What did you read last month? October/November

[Wigs]

Hey guys! I apologize for not posting a thread last month so here's where you can put your last two months of reading!

[Wigs]

I've been really bad about reading books lately but I read Pretty Girls in October. I enjoyed it enough, I don't think it's a book that's going to stick with me but I gave it a four. I think there were definitely some over the top moments that were a little cartoonish but I got my coworker who sits next to me at work listen to the audiobook along with me so we were discussing who the murderer could be the whole time which was fun.

I've acquired a lot of audiobooks lately including some books I've already read but I haven't seemed to had time to listen to any of them. I've sort of dedicated my work day to podcasts lately and I spent my commutes writing fiction instead of reading it.

I've got four books left on my yearly challenge and I wonder if I can make it....one month, four books? I better listen to a bunch of audio o-o

[Lynda]

In October and November, I read:

Big Little Lies: Really entertaining and I can't wait to see the television series! 4 stars.

The Dollhouse: Interesting as well. I liked reading about New York in the 50s. It wasn't an amazing book, but it kept my interest. 3.5-4 stars.

It Ends with Us: Wow. This book was amazing and will stick with me for a while. I wasn't expecting such a deep, emotional book. It talks about the complexities of relationships and was so disturbing, yet real. 5 stars.

[Wigs]

I just saw the ontd post about Big Little Lies going to HBO and that makes me want to give it a try before the show comes out!

[Christy]

I've been working my way through Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders since September, I think. It's not bad by any means, but very heavy subject wise and dense.

[Rachel]

October:


November:

[Knobby]

Rachel wrote: a shit ton of books

Damn, girl!

October:
Illuminae ****
Along for the Ride ****
My Brilliant Friend: no rating, because I know it's a series but I have no interest in continuing the series...
The Snow Child ****
The Age of Miracles ***** I really liked this one
Girls in the Moon: I didn't rate this but hated it. Read my review.
The Silver Star ****
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things ***** This book fucked me up something special.

November:
Out of Darkness **** (0/10 would not recommend reading this right after the election results, was fucked up for days)
Heartless **** (not as good as Lunar series)
The Scorpio Races ***** as messy as Maggie is, this book is the bomb
Dracula vs. Hitler: no rating, but this book wasn't good... should've owned up to campiness and instead it was too serious... (I try not to give low ratings to new books that are just coming out because I know how hard it is to write a book and it probably has an audience somewhere, just not me)

I'm 75% into Alexander Hamilton and hope to finish it by the end of the year (been reading it off and on this entire year)

[Idris]

I didn't read much over these two months but I am very close to making my goal. Just gotta finish two more books to reach my modest 35.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones's Baby: the Diaries by Helen Fielding
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

I'm about a third of the way through Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I gave up on Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. It wasn't for me. I won an ARC of A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom but I haven't started it yet. I bought My Brillliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

ETA: Have read Big Little Lies and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't super diverse, which sucks, but the story was pretty immersive. I like the writer's writing style.

[Lynda]

Elissa wrote: "Rachel wrote: a shit ton of books

Damn, girl!

October:
Illuminae ****
Along for the Ride ****
My Brilliant Friend: no rating, because I know it's a..."

I am debating whether I should read All the Ugly and Wonderful Things.... Would it make me depressed?

[Knobby]

Lynda wrote: "I am debating whether I should read All the Ugly and Wonderful Things.... Would it make me depressed? "

No, I don't think so. It's a love story that you DON'T expect to be a love story. It just kind of bends your brain because of who the people are (I won't say more because it might spoil it). But it was SO good. It just kinda messes with some big rules about relationships. I don't know how else to explain it.

[Knobby]

Idris wrote: "I'm about a third of the way through Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel."
YAAAS that book is one of my favorites.

[Fabiola]

Besides school articles and textbooks, I got to finished Crooked Little Lies. It took forever because of school but I'm happy I finished.

[Alyssa]

hmmm let's see...
i read:

Stolen: A Letter to My Captor 2/5 - boring and for the love of god people not a love story.

Unsaid 3/5 - pretty good considering it seems like the kind of book my grandma would normally read (also not sure how i ended up with a copy on my TBR shelf in the first place)

A Dirty Job 3/5 - not really my bag but i can see why some people like Moore.

Insurgent 2/5 - i'll probably finish the series but i don't have high hopes

Barbara the Slut and Other People 4/5 - i loooooved these stories! they felt like interesting snapshots in time of all these individual's lives.

Eleanor & Park 3/5 - i guess i don't get all the hype around Rainbow Rowell because this is the second book of hers i have read and i am pretty underwhelmed.

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie 3/5 - the writer has great style but the subject matter here got tedious really quickly.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before 3/5 - typical YA - sort of reminded me of a not-as-amazing version of The Complete Jessica Darling Series: Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, Perfect Fifths, but i'll give book #2 a chance.

Dead Ever After 3/5 - i feel like i should get an award of some kind for finishing this series, which started out so great and became such a mess.

[Rachel]

Elissa wrote: "Rachel wrote: a shit ton of books

Damn, girl!

October:
Illuminae ****
Along for the Ride ****
My Brilliant Friend: no rating, because I know it's a..."


lmao!! :P well i have a long commute, about 2 hours every day, so that's when i get most of my reading done

[Amira]

If anyone wants to read light contemporary YA, I really enjoyed the Paper Princess series. Read the trilogy in 2 days.

[Kate]

Amira wrote: "If anyone wants to read light contemporary YA, I really enjoyed the Paper Princess series...."

Loved this series! It was so over the top but I couldn't put it down.

[Rupert_hearts_elmo]

I've been reading Deathless, didn't really know what to expect going in (except that it was meant to be sort of Angela Carter-ish), really beautiful writing, some of the imagery is disturbingly vivid, definitely want to read more of her work

Geek Love recced by a friend, a new favourite I think, again such, such good writing and a legit original idea, similar themes as Deathless interestingly

Just started Homegoing, flows very easily, strong characterisation, I think I'm only 50 pages in and am already very emotionally invested...

And still reading Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman. It's very detailed but not as good as Antonia Fraser's biography, also the author seems to think he is super forward thinking but there are constant sexist/classist slips which are distracting and unnecessary

And I have already made a horrendously large Christmas list so should be more than covered for January/February. Made my 52 book target but probs going to halve it for next year, just needed a push to get back into reading as regularly as I would like to

I too am interested in Big Little Lies now, is it worth it?

[Wigs]

Rupert_hearts_elmo wrote: "I've been reading Deathless, didn't really know what to expect going in (except that it was meant to be sort of Angela Carter-ish), really beautiful writing, some of the imagery is d..."

Yas I loved Geek Love. I read it on paper but I just picked up the audiobook because I want to do it again XD

[Danielle]

Lynda wrote: Lynda wrote: "I am debating whether I should read All the Ugly and Wonderful Things.... Would it make me depressed? "


For me, it's a very sensitive subject- but it is beautifully written. It stuck with me, and made me really think about the subject at hand. I recommend trying it.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things *****
The Hating Game *****
The Grownup *****