OUT THE MAGE WAS HIS FATHER. Biggest disappointment honestly.
So, in truth: this is a three star. The plot was average and the drama unneeded. But I’m taking away a star for that ending and the lack of true closure.
Will I still be picking up the third book? Absolutely. I still love my Dramatic Gay Sons™️ after all.
8. These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling (TWDB #1)
Star rating - 3/5 stars
Page count - 336 pages
Read from - Oct. 15 to Oct. 19
Thoughts - ** spoiler alert ** I’m so mad.
Literally. I just spent the last two hours screaming about this damn book with my parents. Not mad that I hated it, but mad that this book DID THAT.
THEY KILLED THE DAD. HOW COULD THEY KILL THE DAD.
Ugh.
Anyway it was pretty decent once the second half started. I’m still not a huge fan of the MC and the magic system bothers me as a witch, and there were a LOT of revelations of “this person is this person! Wait no you’re wrong, they’re ACTUALLY this person!” I did like that Morgan was a blood witch and was able to stop all the harmful stereotyping Hannah had internalized against her clan, but that’s pretty much it.
Am I going to read the next book? Oh absolutely. I’m invested in Hannah and Morgan’s relationship now, and I want freaking justice for her dad. Ugh I’m so mad about that! This is one of the few YA books out there with a healthy parental relationship where the parents are together and in love and they have a good relationship with each other and their kids and they go ahead and kill the dad. As someone who’s personally very close to her parents and especially my dad, it just hits a little too close to home for me.
So yeah. Three stars, because I can’t give it any higher than that for the problems, but I can’t give it any lower than that because I’m invested.
9. The Tyrants Tomb by Rick Riordan (The Trials of Apollo #4) (ONE DAY READ)
Star rating - 5/5 stars
Page count - 528 pages
Read - Oct. 24
Thoughts - I’m—
I’m shooketh.
What did I say at the beginning? Emotional rollercoaster. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel after all that death. Uncle Rick really isn’t holding back in that department, which I suppose is karma considering we as fans were disappointed with the ending of the Giant War, as there weren’t really any casualties, so now he’s just giving ALL the death to us. The realities of war, I suppose.
Still. There were a few characters in there that I was not okay to see pass.
My favorite part of this book HAD to be all the Reyna content. I freaking love Reyna okay? She’s such a badass in every sense of the world. And her decision at the end makes perfect sense (though it ruined a couple of headcanons I had).
I think I’m actually ready for the ending of this world. I’ve been holding on to Percy Jackson for over ten years now, but it seems right that the last book takes place where it all started—New York. Manhattan. Camp Half-Blood. As much as I’m hoping for Percy and Annabeth to have a starring role in the final book, it’s time they have a decent break. Graduate high school. Go to college. Maybe become permanent counselors at CHB, or move to New Rome. Actually no. They deserve to stay Greek.
Wow I got off topic. Oops. Anyways, fantastic as always. Excited for the next and last installment. Yada yada yada.
10. Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns #1.5)
Star rating - 2/5 stars
Page count - 232 pages
Read from - Oct. 19 to Oct. 24
Thoughts - Meh. These are the two short stories based in the Three Dark Crowns series, and I didn't like them nearly as much as the actual novels. Seeing the triplets as young girls just made the books hurt more, after seeing how they were like, and I didn't care a whole lot about the other queens that came before.
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Total page count - 2,984 words
Favorite book of October - The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan
Least favorite book of October - Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
DNF'd books this month - Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh
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Okay, there you have it! Yeesh, I didn't even hit 3,000 words this month. That's just embarrassing. However, I did officially reach my GoodReads goal of 100 books completed!! Woo!!
I'm hoping November will be better, but we'll see. I know for a fact that I'll be reading Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater (*squeals for eternity*) and I'll also be attempting to vlog the whole thing, so keep an eye out for that!
Until next time!
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