Monthly reading review – October 2020
This October I have read:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell ★★★★
Stone and Fire (Magical Kingdoms #1) by Marie Robinson ★★★
The Chosen Half-Elf (Elfes #4) by Éric Corbeyran, Jean-Paul Bordier ★★★★
U krevetu s vješticom – Najljepše ljubavne horor priče by Milana Vuković Runjić ★★★★
Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos ★★★
Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge, #1) by Elizabeth Strout ★★★
Tempting the Bluestocking (A Gentleman Courtesans Novella) by Victoria Vale ★★★★
Portrait of a Lady (The Gentleman Courtesans #1) by Victoria Vale ★★★★★
Masquerade (Scandalous Ballroom Encounters #1) by Victoria Vale ★★★★
Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo ★★★★★
Misadventures of a Backup Bride (Misadventures #2) by Shayla Black ★★
1. How many books have you read last month? Are you happy with the amount you read?
This October I have read 11 (eleven!) books. I am quite pleased with that number.
2. What was the best of all the books you’ve read in October? Any scenes or characters that made a lasting impression?
My best book in October was Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo. I even made a book review on it and you can check out my thoughts and reading experience HERE.
I’ve enjoyed most of the books I’ve read in October and another that stayed with me as a really good was a Kindle freebie Portrait of a Lady (The Gentleman Courtesans #1) by Victoria Vale. The idea of Gentleman Courtesans was an intriguing one and I might decide to buy and read the rest of the books some day.
3. Were there any not so good books for you last month? What made it hard or not enjoyable to read?
My least favorite book in October was Misadventures of a Backup Bride (Misadventures, #2) by Shayla Black. This was a buddy read book with a friend and we picked it up for fun not really knowing much about it except that it is an adult light read. I got my copy from the library and I had some real issues with Croatian translation. I don’t believe the spirit of banter and jokes got translated into the book all that well and that also had impact on my reading experience. The plot and the characters were underwhelming and kind off basic for me to take interest in them.
Another book that made my reading experience in October less than great was Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos. The main reason for my displeasure was that it took me over ten days to finish it and made me lose one third of the month on just one book. The reading was slow and I was enjoying the thirty something pages of foreword and the notes on the author more than the actual book…
4. How did the books you were reading last month fit in your reading plans if you had any?
I have managed to read all the books I choose for my October readathons: Sbooktober Readathon and Bookopoly TBR game. I did great with using the same books for prompts in both of the reading challenges to my advantage and that let me read a few more books outside of my plans as well! You can see my post for Sbooktober Readathon HERE and for the Bookopoly TBR game HERE for more info.
5. Any updates on the series you are reading or are you starting any new series?
I read a few first books of some new series and from those I have high expectations for Alex Stern by Leigh Bardugo even though the next book is yet to be announced. The Gentleman Courtesans series got my attention and I hope to continue reading them but I’m not in any hurry for them. I am specially glad to have continued with the graphic novel series Elves and will try to read a few more of them by the end of the year!
6. Would you like to recommend any books or authors you’ve been reading this last month?
The author Victoria vale caught my attention and I have read several of her works this October. It was a Kindle freebie I liked a lot and I am glad for taking chances with new authors like that! Again Leigh Bardugo has completely won me over by her book and I will keep buying and reading anything that woman publishes! It took me years to give her a chance since I only started reading her books one year ago and they have been popular quite longer than that! Give new and unknown authors a chance whenever you can!
Final thoughts on October 2020 reading
Even though I have read eleven books I managed to avoid any books that were on my personal reading challenge for this year! Only three books were from my actual physical bookshelves and the rest of them were either in digital form or borrowed! While it was an interesting month for reading I did not make much progress with Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons by Andy Collins, Skip Williams, James Wyatt or The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas which I am reading since the middle of summer. For next month I plan to do better in that regard!
anastasiaadamov 