I had such good feedback from my first monthly book recap last month!! Thanks for all the support, guys – I can’t wait to show you what I read this month. Even though I don’t really love Halloween, I thought it would be fun to read books this month that sort channeled the Halloween spirit – things that are spooky or magical, etc. I read six books total and three of them were actually for our PPG podcast (we read a series for book club this month).

the invisible life of addie larue

The first book that I read this month was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. This is a book that I’d heard a lot of buzz about throughout this year and that I’d had on e-loan from the library several times before I actually sat down to read it. The story is about a young woman named Addie LaRue who makes a bargain for freedom & more time to live in exchange for her soul. Little does she know that the bargain is actually a curse – one where the eternal life she is given to live is one in which she is forgotten; literally unable to be remembered by anyone around her the moment she leaves their presence. I’m actually kind of glad that I waited until now to read it because there is definitely a dark, evil spirit/demon aspect to this book which made it perfect for October & Halloween. It wasn’t creepy or scary .. think Princess & The Frog and the deal that Prince Naveen makes with the Shadow Man or whatever his name is. Anyway, I found myself really drawn into the story because obviously the plot sets itself up to be one in which there is no happy ending … and yet, I feel like the author somehow managed to give good closure and a (somewhat) happy ending. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

caraval trilogy

The second (and third, fourth) book(s) I read was Caraval and its sequels (Legendary, Finale). This series is what my podcast cohost & I chose for our October book club pick so you’re going to have to go listen to this month’s podcast episode to hear our thoughts on each individual book and the trilogy as a whole 😉

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the paris library

My fifth book this month was The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. This book was recommended to me by my podcast cohost Jensine because it’s historical fiction and about a LIBRARIAN (both things that I absolutely adore!). I loved that it gave me The Nightingale vibes a la Kristin Hannah (who is one of my favorite non YA authors). The timeline of the book skips back and forth between WWII torn Paris and 1980s America. There is a connection between the main characters of both timelines and it was a beautifully written story about friendship and difficult decisions. I will say that there were parts of the plot that didn’t feel as compelling as other books in this historical fiction genre (that specifically borrow from the WWII time period) and for that reason, this book lands at a solid ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ and a half for me!

meet me in another life

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey was my last read this month and … wow, I don’t really know how to rate this book/review it without giving away major spoilers. This is one of those books that if you give too much of the plot away, you’ll end up revealing the whole thing but all I will say is that it reminded me of a very famous movie. I can’t name which movie though hahahaha because it’ll make the entire story & twist very obvious. But … if you read it and want to know what movie I’m thinking of, leave a comment! This book follows two main characters, Thora & Santi, who keep dying and finding each other over and over again in different lives. Their relationships with one another change throughout the various lifetimes … sometimes they’re lovers, sometimes they’re teacher & student, sometimes they’re boss & employee, one time they’re even siblings lol! That’s all I’ll reveal about the book other than the entire story is about how these two keep meeting in different lifetimes and ……yea. Sorry to be cryptic. It was an interesting read but I don’t know that it’s my usual style. I actually don’t remember why I even have this book – it’s on loan from the library and (😬) I’ve had it since June. Someone MUST have recommended it to me because it’s not like me to randomly check out a book I’ve never heard of? But I don’t remember who or what they said about it that convinced me to read it. Anyway, I finally decided it was time to return it so I forced myself to sit and read it. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because even though it’s not my usual reading style, it was compelling enough halfway through that I ended up staying up super late to finish it. It’s one of those books that really makes you THINK and you know, I prefer books that give me solid conclusions and happy endings so that’s probably why it only got 3 stars from me. If you like philosophical books, you might like this more than I did though!

That’s all for October! I can’t wait to share what I read next month because it’s the HOLIDAYS and I loooove getting cozy and reading by the fireplace when the house is all decorated and festive.

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