It’s October which can only mean one thing: Autumnal vibes abound. Yep, I’ve already pulled out my fake leaves, pine cones and other suitable props for my Instagram feed. I can’t wait. Autumn is my favourite aesthetic. I should probably jus embrace it all year around. Although, I’m also looking forward to the spooky Halloween posts. I bought so much fake blood spray last year that I really need to do some fun things with it. But now isn’t the time to look ahead. Now is a time for looking back on what turns out to be a fairly average month.
Number of books read: 6
Number of rereads: 3
Number of physical books: 3
Number of ebooks: 1
Number of audiobooks: 1
Top Ten Greek Legends by Terry Deary
I needed a quick read to start the month off, so I picked up this book I read as a child. Over the past few years, I’ve been obsessively trying to find it. I couldn’t remember the exact name of the series or the name of the author. Then, after a clear out, I found another book in the series and I finally got a copy. Was it worth all the effort? Well, it turns out that I loved it as much as I did the first time round.
Top Ten Fairy Stories by Michael Coleman
The second book of the month was another childhood classic from the same series. This was another that I’d read as a kid and absolutely loved. It think this book was the first time I’d ever heard the dark endings to classic fairy tales. It was eye opening and wonderful. The bit in Cinderella where the ugly sister chops of her foot was mind-blowing at the time.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
One of the biggest books of 2020 and one of the biggest literary debuts. Of course, I had to get my hands on this as soon as possible. Was it as good as all the hype? No. Was it as good as I had hoped? No. Am I still going to read the next one? Absolutely. This may not have had the shrewd plotting that I was hoping for but it was a charming and lovely read. adored the characters and think Osman is an engaging writer. A solid first book.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
This is perhaps my most anticipated books of the year. The sequel to Before the Coffee Gets Cold has finally been translated into English and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I loved the first book and was really excited to see the next group of time travellers. I love the way these books are written and how engrossing they are. If you loved the previous book then this is more of the same.
The Cat That Changed America by Tony Lee Moral
I got sent this review copy of this lovely illustrated children’s book by the author. It’s set to be released on October 22nd and tells the story of a real mountain lion. It’s such a wonderful and educational read. I’d recommend it for anyone who has kids who are interested in animals. It is full of facts and has great environmental insight.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
My final book of the month was a reread of one of my top books of last year. It was the September pick for my virtual book club and I think I’m the only one who had read it before. It was nice to go back to it and pick up on different details the second time around. It made me see things slightly differently and appreciated things on a different level. I had such big expectations last time that it might have had an effect. This time I could just enjoy it.
Yipee ki-yay, motherbooker 