Like the Comet

October was an absolute JOKE.

It went by so fast, I honestly feel like I was holding my breath for most of it.
Besides the Michigan weather yo-yoing between summer temps and late fall temps, work was bonkers busy for me. It’s an exciting time, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I feel like I’m just putting my head down to power through and forget to look up every once in a while.

On a positive note, the Detroit Lions are ranked 1st in the NFC North as of right now (IYKYK), and I actually read so much more than I was anticipating this month. Despite it being spooky szn, I did not read one mystery or thriller lol. So sue me.

And with that, let’s get into everything I read in October.

*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.

WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Summary: At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society. And school couldn’t prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?

My Thoughts: This was an audiobook I grabbed on Libby after realizing I hadn’t read anything for Latin American/Hispanic Heritage Month. Luckily, it was a pretty quick and enjoyable read! We follow two girls, Dani and Carmen, after they graduate from Medio School for girls which trains girls for one of two specialized roles in their society: either the wife who provides intellectual support to their husband or the wife who he will have children with. This book is entirely from the POV of Dani who has a secret she’s trying to hide: she’s on this side of the wall illegally. The wall separates two bloodlines: sun bloodlines are the ones who are thriving in society and have money, while the people of salt live in poverty under the oppression of the sun people. I loved Dani’s character arc as she transitioned into her new life after graduating from the top of her class at this school for obedience. Her husband is next in line to run the government and he’s just a piece of shit, honestly. So she breaks the mold she was formed into at the Medio School for Girls and starts rebelling in subtle ways. Although they were kind of enemies at school, I loved the budding romance between Dani and Carmen as the storyline progresses. I’m not sure if I’ll continue onto the sequel of this book which I believe is written from Carmen’s POV instead of Dani’s, but I enjoyed my time with this one overall.

CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J Maas (REREAD)

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary: From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil. Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart. Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

My Thoughts: All righty. My reread of the Throne of Glass series continues! When I first read this back in 2020, I gave it 5 stars. My second time through, I’m giving it a 4.5. I still absolutely love how Celaena’s story progresses now that she’s officially the King’s champion and being sent on missions to take out rebels moving against him. This book’s main purpose is to start really setting up the plot for the rest of the series. Magic has been banished in Adarlan for the last decade and people whose kingdoms were ransacked by the King’s army 10 years ago are keeping a low profile while they plan their revenge. Celaena is rebelling in her own way by sneaking men out of the kingdom and faking their deaths instead of outright assassinating them on the King’s orders. She starts working with a rebel group to gather her own intel about what the King might be hiding and what he has in store for her. However, she’s still not too keen on getting too involved in the big rebellion because she just wants to be free and nameless once her contract is up. Her apathy rubs her BFF Nehemia the wrong way though and causes a rift in their friendship that ends up going very sideways. This is also the book where she starts discovering the mystery behind the Wyrd Keys, who has them, who wants them, and what they do. She knows the King is doing some shady shit, but to what extent is what she needs to figure out. There is a LOT of quick character development throughout this book that doesn’t even scratch the surface for everyone’s overall character arcs, but I love that it bridges the transition between the first book and the rest of the series. If it’s your first read through for Crown of Midnight, I recommend paying attention to the Wyrd Keys, any mentions of black metal, and my baby boi Dorian. <3 Oh also the last few pages where a huge reveal is confirmed, but do not skip to the back like a savage before reading the rest of the book. You’ll ruin the experience lol.

LOST IN THE NEVER WOODS by Aiden Thomas

Rating: DNF @ 23%

Summary: It's been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road, and gets pulled into the mystery haunting the town. Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, claims that if they don't do something, the missing children will meet the same fate as her brothers. In order to find them and rescue the missing kids, Wendy must confront what's waiting for her in the woods.

My Thoughts: I read Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas back in 2021 and really loved it. So, I decided to give this other book a try because the audiobook was available on Libby. Y’all. I don’t know. It’s a Peter Pan retelling obviously and although I wasn’t finding it hard to listen to necessarily, I definitely kept looking to see how far into it. I cannot say I was paying that great attention to it either lol. Therefore, when two other audiobooks I requested a while ago became available, I decided just to DNF (did not finish) this one, so that I could listen to something I was actually excited about. Will I go back to this one eventually? Maybe. If you like a storybook retelling or love Peter Pan then you may want to give this a try! I’m not counting it out as something I’d try again, but it just wasn’t what I needed right now.

THE NATURE OF WITCHES by Rachel Griffin

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season. In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It's wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather. In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she's the only one who can make a difference. In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she's terrified Sang will be the next one she loses. In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves... before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

My Thoughts: “Autumn is its own kind of magic; it reminds us of the beauty in letting go.” Wowow this was the perfect witchy read to incorporate into my fall TBR. Although I grabbed a physical copy from the library, I mainly listened to the audiobook and it was absolutely transportive. The writing is so beautiful and the narrator did an incredible job of melting your emotions with Clara’s. There is the perfect mix of love, loss, and hope in the storyline as Clara learns to not only control her powers, but accept her circumstances and responsibility to the world as an Everwitch. The premise is really unique in that the witches’ powers are derived from the seasons and embedded in nature, which I’ve never encountered before. Plus, the story is formatted with all four seasons, so you get to see each type of witch shine. This book takes place at a witch academy that’s nestled into the mountains of Virginia which made for stunning visual descriptors, but what I loved the most is how the author touched on climate change. She was able to fictionally depict the detriments of global warming on the world in an impactful way without it being imposing on my experience as a reader. On another note, I also collected a new book boyfriend here. His name is Sang. He’s a spring witch, a botanist, and the sweetest guy we could’ve asked for. :) My only complaint and the reason why I couldn’t give this book five stars is because Clara’s self doubt lasted much longer than I had the patience for. Although I understood why this was important to the overall storyline, I felt like it discounted all of the development her character goes through as the reluctant protagonist. Anyway, this book feels like putting on your coziest sweater while sipping a hot mug of mulled cider and I just really recommend it.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.

My Thoughts: This book is rated very highly on Goodreads and I completely understand why. It’s a beautiful story threaded with themes of friendship, love, family, identity, loss and more. The writing is simplistic enough to make it an easy read and the storyline is both gentle yet taxing all at once. Ari and Dante click right away one summer when Ari is trying to learn to swim at the community pool. Their grumpy and sunshine personalities balanced each other out perfectly to form a strong and endearing friendship. Although I really enjoyed this book for the most part, there are a few hang-ups for me. The start of this book had me absolutely hooked, but the middle turned into an excruciating slow burn. I think that if Lin Manuel Miranda wasn’t the narrator for this audiobook, I may not have made it through the sticking point. Mostly because Ari is kind of a downer character who is honestly not the nicest person to those in his circle. He’s pretty rude to people who are just trying to help him and I get that he’s frustrated with the lack of control he has on his life, but he kind of turned into a Debbie Downer for a while. Dante’s character, though super sweet, felt a bit manic a majority of the time. The ending was pretty abrupt as well, but overall I liked this book and say it’s worth a read.

THE CHASE by Ellen Kennedy

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother. And that his best friend has a crush on me. And that I just moved in with them. Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates? I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing? He knows where to find me.

My Thoughts: Okay if you haven’t read Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, you need to go read that asap. The Chase is the first book in the Briar U spin-off series and is also a hockey romance, so when I saw this on Kindle Unlimited, you know your girl had to dive in. I think because I loved the Off-Campus series so much, I was hoping to fall head over heels for this series as well, but instead it fell a little short. There was just something missing and I can’t put my finger on it. Fitz is a refreshing character because, yes, he’s a super hot hockey player, but he also has this nerdy gamer side which I feel is underrepresented in sports romances. Summer was super sweet, but a little obnoxious for my taste. Her inner dialogue provided comedic relief and there were some unexpected responses she had to various situations that I appreciated. However, some facets of their relationship felt a little toxic to me and I couldn’t buy into it. I just kept thinking to myself that if Summer was my friend describing her situation with Fitz to me, I’d be like ooo girl, get out of that ASAP. Which usually doesn’t happen when I’m sucked into a sports romance, but for some reason, I just kept checking the red flag boxes. For example, she kept saying he gave her anxious butterflies and, at one point, it said their relationship wasn’t perfect because they still yell at each other from time to time…??? Like what? That’s not healthy communication lol. Anyway, I still love Elle Kennedy’s writing and this book introduces some characters for the following books in this series, so I still say read it, but I know it’s not going to be my favorite.

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman. Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers. The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities. All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction. For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

My Thoughts: I read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia last year and absolutely loved it. She’s a really unique author in that she never sticks to writing in one genre. So when I heard she was publishing another book, I needed to get my hands on it. Luckily, Libby also had the audiobook available so I took that route (to no one’s surprise.) To preface, this book is a retelling/adaptation based on the book The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. I highly recommend looking up a synopsis of that book or its Wikipedia page beforehand because it gives you much better context going into this one. I loved that the author was able to take a sci-fi storyline and make it gothic. I’m not super familiar with the politics that were happening in the late 1800s in the Yucatan Peninsula and Mexico, but she made it very easy to follow. The book is in a dual POV format, told from the perspectives of Carlota (Dr. Moreau’s daughter) and Montgomery Laughton (a guy Dr. M hired to hunt down jaguars for him). I had a love/hate relationship with both. Since she’s never left the little bubble that is Dr. Moreau’s laboratory and estate, Carlota felt very immature and impulsive to me. At one point, I missed that the storyline had fast-forwarded 6 years, and so I thought she was still the 14-year-old we met at the beginning of the book because her behavior was extremely naive. It wasn’t until later that I realized her character is actually 20 for most of what was happening and I was floored because it really didn’t seem like she was acting or thinking like a young woman. That said, I did like Carlota’s fierceness. She was a force to be reckoned with if someone told her she couldn’t do something - outside of her beloved father, that is. Laughton was a very melancholy character. He’s in his mid-thirties. The woman he fell in love with and married left him after finding out that his uncle didn’t leave him any money. He let his sister down and feels like her death is his fault. So needless to say, there’s a lot of self loathing going on with Laughton and he basically drowns his sorrows with whatever alcohol he can get his hands on. His only redeeming quality is that he really does everything he can to protect Carlota and the hybrids. There is a slow burn section towards the beginning of the book, but once the storyline got into Dr. Moreau’s experiments and the conflict with the man who is financing his research, the plot really took off. I think that if you like sci-fi, this would be a good book to try because it has that gothic twist.

THE RISK by Elle Kennedy

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team. And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, and too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a much-coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me. I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend. For every fake date…he wants a real one. Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him. That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.

My Thoughts: Yaaaas! We love two confident MC’s who have great chemistry and banter! I knew going into this one that I was going to like it more than the first book in the Briar U series because we met Brenna and Jake in that book, and I was already obsessed. Brenna is an absolute badass and daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach. She’s the type of girl who walks by and you just know she’s cooler than you because of the energy she gives off. There’s almost an unspoken understanding that you have to earn her attention and approval. She isn’t going to give that out to just anyone. Jake Connelly is the star hockey player at Harvard (Briar’s rival) and has a hot enigma vibe going for him. He’s the guy that everyone is drooling over but because he’s so mild tempered and almost stoic, you can’t gauge what he’s thinking or what his story really is, yanno? Toss in some enemies-to-lovers and a dash of fake-dating tropes, and I was absolutely hooked! I loved that the relationship they developed came so much easier than either of them expected and the care and support they showed each other was so natural. This wasn’t a groundbreaking hockey romance, but I didn’t need it to be. It gave me what I wanted with plenty of smut mixed in and I couldn’t ask for more! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

PAGEBOY by Elliot Page

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Summary: Pageboy is a groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir from the Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. A generation-defining actor and one of the most famous trans advocates of our time, Elliot will now be known as an uncommon literary talent, as he shares never-before-heard details and intimate interrogations on gender, love, mental health, relationships, and Hollywood.

My Thoughts: Let me clarify, I am not rating the actual content that Elliot Page vulnerably shared in this memoir. You cannot put a star value to someone’s life stories or experiences. What I am sharing my thoughts on is how they are told narratively. The structure of this book feels very incohesive. It was almost like he wasn’t sure what story he truly wanted to tell or what overall message he wanted to send by writing this memoir. I’ve read my fair share of celebrity memoirs and I can vibe with a non-linear timeline. The issue with the non-linear timeline in this memoir is that there wasn’t always a constant theme to denote how those stories connected. I feel like usually when authors jump to various experiences that happen throughout their lives, it’s because those moments all run along the same thread. That’s not what was happening here. The other thing missing for me is some introspection to summarize why the memories he just shared are important to his overall story. A lot of these anecdotes ended abruptly or felt unfinished because there wasn’t a reflection or conclusion afterwards. As I said, I’m not reviewing the actual content in this memoir. I think Page has played a vital part in the trans and queer community by vulnerably sharing his life experiences with the world. It just felt like the publishers didn’t do a thorough enough job before sending this manuscript to print. Just a side note: the audiobook is read by Elliot Page if that makes a difference for you one way or the other. I prefer memoirs to be read by the author, so I appreciated it.

HEIR OF FIRE by Sarah J Maas (REREAD)

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

My Thoughts: Okay I was really looking forward to this book because I remembered enjoying it a lot when I read it for the first time back in 2020. I’m pleased to report, it did not disappoint! So much happens in this book, but the biggest aspect I love is all of the character development. Specifically with Celaena. She’s made her way to Wendelyn where most of the Fae live now that magic has vanished from the rest of the world. She’s still grieving from the big losses she experienced in the last book and has essentially given up on seeing herself as anything special. To the King, her goal in Wendelyn is to assassinate the King and Prince there before returning to Adarlan. For Celaena, her goal is to confront her Fae Queen Aunt Maeve to get answers about the Wyrd Keys she learned about back in Adarlan. In order to get her questions answered though, Maeve says she has to display a control of her own fae powers before she will give Celaena any information. Cue training with Rowan, aka the hottest Fae Prince Celaena has ever set her eyes on. I really loved their dynamics because they start as complete enemies with nothing but animosity for each other. He thinks she’s incredibly immature, while she finds him to be unreasonable (but also super hot). All while she’s having an internal battle with herself about accepting her power. She hasn’t touched her abilities in ten years and was taught to suppress it when she was a kid to prevent anyone from getting hurt. They eventually fall into a rhythm with her training and after she starts gaining control of her power, he starts respecting her more and showing her who he really is. I was/am freaking OBSESSED with the big battle scene towards the end when Rowan’s entire Cadre of hot Fae baes shows up to help defend Mistward - home to thousands of demi-Fae. That’s also a HUGE pivotal point in Celaena’s understanding of the Wyrd Keys and what the King is doing with them. OH MY GOD ALSO you get to meet my girl Manon in this book and she is an absolute baddie. Like I would die for Manon. Her storyline gets thrown into this storyline a little randomly, BUT it also connects some dots with what’s going on back in Adarlan with Dorian, the King, etc. Honestly, Heir of Fire doesn’t get the hype it deserves. I know it comes right before the best book in this series, but do not sleep on this one. The character development is *chef’s kiss* and the world building is phenomenal.

WILDFIRE by Hannah Grace

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name. Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home. Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?

My Thoughts: Y’all know I am an absolute SIMP for hockey romances lol. I read Hannah Grace’s first book in the Maple Hills series, Icebreaker, last year and was OBSESSED with it. So when I saw she published the second one, I knew I had to drop every other smutty novel I was reading to prioritize this one. Listen, I really loved Aurora and Russ. They’re such great main characters for this storyline and their chemistry is undeniable. Aurora is a little bit of a wild child whereas Russ is the sweetest gentle giant. I loved their banter, the shenanigans everyone got into at the camp, and all of the side characters - specifically Xander and the three golden retrievers. They really brought this story to life. Both Russ and Aurora have some deeply rooted issues related to their fathers that they kind of bond over. (Trauma bonding at its finest lol). However, the way they supported each other through the highs and lows was absolutely believable and endearing. Although there is a third act break-up, I appreciated that it was quickly squashed by Aurora laying down the law that they will not be the couple who are terrible communicators. Was Wildfire as good as Icebreaker? I don’t think so, but only because I felt like it kind of slowed down in some areas and had me wondering when it was going to pick up again. However, the quality of the writing and characters and everything was up to par with Icebreaker. I definitely recommend you try this series if you want a good sports romance.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend. The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

My Thoughts: The first time I read this book, I gave it 4 stars. This time, I listened to it on audiobook and it was hands-down a five star experience. I loved that there were multiple narrators for all of the different characters. The emotions they all injected into their characters’ perspectives was stunning. I could truly feel the struggle Billy and Daisy were having with addiction, the intense unlabeled connection between the two, the frustration radiating off of other bandmates, the attraction between Karen and Graham, the unconditional love Camila held onto for her husband, and the overall struggles this band went through during the peak of their fame. It’s such a beautifully layered storyline with complexities that make it ugly, yet vulnerable. I completely understand why this book was made into a mini-series and why people are so obsessed with it. If you’re going to read it, I recommend the audiobook, but the physical copy is just as awe-inspiring.

Okieee. That’s it for October.

Although I hate it when it starts getting dark at like 5pm, I will say I’m hoping to squeeze a lot more reading into November because it’s socially acceptable to nestle in early and read a book vs. having to do things because the sun is still out lol. :)

I already know my reading for the month is going to include a LOT of fantasy. Iron Flame (the second book in the Fourth Wing series) gets published on Nov. 7th, so I’m going to try to read Fourth Wing again before I receive my Iron Wing preorder. The movie for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes comes out on Nov. 17th, so I’m going to try to read that before going to see it in theaters. And, of course, I also plan to continue with my Throne of Glass rereading journey.

So buckle up because November is about to be a fantasy fanfest for my reviews lol.

2023 Book Count: 97

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YOUR TURN! What’s your favorite fantasy series?