October Reviews, Part 1

I’ve finished my first 5 book reviews for October. Let’s dive into the details.

Statistics

Age Category: 3 YA, 2 A

Nice and balanced, which is awesome. I have noticed my review requests and ARCs are trending toward adult books lately, so this was a nice little change from my recent reads. 

Author’s Gender: 2 F, 3 M

This is the second group of five in a row to have a majority for male writers. Weird.

Genres: 1 Fantasy, 2 Horror, 2 Contemporary

Seems about right. Spooky season, indeed.

Indie Authors: 4 N, 1 Y

That’s pathetic, yes? I try and keep it as close to 50/50 as I can but, honestly, I’ve been on a library kick lately and my library has a skeletal amount of independently published books available. 

Total Pages Read: 1,371

Average Pages per Book: 274

That’s pretty normal, I think. I actually have no idea. Maybe in 2021 I’ll be better at keeping track of this. Maybe. 

Ratings: 2, 2, 3.5, 4, 4

This is a weirdly satisfying little bell curve. 

Book Notes That Didn’t Make the Video

The Raven Boys

• I added this one to my TBR after hearing a YouTuber RAVE about it. Honestly, I’m SHOCKED now that I’ve read it that she liked it at all. She usually HATES YA Fantasy like this!
• I listened to this one as an audiobook when it became available at my local library. I recommend it like that. The narrator does a REMARKABLE job!
• Grab yourself a copy of this one here. 

Tokyo Ghoul, Volume 1

• We sell manga and graphic novels at the bookstore and my son is a fan of both. But I realized I hadn’t given manga much of a try. I’ve been wanting to try one for awhile. 
• This one came from the library, where they have a pretty decent selection. I liked that this was the first in a series, giving me a chance to try more if I liked it. 
• Get yourself a copy of this one here. 

An Abundance of Katherines

• I borrowed this paperback from the library when it earned the shield for oldest book on my TBR. This copy I borrowed actually has the cover that was designed by a fan of the book (which is adorable, by the way) and an Q&A with John Green (which I read). 
• This is the second John Green book I’ve read in two months and my third John Green book overall. I still think Turtles All the Way Down is his best book. 
• Get yourself a copy of this one here or Turtles All the Way Down here. 

Where’d You Go, Bernadette

• I listened to this one as an audiobook which I borrowed from my local library. It’s narrated by the actress who plays Liz on Gilmore Girls … which totally worked for me!
• I fell into the trap of thinking this one was a contemporary story. I even reread the description after a few chapters because I wondered where in the world I’d gotten this idea. This story is definitely humorous. It’s not intended to be taken seriously, honest! Enjoy it … laugh at it. That’s the point. 
• Grab yourself a copy of this one here. 

The Massacre at Yellow Hill

• I read this one as an ebook which the author sent me in exchange for an honest review. 
• This is the first in a trilogy, according to Amazon. I believe I have the second one all cued up to read in October as well. As for the third one … I’m honestly not sure it’s even out yet. 
• Support indie authors and grab yourself a copy of this one here. 

The Video