Ten days late, but I’m here with my October reading update! This latter section of year has been rough on ye olde reading challenge, but I felt like I started to get my groove back in October. I made a lot of progress in the reading challenge books I was reading, and though I didn’t get to finish any in October, I’ve already checked several off the list so far this month.

October Reading

1. A Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris (#2 Gunnie Rose) I really enjoyed this short series. It’s well done, engaging, and a very unique universe/plot line. Blended alternate history and fantasy, with a gutsy heroine and lots of action, these books were a quick, immersive reading experience.
2. Pep Talks for Writers by Grant Faulkner A very motivating read. Still working on implementation but it’s a process. This was very encouraging and had actionable advice, which is sometimes harder to come by.
3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. Classic, always a favorite. I started rereading the series a few months ago. One of my favorite series of all times.
4. Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman Set on Oahu, Radar Girls focuses on the women who took over manning radar transmissions in the early days of American involvement during the second world war. I particularly loved this book for the landscape. It’s been almost a decade since we lived in Hawaii, but I loved recognizing the scenery and places through the book.
5. The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris (#3 Gunnie Rose) Finishing off this series. It ended well, and I felt like everything was resolved satisfactorily.
6. The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O’Neal English countryside, an estate in disrepair and a plethora of family secrets. I love stories that unfold like a cleverly done piece of origami, and this was like that. Very cozy, and intriguing with a satisfying conclusion.
7. When I Found You by Brenda Novak Unremarkable chick flick fiction. Sometimes you just want a easy, fluffy read with a feel-good ending. This fit the bill, but was nothing special beyond that.
8. The Bookseller’s Secret by Michelle Gable. Historical fiction about a real historical character is always an interesting take on the classic mantras. Since I haven’t read anything about Nancy Mitford, and particularly haven’t read the book that is central to this story, that part was a little lost on me, but I really enjoyed this book nonetheless. It had the classic secret and discovery on dual timelines theme, which is a favorite for me.
9. The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn This was probably the most interesting fiction read of the month. Esther is a woman shaken by what we would recognize today as postartum depression, amplified by grief, but in the late 1940s. Against her wishes, her husband commits her to an ‘asylum’ to attempt to recover. The story takes off from there, and I was totally riveted. It would be a great book club read as it raises plenty of moral/ethical questions.
10. The Magnolia Sisters by Michelle Major Another chick flick read, but I appreciated that the central values in this particular book revolved more around family and the value of sisters.

Heading into November

I’m focused on finishing out the schole sisters 5×5 reading challenge. I have 4 books left, at my last count, and am so excited to meet that goal for once. My bulk reading goal, on the other hand, is seeming sketchier and more unattainable with every day that passes. I’m currently sitting at 105 books read, and my goal was set at 130. That’s a lot of books to read in basically a month and a half. But, we do have some school breaks coming up, and I do some of my best reading on Christmas break… so we shall see.

How is your reading year looking, as we go into the last 7ish weeks before the new year?