What a great reading month I had in October. Maybe because I anticipated that November will be mainly blog reading and books will fall to he wayside. Or maybe I just picked the books that were the right ones at the time. Maybe they were just great books. Whatever it was I loved my reading in October and here is my book talk.
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow | ★★★★★
Goodreads says: I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate. Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House — and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund — she can’t resist.
What I thought: I loved this book. I loved the slightly creepy atmosphere. I loved the fog and mist that lingered. I loved the quirkiness of the house, the little irks, the feelings. It was a whole character on itself. I enjoyed the setting basically. But also the story and the people in the story were fun. Not sleek and glossy more rough, worn down but still kind. If I had to reduce the rating by a fraction it would be the very forced/in your face thing about being there for the brother. I think that was mentioned a few times too many. We got it. Overall fun reading at the right time of year.
Characters: Opal – girl trying to survive and provide life to brother, Jasper – brother to Opal, Arthur – Warden of Starling House
Setting: creepy town of Eden, Kentucky
Medium: eBook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Starling House”
Recommend to: Everyone loving a creepy fantasy, hunted houses, stories about loyalty and a love story that isn’t coming easy.
Author’s Origin: born in Idaho, U.S.A. | November 9th 1989
The Cows Got Out by Michelle Goggins | ★★★★★
Amazon says: It was a beautiful spring day on the ranch, and the cows got out! What will the rancher do? Find out in this short story with black and white illustrations.
What I thought: We all know Michelle is such a creative soul and her doll house parties are to die for. So are her little stories and illustrations. I have a thing for cows and this was just adorable. Each of the cows has character in her face. It’s just great. I enjoy that little story very much one night when insomnia was visiting.
Setting: a ranch
Medium: eBook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: no translation
Recommend to: Everyone loving a cute little story about cows.
Author’s Origin: born in U.S.A. | unknown
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave | ★★★★✶
Goodreads says: When the patriarch of a famed hotel empire dies under suspicious circumstances, his daughter and her estranged brother join forces to find out what happened, unraveling a larger mystery about who their father really was.
What I thought: I really enjoyed this book. It’s my second book by this author and I liked this one even more. I liked the dynamic between the estranged siblings. I liked the mystery of figuring out what and if something happened. I liked the way the story was narrated by the flashbacks to the father’s life and that we move closer to the present day as we are further along in solving what happened. I was having an inkling who and what was being talked about and I was so wrong. The reveal blew me. I don’t want to go into much more detail to not spoil it. This book was just great and I loved all the little side stories too. I think if you know the areas in California it’s going to be even better.
Characters: Liam Samuel No-one – deceased father, Nora – daughter, 1st marriage, Sam – son, 2nd marriage, Uncle Joe, Jack – chef, partner to Nora,
Setting: New York, California, Windbreak property
Medium: eBook library
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: not yet translated but will be I am sure
Recommend to: Everyone loving a mystery, characters that have their own story and the topic love and loyalty.
Author’s Origin: born in New York, U.S.A. | July, 18th 1977
Additional note: Book Club Book for heybooklovers
How the Pigs got their Blankets: A sewing story by Michelle Goggins | ★★★★☆
Amazon says: Three pigs decide to sew blankets for each other, but it doesn’t go quite as they expected.
What I thought: Another cute little story. Even though you quickly pick up what’s happening it’s just endearing. And again Michelles illustrations are stinking cute. Overall I enjoyed the cow story more because… cows.
Medium: eBook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: no translation
Recommend to: Everyone loving a cute little story about pigs that sew.
Author’s Origin: born in U.S.A. | unknown
Anatomy by Dana Schwartz | ★★★★☆
Goodreads says: Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.
Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.
When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought.
What I thought: I very much enjoyed the story of becoming a surgeon in a time when that was not possible and what length one would go to. I enjoyed that and feel it was well researched. I am a bit mad it is marketed as a love story. If you say it’s a love story of becoming a surgeon well sure but the other part is just happening. I don’t know. I was more interested what Hazel made of herself.
Characters: Hazel Sinnett – surgeon to be, Jack Currer – resurrection man
Setting: Edinburg in 1817
Medium: eBook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Anatomy”
Recommend to: Everyone wanting to read a slightly creepy historic fiction about becoming a surgeon with an added love story.
Author’s Origin: born in Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.A. | January 7th, 1993
Additional note: part one of The Anatomy Duology
Immortality by Dana Schwartz | ★★★★☆
Goodreads says: Hazel Sinnett is alone and half convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: Hazel has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte.
What I thought: I didn’t like this one as much as the previous one. I am just not a fan of royal settings, intrigues and such. However I did enjoy the reason why the queen to be was sick and her story line. I found the secret society also intriguing but at the same time a bit annoying.
Characters: Hazel Sinnett – surgeon, Jack Currer – survivor, Princess Charlotte
Setting: London court
Medium: eBook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Immortality”
Recommend to: Everyone who read the previous book.
Author’s Origin: born in Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.A. | January 7th, 1993
Additional note: part two of The Anatomy Duology
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston | ★★★★☆
Goodreads says: Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.
What I thought: This was exciting. I loved listening to the audio book and walked extra to get further in the story. And then 10 minutes to the end my subscription ended and I needed to wait for weeks to finish it. So worth it. I loved the characters and their shadiness. I loved the mystery aspect of the story. I loved that they tried to break free. And then I was surprised by the end but I guess I could have seen it coming. Really entertaining.
Characters: Evie Porter, Ryan Sumner – boyfriend to Evie, Mr. smith – boss to Evie
Setting: some southern town in the U.S.
Medium: audiobook through library
Original Language and Title: English hardcover, paperback, ebook
Publications: German title “Wer zuerst lügt”
Recommend to: Everyone loving a good crime story with shady characters.
Author’s Origin: born in U.S.A. | unknown
Jellyfish Age Backwards by Nicklas Brendborg | ★★★★☆
Goodreads says: Recent advances in medicine and technology have expanded our understanding of aging across the animal kingdom, and our own timeless quest for the fountain of youth. Yet, despite modern humans living longer today than ever before, the public’s understanding of what is possible is limited to our species—until now. In this spunky, effervescent debut, the key to immortality is revealed to be a superpower within reach. With mind-bending stories from the natural world and our own, Jellyfish Age Backwards reveals lifespans we cannot imagine and physiological gifts that feel closer to magic than reality: There is a Greenland shark that was 286 years old when the Titanic sank, and is currently 390, making it older than the United States. Scientists predict it will live for another 100 years.
What I thought: Very educational. Very interesting. She fun little anecdotes are peppered in. This random knowledge you can pullt out for party entertainment. Of course I have only scratched the surface of understanding and most of all keeping the information I read. It might have been a bit tough as an audiobook to soak it all up. Definitely inspirational.
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited, library | audiobook through library | paperback | hardcover
Original Language and Title: English hardcover, paperback, ebook
Publications: German title “Quallen altern rückwärts”
Recommend to: Everyone wanting to learn more about longevity and the human body and who loves a good animal kingdom anecdote.
Author’s Origin: born in Denmark | June 24, 1995
Read Around the World: Denmark
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel | ★★★✶☆
Goodreads says: Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.
Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.
What I thought: I have had this book on my TBR since 2017 and never managed to read it. When the pandemic arrived I didn’t feel like reading a pandemic book. It was a solid and good book to read. It was well written and engaging. However I think this book would have been more exciting to read pre-pandemic. It just doesn’t feel so foreign any more.
Characters: Kirsten – child actress, traveling symphony member, Clark – Arthurs best friend, curator of museum, Arthur – famous actor, Miranda – artist, 1st wife to Arthur
Setting: A world in the future with no electricity, only a handful of people and new struggles. Flashbacks to previous world.
Medium: eBook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Station Eleven”
Recommend to: Everyone loving dystopian novels.
Author’s Origin: born in Comox, Canada | 1979
Read Around the World: logged for Canada
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde | ★★★☆☆
Goodreads says: The home on the Canterville Ghost was the ancient Canterville Chase, which has all the accoutrements of a traditional haunted house. Descriptions of the wainscoting, the library panelled in black oak, and the armour in the hallway characterize the setting. Wilde mixes the macabre with comedy, juxtaposing devices from traditional English ghost stories such as creaking floorboards, clanking chains, and ancient prophecies.
What I thought: I am glad I read this tale as I have heard so much about it. It was a fun read. However a slower read and we are just not used to that anymore. I can see the humor in this book. I think when this book was published it was a riot. And apparently it was also an irony of the zeitgeist at time of publishing. since I don’t know much about that time I wasn’t able to pick that up. Solid read. Glad I did.
Characters: American family with three kids, ghost
Setting: Canterville
Medium: eBook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Das Gespenst von Canterville”
Recommend to: Everyone loving a classic tale and a ghost story
Author’s Origin: born in Dublin, Ireland | October 16th, 1854
Read Around the World: Ireland
Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo | ★★☆☆☆
Goodreads says: A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully.
Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor’s lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.
What I thought: I wanted to love this book but unfortunately I count get into it. t was only a 2 hour audiobook but it took me days to get through. Maybe because of the very foreign names I had a hard time to grasp what was going on. Reading might have been the better option. The premise sound great and right up my alley.
Characters: cleric Chih, Rabbit, empress
Setting: Some remote woods
Medium: audiobook through library
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: no translation found
Recommend to: I really can’t say as I didn’t get into the story. Try for yourself.
Author’s Origin: born in Illinois, U.S.A. | December 1st, 1982
New books on the shelves
Always buying books even though I am trying to reduce my TBR pile. Here is this month purchases. Please hold me accountable and ask if I read them or just piled them up.
- ChatGPT Handbuch by Oliver Bock & Florian Knust – gift by the author a former colleague
- Blonder Engel by Marion Kummerow – kindle freebie
- Starling House by Alix E. Harrow – kindle deal for 1,19€
- Armor of Light by Ken Follett – kindle deal for 2,50€
Did you read a creepy book this month? What is the latest book you added to your TBR? Any money spent on books? Is there a book you wish for right now?
28 comments
I only recognize the classic ghost story here (and of course a fellow blogger’s name but I didn’t know she’d published books!), and re the Canterville ghost : I’m not sure I ever read it? I liked the movie (?) as a kid though, but I’m not really a fan of any horror / scary stuff.
But I will have be on the look out for Ken Follett’s new-ish book, I looooove that series so much! You’ll read it before me and let me know if it’s as good as the previous ones.
I don’t think there is going to be anything wrong with Ken Follett’s book. I fear I won’t make it before Christmas though.
I am not into horror or anything. My nerves are too sensitive. Bu I like a ghost story or some spooky things or darker novels in October.
Tobia, I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of having my books reviewed on your blog! I’m beyond moved. I’m so happy that you liked them. Wow! Just wow! I’ve never felt anything like this before. Thank you so much, Tobia. This is a beautiful gift for me.
You are more than welcome. I really did enjoy them.
Glad to make you happy. You deserve all the praise.
Oh my gosh, I did not know that Michelle was a published writer! How fun! I also found your comment about Station Eleven to be interesting, as I read that book pre-pandemic and loved it (although spoiler, I have not liked ANY of her other books very much), but like you say, it was new and fun! Now it is old hat. I see you have a Follett on your TBR; I have enjoyed all of the books I have read by him so far, although they do tend to be quite long! However, that is great when you are camping with no service and cannot download new books! My favorite read from October was either God of the Woods or Looking For Jane.
God of the Woods is a hit in our group, no? I have it in hold in the library but currently 30 weeks waiting time. Not sure I want to wait that long… I want to be part of the group talking about it.
You can’t really do anything wrong with a Follett book. Even his bad ones are much better than most books. And I do love a long epic story. I often read those much faster than the short ones. I am weird like that. I read an 800 page book in 2 days. I didn’t do much else though.
I a sure I would have loved Station Eleven more before the pandemic. Sad to hear you dent like her other ones. One of those days I will read another one of her and we’ll see what I think.
I listened to Station 11 and enjoyed it, but I had already seen the TV Series, so I felt like I knew it all already. I loved her other books though.
I just put The Night We Lost Him on hold, thank you! I really liked The Last Thing He Told Me. They made that into a series as well, which was good but the book was better.
I love that you reviewed Michelle’s books!
I may need to buy God of the Woods too, I have FOMO. I just started listening to The Ministry of Time this morning, and so far I am loving it. I also have Playground, by Richard Powers on hold, I heard him being interviewed on the radio and liked what he had to say. I may break down and buy that one too. I have an Audible subscription and I have a lot of credits available, since I listen to most of my books via a library app.
You and me both having FOMO about God of the woods. I wanna be part of the insiders.
And Ministry of Time sounds so good. I need to check out Playgrounds. Never heard of it.
Sigh… there are just too many books and not enough reading hours.
Glad to hear you enjoyed other books by Mendel. Which one would you recommend next?
I really liked The Glass Hotel (probably my favorite) and Sea of Tranquility. The thing to know is that they are all in sort of parallel universes. So some of the characters are the same, but the reality is different. In one reality, there is a horrible Pandemic (Station 11). In another, it was a minor virus and didn’t take off. I love it.
Oh, I dient know they were all interconnected. That makes it much more interesting to me. Thank you for that bit of info.
You had some great reads last month!
I felt meh about Station 11 while everybody loved it. I don’t remember when I read it but I think it was pre-pandemic.
It was definitely not as great as the hype promised. At least for me since I do read a fair amount of dystopian novels so it was solid but not amazing.
I read almost nothing BUT creepy books last month – spooky season, after all. I love Alix E Harrow when I read her, but for some dumb reason have trouble getting back into one of her books. I loved Station Eleven, but I did read it well before the pandemic. I also don’t really care for books involving royalty.
That royalty trope is so lame. Same as anything with billionaires. Or celebrities.
I read but please… write about normal people.
It was my second book by Harrow and I enjoyed it but In know what you mean about getting into. Sometimes it’s taking a while. I have one author (Naomi Novik) where it’s really really hard to read but once you are done you wonder what took you so long. Interesting why that is.
Happy to hear you had a good spooky month.
I loved Station Eleven but I read it before the pandemic, so I do wonder how I would feel reading the book now. A much different world we live in!
I read Anatomy and didn’t enjoy it as much as you did. I can’t remember why, though! Maybe it was the love story? Learning more about how people became surgeons and the lengths they went to study the body was so fascinating (and alarming!).
It is interesting how the timing of a book can influence the way we feel about it.
I thought the love story made Anatomy a bit weak. I wonder if the publishers pushed that into the book. At tamest felt like it.
I haven’t read any of these! Some of them sound good though. I did read Alix Hallorw’s Ten Thoughsand Doors of January and didn’t love it- so maybe she’s not the author for me. Station Eleven has been on my TBR for a long time, but I keep hesitating to read it, and not your review is making me hesitate even more!
I recently read several books by Ken Follett (the three books of The Century Trilogy) and LOVED them.
Ken Follett just always delivers.
I feel your hesitation I did too. I am glad I read the book and it wasn’t bad. At times strange and thought provoking. I think I had higher exceptions because of the hype (pre pandemic).
Harrow is very unique in her storytelling so I can see that it is not for everyone.
The Night We Lost Him sounds like a really good book. I don’t know why, but I don’t usually read mysteries. I’m almost done with Early Riser right now. Then I plan to read My Name is Emily Barton by Strout. I’ve not read any of her books yet and everyone is always excited about them. I laughed at the fact that you liked the cow book a bit more than the pig one, “Because . . . cows.” I don’t read a ton – not enough time in the day, but I do love to read. I read more in the summer, because I’m not working and I bring my book to the pool . . . thus my love of summer. So, I don’t have a TBR list. When my book club sends out the list of books for the year – I read those and then I add a few here and there, if I have time.
Oh that is interesting that you book club is sending out the list for the entire year. I have never heard that.
I am usually not much into mysteries but I really enjoyed The Night We Lost him. Maybe even a bit more than The Night We Him.
I don’t think I have read s Strout book either but keep hearing about it. Let me know what you think and if I miss out when I not run and grab one of hers immediately.
I live a very different lifestyle to most of you with kids. And I have long evenings without the husband because he rarely is home before 9:30/10pm. Hence lost of reading time if I want.
We read “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Killing Vampires” by Grady Hendrix and that was very creepy indeed. The last book I added to my Want to Read list is James by Perciaval Everett. Usually I try to borrow books through the library so no recent money spend there. The last time I spend money on books was at Powell’s Books in Portland. I just could not help myself. It’s the biggest book store I have ever been to.
Ohhh “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Killing Vampires” – I have not read that one but it could be on my list for next year.
I have no idea what the Everett book is and need to look it up.
Book stores are magic but I rarely walk out with a book to be honest. I always wonder if I could get it from the library or my parents. They have a thousand books (I don’t think I am exaggerating much) and so often I find books I want to read and here they are.
An interesting selection of books again and I haven’t read any of them. I don’t buy books very often, although I bought two books in Paris that I am still reading.
I rarely buy books. Mostly kindle deals.
I am actually reading one right now you recommended/reviewed “Too Much lip” but I have to be honest I am struggling to get the hang of it with the slang. I scored a kindle unlimited promotion for 3 months for free and read my way through all the titles I saved for that reason.
Yes, the slang in that one would be difficult for non-Australians. Also there are probably some cultural aspects that don’t quite land.
I feel this book is not a book for right now. Not sure if I power through or give it a try some other time…
Station Eleven! I read it pre-pandemic and I loved it. I actually wished it had been longer and I don’t know if I’ve ever said that about a book. I think you raise a good point, though, that maybe it didn’t age well in a post-pandemic world. I’ll never revisit it so I’ll continue to think it’s a great book.
It’s been a good book but I think it lost its novelty. I wouldn’t re-read it now if I were you either.