Hello Readers! October breezed right by for me. I’ve been loving the cooler weather here in Texas, and if someone forced me to choose, I think fall would be my favorite season. It means all the holidays are coming and I can consume all the hot drinks. We made our annual pilgrimage to our state fair and even visited a fall festival that gave me major Pumpkinheads vibes! 🎃

My reading in October was mostly about crossing off those last few Popsugar Challenge prompts (I only have two left!) and reading my ARCs (advanced readers copies). I didn’t get to read anything scary, but I did read a few books set in the fall, which was a nice surprise.

If you take a look back at My October TBR, you’ll see I managed to read 6 out of the 9 books I had planned, bringing my total number of pages read to 2,012. Although, I was so close to finishing another book—I finished on November 1st—which means it will be at the top of my November Wrap-Up. I blame Halloween. 😉 I’m combining my wrap-up and haul again for this month, since both were small-ish.

Let’s see what I read and what I added to my TBR!

Be sure to check out The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction!

(Link to synopsis on Goodreads through the book title.)

October Wrap-Up

I started the month with Always Only You, the second installment in the Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese. This one fulfilled the very specific Popsugar Challenge Prompt: A book with a protagonist who uses a mobility aid. While I didn’t quite love it as much as the first book, I still enjoyed this sports romance. I’m eager to pick up the next one!

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Next I picked up my ARC of One Last Gift by Emily Stone. I was a fan of her debut Always, In December, but this one was a little more predictable and drawn out. She’s such an amazing writer, though, so I look forward to her next one!

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Published on October 11, 2022

I so enjoyed Erin Hahn’s adult debut Built to Last. This one is sweet, swoon-y, and spicy. I was nervous about the home improvement/celebrity angle, but it worked so nicely in this romance.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Published On October 18, 2022

When I was invited to read and join the blog tour for Somewhere Sisters by Erika Hayasaki, I couldn’t say no. This nonfiction book about twin sisters born in Vietnam, separated and raised on opposites sides of the world, then reunited as teens was so very compelling. The author does a phenomenal job also discussing adoption from the adoptees’ point of view.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Published on October 11, 2022

I’ve been wanting to pick up Read Between the Lines by Rachel Lacey since I snagged a copy through Amazon First Reads. I enjoyed this retelling of You’ve Got Mail, although, I don’t think it’ll be one that sticks with me. It did fulfill a prompt on my Popsugar challenge: A sapphic book.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐.75

I was so very happy to return to the world of the Capuleta family in Kiss Me, Catalina, the second book in the Queens of Mariachi series by Priscilla Oliveras. This reimagining of Taming of the Shrew was romantic and heartfelt with well-developed characters.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Published on November 1, 2022

October Book Haul

I added six ebooks and four physical books to my shelves this month!

My eARCs

Technically, I don’t think you’d consider this an ARC, but I was provided a copy of the movie tie-in edition of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry in exchange for a spotlight post. Check out my post and watch the trailer for the film that looks so charming!

Synopsis:

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over–and see everything anew. 

Originally published April 1, 2014
Movie tie-in published September 20, 2022

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I was excited to be invited to read the next novel by Mary Beth Keane, The Half Moon. I was impressed with her previous book, Ask Again, Yes, and this one sounds intriguing, as well.

Synopsis:

From the beloved author of the triumphant New York Times bestseller Ask Again, Yes comes a magnificently told novel about the complexities of marriage, family, longing, and desire.

Malcolm Gephardt, the handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss is finally ready to retire, Malcolm is inspired to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to make it a bigger success—but quickly realizes that his customers don’t like change and that making a profit won’t be easy.

Malcolm’s wife Jess is smart, confident, and has dedicated herself to her law career. But after years of trying to have a baby, she’s struggling to accept the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away, and while her hopes and expectations fall short of the current reality, she wonders how to reshape her life.

Taking place over the course of one tumultuous week—when Malcolm learns shocking news about Jess, a patron of the bar goes missing, and their town gets hit by a massive blizzard—award-winning author Mary Beth Keane’s skilled storytelling and generous spirit are on full display as she carefully explores a marriage in crisis, what it takes to make a life with another person, and the true meaning of family.

Expected May 2, 2023

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My Greywaren Owlcrate Exclusive Edition

I’m a little bit in denial about Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater being the last in The Raven Cycle universe, but it’s nice to have the Owlcrate edition to place on my shelf along with it’s matching siblings. You can check out my unboxing post to see what other goodies were included. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to reading it, but for now I’m avoiding all other reviews. 😃

My Paperbackswap Books

In October I had three books on wishlist become available through Paperbackswap:

• Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane – I have yet to read a book by McFarlane, despite having two of her books in my possession. I need to change that soon!
• I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios – A YA novel about two teens working in a quirky motel.
• Autumn by Ali Smith – This one is really calling to me right now, but I don’t know if I can fit it in.

Free ebooks

I picked up two free ebooks by new-to-me authors that looked promising: Christmas at the Little Village Bakery by Tilly Tennant and The End of Us by Kennedy Fox. Please let me know if you’ve read either of these or anything by the authors!

Amazon First Reads

We got to pick two Amazon First Reads books in October, and I was happy to see two authors I’ve read and enjoyed available to choose from. I chose The Bookstore Sisters, the newest short story by Alice Hoffman and June, Reimagined by Rebekah Crane, a contemporary romance set in the Scottish Highlands!

How was your reading month? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!