Books – October 2021

It’s November 1!!!! That means that all of my pumpkins and fall decor go away today, Snoopy gets switched out for Gobbles outside…and Christmas starts making it’s appearance inside. And of course, Mariah Carey and all my other faves get played 24/7. If it brings you joy, no need to delay.

So many good books have been released lately, it makes it a hard decision when picking what to read next! I have several on Netgalley that I am behind on. As per usual. Plus the last two months I ordered 3 books from BOTM. Luckily, this month I wasn’t as thrilled about the selection and only picked one. Maybe I can get caught up some.

Anyways, this last month and a half or so started off with a reading rut, which I will talk about below. I also took about 2 weeks to read Apples Never Fall, even though I quite enjoyed it….it was just really long. I had a few other really good ones in between, and finished the The Ex Hex Saturday night, just in time for Halloween. I may or may not have already read one Christmas book and just started another last night. I am telling you, all the cozy things are happening over here.

Let’s just in, shall we?

Apples Never Falls by Liane Moriarty

This one started out slow for me, overall I think the book could have been shorter. There are a lot of characters and it alternates between past and present. It did eventually pick up, and I was quite involved in the story and was ready to see where it all went. It had a surprise ending that I didn’t see coming. This book was quite a wild ride.

Bottom Line: If you are a fan of Moriarty’s older work, I definitely suggest picking this one up. It reminds of some more of my favorites from her.

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

This was our book club choice for September. I may not have picked it up otherwise, and I am so glad that I did! I love a scrappy character to pull for, and April’s story was fascinating. This book is mostly about the people we meet in our lives, and the impact they can have…even if just for a short time. April is so raw and real, she had to grow up really fast…but is also still naïve in some ways. This book was emotional, heartbreaking, hopeful, beautiful.

Bottom Line: Read it!

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

This book was a delight! I loved the nerdy academic science setting. It is so nice to see a book focusing on women in science. Adam and Olive are two of my favorite characters of the year. I loved the chemistry and banter in this book. We have wonderful supporting characters in Holden and Malcolm. Olive is such a strong female lead in her research for pancreatic cancer. Each chapter starts out with a new hypothesis on Olive’s life, and I really loved that. I don’t have a bad thing to say about this book. If you enjoy romcom, I highly suggest it. I could not put it down.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeny

I am trying to decide how I feel about this one. I didn’t really care for any of the characters in this book. I usually don’t when it is a thriller, so that isn’t a deal breaker for me. I felt like parts of this book dragged and then twists came, and I didn’t know all the twists but I wasn’t all that shocked either. The writing of the book is a little….clunky? I am not sure how to describe it. I did like the creepy setting in an isolated old church with the stormy weather. Perfect for October.

Bottom Line: Overall this was a decent read, but I am not sure if I will even remember what it was about in a few months. So take what you will from that. A decent thriller for those who love the genre.

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

I love to start picking up Christmas books this time of year, and Mary Kay Andrews is usually a solid read for me. I really enjoyed this one about Ivy moving to a new town in a house that she bought site unseen. The way the Santa Suit was tied into the story was so cute, and I loved that there were touches of Christmas without being over the top or cheesy. If you love Christmas Hallmark movies, you definitely want to read this!

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of The Santa Suit from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Dial A for Auntie by Jesse Q Sutanto

A few of my book friends gushed about this book awhile back and I got on the wait list at the library. I forgot what it was supposed to be about, so I was like whaaaaaaa when something happens. This book was just a fun ride. I was laughing, gasping and smiling the whole time. I loved all the characters and the crazy events that surround this wedding weekend.

Bottom Line: Read it!!!

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

I started this one right before Halloween, and finished it in just a few sittings. I enjoyed the storyline, and am always down for a second chance romance. I didn’t quite feel the chemistry between the two at times, and the book was a bit predictable. This is what you would expect for a Christmas read, only Halloween. I did enjoy it over all and would definitely suggest reading it around Halloween to make it fun. I don’t usually like books about witches and dark magic, as you will see in my next review….but this one was light enough to not creep me out.

Bottom Line: This was a fun read, especially for Halloween.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

So I am going to be honest and say that I did not finish this one. (Thanks Lindsay for the cliff notes, since I did want to hear where it went.) I got into it and I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t feel like reading it either. I felt like it sort of dragged along? It put me in a reading rut. The premise was interesting, but overall, I don’t really love mystical type reads with dark spirits/devil etc. They give me the willies.

Bottom Line: I can see why there are mixed reviews on this book. I think if this is your genre, I can definitely see the potential. It just wasn’t something I was feeling when I was reading it.

The Hormone Cure by Sara Gottfried

I have been having some issues lately, and there isn’t really anything my regular doctor suggested I do. I had heard about Dr Gottfried on a podcast and thought I would check out one of her books. This book offers a lot of information about hormones, and different protocols to take based on your answers to some quizzes that she gives throughout the book. Bottom line, a lot of hormone issues stem from our horrible western diets. I mean, this seems to be the root of most of our problems these days, and more people should be talking about it instead of offering up some pill to band-aid the problem. I got a little bored listening to all of this and wish I had the hard copy version to flip through. I will be checking out some other stuff that Dr Gottfried has put out.

Bottom Line: A lot of good information about hormones in this book.

Currently Reading

Always, in December by Emily Stone