It’s halfway through November and I finally got my life together and finished putting together my October Wrap up! First of all, how is it HALF WAY THROUGH NOVEMBER? Time goes by too fast. In October, I managed to read 7 books. My favorite read of the month was a tie between “Say Yes to the Marquess” and “Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating”. Keep reading to see what I thought of the seven books I’ve read and leave a comment and tell me what some
of your favorite reads of last month were.
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren- 5 stars
I love “Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating” with all my heart. Is it silly at times and occasionally cringe? Yes, but somehow, it still makes me feel all giddy and happy which is exactly why I picked it up last month when I wanted to treat myself. It’s fun, quick read.
This book was one of my most anticipated fantasy books that I wanted to get to by the end of this year. Unfortunately, it didn’t really wow me. Besides the amazing diversity, I didn’t feel like this book offered anything new. I didn’t like the romance and I didn’t really care for most of the characters. The plot also moved way too slow for my taste. I don’t read many slow books but I don’t think I mind a slow plot but there’s a difference between being slow and good and being slow with no movement whatsoever in the plot. I genuinely felt like nothing happened in the middle of the book, it just felt too flat. The way the middle dragged made the ending feel somewhat rushed and anticlimactic.
Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare- 4.5 stars
This is my first Tessa Dare book and my first mass market paperback romance novel with the half naked guy on the cover. I absolutely LOVED it. It was like reading a soap opera I didn’t know I needed in my life. All I wanted to do the entire time I was flying through this book was to just wrap my arms around Rafe and protect my angry, hurt teddy bear. I loved the characters in this book and I genuinely loved the plot. I loved how the main character in this book wanted to open a brewery, a BREWERY during a time women were being breeded to be mothers, wives, and do more breeding. The relationship between the main love interest was tangible, sensual, and oh my, oh my, the sexual tension. I can write an entire book to declare how much I loved this book.
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell- 4 stars
I loved how this book explored the after. We always read about the main characters literally slaying the evil out of the world but we never get to see what they do after. Rainbow Rowell showed some of our beloved characters in a new light and we got to see how they’ve changed and are adapting from the aftermath. As always, the mental health rep in this book is just amazing. I loved how this book had me hooked from the beginning to the end in comparison to Carry On which made me love it a little more. This book really explored Simon and Baz’s relationship but at the same time, we didn’t get a lot of Simon and Baz, or enough to keep us satisfied. At points, I really wished they’d just talk things out and I think that lack of closure is why it’s not a 5 star read from me. Another reason why this book wasn’t a 5 star read is because the whole magical world we thought we knew from Carry On exploded. There was a lot of information being thrown at us and I wish the book was just a little bit bigger with a little bit more fluffing for us to have a minute to soak it all in.
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage- 4 stars
This book was my first psychological thriller and I’m so glad that it was my first. I didn’t know what to expect going into the book and I think that going in blind is the perfect way to approach this book. I love the themes explored in this book. You don’t know who to dislike or who’s truly to blame. Everyone’s flawed and twisted in their own dark ways. I never read a book about someone who suffered from Crohn’s disease so it was eye opening to read how a medical disability affects and shapes people. It wasn’t a 5 star read for me because it had an open ending and I’m not a huge fan of open endings. It wasn’t too scary for me but It was pretty creepy, a really disturbing type of creepy. There were some mature scenes in this book so if you’re not comfortable with that, be aware going in!
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks- 3.75 stars
This was a fun autumn read. I grew up in the midwest so it was really nostalgic going back and reading about all these autumnal things. It’s been so long since I’ve seen the weather change so drastically and become a lovely shade of orange autumn. While it was cute and fluffy, it was just that for me. I think it was kind of disappointing for me because a lot of people hyped it up with a cute romance… but I didn’t really get the romance?? I thought it was kind of instant and there wasn’t much plot that developed the romance between the two characters. The way the plot was written to be this whirlwind day of autumnal fun and hijinks, it seemed a bit sudden with not much background leading into it. I feel like we were told a lot about the relationship between the two main characters and not really shown which took away from me able to connect with the two. I absolutely loved the GUY though. He was my favorite character and was such a cinnamon roll.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo- 3.75 stars
I thought I was going to hate this book but I really enjoyed it! I really missed this world and I got sucked into the book. If I hadn’t read the Six of Crows series first and started with this book, I don’t think I would have liked it as much. One of the things that made me dislike this book is that I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance in this book and it was a big downer for me. I didn’t mind the Darkling too much. I thought his character was really interesting and mysterious but Mal seemed too possessive and misogynistic for me. I mean don’t get me wrong, both the guys are possessive and weird but you kind of can expect it from someone named the Darkling and the dark, mysterious role he holds but I didn’t like Mal’s character at all. I also wish that I had gone back and taken notes on all the different stages and the entirety of the Grisha hierarchy as well as their powers. I know that her series has a table of contents in the beginning but to be honest, it didn’t give me too much help. I wish I knew and understood and remember the different cloaks and their significance.