October Reading Wrap Up

I filled October with the most atmospheric, fall festive, witchy loving novels I could find. This is truly my reading season. I very much enjoy curling up with a good book when its dark by 6pm. Let's dive in to the books I inhaled this month.

CHAIN OF THORNS (THE LAST HOURS #3)

Cassandra Clare

794 pages

3.75 stars

Chain of Thorns is the third installment in Clare's latest Shadowhunters trilogy.  While it's hard to give a summary to the conclusion without spoiling the story (and we don't have enough time to even try to begin to dive into the back story), I will say her writing seems to be struggling a bit recently.  As an absolute die hard fan of Clare's work, I don't say that lightly.  She seems to edit her books less and recycle situations and relationships. Hopefully her last storyline, The Wicked Powers, within this vastly expansive and fleshed out world will leave us satisfied.

WEYWARD

Emilia Hart

329 pages

4.25 stars

In the early 1600s, Altha is accused and tried of being a witch.  In the wake of World War Two, Violet is the victim cruel men.  In present day, Kate flees to an abandoned family cottage to escape a dangerously abusive relationship. I really enjoyed this family saga that followed the female bloodline of witches over 400 years.  Emilia Hart weaves the lives of these three women seamlessly through magical realism and lyrical writing.  I would highly recommend reading this book in the late spring or early summer time, opposed to autumn.  It is a perfectly atmospheric spring read that will stick with you for days to come.

LOATHE TO LOVE YOU

Ali Hazelwood

370 pages 

4 stars

Loathe To Love You is the compilation of three enemies-to-lovers short stories.  I enjoyed this for exactly what it is, a predictable, trope filled time that followed a formula.  It was the perfect light read and would be an excellent pallet cleanser when needed.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? (THE CHRONICLES OF ST. MARY'S #6)

Jodi Taylor

418 pages

4.25 stars

The sixth installment of The Chronicles of St. Mary's is exactly what I love about the novel--historical fiction with a wicked sense of humor.  What Could Possibly Go Wrong? visits Joan of Arc, Stone Age hunters, medieval England, and ancient Greece.  I adore this series because I love the ability to dip in and out of the over-arcing story.  I have been fitting these novels in randomly over the past two years and absolutely love them each time I pick them up.  The world building has expanded and the characters story lines are being developed for the long term.

THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES

Sangu Mandanna

318 pages

5 stars

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a warm cup of tea on a chilly October evening.  For lovers of The House in the Cerulean Sea, this novel follows a very real witch disguised in every day England named Mika Moon.  We follow her on her journey of found family, romantic love, and acceptance of who she is as she saves three young witches from repeating her own past.  There are strong Sabrina the Teenaged Witch vibes and I loved every second.

VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE

Isabel Canas

371 pages 

4.5 stars

I started this book the night of Halloween, and I could not have picked a more fitting creepy atmospheric read if I tried.  Vampires of El Norte follows the daughter of a wealthy ranch owner and one of the young workers on the border of Mexico during the Texas-American war.  Canas blends a historical romance with fantastical elements that impacts the outcome of history and the romance.  The story captured my attention the entire time and I couldn't wait to jump into it every time I set it down.

MONTHLY STATS

6 books

2600 Pages

4.3 Average Star Rating