Books I Read
My first read of the month was the creepy dystopian novel, Maternal Instinct by Rebecca Bowyer, where birth is state sanctioned and being one to raise a child is only possible if that is your qualified career. This ARC was an amazing read that felt like something of a blend between The Handmaid's Tale and 1984. It was fantastically written and I just did NOT want to put it down. I finished it in it's entirety in just a few days while I was on a family vacation. I squeezed in reading time every evening because I just HAD to know what was going to happen.
I continued my dystopian reading with Conclusion by Peter Robertson. This was a combination of sci-fi and mystery/thriller. An ARC with a very intriguing premise, it unfortunately left me unfulfilled. Individuals in this society are frequently given predetermined death dates, or "conclusions", after a medical procedure called a "weld". However, it seems that perhaps not all of society is adhering to these dates and perhaps there are some who have been said to have died who still remain. The writing was good and I did enjoy the read somewhat (DNF was never a consideration), but it didn't seem like the premise that so captivated me was used to its full possibility. As with the plot, the supporting characters needed more development and I didn't feel that the book moved in a cohesive and believable way. Things just fell a little flat for my tastes.
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert was well on its way to being my favorite of the month. Unfortunately it was beaten out near the very end. Regardless, the was a FANTASTIC book that I adored all the way through. I listened to it on audio and it was the perfect creepy read/listen for October. This YA fantasy read is a something like a quirky fairy tale retelling, but the fairy tales are all dark and evil. It read very easy but was full of magnificent world-building and detail with magical writing. There is a sequel set to release in January 2020 and I CANNOT WAIT to be able to read that one as well!
I needed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander (J.K. Rowling). After the disaster that is The Cursed Child, I required some restoration in my faith for the Harry Potter universe. This did it. Fantastic Beasts provides a full display of Rowling's creativity and the magic she can weave with her imagination. It was short, sweet, and entertaining.
Unfortunately, this ARC with the pretty cover was one of my lowest rated books of the month. Drica Pinotti's My Crazy (Sick) Love irritated me more than it entertained me. The premise sounded promising, but within a chapter I was already annoyed by the main character and the little supplementary title. The title felt pretentious (it also proved incorrect). If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, the subtitle for this book is "A Delightful Laugh-Out-Loud Romantic Comedy". The main character, Amanda, is a hypochondriac, and she gave me severe anxiety. It was probably a rather accurate portrayal, but was NOT pleasant to read. Though the writing style was good and there were some good bits of creativity, there were too many places where it felt the plot wandered off into nothingness and then randomly picked up somewhere else. Nope. This one was not for me.
The good news is that, with such a busy reading month, I was pretty well assured that things would come along to rescue me from potential bad reads. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott was one of those rescue books. Something reminiscent of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, this YA contemporary centers on teenage cystic fibrosis patients. Based on a real couple, albeit loosely, this story feels well developed, with emotional reactions and dialogue true to the age of the characters. The narrative paints a realistic picture that isn't overly fluffy, nor does it stray into being too dramatic or hard to believe. It is a very good and balanced emotional read.
The Weaver by Heather Kindt is the first in a new adult fantasy trilogy. I received it as an ARC after I became interested in its premise, wherein the protagonist is a weaver, a writer whose works can create bridges with the real world. The narrative was smooth, though (as other readers have observed) there is a bit of unoriginal trope approach to the interactions between characters. Something of a mean girls presence does make the plot feel slightly more juvenile than I would have liked. In addition, there was a bit more of a romance element to the plot than I am typically interested in. However, I did enjoy the fantastical element of the plot and the writing enough that I am interested in the upcoming sequels.
I started When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore back in September. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish it due to some other commitments. I returned to the read in October and finished it up easily. This magical realism novel wasn't as powerful for me as McLemore's The Weight of Feathers, but it was still a beautiful story. Drawing on McLemore's personal experiences as well as those of her spouse, this story deals with some hard-hitting topics in a beautifully developed setting. Her writing continues to be melodic and fantastical with a well-developed story and thoroughly constructed primary characters. The ending is wonderful, with immense emotional content. Though not a perfect read, it was pretty darned good.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green was my biggest surprise read of the month. Unless it's dystopian, I typically don't do sci-fi. In addition, I'm not a big fan of space reads. But I freaking loved this book. I listened it on audio, which I think made the experience even better, as it is told in a kind of journal style. The narrative is entertaining and thought provoking, using a fantastical event to explore and evaluate some modern situations. There was a lot to think about throughout the story and I found the book sticking with me throughout the day, even when I had put it down hours prior. The characters were so realistic and well thought out and the plot was super immersive with great writing. I enjoyed the ending quite a bit and I am looking forward to the sequel, which should be coming out sometime in the next year or so (he has just finished the first draft). This one needs to find a home on my shelf and will be a good candidate for a reread in the future.
It's always unfortunate for the books that follow 5-star reads, having so much to live up to after a great read. But sometimes it really doesn't matter what they follow, they just aren't my style. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes was one of those books. This was a book club read and I just did NOT enjoy it. I found it pretentious and boring and would have DNF'd it had it not been a book club book. And apparently, my other book club members felt the same. It wound up getting a group wide average of 3.5 out of 10 stars. One woman in the group actually gave it a -2. I actually had a good chuckle at that. It's really just one of those books that I could only see being a book for a literary analysis class. It isn't an enjoyment type of book (at least not in my mind), it's instead one to ponder and dissect. It wasn't interesting enough for me to put in the time or effort that would be needed to get something more out of its pages. No thanks.
The good news is that the remainder of the month made up for the abysmal book club read. Scars Like Wings by Erin Stewart was a beautiful YA contemporary that had my heart in my throat. Following Ava Lee's "reintegration" into high school life after a house fire that left her orphaned and heavily scarred, the story is written like a more mature Wonder. The writing was perfect for the teenage voice and I felt the emotions displayed on the page as Ava experienced her day-to-day life. I was very impressed by the realistic approach to the topic, not shying away from the realities of high school experience or physical disfigurement and its effect on a teenage psyche. I read this in two days' time because I could not put it down. It's wonderful and I will be on the lookout for more from Erin Stewart.
I grabbed The Dutch House by Ann Patchett on a whim. I wasn't initially interested, but put myself on the audio hold list from my library after hearing it come up in several literary conversations. That was a seriously good decision. The audiobook is narrated by Tom Hanks and he did a great job with it. Though the story itself is really well done, Hanks as the protagonist, Danny (who narrates the entire story), just made everything better. The writing and the dialogue are excellent and the narrative is a sweeping family drama told in a non-linear fashion. Some readers may have issue with this approach and could potentially get lost in the story because of this, but I personally found that this shifting narrative added more layers to the narrative and made it even more intriguing. It was very much worth the read and is particularly great for anyone who loves a character-driven plot with family drama.
And then I was gutted. I picked up The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris as my last read of October so I would be ready to read her sequel, Cilka's Journey, this month. I had previously put off this book several times, never feeling prepared for a heavy emotional read. And I was right to be worried. This was a soul crusher. Discovering that the story is actually largely based on the true story of one man's experiences just made reading this novel even more involved. The pages are full of beautiful writing with moments of levity and love. Yes, there are atrocious horrors in gut-wrenching detail, but there are also moments taking place that just filled me with wonder at the humanity that can still remain even in the most horrible circumstances. This book broke my heart and put it back together again with lasting damage from its impact. There is no preparing for this one.
And there you have it, the sixteen books of October. The best and the worst, running the gamut of genres. There are a lot of good books in this bunch. Hopefully you can find one that will make your TBR. What books have caught your eye?
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