Top October Reads!
Happy first of November! It feels crazy that it is now November and we are all looking at the rest of the holiday season. I personally am not a huge fan of Christmas music and things, but I definitely know people who are READY now that it's November. It also means the weather is making it easier to stay inside cozy with a book, unless you have a chaos kitten like I do. (Maggie). Here are some books to add to your TBR as you get ready for a cozy holiday season!
Sunflower Season By Danica Nava- Maggie
I know I wrote a whole blog about this book but honestly I think it is my favorite book that Danica Nava has written (so far). There is something super sweet about the way the second chance romance plays out and the yearning of the main male character is just chefs kiss. Then there is the added benefit of having June start to rebuild not only a farm but also her own life, starting to figure out who she is and what she wants after realizing that being far from home might not be helping her.
Another reason I just really wanted to talk about this book again was that fact that it is written by an indigenous author and takes place on indigenous lands. I really enjoy how Danica Nava writes contemporary romance that involves indigenous characters. Overall this book is a really cute romance and a great read if you are looking for something with lower stakes that is sweet and will make you kick your feet with how sweet the main male character is.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel- Allison
I read this book as part of one of those Goodreads challenges. I had heard of Emily St. John Mandel because of her book, Station Eleven, but I had never actually read her work before. This book, Sea of Tranquility, almost felt like literary science fiction. All the moments in this book were small- they even felt remarkably mundane despite some being set in the far future at times. When connected together, however, they packed a gut-punch. The references to pandemics felt so real, especially when I realized the author wrote this during the early pandemic days of 2020. I was a fan of the structure the most, and the pace blew my dang mind. Also, the interweaving of storylines was masterful. The entire thing felt so succinct, yet so poignant. This book has definitely convinced me to read more of Emily St. John Mandel's work.
This Shattered Tempest By Thea Guanzon - Maggie
This Shattered Tempest is the last book in The Hurricane Wars Trilogy. I have been a big fan of this series since the beginning and this book was a great way to end the trilogy. The story itself follows two characters who should be against each other in every way and they are. When they are forced into an arranged marriage that should 'save the continent' they then spend the rest of the series wondering if the other one will betray them. Now, they are suffering the consequences of these betrayals along with the politics they never could have imagined. They also have to deal with that fact that are now also in love, which was definitely not part of the plan.
Overall, I really enjoy the magic in this series and how the characters develop throughout it. There are definitely some Reylo vibes, but overall it works really well for the story.
Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros- Allison
I have been enjoying the Empyrean Series so far- like watching a Marvel movie in the theaters and eating way too much popcorn as I take in the action scenes. This book explores the day that various students attempt to bond with dragons, arguably one of the best parts of the world Rebecca Yarros has created. It was just fun to be back in Navarre, especially since we won't have the fourth book in the series for a little while.
When I saw this short story collection had come out, I was excited to see which characters the author wanted to give us more information about, and I was overall happy with the ones she chose. My favorite stories were centered around Mira Sorrengail, Imogen Cardulo, and Liam Mairi, but other fan-favorites like Xaden Riorson and Rhiannon Matthias were featured as well. This book was nothing too special, but it was overall an entertaining read. (Maggie here, I almost added this book too, honestly I love a good little peek into the lives of other characters in big series and I lived for seeing Xaden/Garrick on their Threshing Days. It's a quick read but very entertaining).
What were your favorite reads in October? Anything that we should add to our TBRs?
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