Welcome to my first end of month reading wrap up! This month I managed to read six books, although to be fair two of them were novellas, which is not what I normally reach for. Not to mention both novellas were both science fiction–if you have ever been in a book club with me then you KNOW that’s not my go-to genre. This month turned out to offer a surprisingly eclectic mix of books that I was ultimately really satisfied with. I have managed to avoid a reading slump this year and have read 59 out of 75 books for the year.
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz, 3.75 stars
Classed as “cozy fiction”, this quirky little novella really brought me along for the ride. Four robots (and a human) embark on a mission to make San Francisco’s most delicious bowl of noodles. This clever social commentary will make your heart warm and your belly hungry.
Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess, 3.75 stars
I always love a good travel novel, and this charming tale set in the English countryside was exactly what the doctor ordered. Cath travels to England on a nonrefundable trip to solve a fake murder, gifted to her posthumously by her absentee mother. Cath and her teammates set out to solve the town’s “murder” while simultaneously investigating the mystery of why her mother bought her the trip in the first place. Think: Great British Bake Off vibes meets Agatha Christie.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, 3.25 stars
This book was chosen as the October pick from my “Read with Pride” LGBTQ+ book club at my local library. Here’s a shocking confession from a bibliophile: I would rather read about classic books than read them sometimes. However, the prose was more digestible than most from this time period, and I felt myself falling as deeply into the story as Dorian Gray did with himself (Alexa, please play “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon). With themes that are still relevant, Dorian Gray reminds us that sometimes even when you finally get what you want, you may still be bereft of what you need.
A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers, 4.75 stars
A tea monk and a robot set out to answer a “simple” question: in a futuristic age without robots, what do humans still need? This one was recommended to me by a coworker with excellent literary taste, so I knew I had to give it a go. What I didn’t expect was to feel comforted by this story, spurring me to recommend it to those feeling restless or unmoored by their position in life.
Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie, 3 stars
Confession: I wanted to like this one more than I did. This book had a great premise–critic writer Alex Lyons sleeps with Haley, the same actress he gives a one star review to at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival. She turns pain into power and changes her one-woman show to be The Alex Lyons Experience, where women are invited to share the worst things a man has done to them. This book wanted to be a feminist reckoning of why men do bad things to women, with weaker subplots surrounding loss and infidelity from a narrator who was a bystander in their own story. Unfortunately, this one did not leave its audience wanting more.
The Year of Witching by Alexis Henderson, 3.5 stars
This book was chosen by my ‘Books and Brews Bookclub’, hosted by the library, but held at a brewery. It was the perfect Halloween read to end the month. The world of Bethel and its puritanical and patriarchal qualities alienated me at first, but as Immanuelle grew her doubts and uncovered the secrets of the witches of the Darkwood, I found myself becoming more invested. This spooky season, remember: they didn’t burn witches, they burned women.
Thank you for reading my October recap! I would love to hear from you in the comments.
- Have you read any of these books?
- What was your favorite book from October?
- What do you want me to read and review before the end of the year?
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