October 2020 Reading Discussion

[Sherri]

I have read 5 books so far in October. I also reached my Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge of 90 books.
Books completed
The Escape (John Puller #3) by David Baldacci. I started this series a long time ago. I’ll pick up a book in the series every few years. I do enjoy the series & feel like it’s well researched. It’s not a genre I read often. The only other series of his I have read is the Camel Club. I miss that series.
The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs ( The Physicked Book #2) by Katherine Howe. This was for my book club that meets at a local brewery. They chose this book for an October read without realizing it’s part of a series. I liked it. It stood alone well. It had themes of Practical Magic & A Discovery of Witches.
Between Sisters by Kristen Hannah. This was for another face to face book club. This is an early Kristen Hannah book. I liked it but felt it was not as well written as The Nightingale or The Great Alone. Spoiler Alert. It will make you ugly cry so if you don’t want to expand that emotion save it for a better written book.
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Walls. Lovely book. Really liked the story.
Virgin River(Virgin River #1) by Robyn Carr. I was looking late at night on Overdrive for a book to read. I have never read Robyn Carr but she has a lot of books in the library. It is what it is. CHICK LIT. Sometimes you need a little chick lit in your life. I did enjoy it. I also saw where it’s a series on Net flicks. My sister is visiting in November. I’m saving it to watch with her.
Currently reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie ( Flavia de Luce #1) by Alan Bradley. This is another late night pick from Overdrive. Also I picked this book because of what I’ve read on Goodreads. The protagonist is precocious. Not sure I’ll read more of this series. At least not this year. This could be another series I drag out for years.
I noticed since I’ve finished all my reading challenges I reading a lot of series right now.

[Johanne]

One of the things I liked about The Library at Mt Char are the characters, and the way their stories unfold - you start off thinking, say what? about them, but then their reasons for being how they are and doing what they do (partially) come to light, and you are also constantly kept guessing at their internal relations. It's well written and an engaging read. There is some violence and you have to embrace weird. If that sounds like something you're in the mood for I recommend.

[Chrissy]

I’m almost done with Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline, and wanted to recommend it as a great spooky read for October! I am really enjoying it, and it also works for those who like to read books by indigenous people in November.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Thanks Johanne!

[Hannah]

I've read three books so far this month and I noticed that all of them have been some of the most hyped to me books on my list (this is by chance, as they were all library holds that came in): A Gentleman in Moscow, A Man Called Ove, and The Hate U Give. Reading very hyped books is always hit or miss, but luckily I've been slowly increasing my ratings throughout the month: I really didn't like A Gentleman in Moscow, I liked but didn't love A Man Called Ove, and I thought that The Hate U Give was well worth everything I had heard about it. And now I'm going to read The Starless Sea, which I've heard wildly mixed things about, so we'll see how I feel about that!

[Chrissy]

Both Recursion and Illuminae have good, rollicking plots. If you are tired of YA for now, maybe wait a bit on Illuminae though.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Oh thanks Chrissy.

Hannah, you've named two of my favorite books (Ove and Hate U Give). The Hate U Give is hard to follow up with anything, so I hope you aren't disappointed by The Starless Sea... you can enjoy it if you let go of the need to understand anything that is going on and just let the words wash over you lolol

[Kim]

Sherri wrote: "I have read 5 books so far in October. I also reached my Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge of 90 books.
Books completed
The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs ( The Physicked Book #2) by Katherine Howe. "

I read the Daughters as part of the Fall Read-a-thon and for a fall reading challenge in September after a quick re-read of the Physick Book to refresh my memory, which I first read in 2011. I enjoyed both of them.

[Kim]

I've read 16 books so far this month. I'm having trouble concentrating and anything heavy, long or deep is going back to the library unread.

2-2.5 stars:
3 stars:
3.5 stars:
4 stars:

[Hannah]

Emily wrote: "Oh thanks Chrissy.

Hannah, you've named two of my favorite books (Ove and Hate U Give). The Hate U Give is hard to follow up with anything, so I hope you aren't disappointed by The Starless Sea......"

Haha, luckily I read The Night Circus a few years ago, so I know what I'm getting into! I liked that one a lot (4 stars), so I'm hoping I feel the same way about this one. I'm ready for lots of amazing atmosphere and a vague plot that I'll totally forget all the details of after three days, ha.

[Johanne]

Hannah wrote: "...I'm ready for lots of amazing atmosphere and a vague plot that I'll totally forget all the details of after three days, ha.
..."

I haven't read the Night Circus, but loved the Starless Sea, and that description sounds about right :D

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I think The Night Circus had even more of a plot than Starless Sea does, if that's even possible lol. I gave Night Circus 5 stars and Starless Sea 4 (I think).

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

I also liked The Night Circus more. The Starless Sea is more like a series of episodes and although eventually they connect, I found it harder to stay interested.

This month I have read several books on a theme, for a talk I am preparing

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America - not the easiest read, rather scholarly. It shows how even the founders didn't really mean "everyone" was created equal, there would always be some less worthy people. Being denied access to property and certain careers kept this group in a lower status - 4 stars

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents - by Isabel Wilkerson who won prizes for her previous book, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration. She compares the US with India and Nazi Germany and deduces the main traits of a caste/class/race-based system. She is an outstanding writer, in her choice of metaphors, analogies, and examples. The book is very readable and is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read, fiction or nonfiction, even though the subject matter is sometimes tough - 5 stars

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis - I was prepared to not like this book since I knew the author has different political views than mine. I thought he would talk about how society should respect his culture more. Instead, he tells his fellow "hillbillies" to shape up. He does talk about how some institutions don't fit well with the needs of this group, and generally those same issues apply to other marginalized groups. Most of the book is his personal story which is very compelling and is coming out soon as a movie. I started reading the book and read straight through for 4 hours till I finished - 4.5 stars

Mudbound - Someone told me that the previous book reminded them of this one, which takes place mostly in the Mississippi Delta. I had heard of it but had no idea I owned it till I went looking for a book with orange on the cover for the Fall Reading Challenge. This is another book I read straight through. - 4 stars

[Ellie]

I am in the minority that I liked The Starless Sea a lot more than The Night Circus. I think it helped me a lot that I'd read it was an ode to video games before I started it and I started to see a lot of common themes in the narrative. It was really well done if you are interested in games too. I found the ending a bit unsatisfying but the journey was excellent.

[Ali]

I am so disappointed with my current book. I'm in the middle of What You Wish For by Katherine Center for #45 - author of a 2019 fave

I completely loved How to Walk Away in 2019, I read Things You Save in a Fire this year and also loved it so was psyched to pick up this new one for the prompt. I guess I'm not finished (about 40% in) but I'm finding it's missing the spark. Honestly I'm tempted to put it down - I'm thinking it's on its way to a mediocre 2.5 stars :(

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Ugh that's the worst, Ali. I've heard a bit about that in some of my reading groups on Facebook -- that this one didn't live up to her other ones.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I don't think I'm going to have a book to post in the Best Book of October thread...

I've finished 5 books so far:

East of Eden - 2.5 Stars
The Paris Hours - 2.5 Stars
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business - 4 Stars
Riders - 4 Stars
In a Dark, Dark Wood - 4 Stars

None of them that I feel is really good enough to belong on the Best Of list... and I started A Burning, but it doesn't feel like a 5 star read yet, and The Book of Lost Friends, which has potential but it's on audio and I don't know if I'll finish before the end of the month.

Blehhhh. I've never had an October like this! But it's been a hellish month on a lot of fronts so I guess it's impacting my reading.

[[deleted user]]

Emily wrote: "Blehhhh. I've never had an October like this! But it's been a hellish month on a lot of fronts so I guess it's impacting my reading."

i hope next month is a better reading month for you emily! there's nothing worse than getting stuck in a reading rut

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Emily wrote: "I don't think I'm going to have a book to post in the Best Book of October thread...

I've finished 5 books so far:

East of Eden - 2.5 Stars
The Paris Hours - 2.5 Star..."

I didn't like East of Eden either and couldn't understand why so many people praise it. The evil woman was totally unbelievable and the book dragged on too long, in my opinion.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Yessss. And it was so heavy handed with the allegory. I'm an English teacher and I still couldn't stomach it.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

I watched the movie afterwards. It just took part of the story which worked fairly well.

[Pam]

I remember really enjoying the 1981 East of Eden mini-series. Jane Seymour will always be Cathy in my mind! I may Re-Read the book next year.

It doesn’t look like I will finish any more books this month but I’ve got a few good ones started and should be able to finish the challenge in November! I went to my library yesterday but it’s shut down for 10 days, COVID related- all of the staff have to quarantine! 😢I went to a different branch and picked up a few more books for November reading.

[Rachel]

hello! I'm new to the discussions, but I've been doing the challenge this year.

I just read another book by Ruth Ware and it definitely fits the bill of good characters and plot that draws you in. I don't know the others, but I say go for the Ware.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Welcome Rachel! My book club read In a Dark, Dark Wood and thought it was ok (average rating was around a 3.5). I enjoyed it because it wasn't too suspenseful but had a few surprising twists.

[Sherri]

I have finished 4 books since I last posted 12 days ago.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia De Luce,#1) by Alan Bradley
The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister,#1) by Courtney Milan
A Princess in Theory(Reluctant Royals,#1) by Alyssa Cole
Stormy Weather by Paulette Jiles.