October 2018 Wrap Up

Good afternoon, book nerds!  

As y’all know from yesterday’s I.M. T.H.A.N.K.F.U.L. post, tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the States. Usually I’d be spending my day divided between 3 family meals, but this year I’ll only be attending ONE (on Thursday), which means I’ll get to spend some solo time with the hubby on our 4-YEAR-WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! 💖 I repeat this news from yesterday to basically explain my lack of presence online tomorrow. But trust that I’ll be back in action on Friday to see what y’all are up to for these crazy #bookish Black Friday sales!! And as we’re approaching the end of November — still cannot believe that — I’m sure you’re expecting to see people’s NOVEMBER wrap ups, but it wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t a tiny bit behind. So without further ado let’s dive into my OCTOBER 2018 Wrap Up! 😂 One of these days y’all…

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October Reads (Full RsTC):

1) City of Bones by Cassandra Clare  – 3 STARS 

I’m certain some of you saw this an instantly assumed this was a last-minute attempt to reread the series in preparation for Queen of Air and Darkness to which I say: IF ONLY! The truth is I’m THE LAST PERSON to read this series book in the literary community, but at least now I can say I did it! I conquered a Clare read. And while this book is nowhere near as bad as the “haters” claim it to be, it didn’t shine as brightly as it might have had I read it back in my teens. I will continue on (because you know…hype…) but probably at a leisurely pace.

2) The Lost Sisters by Holly Black  – 4.5 STARS  

As with CoB, this novella was selected for one of the prompts for the 5-Star Readathon that I participated in at the start of the month. Told in letter format, this short story sparked so many memories from The Cruel Prince (now from Taryn’s perspective) and got me even more excited for The Wicked King. And while I don’t think this changed my opinion of Taryn (I still think she’s a jealous, attention-starved whiner with capital D daddy issues), it did help me understand her — and her ways of coping in Elfhame. I might not like it at the end of the day, but it doesn’t mean she’s wrong. And if given the choice of flee, fight, or fit in I’m certain a lot of us would wind up in Taryn’s shoes.

3) Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett  – 4.5 STARS

Keeping with the trend of 5-Star Readathon selections, this little gem was completed in practically one sitting on a lazy Saturday afternoon. There’s something so light and infectious about the characters and worlds Bennett’s able to craft that I find totally irresistible. Once I’ve read the opening line I often find myself lost among the pages, and that level of escapism is such a rare joy to find and achieve. To be fair, her books always have a little drama that’s too over-the-top for my taste (which keeps it from hitting that coveted 5-Star rating), but the swoon-worthy romances always make these contemporaries worth the effort.

4) Vicious by L.J. Shen (reread) – 4 STARS

After reading The Lost Sisters, and being reminded of Jude and Cardan’s rocky journey, I found myself chomping at the bit for some extra tense, enemies-to-lovers vibes. When I found Vicious (TCP’s dark contemporary counterpart) on sale via Audible it seemed like a no-brainer fix to my itch. This story was just as enjoyable — and problematic — a second time around. But if you can separate real life from fiction and just enjoy it for what it is, I think you’ll find this read is anything but heartless.

5) The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (reread) – raised to 5 STARS

Black’s novella, while enjoyable, showed me just how many details had slipped my mind since my January read of TCP; a startling discovery that required immediate action. I was fearful that this reread would lessen my love for this world, but my reentry into Elfhame just made me fall even harder. The twists and turns still kept my interest and actually caused me to raise my initial rating.

6) ARC: The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk – 3 STARS 

Here’s the thing: I love music-centric stories and I’m a total sucker for sappy reads. To sum: this story should have been my everything. I don’t know if I went in with too high expectations, but I’m pretty sure this is a classic case of “right book, wrong person.” The material is real and raw, but ultimately the read fell flat for me. Check out my full review — and all the books redeeming qualities — here!

7) Pride by Ibi Zoboi – 3.75 STARS

I wrapped up October with this Pride and Prejudice remix that seems to be landing in the “love it or hate it” category on Goodreads. And I can honestly understand why. Pride introduces us to a borderline unlikable narrator, Zuri, that requires a deeper look to understand her actions. Ultimately, I think the ending justifies the means of this retelling and if you find yourself looking for a modern-day revamped classic, I’d give Zuri’s voice a chance. Check out my full review here!!

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At A Glance…

📖Books Read: 7  

5-Star Reads: 📚

4.5-Star Reads: 📚📚

4-Star Reads: 📚

3.75-Star Reads:📚

3-Star Reads:📚📚

🌟Average Rating: 3.39 Stars 

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Beyond Books…

4 Book(ish) Tag Posts: Disney Channel Halloween Movies Tag, Three Day Lyrical Challenge Day 1, Three Day Lyrical Challenge Day 2, & Three Day Lyrical Challenge Day 3

2 Top Ten Tuesday posts: Author Meet & Greets & Longest Books I’ve Ever Read

2 First Lines Friday posts: – FLF #10 & FLF #11 – Can’t disclose titles obviously 😉

2 Book Reviews: ARC: The Beauty That Remains & Pride

2 5-Star Readathon Posts: TBR & Wrap Up

1 Book Haul: September 2018 Book Haul

and

1 Wrap Up: September 2018 Wrap Up

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So there you have it: my October in a nutshell. How did y’all do? Did you read a lot? Post a lot? A little bit of both? Have you read, loved, or hated any of the books I crossed off my list? Let me know below! 

And, as always, Happy Reading and Happy Thanksgiving!!

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