Another month and another reading wrap-up. In terms of the number of weeks to books, October was an even better month than September. I managed to finish 6 whole books, which is well beyond what I thought possible. I knew that I would get through 5 but I finished the 6th over two nights. I’ve never been on this great a reading streak before. Which means I’ll probably crash and burn in November. But we can think about that later. For now, I’m still on a post-October high. Let’s dive into this.

Number of books read: 6 – I don’t think I’ve ever managed to read this many books in a month since I left university. As soon as I no longer had to read 4 books a week, I’ve really taken my time with it.
Number of physical books: 6
Number of eBooks: 0 

The Institute by Stephen King

I finished this early in the month so, I guess, it shouldn’t really count as an October read. It took me a while to get through this one. I find that with Stephen King these days. He starts off strong and then things start to veer off course. I’ve not been a fan of a Stephen King ending in a while. It’s such a shame considering his ideas have so much potential. As I got further into this book, all I could think of was how good it could have been.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

This was my first Ruth Ware book. I didn’t get it because I’d been recommended her book. Oh no. It was a classic case of a beautiful edition making their way into my online basket and onto my bookshelf. But I know she has a lot of loyal fans out there who insist she writes a good thriller. This one sounded like it had the potential to be spooky in a Black Mirror kind of way. It wasn’t. It was less terrifying than those ghost stories you used to tell at sleepovers when you were kids. But she is a decent writer. I’ll give her that.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

I was getting worried that I was being too harsh with my ratings this year. I haven’t given out many 4 or 5-star ratings so far. Thankfully, I was just waiting for the right book. A book with one of the cutest and most original concept that I’d ever seen. I raced through this story. It was so well-written and thought out. I love how intimate it felt. And, somehow, it managed to tell you everything you needed to know without telling you anything at all.

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

I’ve barely made a dent in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series so I decided to go back to the start. Then I ended up skipping the first two and going straight for the third. I find the first two books a bit much if I’m honest. A bit too parody and not even story. Plus, this was more appropriate for Halloween. I’ve had a Stephen King, a book about a haunted house, and a book with a ghost. It only seemed right to go for witches next.

Ayoade on Top by Richard Ayoade

I was supposed to be following a Halloween theme with my books this month but I needed a break. Or at least, I’d tried and failed to get into two ghost story collections. I read one story in each and just stopped reading. So, by the weekend I needed a quick book for my review on Wednesday. I’d bought this as soon as it was published and decided the time was right. It was everything that I hoped it would be. An absolute joy of a book. Weird but joyful.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

This was the book I started on Sunday night after I’d finished Ayoade on Top. I expected to still be reading it into Novemeber but I got through it in no time. It was so quick that I haven’t even written my review of it yet. It was so quick that I’m still deciding on my rating. I keep switching between 4 and 5. I absolutely loved it but, looking back, I’m not sure it was the flawless read I thought. I’ll see where I’m at when I write it up.