1. The Missing Years by Lexie Elliot (Adult Thriller) (372 pages) (5⭐️)
Ailsa Calder inherits a manse in the Scottish Highlands from her late mother. But it seems the manse doesn't want her there. This is essentially a haunted house story and it had plenty of gruesome and disturbing moments. It's a perfect read for this time of year.
Read if: You liked The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog.
2. This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron (YA Fantasy) (370 pages) (4⭐️)
Briseis Greene's touch can grow plants and bring life back to those that have died. When she inherits a house with a secret garden from her birth aunt she learns more about her birth family's legacy. I loved the concept here and it was well executed. It was great to see such a loving family and especially one with lots of representation. Really the only downsides were its predictability and the insta-love.
Read if; You like the plant magic of Among the Beasts and Briars but wish it was an urban fantasy/set in the real world.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4077517830
3. The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott (YA Contemporary) (294 pages) (4.5⭐️)
Three years ago Emily's mother died. The summer before her senior year she and her new friend Blake embark on a mission to complete her mother's senior summer bucket list. The novel deals with themes of grief, social alienation, and self-acceptance. It is a moving, emotional portrait of a girl desperate to hold on to her mom. This novel restored my faith in Lippincott has an author after the abominable All This Time.
Read if: You want a read that will leave you crying tears of heartbreak and then joy.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!
4. Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko (YA Fantasy (sequel)) (324 pages) (3.5⭐️)
This is the sequel to Raybearer. Tarisai is a newly crowned empress who must anoint a council of the twelve rulers of her realm in order to appease demonic creatures from the underworld. I had a lot of mixed feelings about this conclusion to the duology. Ifueko introduced a lot of new world, characters, and plot in this book. I liked all of them and wanted them to be explored more in depth. Unfortunately, there simply wasn't time for that to happen.
Read (the duology) if: You like stories of found family/African inspired fantasies.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3802623519
5. As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson (YA Mystery (sequel)) (455 pages) (2.5⭐️)
Pip is still reeling from the after effects of her last case when she finds herself being stalked by a potential serial killer. This is the finale to the Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy. This reads like two separate books and I only liked the first half. The second half diverged into something that felt sinister. It wasn't the ending I was hoping for when it came to this series and wasn't satisfying.
Read (the trilogy) if: You want a slow burn villain origin story.
Full Review: https://www.haleysbookhaven.com/post/the-good-girl-s-guide-to-murder-trilogy-ends-with-a-bang-just-not-a-good-one
6. The Lying Game by Ruth Ware (Adult Thriller) (368 pages) (3.75⭐️) Years after Isa and her friends buried the body of their teacher who committed suicide his body has washed ashore. The four friends reunite for the first time in years. While this has some problematic elements I liked the girls and their friendship. The setting was quite superb and poetic.
Read if: You like small town or boarding school thrillers.
Full Review: Coming to the blog next week!
7. In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware (Adult Thriller) (310 pages) (2⭐️)
Crime writer Nora is invited to her estranged friend Clare's hen in a glass house in the woods. Drama ensues as truths are revealed and pasts dredged up. Before the weekend's over somebody will be bleeding out on the floor. This read like a less refined version of Ware's latest book One by One.
Read if: You like thrillers with the isolation trope.
Full Review: Coming to the blog next week!
TOTAL PAGES READ (OCT): 2,493 pages (avg. book length: 356.1 pages)
TOTAL PAGES READ (YTD): 24,166 pages (avg. book length: 322.2 pages)
AVERAGE STAR RATING (OCT): 25.25/35 ⭐️ (3.60 avg. rating)
AVERAGE STAR RATING (YTD): 287/345 ⭐️ (3.83 avg. rating)
1. Read at least 60 books
I read 7 books this month meaning that I have completed 75 books to date. I have thus made it over my goal for the year which is very thrilling!
2. Have at least one book a month be a reread
I am going to give myself this point because while I technically finished my reread on Nov. 1 (and it will be in next month's wrap-up) I read almost all of it in October.
3. Read at least 1-2 adult books a month
I completed 3 adult books in October: Thus I exceeded my goal for the month.
4. Read at least 10 nonfiction and/or poetry books
To date I've read 3 nonfiction and 3 poetry collections and my goal is 60% complete.
5. Post a blog every weekend unless ill and/or recovering from surgery
I posted a blog every weekend this month!