LIFE'S A PEARL

October was all about fall reading and what a fantastic reading month it turned out to be!

I leaned heavily into witchy romances, creepy thrillers, twisty mysteries, and alternate worlds.

All of my book selections came from my fall TBR. So far I’ve checked 15 books off of that ambitious list with several more to come in November!

Of the 10 books I read, one didn’t work for me but the majority of my picks were 4+ stars. My October reading even included 2 new 5-star reads!

October Reading Wrap Up:

By the Season and Reading Format

This month everything was a fall read!

Audiobook

• The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling
• The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
• The Measure by Nikki Erlick
• Cackle by Rachel Harrison

E-book

• 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
• The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Physical

• Fangs by Sarah Anderson

Hybrid

• The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
• Payback’s A Witch by Lana Harper
• The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

Recaps and Reviews

I split my reviews into two posts this month. You can find my thoughts on The Bodyguard (4.5 stars), The Kiss Curse (4 stars), Payback’s A Witch (3.5 stars), and 56 Days (2.5 stars) in my Mid October Reading Recap.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Rating: 4 stars

I fell in love with Karen M. McManus’s work after reading One of Us is Lying for book club years ago! Since then I’ve consistently enjoyed anything I pick up from her – something that always surprises me when it comes to YA.

When the grandmother they’ve never met invites cousins Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah to work at her island resort for the summer, none of them are pleased about it. But their parents make it clear saying no isn’t an option. This is a chance to get in good with the rich matriarch who disinherited her own children years ago.

Once on the island the cousins have the opportunity to get to know one another but quickly realize their grandmother may have other plans. The longer they are on the island, the more mysterious their family history seems.

The Cousins is my fourth book by Karen McManus. I listened to it on audio and loved the cast! This was a quick and fun young adult mystery.

It wasn’t groundbreaking but it was thoroughly enjoyable! The pacing was perfect for holding my interest with twists and reveals. I loved the flip between the past and present timeline and all of the family dynamics that were at play.

I became invested in each of the main characters so I enjoyed being in all of their perspectives equally. That’s another plus with having a whole cast on the audio. It was very easy to differentiate between the different characters’ perspective changing with every chapter.

I’m excited to continue reading more from Karen M. McManus!

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

Rating: 5 stars

One day mysterious wooden boxes appear all over the world with an inscription “The measure of you life lies within”. Everyone over the age of 22 receives the same box but inside lie strings of various lengths.

The world is in a frenzy and when the strings prove to be real, society grapples with this new knowledge. It impacts every aspect of life from policy and education to career options and health insurance to relationships and family planning.

Some people choose to open their box, learn their string length and have to face what to do with that knowledge. Some people are forced into the reveal and mourn that loss of ignorance. Others make the choice to remain in the dark.

I read this book on audio and could not stop listening, even though it was yet another Julia Whelan narration. The majority of the book follows eight ordinary people in New York and how they cope with the year following the arrival of the strings.

This concept was absolutely fascinating! I found myself often wondering what I would do in a character’s situation. It also covers a vast scope of areas that I never even would have considered. The books offers so much to think about and led to some interesting conversations between my husband and me.

The Measure is a difficult one to discuss without spoilers. One of my favorite parts though was the idea that every string, no matter it’s length, is a gift. It’s about how much life you squeeze in whether the amount of years are long or short. That’s something we could all take to heart!

This was a debut novel and I’m very curious to see what Nikki Erlick writes next. This book falls under science fiction. I’m not exactly sure what sub-genre but it’s one that really works for me!

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

Rating: 4 stars

Annie leaves New York City and relocates to a small town upstate after her boyfriend of a decade calls it quits on their relationship. Grieving and low on self esteem, she’s quickly taken under the wing of Sophie, a radiant and self-assured woman, eager to be her friend.

At first Annie can’t believe her luck and then she starts to wonder if things in town are a little off. What is with all the spiders popping up in her new apartment and why do all the townspeople seem a little scared of Sophie?

Cackle has been on my radar since its release last year. Since it’s classified as horror I wasn’t sure if this book would be for me. This fall seemed like the perfect season for venturing into a new genre!

I’m so glad I did! This is the kind of horror I can handle. It was mostly just weird but in a fun way that I think was the point. There were a few pretty gross parts but nothing too creepy or scary.

In the beginning, I was a little lost and braced for fright but thoroughly intrigued. I found the teenage and early 20s version of myself strongly relating to Annie. The ending of this book was wonderful! I loved how things wrapped up!

I listened to this book on audio and it was a fast enjoyable reading experience. Rachel Harrison recently released another book, Such Sharp Teeth, and I can’t wait to read that next fall!

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Rating: 5 stars

I first heard of The Book Eaters thanks to the Currently Reading podcast’s September Indie Press List. It’s a monthly patreon perk where they collaborate with an independent bookstore (this time The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia) releasing a list of books perfect for reading that month. My favorite lists tend to be the September and October’s book choices.

When another book podcast, Reading through Life, discussed it on their show as well I was further sold. Thankfully my library hold came through in time to enjoy it this October.

In England, a secret group of beings exists. Those who must consume books to survive, absorbing knowledge and story through eating.

Devon is a rare daughter of one of the six remaining Book Eater families. While her brothers are raised on tales of adventure and encouraged to learn, Devon is only allowed to eat fairytales as she’s groomed for the important role of procreating to keep the book eater line going.

Devon soon learns that her reality has little to do with the happy endings those fairytales promised. Especially after her son is born with a different kind of hunger – a craving for human minds.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s such a unique premise and the execution was captivating. The story is told in two different timelines, Devon’s childhood and her current situation with her son, Cai. Both were equally fascinating and compelling. I really fell in love with the character of Devon although she definitely has her faults and flaws.

The settings of different family manors in the Book Eater world were so imaginative as was the way they absorb information and the sprinkles of Book Eater history at the beginning of some chapters. It’s a little bit science and a little bit fantasy.

I took my time reading this book which was a new experience for me. Not quite a slow and steady read but I enjoyed it over 12 days pacing myself and really sitting with the new story developments. That was fun and I think added to my enjoyment of the story where I tend to binge books once I’m into them. This is a reading pattern I’d like to repeat in the New Year.

I did binge the last 20% because I just couldn’t stay in suspense. I was so nervous about the ending but I loved how it came full circle! This reader was fully satisfied!

I also loved the author’s acknowledgements with the different categories for her supporters (like voyager vigilantes, hearty heroes, family ferals) and that she named two beloved characters for her little ones – C and V. I’m looking forward to seeing what Sunyi Dean does next!

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

Rating: 4.5 stars

The Family Game is my third read from Catherine Steadman. I previously read There’s Something in the Water, one of Reese’s Witherspoon book club hits for me, and The Disappearing Act, which was a 5-star thriller read over summer.

I feel that the goodreads description for this book gives too much of this story away so consider going into this one without much research.

Successful British author Harriet and her husband to be, Edward, have recently moved to his home country, The United States. Edward has kept his wealthy and powerful family at a distance during their courtship. But now that they’re closer, Harriet finds herself curious about the elusive and prestigious family she is marrying into.

One agreement to family dinner leads to attending more family gatherings. When the holiday season arrives, Harriet questions some of their family traditions and if certain family games are really games at all or perhaps something more deadly?

This was a hybrid read for me. I listened to the majority of the book on audio over a 2 day period – it was hard to put down! Finding out it was read by the author herself was very fun. I also loved the audio production effects surrounding the phone calls and tape recordings.

The last quarter of the book, I read on my kindle. Although this book wound up being a different sort of family game than I was expecting, I was totally there for it. The book was more of a strange puzzle than a thriller. The middle dragged a little bit before bringing all the thrills in for the end.

The world of the 1% the book is set in was mind boggling but fun. I really enjoyed the character of Harry. She was a bad ass female lead!

The story takes place from Thanksgiving to a snow covered Christmas making it wonderful for those looking for a winter read that is not so cozy.

Side note: My autumn dream became a reality! I listened to this one while taking an afternoon walk with Mr. O. We headed out just before a storm blew in and enjoyed the breeze, the overcast sky, and the fall decorations around our neighborhood. It was the perfect atmosphere to listen to this one!

Fangs by Sarah Anderson

Rating: 4 stars

This one made it onto my current fall tbr since I missed out on it last year.

Elsie is a 300 year old vampire who has never met her match. Until one night in a bar, she meets Jimmy, a charismatic werewolf. They begin a relationship enjoying horror films and books, nighttime strolls, and combining their unusual lifestyles.

When I was picking this one up, the librarian told me that it’s a very cute but quick read. That’s exactly right!

This book was much shorter than I expected. Rather than a story, it’s more a collection of comics illustrating funny moments that come up when a vampire and werewolf decide to date.

It was a very fast and fun read, full of humor with just the right balance of light and morbid. There were some sweet parts sprinkled in as well.

Fangs was perfect for putting me in the monster mood this Halloween!

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What did you read in October?