Hiya, reader friends!
October is upon us, but you might not know it if you’re in my part of the world. We’re in those bizarre and sweaty days of early fall. It’s that time of year when all you really want is to break out your booties (the shoes, not the body part – but I won’t judge if you do both) and your cozy cardigans. But if you do don those oh-so-fab elements of fall apparel, you’ll be regretting the choice by lunchtime.
I guess that’s the case, at least. I’m not speaking as much from experience as I am from what I see everyone else saying on Facebook. Personally, I live in cardigans and flip-flops all year long. My body is always cold and my feet want to be free. I guess it represents the dichotomy so typical of the Pisces I am – shall I resist the cold weather with my sandals or go with it in my warm cardi?
OCTOBER – WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE
I love, love, love October. I’ve always been a sucker for Halloween decorations – and, let me tell you, our new next door neighbors are putting us to shame. To be fair, we have literally zero Halloween decorations (hi, we’re minimalists, nice to meet you), so it wasn’t hard for them to win. But if we were competing, they’d still be handing us our asses. Every time I go outside, they’ve got something new. I finally broke down and dug out our single, sad, frayed little garden flag. It’s not even truly Halloween-themed, but it has a pumpkin on it, so we’re making it count.
Do you love scary stuff? We’re all about the scary stuff in our household, but the favorite Halloween tradition here isn’t a horror movie fest or a costume party (both of which are super cool). It’s haunted houses. We have so many within an easily drivable distance of our home, and we love to hit as many as we can during the season. Here’s proof of one such visit:
Clearly, I am the master of horror, surprise, and very, very silly smiles.
No one will ever know if my face is screaming, “OMG, a wolf!” or “omg, A WOLF!”
READING LIST WINS
September was an okay month in reading for me. I really enjoyed the things I read, but I didn’t read as much as I expected. I actually have a very cool side hustle thing happening that has forced me to rearrange my whole schedule not once, or twice, but three times now. Not that I’m complaining – this new thing is super exciting. But the paper in my daily planner is getting worn thin with vigorous erasing. Let’s just say I’m glad I made the switch back to planning in pencil about six months ago. Otherwise, I’d be buying a whole new planner. Oh…damn…that was a missed opportunity.
Anyway, here’s how September ended up:
Finished:
- Thorne Bay by Jeanine Croft – currently on Kindle Unlimited
- A Stone in the Sea by A.L. Jackson – currently on Kindle Unlimited
- Drowning to Breathe by A.L. Jackson – currently on Kindle Unlimited
**Please note that anywhere I’ve listed free/Kindle Unlimited availability is accurate at the time of this post, but may not reflect current status or offers if you’re reading this at a later date**
As always, my ratings and/or reviews for the books I finished are up on Goodreads. Go check them out, add me as a friend over there, and add or rate The Black Wolf Series if you’re so inclined (that would be super, super cool of you. Just sayin’ 😉).
OCTOBER READS
- Where Lightning Strikes by A. L. Jackson – As I predicted back in September, I got hooked on the Bleeding Stars series. I’m so in love with the drama, drama, drama of Jackson’s books. Formulaic? Yes. Predictable? Pretty much. Still love? Yup. So, I’m adding Books Three through Six of this series to my October list. And I’m so very much looking forward to digging deeper into the world of Sunder.
- Wait by A. L. Jackson
- Stay by A. L. Jackson
- Stand by A. L. Jackson
- All Fall Down by Christine Pope – I’ve started and stopped this one several times, which doesn’t usually bode well for me when it comes to completion. But it’s on the list, so I’d like to do my best to wrap it up…at some point.
What books are at the top of your TBR pile for October? What fun stuff do you have planned for Halloween? Comment below to let me know or tell me all about the best book you’ve read recently. I can’t wait to hear!
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