Hey guys! Today I am sharing my October wrap up and I’m pleased to say that I read more than I did last month. Last month I only managed four books, but in October I read seven books and I enjoyed all of them so it was a successful month. Also, I completed my reading challenge, yay! Here’s what I read:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab: I dived right into this at the start of the month and it didn’t take me long to read at all. While it’s not my favourite Schwab book, I did really enjoy it and I was completely captivated by the characters. Everyone probably knows what it’s about by now, but it follows Adeline LaRue, a girl who’s born in the wrong time and place. Desperate to escape marriage, she makes a deal with the devil – she agrees to let him have her soul when she doesn’t want it anymore. We get to see Addie go on epic adventures starting from 1714 all the way up to 2014. It was such a powerful and unforgettable story.
Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass: This is definitely a contender for one of my favourite thrillers of 2020. It starts with the flourishing career of talented psychologist Faith Finley, but then the story takes a darker turn after one of her patients accuses her of sexual assault and her career is left in tatters. It leans heavily on the unreliable narrator trope (one of my favourite tropes) as Faith turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism. She also starts to do her own investigating; she’s fighting to prove her innocence while also hunting for the person who wants to ruin her. It was so gripping and I loved the ending.
One by One by Ruth Ware: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ruth Ware just keeps getting better and better. I read this entire book in one sitting. I was completely hooked and couldn’t stop turning the pages. I did think there was slightly too many characters to keep track of, but the murder mystery was excellent. I was left floored by the killer’s identity and I loved how fast-paced it got towards the end. Another excellent book by Ware! The book is about a group of shareholders and directors of Snoop, a new music app, gathering for a make-or-break corporate retreat at a ski resort. But when an avalanche cuts them off and board members turn up dead, they’re forced to ask if someone in their group would resort to murder to get what they want.
Pleasant Grove by Jason Price: This is a sci-fi middle grade so a little different to what I normally read but it was great. I loved the story so much and I already can’t wait to reread it. It’s about a town that’s enclosed in a dome and the children are told that no one can leave or enter the dome because no one can survive outside of it. But when 12-year-old Agnes Goodwin discovers a strange boy with no memory claiming to have come from outside the dome, she teams up with her friends to unravel the mystery. It was a really fun story and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I was so curious about how their town had come to be enclosed in a dome and why no one can survive outside of it. I had lots of theories about it but none that were as surprising as the actual reason. It was so shocking and I really hope there’s a sequel because the ending leaves it open for one!
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust: I had good feelings about this one and I’m pleased to say I loved it! I’ve heard mixed reviews about the author but this story was really great. It’s about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse. I was just begging for her to embrace her powers and I loved the message at the end. I thought that was a great way to end the book and I’m so glad it’s a standalone rather than a series. It worked really well on its own.
The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare: I’m so sad about this one. I was expecting to rate it five stars like I did Red Scrolls, but it didn’t live up to the first book, unfortunately. The first book was solely about Alec and Magnus and it was great, it’s what made me love the story so much. However, I felt that The Lost Book of the White moved away from their relationship and it just became another book lumped in with The Mortal Instruments series. It wasn’t what I wanted and I grew a bit bored while I was reading it. I really hope the third book goes back to being about Alec and Magnus.
Lockdown by Peter May: I’ve been wanting to read this one ever since it was published! I was so curious about the story as it takes place in the middle of a pandemic and everyone in London is living in quarantine. It’s quite eerie since we are also in the middle of a pandemic, albeit a different one. It paints a very dark picture and it’s hard to imagine how the London in this world could recover from the virus. Alongside that, D.I. Jack MacNeil is investigating a murder after construction workers find a bag containing the rendered bones of a child. Despite how dark and chilling the setting was, I actually enjoyed this and took a liking to MacNeil. I’m curious to see what Peter May’s other books are like now!
Even though I didn’t get to read all the books I wanted to, I’m still happy with the overall number and I can relax a bit now that I’ve completed my reading challenge! What books did you read in October? I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you so much for reading!
Divine World of Books 