The Good, the Bad, and the Books I Read: October

Piggy backing slightly off of my last post, wherein I detailed some of the thrilling and truly groundbreaking plans I have for this blog (that is sarcasm, my blog plans are neither thrilling nor groundbreaking they are in fact very basic, run-of-the-mill blog plans), one of those said plans is book-ish content. 

I was an avid reader as a kid growing up, but then I turned into a teenager and had better things to do (obvi, AmIRight?). I then turned into an adult and re-discovered my love for books. Even more recently, I have found the book-ish community on Instagram and YouTube to be one of my favorite places and I want to bring a little bit of that book-ish energy to my blog. Really, I just want to talk about books and I think my friends and family might be getting sick of my rambling-on about them. 

So, if you are not into books that's totally cool you can ignore these posts - it won't hurt my feelings (jk yes it will a little please still read my blog and tell me you love me pls and thx). But if you ARE into books - let's talk about them!

Books I read in October

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Synopsis: Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.” Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

The Good: 

• The atmosphere - Ellingham Academy was putting off some serious Hogwarts vibes and I am here for it. A boarding school set atop a secluded mountain in Vermont - old, filled with hidden passageways and sprawling tunnels? Fall leaves printed on each of the chapter pages in the actual book? Yes please!
• Dual timelines - this book did a great job of incorporating the old story and timeline, with the new. It kept things interesting and helped with pacing. We love a good dual timeline. 
• Our main character, Stevie - relatable and smart. 

The Bad:

• This is the first book of four in a series (Book #4 coming out Summer 2021!) and really just felt like a set-up book. The book ended on a HUGE cliffhanger and ZERO of my questions were answered. Which is fine I suppose, since I'll keep reading the next book because now I feel like I need to know what happens. This book on its own however, can't stand by itself. I felt a little cheated when I finished this - like I read it hoping for some sort of a resolution or revelation and got none.

Overall rating: 3/5 stars

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Synopsis: Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie NYPD cops, are neighbors in the suburbs. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.

In Mary Beth Keane's extraordinary novel, a lifelong friendship and love blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next thirty years. Heartbreaking and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes is a gorgeous and generous portrait of the daily intimacies of marriage and the power of forgiveness.

The Good:

• Character development - throughout this book we get to follow these characters over the course of 30 years; the characters are very well developed and by the end I found myself rooting for the one person I never thought I would.
• The writing - everything felt very realistic and very believable in this book. The author crafted this story excellently. 

The Bad:

• The timelines - it jumps back and forth often and at times I found it hard to follow.
• While this was a compelling story, it wasn't that....exciting? 

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars 

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Synopsis: Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she’s always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they’re as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families.

One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor's handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. James is well traveled and well read, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in.

Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia’s life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won’t surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong.

Ok you guys, this book was a WILD RIDE and even now, I am conflicted about how I feel about. This book got really rave reviews and was super hyped, which is what compelled me to be brave and pick it up as a good Halloween/October read, and I can see why. The plot is super creative, the story was well-executed, the writing was great and it had a very satisfying ending. But here's the thing: if you like gross, bloody, creepy, really creepy books - this one is for you, if you do not - this one is probably not for you. I fall into the latter of those two. But I feel like I can't really give it a bad review because I can 100% see why thriller/horror fans would love this, it just wasn't for me. BUT I AM PROUD OF MYSELF for reading a creepy scary book GO ME. Also we love this cover so there's that too.

The Good:

• The bond between the women in this book club - we stan strong female friendships.
• The plot - it's Stepford Wives meets Dracula and have you ever heard of something like that before?

The Bad:

• Some very gross and creepy scenes 
• Patricia's husband - what a tool bag I wanted to punch him every time he opened his mouth.

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Synopsis: After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man"--a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed these warnings. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small." And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

This is a middle grade book that came highly recommended by a lot of BookTubers for a spooky October read and I have to say, it did not disappoint. Maybe middle grade thrillers are my pace than blood-soaked vampire books?

The Good:

• Spooky in a fun way, not too spooky - love this for me 🙃
• The atmosphere - all the fall vibes!
• Our main character Ollie - strong, brave, with a little bit of smart-ass
• It's a book about a book and books about books is one of my favorite sub-genres. 

The Bad:

• ...I actually can't really think of any at this moment so do with that what you will

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley

Synopsis: Banished! is how twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce laments her predicament, when her father and Aunt Felicity ship her off to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy, the boarding school that her mother, Harriet, once attended across the sea in Canada. The sun has not yet risen on Flavia’s first day in captivity when a gift lands at her feet. Flavia being Flavia, a budding chemist and sleuth, that gift is a charred and mummified body, which tumbles out of a bedroom chimney. Now, while attending classes, making friends (and enemies), and assessing the school’s stern headmistress and faculty (one of whom is an acquitted murderess), Flavia is on the hunt for the victim’s identity and time of death, as well as suspects, motives, and means. Rumors swirl that Miss Bodycote’s is haunted, and that several girls have disappeared without a trace. When it comes to solving multiple mysteries, Flavia is up to the task—but her true destiny has yet to be revealed.

I wanted to like this book so badly but I just didn't.

The Good:

• Our main character - she's smart, strong, and quick on her feet
• The setting - I love a good boarding school story, particularly one that is apparently haunted??

The Bad:

• The writing - was not for me and I often times found myself skimming paragraphs just to get past all the internal dialogue and get back to the meat of the story.
• The pacing - we come upon our dead body early in the story and then a lot of time is spent not solving this mystery. It felt slow and boring.  
• The plot - felt disjointed and the ending was very anti-climactic.

This book is part of a whole series with this same main character solving different mysteries. I might try one more to see if it's any better. Am I a glutton for punishment? Maybe. We'll find out.

Overall Rating: 2/5 stars (womp womp) 

What was your favorite book you read in October?!