Hello my lovelies. I know I'm not so good with keeping up to date, but this time should be better. I've started logging my books as soon as I finish them again to keep myself on track with the Wrap-Up!
In the month of October, I read 5 books.
* * *
Book #1: The Before Now and After Then by Peter Monn
Danny
Goldstein has always lived in the shadow of his identical, twin
brother Sam. But when a hurricane of events forces him into the
spotlight, he starts to realize that the only thing he's truly afraid
of is himself. With the help of his costume changing friend Cher, a
famous gay uncle with a mysterious past of his own, two aging punk
rocker parents and Rusty, the boy who will become his something to
live for, Danny begins to realize that the music of the heart is
truly the soundtrack for living.
Isn't this cover just adorable? I love it. I've been watching PeterLikesBooks since he debuted on BookTube back in May, and when I found out he had a book out, I just had to have it. My dad got this for me for my birthday and I read it in less than a week. I love the characters and the story. A lot of it would escape someone who's not reading it for the story. I love the symbolism of the lemon poppy seed muffins. I have a food like that. I'm sure everyone has one, they just don't realize it at first. For me it would have to be White Castle burgers, those little frozen ones you can buy at grocery stores. My grandpa (rest in peace) always bought them for us when we were upset. This book was fantastic and I can't wait to get my hands on more by him!
Book #2: Hemlock Grove by Brian McGreevy
An
exhilarating reinvention of the gothic novel, inspired by the iconic
characters of our greatest myths and nightmares. The body of a young
girl is found mangled and murdered in the woods of Hemlock Grove,
Pennsylvania, in the shadow of the abandoned Godfrey Steel mill. A
manhunt ensues—though the authorities aren’t sure if it’s a man
they should be looking for. Some suspect an escapee from the White
Tower, a foreboding biotech facility owned by the Godfrey
family—their personal fortune and the local economy having moved on
from Pittsburgh steel—where, if rumors are true, biological
experiments of the most unethical kind take place. Others turn to
Peter Rumancek, a Gypsy trailer-trash kid who has told impressionable
high school classmates that he’s a werewolf. Or perhaps it’s
Roman, the son of the late JR Godfrey, who rules the adolescent
social scene with the casual arrogance of a cold-blooded aristocrat,
his superior status unquestioned despite his decidedly freakish
sister, Shelley, whose monstrous medical conditions belie a sweet
intelligence, and his otherworldly control freak of a mother, Olivia.
At once a riveting mystery and a fascinating revelation of the
grotesque and the darkness in us all, Hemlock Grove has the
architecture and energy to become a classic in its own right—and
Brian McGreevy the talent and ambition to enthrall us for years to
come.
I would never have guessed who was behind it....and I've seen the Netflix version of this. How did I miss it?! It should have been super obvious. I gave this a 5/5 for the creep factor. It was so good and I was like "ew" throughout most of the book. I picked this one up as one of the reads for October because werewolves and vampires. Oh my!
Book #3: A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson
Now
available in paperback, the entrancing story of how one woman's
journey of self-discovery gave her the courage to persevere in
re-creating her life. Life is a work in progress, as ever-changing as
a sandy shoreline along the beach. During the years Joan Anderson was
a loving wife and supportive mother, she had slowly and unconsciously
replaced her own dreams with the needs of her family. With her sons
grown, however, she realized that the family no longer centered on
the home she provided, and her relationship with her husband had
become stagnant. Like many women in her situation, Joan realized that
she had neglected to nurture herself and, worse, to envision
fulfilling goals for her future. As her husband received a wonderful
job opportunity out-of-state, it seemed that the best part of her own
life was finished. Shocking both of them, she refused to follow him
to his new job and decided to retreat to a family cottage on Cape
Cod. At first casting about for direction, Joan soon began to take
pleasure in her surroundings and call on resources she didn't realize
she had. Over the course of a year, she gradually discovered that her
life as an "unfinished woman" was full of possibilities.
Out of that magical, difficult, transformative year came A Year by
the Sea, a record of her experiences and a treasury of wisdom for
readers. This year of self-discovery brought about extraordinary
changes in the author's life. The steps that Joan took to revitalize
herself and rediscover her potential have helped thousands of woman
reveal and release untapped resources within themselves.
In
a village without sound...For as long as Fei can remember, no one in
her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent
avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her
people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the
treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. When
villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline
shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged
into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and
starvation...One girl hears a call to action...Until one night, Fei
is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon. She sets out
to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers
threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit
accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the
possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the
peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where
a startling truth will change their lives forever...And unlocks a
power that will save her people.
A
mission to Mars.
Book #3: A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson
Now
available in paperback, the entrancing story of how one woman's
journey of self-discovery gave her the courage to persevere in
re-creating her life. Life is a work in progress, as ever-changing as
a sandy shoreline along the beach. During the years Joan Anderson was
a loving wife and supportive mother, she had slowly and unconsciously
replaced her own dreams with the needs of her family. With her sons
grown, however, she realized that the family no longer centered on
the home she provided, and her relationship with her husband had
become stagnant. Like many women in her situation, Joan realized that
she had neglected to nurture herself and, worse, to envision
fulfilling goals for her future. As her husband received a wonderful
job opportunity out-of-state, it seemed that the best part of her own
life was finished. Shocking both of them, she refused to follow him
to his new job and decided to retreat to a family cottage on Cape
Cod. At first casting about for direction, Joan soon began to take
pleasure in her surroundings and call on resources she didn't realize
she had. Over the course of a year, she gradually discovered that her
life as an "unfinished woman" was full of possibilities.
Out of that magical, difficult, transformative year came A Year by
the Sea, a record of her experiences and a treasury of wisdom for
readers. This year of self-discovery brought about extraordinary
changes in the author's life. The steps that Joan took to revitalize
herself and rediscover her potential have helped thousands of woman
reveal and release untapped resources within themselves.
I thought I'd give this a go, because I didn't like memoirs before and when I read one previously (good luck to me remembering the memoir I read!), I thought it would be interesting to give them another try. This one was interesting, but I'm pretty sure it's symbolism was lost on me. I gave it a 3/5 because I liked how it was written. Maybe other ones will be better for me?
Book #4: Soundless by Richelle Mead
In
a village without sound...For as long as Fei can remember, no one in
her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent
avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her
people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the
treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. When
villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline
shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged
into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and
starvation...One girl hears a call to action...Until one night, Fei
is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon. She sets out
to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers
threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit
accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the
possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the
peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where
a startling truth will change their lives forever...And unlocks a
power that will save her people.
I saw this one on BookOutlet's website for under $5 and I snatched it up as soon as I could. I ordered it back in September, but it just arrived on the 3rd, so it will be in the October book haul. I rated this one 5/5 and I did love the story. I just didn't see the point in her having to magically regain her hearing for the pixiu to help them. It just didn't seem....relevant. I liked the story and I hope to read more of Richelle Mead's books in the future.
Book #5: The Martian by Andy Weir
A
mission to Mars.
A
freak accident.
One
man's struggle to survive.
Six
days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to
walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate
the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on
Mars' surface, completely alone, with no way to signal Earth that
he’s alive. And even if he could get word out, his supplies would
be gone years before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, Mark
won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery,
unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much
more likely to kill him first. But Mark's not ready to quit. Armed
with nothing but his ingenuity and his engineering skills—and a
gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of
strength–he embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive, using his
botany expertise to grow food and even hatching a mad plan to contact
NASA back on Earth. As he overcomes one seemingly insurmountable
obstacle after the next, Mark begins to let himself believe he might
make it off the planet alive. But Mars has plenty of surprises in
store for him yet.
SO good! I loved this book! I thought about what I was going to say and everything went right out the window here. This book rose above my expectations as I don't read science fiction. I don't normally like it to be honest. Far too technical for me. This was a perfect blend of Watney being completely non-caring about the way he talked and his actual scientific ability. Of course he made most of it up as he went, but still. This one was rated 5/5 because I enjoyed it immensely.
Book #6: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
How
many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying
for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has
been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new
school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and
humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those
who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows
that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate
them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about
herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to
unlocking her future . . . and that Daniel hasn't told her
everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way
things happened . . . what if Luce was really meant to be with
someone else?
When
Paige moves from LA to Idaho with her mom and little brother after
her parents’ high-profile divorce, she expects to completely hate
her new life, and the small town doesn’t disappoint. Worse yet, the
drafty old mansion they’ve rented is infested with flies, spiders,
and other pests Paige doesn’t want to think about. She chalks it up
to her rural surroundings, but it’s harder to ignore the strange
things happening around the house, from one can of ravioli becoming a
dozen, to unreadable words appearing in the walls. Soon Paige’s
little brother begins roaming the house at all hours of the night,
and there’s something not right about the downstairs neighbor, who
knows a lot more than he’s letting on. Things only get creepier
when she learns about the sinister cult that conducted experimental
rituals in the house almost a hundred years earlier. The more Paige
investigates, and the deeper she digs, the clearer it all becomes:
whatever is in the house, whatever is causing all the strange
occurrences, has no intention of backing down without a fight. Found
in the aftermath, Diary of a Haunting collects the journal entries,
letters, and photographs Paige left behind.
Book #6: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
One
cruel night, Meggie's father, Mo, reads aloud from INKHEART, and an
evil ruler named Capricorn escapes the boundaries of fiction, landing
instead in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie's in the middle of the
kind of adventure she thought only took place in fairy tales. Somehow
she must master the magic that has conjured up this nightmare. Can
she change the course of the story that has changed her life forever?
It has taken me five tries to actually read this book. I've read up to around page 40 five separate times. I never managed to complete it before this last one. It's not even what I thought it would be like. It was rather....boring. I get that it's intended for an audience much younger than I am, but still. Everything seemed to just fall into the right places for Meggie, Mo, and Dustfinger. I considered getting the second volume and changed my mind as I walked into the library. I just couldn't. I rated this a 3/5 because the writing was great and the story was okay. I think it could have been better.
Book #7: Torment by Lauren Kate
How
many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying
for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has
been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new
school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and
humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those
who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows
that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate
them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about
herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to
unlocking her future . . . and that Daniel hasn't told her
everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way
things happened . . . what if Luce was really meant to be with
someone else?
Another 3/5 for me. I actually temporarily DNF'd this one at 83 pages because I was just so bored. I didn't care about it any more. I didn't. It was just bleh. I picked it up and finished it before it was due back at the library and just moved on with my day. I did finish it, despite the entire lack of emotion toward it. I am not bothering with the rest of the series. Luce doesn't KNOW any of these boys to know if she should be with them or not. She has only known a few of them for a week or less. How can she possibly know anything about them? This just made me mad enough to finish it.
Book #8: Diary of a Haunting by M. Verano
When
Paige moves from LA to Idaho with her mom and little brother after
her parents’ high-profile divorce, she expects to completely hate
her new life, and the small town doesn’t disappoint. Worse yet, the
drafty old mansion they’ve rented is infested with flies, spiders,
and other pests Paige doesn’t want to think about. She chalks it up
to her rural surroundings, but it’s harder to ignore the strange
things happening around the house, from one can of ravioli becoming a
dozen, to unreadable words appearing in the walls. Soon Paige’s
little brother begins roaming the house at all hours of the night,
and there’s something not right about the downstairs neighbor, who
knows a lot more than he’s letting on. Things only get creepier
when she learns about the sinister cult that conducted experimental
rituals in the house almost a hundred years earlier. The more Paige
investigates, and the deeper she digs, the clearer it all becomes:
whatever is in the house, whatever is causing all the strange
occurrences, has no intention of backing down without a fight. Found
in the aftermath, Diary of a Haunting collects the journal entries,
letters, and photographs Paige left behind.
Did anybody see that ending coming? I didn't see it and I've had this book since like January. Probably earlier. Holy crap. I won't spoil it but holy crap. I figured this would be a good October spooky read and boy was I right. The setting was a bit juvenile and I docked one star for that, so this got a 4/5 for the sheer what of the end. I love the way it's all wrapped up. I wonder if she ever realized what was going on? I also took away the star partly for M. Verano just added himself as a character. That's not something you normally do. It's rare for an insert, but he just full on put himself as himself in. I would have preferred if he had made that another character entirely.
Book #9: Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Now
an active member of the resistance, Lena has transformed. The nascent
rebellion that was underway in Pandemonium has ignited into an
all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the
fight. After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her
friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven.
Pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the
government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators
infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels. As Lena navigates
the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend,
Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the
young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of
view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until, at
last, their stories converge.
Book #9: Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Now
an active member of the resistance, Lena has transformed. The nascent
rebellion that was underway in Pandemonium has ignited into an
all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the
fight. After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her
friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven.
Pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the
government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators
infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels. As Lena navigates
the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend,
Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the
young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of
view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until, at
last, their stories converge.
It was pretty good. I finished this one nearly at the end of October. I rated it a 4/5 stars because I really think that there could have been a better resolution to the story. Like, she meant to have a volume four and just didn't. It ended at a weird point. I would like to see it continued, if only to find out the fate of the characters involved.
