Happy Halloween! Its the end of October and time for book reviews for the last half of the month. I read 5 books in the second half of the month. Yay! I am glad I got a couple extra books in there because I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to read next month with participating in Nanowrimo.
Bewitched Bothered and Biscotti by Bailey Cates
I reviewed the first book, Brownies and Broomsticks, as part of my mid October Book Review.
This is the second book in Bailey Cates’ Magical Bakery Mystery Series which I discovered earlier this month. I loved this book. It was a fun, fast, witchy read, perfect for this time of year. This book is even set a few days before Halloween. It was so festive with it’s flying pumpkin scene, Halloween party complete with costumes and baked goods, and a graveyard setting at one point. I did guess who the murderer was about 60% through the book but it was still a fun finish! I gave it 4.5 stars.
Spousonomics: Using Economics to Master Love, Marriage, and Dirty Dishes by Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson
I picked this book after browsing what was available for audiobooks from my library with the Libby app. I’m glad I did because it’s so funny! I might get more out of the economic strategies the authors describe if I actually read it but the audio version is so entertaining with the narrator’s pace and delivery. My husband even caught some of it while I had it on cooking or doing dishes and he was laughing. I loved the case studies and the humor they observe their findings with. Who doesn’t love having a peak into other people’s lives/marriages. I gave it 4 stars.
Moonlight Cove by Sherryl Woods
I started reading this series in September. I previously reviewed books 1 & 2, book 3, and books 4 & 5.
Moonlight Cove is the sixth book in Sherryl Woods’ Chesapeake Shores series. I really enjoyed Jess’s story, the last of the immediate O’Brien siblings. Jess is the youngest in the family and was the most affected by her parents’ divorce in her early childhood. She has also struggled with ADD and felt inferior compared to all her overachieving siblings. Now she runs a very successful bed and breakfast, The Inn at Eagle Point. Will Lincoln has been in love with Jess since they were children. She’s despised him since he became a psychologist and she always feels he’s analyzing her. When she kisses him to prove a challenge, sparks fly and Jess fights to believe she’s worthy of that kind of love. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could on goodreads.
Beach Lane by Sherryl Woods
This is the seventh book in the Chesapeake Shores series and it may be my favorite so far! It’s not what I expected at all but it was a really sweet story. Susie O’Brien and Mack Franklin have insisted to everyone in town that they’re not dating for the last 3 years. When they each decide to finally make a move, fate steps in and both think the timing is off. Mack faces a career change and Susie struggles to accept his support with a health scare. I enjoyed getting to know some of the extended O’Brien family. I’m also relieved that Susie and Mack’s will they/won’t they, which has been in the background of most books leading up to this, is finally settled in a satisfying story. I would also give this one 4.5 stars if I could.
Blogging for Dummies by Susannah Gardner
This book popped up immediately available as an ebook through my library. I checked it out to see if there were any tips and tricks to help me since I’m still new to blogging. Unfortunately the book was published in 2008 so its pretty outdated at this point. The internet and blogging software have come a long way in the past 10 years. I skimmed through it pretty quickly for any relevant pieces and the sections and chapters are set up well to allow that. The tips for building a community and also marketing a blog were the most interesting and informative. I would give it 2.5 stars if I could. Gardner kept the technical info light and fun and it would probably be very helpful with its step by step instructions if it was updated information. Maybe there will be a revision soon.
Here are my book stats for the month of October:
Total Books Read: 8
All Female Authors
Nationalities: American
2 Nonfiction and 6 Fiction
Format: 5 Physical Books/ 1 Audiobook/ 2 Ebooks
Source: 6 Already Own/ 2 Libby Library Books
Total Pages Read: 2420
Total Hours Listened: 10 hours, 25 minutes
What did you read in October?
