All of the Books I Read in October

The weather finally turned full on fall in October, and so did my reading. I finished six books last month, most of which where darker mysteries or thrillers.

I also completed my Goodreads Reading Goal last month! I set a goal to read 52 books this year, and so far I’ve read 54. Did any of you set reading goals this year, or hope to get a specific number of books read? I’ve never set a specific reading goal before, but it was very cool to see that number grow with each book I finished. I can’t wait to review the full list of my 2017 reads at the end of the year and go back to what I loved, didn’t love so much and revisit this year’s reading journey.

You can follow any books I’m reading or want to read on Goodreads.

Now, let’s jump into what I read last month…

How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell

I wrote a review for this book earlier in October. I absolutely loved this memoir and cannot stop recommending it to people! Despite the bright and bold colors, this is definitely a darker read that deals with more mature subject matter. I gave the book 4/5 stars and definitely suggest you pick it up!

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

When How to Murder Your Life got a little dark, I grabbed this to have something light to read between chapters. I read Reid’s newest release The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in September and loved it. Once I get hooked on an author, it’s hard not to want all of their books! This read had a very interesting plot line, more of Reids fantastic writing, wonderfully complex characters and (in my opinion) the perfect ending. I gave this 4/5 stars, but may bump it up to 4.5/5.

You by Caroline Kepnes

This book!!! I finished it and immediately made my best friend read it after so we could discuss. This book was so insanely creepy and good, and I loved every bit of it. Caroline Kepnes somehow creates characters that makes you feel the opposite of how you think you should feel about them. This book follows a young man named Joe as he stalks a woman named Beck. It’s written in second person, which definitely adds to the creep factor. I gave this book 4/5 stars and highly recommend.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A Paris

I saw this book all over Instagram and decided to pick it up. The first chapter definitely drew my in, and the rest of the book was a page turner. The premise for this book, the “couple next door” not being as perfect as they seem, is one I usually like. I thought the concept and writing in this book was wonderful. The dialogue, however, didn’t wow me. I just kept thinking that someone in this situation would never say these things or have those reactions! I think this book could have done with being 100 pages longer so we could invest in the main characters a little more. Overall, I thought this book was good and gave it 3/5 stars.

Lies She Told by Holahan

This was one book that disappointed me. Everyone was raving about it after it was made a Book of the Month pick, so I hopped on the band wagon. The writing was great and the story concept was very interesting, but the execution wasn’t what I wanted to be. I feel like the ending just kind of happened. The main character is a writer working on a mystery novel, and the plot line starts to converge with her real life. I felt myself wishing that I could just read the story the main character was writing instead of the one I was reading! I gave it 3 stars mainly for the writing, concept and characters.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I’ve had Gone Girl on my bookshelf for years! This finally felt like the right time to pick up. I decided to listen to it on audiobook, which I really enjoyed. This book was absolutely insane and I loved every minute of it. The first 100 pages or so didn’t pull me in, but I’m so glad I stuck it out and kept reading! That twist at the end definitely got me and the ending infuriated me and satisfied me at the same time. If you’ve read Gillian Flynn’s other books, let me know if I should pick them up, too! And yes –I watched the movie right after and really like it (despite some questionable casting choices).

As always, share what you read last month in the comments, or any books you’re excited to read in November! I’m planning to take on non-fiction November and get some of the memoirs and business books I’ve had on my self read!