October Wrap-Up
Hey bookworms! It’s the end of spooky season and I read way more books than I thought I would because I started school this month and still worked XD. In order to make my list more organized I’m going to categorize my reads into my own personal library, Netgalley eARCs, other ARCs, and Audible audiobooks. I will add a link to each book’s synopsis which I will get from Goodreads or Audible.
My Library
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Review:
So this book was initially a cover buy and it was a great deal from Costco so I couldn’t resist. I wasn’t sure if I would like the story but once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I loved this book. I loved reading about all the ghosts in the graveyard and how they were basically one big family to Bod. I loved reading the little stories about Bod growing up like the chapter on his lessons with Miss Lupescu *check spelling* and when he tried to get a gravestone for the witch *also check name*. The sense of community was just so heartwarming to read about.
5/5🌟
Campfire by Shawn Sarles
Review:
This book…omg. It started off a bit slow with some backstory and all the scary stories told around the campfire, but then the final third of the book was non-stop action and I literally could not put the book down. My bf kept trying to get my attention but I was like “Nope. Book. Only book.” 😂 I loved reading the campfire scary stories because they were definitely creepy, but what happened to the Maddie and her family on the camping trip was way more messed up and creepy than any of the campfire stories. Y’all, this book got GRAPHIC. Such descriptive gory bits and murder scenes. It was a perfect book to read for the Halloween season!
4.5/5🌟
Netgalley
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Review:
Let me tell y'all, this graphic novel was lit. This was a very feminist story about a queer POC. This story taught me a lot about being queer, the issues women face in the world, and how to be a good ally as a white person to POC. Juliet's story was so inspiring and emotional and just so great. I absolutely loved the artwork as well. I seriously highly recommend this to everyone 😍 I can barely explain how much I love this book so just go read it!
6/5🌟
Lemonade Code by Jarod Pratt
Review:
This book was a meh for me. I thought the art was really well done and I loved all the different character designs especially Dr. Mama’s. The story was a bit confusing for me. I like how the scientific and computer terms were explained in simpler terms in the beginning but once Robbie started talking about codes and the fairyflies were introduced to the story it just went downhill and made my brain hurt. Also Robbie was such an annoying character and I thought he seemed very egotistical. He definitely deserved that lecture from Dr. Mama by the end of the book!
2.5/5🌟
Un/Sacred Complete Collection by Mirka Andolfo
Review:
I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel. When I saw the cover I knew I had to check this out and the story did not disappoint. The sketches and different versions of cover art were also included and those were really neat to see. This was such a cute, yet extremely raunchy story. I loved all the R-rated humour and definitely laughed multiple times while reading. The characters were all portrayed so perfectly and had great personalities. It was so nice to read through Angelina and Damiano's relationship from when they first met to establishing their life together. I also love how Damiano's demon parents were kinder and more supportive of their relationship than Angelina's angel mother. You would think that the angels would have a better attitude so it was interesting to see this contrast. Overall this was a really cute story and I love the art style!
4/5🌟
How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess
Review:
I was always curious about asexuality and this book was perfect for teaching me more about it. I thought Rebecca's story was really eye-opening and emotional. I liked all the asexual facts shown after each chapter along with the list of resources and similar book recommendations at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book if you'd like to learn more about the ace community and asexuality 😊
5/5🌟
Lab Partners by Mora Montgomery
Review:
AMAZING BOOK! I have had this book on my Netgalley library since the beginning of time and I don't know why it took me so long to read it. I wish I read it sooner because damn this was a great book 😍 Eli and Jordan were just so cute and the chemistry was just ...ugh 😍 I also loved how Eli loved to cook cause yay food. This was a great book about self discovery and the struggles LGBTQ+ members face with bullying and hate crimes and coming out. What happened to Eli and Jordan was heartbreaking but I'm glad with how the book ended. I also really loved the support from Eli's family and Holiday. Overall this was an amazing book and I highly recommend it!
6/5🌟
Other ARCs
Shades of the City by Danielle K Roux
Review:
Thank you Parliament House Press for the eARC! This is the second book after ‘This Will Kill That’. Once again, I thought the characters were all really well written and relatable. I’m so happy there was more of Alan and Kazuki! But there are some TWs about self harm regarding Alan so be aware of that if you choose to read this book. Again, the plot flowed really well so there was non-stop action. I like how Roux’s form of storytelling is to give the readers lots of questions in the beginning and slowly reveal the answers throughout the books. As Shrek would say, this book is like an onion with all of its layers 😂 There are many flashbacks scattered throughout the story which help the reader understand the backstory of the characters and certain events. Also this story really ends with a bang so I’m excitedly awaiting the final book in this trilogy!
4/5🌟
This is Not a Ghost Story by Andrea Portes
Review:
Thank you Harper Collins Teen for the eARC! I blew through this book and literally read it in one day! I enjoyed the 1st person style of narration and it really helped me get into Daffodil’s head. I loved her character but I thought her relationship with Zander was a bit random because it was very insta-love on his part. Also you would think that there would have been some backlash from Chelsea, Daffodil’s friend, because she had been crushing hard on Zander. I thought Penelope Persephone Crisp’s character was very entertaining to read. But holy crap that ending. I was not expecting that at all and it lowkey blew my mind. I loved it! This book is such a quick and easy read with an entertaining and twisty story. Perfect for spooky season!
5/5🌟
Audible
The Indignities of Being a Woman by Merril Markoe and Megan Koester
Review:
I'm so happy I found this book on Audible because it was such an entertaining and educational book on the indignities women have faced throughout history. This isn't supposed to be a super accurate historical source but I learned a lot from it regardless. I thought that all the topics Megan and Merrill discussed were super relevant and relatable. Listening to the indignities made me so frustrated with how the world is today for women and how we still have a long way to go for equality, rights to our own bodies, etc. The humour throughout this book was lit and I loved it so much. There were some parts where Merrill experiences flashbacks or time travel, I thought those parts were a bit random but were still pretty funny. All the sass and sarcasm dripping from Merrill and Megan’s tone was so great. I never really read non-fiction books but this was so great and I highly recommend it to everyone 😍
4.5/5🌟
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Review:
I have been wanting to read this for forever so when I saw it on Audible for free, I added it to my library right away. This was such an interesting story about how people are supposed to conform to society’s norms, and if they don’t they are seen as an outcast. Shiraha’s character was so disturbing because his personality was so garbage but the things he said about the Stone Age and societal norms scarily made some sense. I loved the comparison of the convenience store to a living thing and all the food made me crave going to a Japanese convenience store. Keiko’s character was so well written and it was cool to see her thoughts throughout the book. Overall this was a really interesting book but I really hated Shiraha 😂
3.5/5🌟
