Monthly Wrap-Up: October Reading 2025

Ugh, this is so late. Oh well, what can you do. I’m still trying to get back into things, but it’s been a little rough. Anyway, reading wrap-up for October 2025 incoming!

Last month was pretty decent, especially compared to the last six months. I read two books! Yay! I hope I can either keep it up or get better before the end of the year. If not, then I’m gonna strive for better next year.

Anyway, let’s just start talking about my StoryGraph statistics from last month! (Edit: Shoot it didn’t post when I wanted it to again. Ugh. Oh well, I fixed it.)

October Reading 2025

I read 2 books and 515 pages

😐 MOODS: I had three Moods in October, which is the same as the month before. The Moods from this past month were: AdventurousMysterious and Tense.

👢 PACE: The books I read last month were medium and fast-paced.

🔢 PAGE NUMBER: The novels I read were between 179 and 336 pages.

📖 FICTION/NONFICTION: It was once again all fiction. As usual.

🎭 GENRES: There were several Genres on the graph this past month. They were Mystery, Horror, Contemporary, Young Adult and LGBT+.

📄 FORMAT: This pie chart was incorrect for the first time in ages. One novel I read was digital and one was a physical copy.

⭐ RATING: My median star rating for last month was 3.75.

📉 PAGES READ DAILY: My reading spiked in the first half of October, before dropping off during the second half of the month. My highest peak was on the 9th.

The Books I Read in October

★★★✯☆ • my review

★★★★☆ • my review

Wrapping Up the Wrap-Up

So yeah, my reading in October reading was definitely an improvement over the few months preceding it. I hope I continue to read at least a decent amount for the remainder of the year. We’ll see, though.

I’m not quite sure what I’m going to read next, and I’m not going to force it. I do have a general idea, however, and once I officially pick which book I want to go with next, I just have to ease myself into reading. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get into a new novel soon. I’m still recovering from the past few months of stuff. I’m definitely planning on getting reviews out for the two books I did read last month out soon, though.

Anyway, as always, thank you for joining me in checking out my StoryGraph stats for my October reading in 2025. Thank you also for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

The Most Interesting Looking New Books of October 2025

Hey there everybody! Another month, another bunch of new books that are coming out! Yep, it’s The Most Intriguing New Books of October 2025. I know this is about a week later than I usually do it – I like to get it out by the first Tuesday of the month – but there was a lot going on last week, so I’m doing it now.

This used to be a quarterly post, but I’ve recently decided to do it monthly instead. Also, even though this post is about new releases, it’s primarily focused on fantasy and science fiction, as those are the genres I tend to prefer to read. (Not to say other genres won’t ever appear on these lists – it just isn’t super likely; it’s likely to be a very rare occurrence if it happens at all.)

If you’ve seen this post by me before, you know the drill; I’m only interested in these books – there’s no guarantee that I’m gonna read all of them. There’s not even a guarantee that I’m gonna read even half of them. We shall see. Anyway, let’s get going! This month there are only three books that have caught my eye. A bit of a step down from last month, but most months aren’t like that anyway, haha.

RELEASING: October 7th

A teen girl with the power of resurrection must venture into the afterlife, but to survive the death realm, she’ll need the help of her two mortal enemies–both of whom she is inexplicably drawn to–in this romantic, gothic fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights.

When Jia Yi finds herself alive again after being killed by an enemy’s sword, she realizes she possesses a rare power: the ability to move between life and death. With her new gift comes the discovery of a mysterious spirit realm teeming with ghosts like herself—and Lin, the boy she once loved before his betrayal tore them apart.

At first Jia wants nothing to do with any ghosts, metaphorical or otherwise. But when her beloved grandmother dies under suspicious circumstances, Jia is forced to follow in an attempt to save her. 

In the death realm, though, even ghosts have ghosts. The afterlife is more complex than Jia ever could have imagined—and no one knows what lies at its end. To survive, Jia must rely on both Lin and her longtime enemy, the cold and enigmatic Prince Essien. The problem? She can’t trust either of them.

With tensions high and new and old connections blossoming, Jia must confront the ghosts of her past . . . or risk remaining a ghost herself.

RELEASING: October 14th

A wannabe witch tries to break a curse on a clueless client in this laugh-out-loud debut for fans of queer fantasy like TJ Klune and Tamsyn Muir.

Mateo Borrero has ninety-nine problems, and all of them hinge on the fact that his terrifying and currently-missing bruja mother trapped a demon in his body when he was born. His mother forbade him from ever using magic, but now that she’s gone, magic’s his only marketable skill, and he’d really like an exorcism—which costs money he doesn’t have. What’s the harm in making a quick buck by calling himself an Occult Specialist and chanting a few half-remembered spells in his crappy Spanish?

Enter Topher, a naive nepo baby with a curse that keeps killing people around him. Most importantly, he’s rich, and too clueless to clock that Mateo–and his (absolutely-not-the-assistant) astral-projecting best friend Ophelia–have never actually had a client before. Lifting Topher’s bad luck curse should be simple, but as luck would have it, nothing is simple, and Topher–who Mateo sort of, kind of likes–might be at the center of a deadly magical conspiracy. 

To make matters worse, the more magic Mateo does, the stronger the demon inside him grows and the more he wants to eat people. But would caving to the urges of an ancient evil really be that bad if it helps him get a payday?

Legends and Lattes meets A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer in this hilarious and charming contemporary fantasy readers won’t want to miss.

RELEASING: October 28th

From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters—but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

So yeah, these are all of the books releasing in October 2025 that I’m at least a little interested in. What books are coming out soon that you’re looking forward to? Do we share some of the same ones?

As always, thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Monthly Wrap-Up: October Reading 2024

October Reading 2024

Ugh. I’m later in the month again. I hate it when I post my monthly wrap-ups later than like, the 5th of the month. ‘Cause then it just feels super late to me. But yeah, I’m finally posting my October reading for 2024.

I’m very pleased with the amount of reading I got done last month. It’s been some time since I’ve read nine books in a month, and it’s something that I wish I would do more often. And I enjoyed almost all of the books I read in October, which was a huge bonus.

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get into my StoryGraph statistics from last month!

October Reading 2024

I read 9 books and 3,995 pages

😐 MOODS: I had more reading Moods in October that I’ve had in a long while – possibly the most ever. Adventurous was of course the biggest chunk of the pie chart. The second biggest slice is Emotional, then Lighthearted and Hopeful. The other four Moods were ReflectiveMysterious, Inspiring and Funny.

👢 PACE: My books from last month were mostly medium paced, but around a third of them were fast or slow paced.

🔢 PAGE NUMBER: Everything I read was between 152 and 640 pages.

📖 FICTION/NONFICTION: It was once again all fiction in October. As is my usual.

🎭 GENRES: There were more Genres in October than there have been in months. Fantasy was the Genre I read there most of, which is always the case. Though, interestingly it’s actually tied with Young Adult this time. The other five genres were MangaGraphic Novel, Romance, LGBT+ and Romance. (BTW, in case you were wondering, the genre vs. demographic thing still bugs me.)

📄 FORMAT: This particular pie graph is once again wrong. (As it always is.) About half of the books I read were physical copies, but some novels were digital.

⭐ RATING: My median star rating for last month was 4.11. The ratings I gave were between 2.5 stars and 5.0 stars, so yeah.

📉 PAGES READ DAILY: I did most of my reading during the last third of October. My biggest reading spike of the month was the 23rd, though my reading was decently high on the 14th, 29th and 31st. I also read books on the 3rd and 4th, and between the 21st and the 27th.

The Books I Read in October

★★★★✯ • my review

★★★✯☆ • my review

★★✯☆☆ • my review

★★★★☆ • my series review

★★★✯☆

★★★★✯

★★★★✯

★★★★★

★★★★★ • my review part one

Wrapping Up the Wrap-Up

So yeah, I liked how much stuff I ended up reading in October. Did it feel a bit like cheating because the majority of what I read were graphic novels or manga? Yes, but I’m actually okay with that this time. Especially because the One Piece super volumes are so thick. Plus, I enjoyed most – almost all – of the novels I read last month, which is always fantastic.

I’m not sure how my reading is going to be for November. This is usually one of my best months of the year for it, but I’ve been so indecisive about which book I’m gonna read next that I haven’t started reading a new novel yet. Which, ugh, I hate it when that happens. Hopefully I’ll finally make a decision and get something started tomorrow.

Anyway, thanks for joining me in checking out my StoryGraph stats for my October reading in 2024. Thank you also for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 10/28 – 11/3

Bet you didn’t expect to ever see this post again. I think the last time I did this post was at the end of January this year. I did say I was going to discontinue it because it was becoming too much after all. But I’ve been giving it some thought for the past couple of months, and I’ve decided that I’d like to try keeping up with this post again.

I’ve been doing pretty well with my posting lately. At the very least, I’m happy with the last few weeks on the blog, which is honestly what I want the most out of this blog.

Anyway, let’s get on with the post! Here’s to the furry weekly wrap-up in almost a year! 🥂🍻

Monday 10/28: Fall 2024 Book Recs

Last Monday, I finally got around to posting my Fall Book Recommendations for 2024. Basically, it was a list post that consisted of books I liked that I thought had autumn and/or spooky vibes. I had about seven of them this time. Check out the full post if you’re interested in which books made the cut this year.

Tuesday 10/29: Top Ten Tuesday

On Tuesday, I participated in Top Ten Tuesday. The topic of last week was Halloween Freebie, and I went with a bit of a medley – a Creature Feature or monster mashup if you will.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community.

Wednesday 10/30: Can’t-Wait Wednesday

This past Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday again. It was the first time I’d done so in the past couple of weeks.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings. It focuses on books you’re looking forward to reading, usually new releases.

Thursday 10/31: Halloween

And last Thursday was Halloween. Again, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!! 🎃👻🐈‍⬛🧹🦇🕸️ I hope that everyone enjoyed theirs.

Sunday 11/3: Sheets Series Review

Yesterday, I finally posted my review for the Sheets series. I had wanted to post it on Halloween, but it just didn’t work out, unfortunately. Oh well.

Sheets and its sequels, are a trilogy of cute graphic novels that feature ghosts that wear actual bedsheets. Yes, really. I enjoyed the series and ended up giving it a median rating of ★★★★☆.

Books I Read Last Week

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, it’s been awhile. I wasn’t ever sure if I ever planned on starting up this series of posts again, but I guess I have. We’ll see how long this lasts this time, haha. Hopefully I’ll keep it up? 🤞🍀

(Also, last week I officially crested 400 blog posts on the Blog That Nobody Knows! Yay! 🎉💖)

I’m generally pretty happy with what I ended up posting last week. Regarding this coming week, I’m planning on finally getting out my Monthly Reading Wrap-Up for October 2024, probably (hopefully) tomorrow. I also have another couple of posts I’m planning on doing, and am of course hoping to get another book review out.

As always, thank you to everyone for reading, and I hope you all have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

52 Books in 43 Weeks

So, so many books. 📚😍 And not so little time. ⏳😁

I actually can’t believe it – I’ve never, ever, read this amount of books in a year. Within a year, seeing as 2023 isn’t quite over yet.

But somehow, whether it be interest or willpower or something else, I’ve managed to find time to read this many books. I’m so happy!

And seeing as there’s still like 9 weeks left, here’s hoping that I’ll read a bunch more! Maybe not 52 novels… but a sizable amount! 🥂🍻

I know this is a weird post, and that it’s entirely out of the blue, but I’m just so excited. And I’ve been this excited since I noticed the numbers a couple of days ago. Like I may have mentioned: This has never happened for me before.

So yeah, apologies for the short and weird blog post, but I just had to share the news! (And I wanted to do something a little different today/this Friday and I couldn’t really think of anything else, lol.)

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night! 🌞🌜

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 10/9 – 10/15

Betcha didn’t expect to see this! It’s been awhile since the last one of these. I know I said a couple months ago that I needed a bit of a break from Weekly Wrap-Ups, and that there was a chance I might drop them for good. But I’ve decided not to, and on top of that I’ve decided to start posting them again.

The week of 10/9 through 10/15 was more productive for me than recent weeks. I’m hoping that this, plus the return of wrap-ups, is the start of something good for my little blog. Fingers crossed. 🤞🍀

But it’s been weeks (months!) since the last one of these, and I know you’ve missed Weekly Wrap-Ups, so without further ado, I’ll get on with the post.

Monday 10/9: Most Anticipated Reads of 2023 (Part #4)

Last Monday, I posted my final Anticipated Reads of 2023 post. On it were six books that I’m interested in, coming out October, November, or December.

My Most Anticipated Reads of 2023: Oct, Nov, & Dec

Wednesday 10/11: The Chalice of the Gods Review

On Wednesday, I posted my book review for the unexpected sixth installment of the Rick Riordon’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series – The Chalice of the Gods.

This book meant a lot as a longtime fan of this series. And it was just as good as I had hoped it would be. I gave it ##.

The Chalice of the Gods Review

Friday 10/13: Friday the 13th / First Line Friday

Last Friday was a special Friday. Not only was it Friday the 13th, but it was a Friday the 13th in October! So it was doubly cool, and very Halloween-ey. 🎃👻🐈‍⬛💀🕸️🦇

I also posted a First Line Friday for the first time in a couple of weeks. First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words.

First Line Friday: 10/13

Sunday 10/15: October 2023 Birthstone Book Covers

Yesterday, I participated in one of my favorite monthly posts, Birthstone Book Covers. Birthstone Book Covers is a fun post created and hosted by Leslie @ Books are the New Black. October has two birthstones, opal and tourmaline, so it was pink and/or white covers.

Birthstone Book Covers: October 2023

Books I Read Last Week

The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordon
One Piece: Volumes 1 - 2 - 3 by Eiichiro Oda
One Piece: Volumes 4 - 5 - 6 by Eiichiro Oda
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub

🎁💝 Wrapping It All Up 🎁💝

Now this part is a bit different. I’m not doing a “Goals for Next Week” type of thing anymore, because it rarely ever amounted to anything. I really only ever did what I’d vow to do maybe half the time, and it frequently felt like I was breaking promises, both to myself and to anybody who’d read these posts. So I’m just not gonna do it anymore.

Instead, I’m going to talk about other stuff I did last week outside of the blog. And maybe mention a couple of things I might like to do in the future. Maybe.

Speaking of past and future, as you probably saw above, I’ve recently (finally) started reading One Piece. I’ve really enjoyed it so far, even though I’ve honestly barely scratched the surface – and I know that it only gets better. I’m looking forward to several more months of catching up, and then a few more years reading new chapters until Oda decides to end his magnum opus.

I also recently finished The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub, so I’ll have decided on my final star rating any time now, and a book review out this week. So watch out for it!

Outside of book stuff, I attended the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie in theaters. Confession: I’m a huuuuge Swiftie. I’ve loved her music since the beginning, way back in 2006, and I’ve loved all her “eras” of music in different ways. So it was really fun especially since I haven’t gone out much lately. Highly recommend if you’re a Swiftie with the means. My only caveat was that they cut out a few of the songs for (what I feel are) very stupid reasons. (There was no need to shorten it – three plus hours movies exist!!)

What books have you been reading lately? Do we have any crossover – that is, have we been reading some of the same ones? What music do you like? What have you been listening to lately?

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have an excellent day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Birthstone Book Covers: October 2023

Another month, another post about book covers and birthstones! This time it’s for October, so it’s time for some pink and white cover art.

Leslie @ Books Are the New Black created a fun monthly post called Birthstone Book Covers. Each month, she features book covers that are either the same color of that month’s birthstone or include the color in the title.

October has two birthstones – Opal and Tourmaline.

Rules:

📚 Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black) and link back to her so she can check out your post.
📚 Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
📚 HAVE FUN!
📚 Nominate people if you want!

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons
Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons
Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan
Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan
Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Charlie, Love and Cliches by Ella Maise
Charlie, Love and Cliches by Ella Maise
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

What are your favorite books with pink and/or white book covers? If you participated in Birthstone Books, which books did you choose this October?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have the most wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

My Most Anticipated SFF Reads of 2023 | Oct, Nov, & Dec 🎃🦃🎄

Most Anticipated Reads from the Fourth Quarter of 2023

This is much later than I wanted to post this, but there was stuff going on last week. So, first I didn’t have time, and then I ended up forgetting. Whoops. It’s here now though – my Most Anticipated Reads of the fourth quarter.

It’s quarter four of 2023 now, so it’s time to do that thing I’ve done every quarter again. I’m gonna go over the books that are coming out over the next three months that interest me the most. And they’re pretty much only gonna be science fiction and fantasy. Because that’s mostly what I read.

This time I have six books that I’m interested in. I know that last time it seems like I didn’t read all the books on my third Most Anticipated list from this year, but that’s cuz I unfortunately ended up DNF-ing them. I guess they just weren’t for me.

Without further ado, let’s be off!

(Also, I know that October 3rd has already passed. But I’m still gonna put releases from it, cuz this post should’ve been done already on that date, at the very least. Plus, it’s the nature of the post.)

**The book covers are all linked up! So you can find more information about the books if you’re interested!**

The Glass Scientists: Volume One by S.H. Cotugno

RELEASING: October 3rd

(Been looking forward to this ever since I discovered the webcomic a couple of months ago!)

The gothic worlds of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and more collide in this graphic novel series about buried secrets, mad science, and misunderstood monsters. For fans of stylish reimaginings like Lore Olympus and gaslamp fantasies like The Night Circus!

London isn’t the safest place for mad scientists these days. After that whole ordeal with Frankenstein, angry mobs have gotten awfully good at hunting down monsters and wiping out anything they don’t understand. In fact, if it weren’t for one extraordinary young man, every out-of-the-box thinker would have been locked up… or worse.

That young man is none other than Dr. Henry Jekyll. He believes mad scientists would thrive if they could just fix their public image, which is why he founded the Society for Arcane Sciences, a place where like-minded eccentrics could come together to defy the laws of nature in peace.

But everything changes when a mysterious stranger arrives, bent on taking the Society in a radical new direction. With everyone turning against him, Jekyll’s life starts to spiral out of control, shattering all his carefully laid plans and threatening to expose his darkest secret—one that could destroy everything he has built from the inside out.

Volume One collects Chapters 1-7 of this thrilling, humorous, beloved webcomic, which is available in print for the first time ever. It also features a brand-new side story, a behind-the-scenes look at artwork, and more exclusive bonus content!

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

RELEASING: October 3rd

(I wasn’t sure about this one at first, but then I decided I’d give it a shot. I’ve always loved stories with cursed houses and towns.)

Starling House is a gorgeous, modern gothic fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen….

Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she’s determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago.

All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.

I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate.

Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund—she can’t resist.

But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around.

In my dream, I’m home.

And now she’ll have to fight.

A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber

RELEASING: October 24th

(I know this series has tons of problems – and there’s plenty about these books that’s annoyed me – but for whatever reason, I can’t help but enjoy them.)

Blood will be shed, hearts will be stolen, and true love will be put to the test in A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE, the breathtaking conclusion to Stephanie Garber’s #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy.

Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after.

Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. She’s married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle. But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price she’s paid for this fairytale. She doesn’t know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out…. but first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts.

Nightbane by Alex Aster

RELEASING: November 7th

(Very excited to hate read this one! I know it’s mean, but sometimes I like to do this.)

The seductive and action-packed follow-up to Alex Aster’s instant #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling novel, Lightlark.

Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark’s seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.

Alex Aster’s intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla’s memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates.

System Collapse by Martha Wells

RELEASING: November 14th

(I love the Murderbot Diaries! I’ve been anticipating this since it was announced!)

Everyone’s favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment in Martha Wells’s New York Times bestselling Murderbot Diaries series.

Am I making it worse? I think I’m making it worse.

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.

But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast!

Yeah, this plan is… not going to work.

The Curse of Penryth Hall: A Mystery by Jess Armstrong

RELEASING: December 5th

(Oooh, this one looks interesting. It’s been years since I’ve read a dark mystery novel.)

An atmospheric gothic mystery that beautifully brings the ancient Cornish countryside to life, Armstrong introduces heroine Ruby Vaughn in her Minotaur Books & Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall.

After the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer and house mate in Exeter. She’s always avoided dwelling on the past, even before the war, but it always has a way of finding her. When Ruby is forced to deliver a box of books to a folk healer living deep in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to the one place she swore she’d never return. A more sensible soul would have delivered the package and left without rehashing old wounds. But no one has ever accused Ruby of being sensible. Thus begins her visit to Penryth Hall.

A foreboding fortress, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby’s once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. It’s an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to depart. But her plans change when Penryth’s bells ring for the first time in thirty years. Edward is dead; he met a gruesome end in the orchard, and with his death brings whispers of a returned curse. It also brings Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought her to Cornwall, the one the locals call a Pellar, the man they believe can break the curse. Ruby doesn’t believe in curses—or Pellars—but this is Cornwall and to these villagers the curse is anything but lore, and they believe it will soon claim its next victim: Tamsyn.

To protect her friend, Ruby must work alongside the Pellar to find out what really happened in the orchard that night.

These are all of my anticipated reads from the fourth quarter of 2023. What books are you looking forward to coming out in October? November? December? Do we share any of the same novels?

As always, thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Spell the Month in Books: October 2023

I actually managed to do this post on the correct day this month. Hooray!

It’s probably obvious from my featured image, but the post is Spell the Month in Books. Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks. I started participating in it a few months ago.

Anyway, let’s spell October with book titles! This month, seeing as it’s spooky season, I decided to pick books that are creepy or unsettling to some degree. Or have vampires 🦇 or werewolves 🐺 or witches 🧹 (and probably also happen to be a supernatural romance). And I’ve actually read all of these! (I like scary stories. 😱 And ghost stories. 👻 And supernatural stories. 🎃)

O

The Other by Thomas Tryon

C

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

T

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

O

The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn

B

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

E

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
(I swear Eighth Grade Bites is the title – for whatever reason the publisher puts the titles of this series on the backs of the books.)

R

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

What books did you choose to spell September with? Did we choose any of the same ones? Have you read any of the books I chose?

As always, thank you to anyone who read and enjoyed my post. I hope anyone and everyone has a really good day/night!

See ya ~Mar