Our October Favorites!

As the end of spooky season approaches and all the stores seem to be overrun with Christmas stuff, it is time for our favorite books of October! I (Maggie) still have a few more books that lean into spooky season to read before diving into those cozy holiday reads for the end of the year! This month was filled with a lot of genres and some surprise new favorites. I (Maggie) have a lot of ARCs waiting for me for the end of the year and am excited to share them with you over the next month or two. I (Allison) have been steadily reading to complete some of my yearly reading lists (on Goodreads and on Storygraph) and am excited to continue towards this goal as I try to also work in some of those fun holiday reads.

What books are you looking forward to for the end of the year? Let us know!

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O'Clover - Maggie

4 / 5 Stars

Louisa Walsh emerged from a tumultuous childhood with a degree in counseling, a wealthy boyfriend, and her sunny outlook on life mostly intact. But that optimism is tested when she’s dumped and left unable to afford rent on their gorgeous house in the mountains of Colorado. Even with her life in disarray, Lou knows losing the one stable place she’s ever called home is not an option.

When she approaches her attractive landlord, Henry, about making the house a B&B for those who have broken hearts, he seems reluctant, but allows it. He also starts showing up more, helping around the house and always seeming to be available when Lou needs him.

This book has a lot of mentions of loss, and the difference types of loss and how people can handle that differently. It was a beautiful book with a fun romance plot line and a lot of great side characters. If you need a book that has some drama but a happy ending, I highly recommend this one!

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas - Allison

4/5 Stars

Once per decade, ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, children of the gods, are selected to participate in a series of trials. The winner must sacrifice the loser to the sun god in order to protect the world from an evil group of rebellious gods known as the Obsidians. Usually, the semidioses chosen are the children of Gold gods, who are trained from a young age in a special school to partake in these challenges. This year, two misfit children of Jade gods, Xio and the main character, Teo, are chosen as well. Can Teo stay alive, keep his friends safe, and figure out what is going on between him and his estranged friend/current crush Aurelio?

This book feels like the offspring of the Percy Jackson books and the Hunger Games books, just gay-er and with a focus on Mexican-inspired mythology instead of Greek mythology. I especially liked that trans, gay, lesbian, etc. characters, whether on the "good" or "bad" side of the story, are treated fairly, without their identity being the sole reason why they are beloved or despised. The action was fun, all of the characters were engaging, and overall, this book was entertaining from start to finish.

Mate by Ali Hazelwood- Maggie

4.5 / 5 Stars

Mate is a sequel/companion novel to Bride, a werewolf/vampire romance novel. Mate follows Serena, who has recently announced herself as a Were-Human hybrid, one of only a few that exists. That immediately puts a target on her back, and now she is under the protection of the Northwest Alpha, Koen.

Koen is strict and intimidating, but also her mate, even as they both try to ignore that feelings that ignites in them. Serena is also keeping a secret. She is suffering from changes that are taking a toll on her human body, leaving her sick and unable to shift into a wolf.

As Koen tries to keep her safe, he also realizes that she isn't doing well, leading them to visiting better doctors and finding out the truth. Now they are both stuck with hormones that are trying to betray them, while being in constant danger of attack. I enjoyed this book more than Bride, and also didn't think I'd be this into werewolf romance (oops). This book is definitely hot and heavy where it wants to be and I really enjoyed how that played into the plot.

With the press dead, people missing and va right now, even if vampires aren't real.

Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong - Allison

5/5 Stars

I am not a huge poetry reader, but after loving Ocean Vuong's first poetry collection, I knew I had to give this one a try. It definitely did not disappoint! The last collection ranged widely in its thematic content, while this one felt a bit more focused on loss in different ways. There is the physical death of his mother, the loss of childhood innocence growing up in a rough area, the loss of identity when you grown up outside of the box that is considered "normal" in America, and much much more.

While many reviewed this collection as slightly less impressive than his debut collection, I was equally impressed with this set of poetry as with the first set of poetry. The author's word choice throughout the work still blows my mind. I greatly enjoyed the audiobook form of this collection, and at some point I hope to get my hands of a physical copy of the book so I can look into the form that these poems take. I also want to read the novels Ocean Vuong has put out into the world, but I am unsure if I am ready for the tears that are sure to come!

Did you read any of these books? Have anything we should add to our TBRs?