October 2022 Wrap Up and TBR

Ah, October. What a rollercoaster month it has been. There were definitely lows, such as being sick with COVID (and confined to my small room for 2 weeks going absolutely stir crazy). It’s also why in part this wrap up is late and posting in November (whoops).

But, there were also highs. Like, I still can’t believe it, but I’m engaged, everyone! Very surreal still but that was a surprising proposal. I’ve been wedding planning already with my boyfriend (fiancé now) to get the venue set up for next year but wow, it hasn’t really hit until now.

Anyway, back to reading news. Since I was out sick for a while, I was able to read a little more than I probably would have otherwise. Or at least, I read more once I was recovering and confined to my very small space with nothing else to do. Let’s dig more into that, shall we?

What did I read this month?

Favourite read: I was blown away by the secret society of protectors in The Luminaries. The world was crafted beautifully and the stakes grew steadily higher as the world of monstrous nightmares seemed to shake up what was known by the hunters who kept them away from the general population. I loved the characters and the foundational set up for the rest of the series in this first installment even though it definitely ended in a way that left you wanting a LOT more resolved.

Asian rep: I never imagined a bit of magical realism mixed with the Asian experience would make for a wonderful story, but If You Could See the Sun proved me wrong. Not only was it imaginative and dealt with the very real and serious topics of economic difficulties and the pressures of family, it was also a super cute romance between rivals that had the perfect amount of angst.

Different format: After watching the play for my boyfriend fiancé’s birthday in September, I had to read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to see how much it was similar or different. I didn’t think I would like reading such a format but it was surprisingly enjoyable. Perhaps it helped that I could imagine the voices and actions because I watched the play first, but it was still an overall fun read.

Most surprising: For once, this superlative isn’t describing a surprising read in a good way, but in the opposite direction. Would You Rather has my favourite tropes in it (best-friends-to-lovers and fake dating) but it left me wanting a whole lot more. I was annoyed half the time with the issues that popped up between the love interests and couldn’t find it in me to sympathize. For a book I had imagined would be an easy 5-star read, I was left quite disappointed.

Met the hype?: I’m always super wary when it comes to books that have been hyped so much online, but The Atlas Six is easily understandable for its praise. I loved how unique and different each protagonist was, especially given how character driven this story is with barely a solid plotline. I’ll moderate my expectations for the sequel (which is just as highly hyped) but I can at least say it was worth reading the first installment.

Couldn’t put down: What’s funny is this month I’m using this description to describe A Thousand Heartbeats which is actually NOT a 5-star read. In fact, it’s not even a 4-star read. I will write up the review very soon to wrap my thoughts around all that I was feeling while reading it, but I couldn’t put it down. Perhaps it was the circumstances of reading it at the tail end of my recovery and being stuck in my room going a bit stir crazy, but either way, the reality was I just wanted to keep reading and find out how these star crossed lovers became lovers from the deep seated hate between their peoples.

5 Drink Me Potions

• The Luminaries by Susan Dennard [review]

4.5 Drink Me Potions

• If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang [review]
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

4 Drink Me Potions

• The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake [review]

3.5 Drink Me Potions

• A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass

2.5 Drink Me Potions

• Would You Rather by Allison Ashley

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Current reading list

• Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
• The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
• The Host by Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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TBR list

• Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
• Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton
• A Cosmic Kind of Love by Samantha Young

How was your October, reading or otherwise? I hope it was filled with less ups and downs than mine was. Happy November, everyone!