Bookworms,
October has been a month of mixed blessing. I loved what I had been reading but I have also gotten stuck on books. So, you know? You win some and you lose some. It was a great month as far as book acquiring is concerned, I hauled many books. Work-wise, it really could have been better. I know my performance could definitely have been better. Oh, well.
As far as books I read, I have a couple of favourites and a couple that didn’t really work for me unfortunately. I was also blessed as far e-ARCs are concerned. I found a new favourite series because of it. So yay for that! I read a couple of big books and I kinda binged on shows so the number of books I read isn’t actually as high as I probably wanted it to be at the start of the month, can’t be helped. I fell for quite a few shows along the way so…win-win, I guess.
As usual, my usual bookish memes/tags were kept constant and I am really loving updating my reading progress this way, if I am being honest. I sometimes if I should continue with WWW Wednesday but then, something makes me want to keep up with it. As for Down the TBR Hole, sometimes it’s painful but other times, it’s honestly good for me. There are some titles I don’t remember adding at all. Where did they come from?
The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn by Tyler Whitesides
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
I am surprised I wrote up three reviews this month and forgot to do the mini reviews completely. I might have to rectify that by writing up two or three mini reviews. Let’s see how that goes.
Gosh. I went a tiny bit overboard with my books this month and I am hoping I won’t have as many books to haul for the next few months because I just ended up making my physical TBR bigger. Oh, well, no regrets, really. I also finally did a Pretty Covers post so yay? I don’t know why I keep forgetting about a couple of things on my blog, it’s frustrating as heck.
I read a total of seven books and enjoyed them all. Well, almost all of them. There were a couple that were, perhaps, less than stellar and that’s okay! We can’t have brilliant reads all the time, after all. Also, me not enjoying them does not reflect on the books, it’s more my expectations that were, perhaps, let down than anything else.
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
While I really, really don’t like the overall concept of Romeo and Juliet, I did enjoy this book far more than I expected. Part of the reason was perhaps the characters themselves. The characters didn’t feel like these one-dimensional, delusional couple but of people that had histories and personalities built from that. The fantasy part of it was great too! I can’t wait for the next book!
Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergei Dyachenko
This was one of the weirdest books I have read and I am not sure anything will ever top what I felt during the reading of this book. It’s translated brilliantly if the original is anything like this, I am in awe. I am still not sure about some of the things that happened, especially at the end but trust me, this book will stay with me for a very long time. That impact will never go away.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Ah, how we build expectations and then they fall like a house of cards. This book is, by no means, a bad book. I thoroughly enjoyed Bardugo’s venture into something so adult but it just didn’t have those things that I was looking for in a Bardugo book and that’s entirely on me. I was expecting things that probably wouldn’t have worked in an adult setting, if I am being completely honest. Oh, well. It’s still a good book though! Especially for a spooky, gory read.
The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang
This novella was so good! I pretty much read it in one sitting and I don’t regret impulsively buying it at all. The writing, the magic system, the pace and the characters, everything somehow worked seamlessly despite the story going through time leaps and such. Can’t wait to read the next books in the series.
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
Oh, this was so good. Alice Oseman always gives me the best comfort books! They are not wholly soft but they have just enough angst and fluff that they make me feel good if I am not in a good mood. So, yay for finally reading it.
The Shattered Realms of Ardor Benn by Tyler Whitesides
I really loved the first book and this book was just as good! I can’t wait to read the third book. I am not sure how much I can say without me spilling out spoilers. So let’s just say that while I thoroughly enjoyed and loved the first one, this book was just as good!
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Another book off of my physical TBR read! Always an accomplishment, I think. I was not expecting the sibling relationship and the intense angst and just the overall coming of age done so dramatically but brilliantly. But! It worked for me. It was just what I needed after being in a funk for a couple of days and reading so much fantasy.
And that’s it for October. I did have a not-so-terrible month so there’s that! Sure, at times I felt too unmotivated to do anything and probably spent far too much time on Thai and Korean dramas but that’s all fine. If I don’t do the things I enjoy in my spare time then what’s the point, right?
Also! I know a few places are going back to normal but there are many countries that are still struggling because of the virus. So, please, take all the precautions. Stay safe and take care of each other. Second waves are a thing and they are happening, please, don’t think it’s okay to let go of the precautions just yet, okay?
What about you guys? What was your best read or the worst one? Or, let’s not call it the worst, let’s call it the most disappointing read. Tell me all about it in the comments.
bookwormmuse 
Looks like you had a pretty productive October! Here’s to an even better November (:
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Same to you! Happy reading!
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