October Wrap Up (2020)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here,  

And finally the end of October has come, and even though I haven't posted a lot, I've certainly read a lot! 

Here's what I read in the month of October, enjoy! 

1. The House on the Cerulean Sea, by T.J. Klune 

(Finished 2/10/20)

This book was so damn cute! Everything about it was wonderful- the characters, who were endearing, and you could love instantly- I just enjoyed every minute of this book. I listened to the audiobook of this- because I wasn't able to get the physical copy- and although I wish I could hold the physical copy in my hands, I feel like the audiobook made the characters take on a life in a way they couldn't from words on a page. Highly recommend for middle grade lovers who want a heart-warming and unique story about children. 

2. Saga, Vol 1 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples- (Finished 4/10/20)

3. Saga, Vol 2 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples-(Finished 4/10/20)

4. Saga, Vol 3 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples - (Finished 5/10/20)

The time that it took me to get through these issues speaks for itself. I opened the first page, and the rest is history. I became so invested in this series, that it took me a week to get through the next book, even though it shouldn't have taken me even half that time. I liked each volume more and more the further in I got, and it solidified my love for the graphic novel genre (in the fantasy and sci-fi genre). One thing I will say however is that, the story is so fast paced (at least these three issues) that it took me a second to grasp what had happened, before the next event was taken place. I know that's seemingly the done thing with graphic novels- they're so short, that's usually the case, but sometimes I was just left feeling a bit confuddled. 

5. Beach Read, by Emily Henry- (Finished 5/10/20)

This was the first book I picked up on my 24 hour readathon that I participated in on the 5th, and even though I started it just shy of 1am, I was surprised by how much I was able to take in, and how much I enjoyed it. Prior to delving into Beach Read, adult romance (not the erotica genre, mind you) was a genre I wanted to get acquainted with for a while, and I wasn't sure what to try. On a spur of the moment decision, I saw this in my local Waterstones, and having heard some positive reviews of it on Booktube, I picked it up. I'm so happy I did, and I'm looking for more adult romances for next year (recommend me some in the comments below, especially if they're about authors who fall in love.) 

6. Alice (The Chronicles of Alice #1), by Christina Henry-(Finished 5/10/20)

7. Red Queen (The Chronicles of Alice #2), by Christina Henry- (Finished 5/10/20)

I've been wanting to pick up this duology as soon as I heard about it- which was after I finished The Girl in Red exactly a year ago. I knew this was a darker tale, with more adult themes, and I knew I wanted to read it. If the covers and the title don't give it away, it's an Alice retelling, but not just any old retelling. It's compelling and addictive, and even though I read them both in a 24 hour retelling, I doubt it would have taken me more than a week to finish them both anyway. I highly recommend, but make sure you do your research on whether this is the duology for you, because there are some trigger warnings such as sexual assault, amongst other things. 

8. Saga, Vol 4 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples- (Finished 9/10/20)

9. Saga Vol 5 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples- (Finished 10/10/20)

If it took me a little while to get into the fast paced- structure of the series, it was volumes 4 & 5 that solidified my love for it. Although I've seen that some people prefer the earlier volumes, because the direction the story took, which took away from the action that made people reach for this series so eagerly, I found that I started to care for a lot of the character in these two. Eager to see where the story takes me next. 

10. Misery, by Stephen King- (Finished 17/10/20)

After reading so many Saga volumes, I honestly didn't want to stop, which is why it took me a while to finish Misery. But that doesn't mean I did love it. There was just enough of everything- you could feel Paul's pain like it was your own, feel the tension when he's close to being caught by his captor, but you so desperately don't want him to get caught, but you also want to know what will happen if he does. Misery is currently my favourite Stephen King novel to date. 

11. Grown, by Tiffany D. Jackson- (Finished 17/10/20)

I finished this the same day as Misery... And I don't regret it at all. Grown is an interpretation, based on the accusation and allegations of R. Kelly, and it follows Enchanted Jones, an aspiring singer, struggling with her family's move to the suburbs, as well as being the only black girl in her school. So when world famous singer Korey Fields notices her at an audition, it feels like a dream come true. Enchanted becomes entranced by Korey's luxurious lifestyle, but her dreams of recording turn into nightmares, when she discovers that Korey has a dark side, one that wants to control her every move. So when she discovers Korey lying dead one morning, she's full of questions. And she's the main suspect. This was so good! The chapters were so short, it was no trouble at all to keep going past 100 pages, 200, and then the book was finished, and there was nothing left. 

Trigger warnings: sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping, addiction. 

12. Letters from the Lighthouse, by Emma Carroll- (Finished 21/10/20)

I'd had this book for over a month before I finally picked it up. Although I had a hard time finding the motivation to pick it up, once I did, I couldn't put it down. Letters from the Lighthouse is a historical fiction middle-grade novel that follows siblings Cliff and Olive. When they are shipped off to Devon after the disappearance of their sister Suki, all they have to discover what happened to her is a coat, and a coded note. Everyone around her has secrets, but Olive is determined to find out what happened to her, and why she may be linked to Devon. This was both light-hearted and addictive, because you desperately want to find out what it is that everyone is hiding, and also where Suki is. It's fantastic to see Olive never giving up, always wanting to find out what in fact has happened. Recommend if you want something light-hearted, set in 1941. 

13. Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman 

I didn't know if I was going to get to add this book to the list for this month, especially as I finished it this morning. Now, if you haven't read the book, then you most likely will have heard about the TV show. If you didn't know, Good Omens is about the end of the world. It has humour (it was bloody hilarious) and the narration was excellent (I listened to the audiobook- and frankly I think that's how it should be read), but I feel like I should have been more excited to listen more each day, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of five. I will continue to read more of Neil Gaiman's books (and maybe Terry Pratchett's) but I felt like it was a book that I should read, instead of want to read. 

Okay! Those are all the books I read this month! Feel free to comment your thoughts on any of them down below, I love a chat! 

That's all I have for you today, but I'll see you all next week with my November TBR (2020)! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx