What I Read in October 2023

October was a difficult month and I don’t see that going away. Our attention needs to be on much more important things and I definitely spent month of this month distracted, scrolling, feeling despair, and contacting my representatives. This was a month that truly reminded me of the beauty of audiobooks. While I struggled to sit still and eyeball read, I still was able to read via audio. It helped me focus on taking care of my space, cooking nutritious meals, and making errands a bit more enjoyable. I read 14 books this month and 11 of them were audiobooks. It doesn’t make my reading any less valid or valuable; it’s just what my brain needed in this season.

I hope wherever you are, you are staying safe mentally and physically.

Snowed in for Christmas by Jaqueline Snowe

“Snowed in” is one of my favorite tropes because the stakes are so high! It’s not just forced proximity, they need each other to survive! And it’s usually such a cozy trope. I thought this book was cute! It was a little cheesy for my taste and I didn’t think the set up made a lot of sense, but it was highly enjoyable.

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake

SUCH a great read and I love this series so much. Astrid Parker is still my favorite book in the series but this book, since it takes place in the theatre world, was so personal for me.

A Little Magic by Lindsey Lanza

Love, Chai and Other Four Letter Words by Annika Sharma

This was super cute on audio!

Just for the Holidays by Adriana Herrera

This has been on my TBR for YEARS and I finally read it this month. It was a series delight and had mentions of a town near mine where I grew up in Connecticut!

It Happened One Christmas by Chanel Guertin

I didn’t have super high hopes for this one, after not loving another book by the author, but then I ended up having a wonderful reading experience!

Hopeless by Elsie Silver

A little yeehaw for the month. Powerless and Reckless are my favorites in the series!

Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley

This was a complete delight and definitely should be on your November/December TBRs!

One Night on Christmas Eve by Thea Masen (Novella)

I needed something fast and engaging to get me out of a reading slump and this did just that.

The Blackwoods by Brandy Colbert

My favorite book of the month! I LOVED this book. It’s about a hugely famous Hollywood family and goes back and forth between present day and the 1930s/40s when the matriarch began her career.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Like everyone, I had to read this book this month and I really hope Britney finds peace.

The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy

I had high hopes for this one and really struggled to get into it. It was cute but the pacing didn’t work for me.

The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels

Super cute, a little like Kiss Her Once for Me if you enjoyed that fake dating holiday rom com!

The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk

Groundhog Day at Christmas. Very cute, very cozy and British.