2018 Wrap-Up | October

My mild reading and mood slumps continued through October, but like in September, my time spent not reading was enjoyably spent. I’m actually pretty ready to take a break from spooky reads in November, because with darker days and colder weather ahead, I need a better balance between unsettling and uplifting. Basically, I’m taking a break from Shirley Jackson.

Anyway, I will be taking a bit of a blogging and reading “vacation” during November, because I am participating in NaNoWriMo (read my introductory post here)! I’m quite enthusiastic about it, so I’m hoping that writing over 1,000 words every day will also help get me out of the slumps I’ve been experiencing. And with that said, let’s get into October’s Wrap-Up.

Books I Finished:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – If you ever want to feel uncomfortable, unsettled, scared, and hopeless, Shirley Jackson is for you. She certainly is for me; I hate feeling all of those things but her writing made it impossible to put this book down.

The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey – This book is spectacular. For all of my thoughts, check out my book review.

A Break With Charity: A Story About The Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi – If you were ever to start or continue reading historically fictitious accounts of The Salem Witch Trials, I would highly recommend this book. Ann Rinaldi not only expertly describes the mania in Salem Village, but also discusses what it means to stand up for what is right and the consequences for not doing so – in such a captivating way.

Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson – I echo my sentiments from above. Like in most short story collections, there were definite standouts (“The Possibility of Evil”, “Louisa Please Come Home”, “Paranoia”,  ), but all were quite gripping.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling and narrated by Jim Dale – I listened to this in the car over the past couple of days. Jim Dale is a superb narrator, especially for the Harry Potter world.

Books I Did Not Finish:

This month, the books I did not finish do not fall under the type of DNF that implies I don’t want to continue reading them. I just ran out of time to finish them in October.

Blood Moon Part I by S. Yurvati

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

The Italian by Ann Radcliffe

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins – Artfulreader wrote a lovely post about this book that I recommend checking out (here).

Books I Added to My Bookshelf:

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton – My book of the Month selection

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by There’s Something About KM (@theressomethingabout_) on Oct 9, 2018 at 4:45am PDT

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Blood of Wonderland by Colleen Oakes

Gazelle in the Shadows by Michelle Peach

Books I Am Not Keeping:

None.

I hope you had a better personal reading month than I did, or at least filled your time with productivity and/or things you love. What will you be reading in November? Are you participating in National Novel Writing Month? Share your thoughts, current reads, or just say hello in a comment below, and have a happy November!

-Kelsey

via GIPHY