So I know I haven’t posted a wrap up in a few months? Was August the last one? I can’t even remember. What is time? I know I never posted one for September and while I had good intentions to combine them, October was a train wreck. In September, I thought I had a good handle on my reading, I read less than any month this year. But the guilt just got to me. I had taken a mini-hiatus and coming back was supposed to be refreshing.
Key word, supposed to be. But then October hit and there were some panels I had to prepare for and so I read 42 books in October. Way more than I wanted, but I had to go into crunch mode to finish the other books I needed to read on top of it. That’s entirely my own fault and I wouldn’t have changed the panels – because they are really re-filling my creative well. But it just ended up being way more than I thought.
I know normally I have a cute little image of all the books I read, but because of my review backlog – which I hope to have handled my November – I don’t have one. All I can tell you are my favorite books and promise that for December, we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming. So on to my favorite books of October?
Favorite Books
I had some excellent fantasy reads from most anticipated reads of the year – Strike the Zither & Heart of the Sun Warrior – to books that surprised me – The Vermilion Emporium & A Restless Truth. By the way of the 42 books I read, 43 had MCs of color and 48 had queer MCs. I am so proud of myself for reading more queer books than any other month. It was a major surprise, but in the best way.
With two debuts – As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow & Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things – all the way to tried and true authors I know and love – Frizzy & Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller – contemporary was really serving some favorites which made me cry and feel seen.
And in terms of romance books, I had some that absolutely tore my heart out. There was the seasonal romance, Season of Love that I loved to my new favorite Alisha Rai, Partners in Crime, to one that made me laugh out loud, The Stand-Up Groomsman. I had some serious favorites this month which will make my future yearly wrap up very difficult.