We are already a week into Nonfiction November, but here are some stats and quick reviews of what I read in October!
The stats
The books
- The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: this is the first in a young adult series that has been likened to Knives Out. A teen girl finds out she’s inheriting like Elon Musk levels of money from some tycoon she’s never met and has to deal with his family who are NOT happy about it. The family includes a set of brothers and the girl (Avery) is attracted to two of them. I listened to this on audiobook and thought it was fine but I could have done without the love triangle aspect. I wasn’t compelled to continue with the series immediately but I may in the future.
- Femina by Janina Ramirez: the subtitle of this one is “a new history of the Middle Ages through the women written out of it” and like yes, but also, no. I’m always drawn to titles about women’s history, so that’s why I picked this one up. I did enjoy it for the most part, but I just felt it was very Eurocentric with the women it focused on, and really English-centric if we want to be specific. While it was fascinating to learn about how women were more integral to medieval politics and society than we might think, I wish it had more of a worldview perspective to it.
- Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman: this is a fiction novel about a drug that lets people see ghosts. It’s supposed to be a look at addiction and grief which like, it is, but the execution was just not great (poor writing, a lot of telling and not showing, boring characters) so it didn’t really have the affect on me that I think it was supposed to.
- The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard #3) by Scott Lynch: this is the third in a series so no spoilers but this series is fun and I really like the banter and friendship between Locke and Jean. I do think this series could use an editor but overall it’s a good time.
- Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas: yes, I have started ToG. And yes, I am enjoying it. Since this is book 2, no spoilers, but SJM just has a way of writing that makes me want to turn the pages. I did think the emotion felt over a certain character’s death was a little contrived, but overall I’m currently enjoying the series ride.
- The Hidden Witch (The Witch Boy #2) by Molly Knox Ostertag: this is the second in a cute juvenile graphic novel series about a boy who wants to be a witch, even though in his community the men are shifters and the women are witches. This second book is about learning to trust others and found family.
- Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang: this is both a biography and a historical account of the Republic of China and the rise of communism within it. Jung depicts both her grandmother’s history and her mother’s history alongside the shifting political background in China and how that affected their lives. This is was dense and intense, but ultimately captivating and insightful.
So that’s what I read in October! You might have noticed that I only mentioned 7 books when I said I read 8, and that’s because one of them was an advanced reader’s copy of a title sent to me for review for Booklist, and the review hasn’t been published yet.
Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know!
Until next time,
lynndeeslibrary.com 