The Books I Read In October 2021
October was one of my favorite reading months! Not only because I got to read some of my backlist books with all the spooky, autumn feels, but because I chose to not have the pressure of many ARC (advanced reader copy) deadlines. That made me very happy. It was also the month of the vampire for me which I’d been looking forward to for mooonths and months and months!!
I really felt like I was in my element this month - between my creative work, life in general, and the books I read. It was a great change of pace. I’ve recently made some major changes and updates to the blog (still in progress!), from redesigning my home page to updating my URL (finally) and Pinterest graphics. I feel like I’ve finally got my brand squared away and now it’s just a matter of making things cohesive across all platforms. It’s really exciting and I’m finding so much joy in it. I hope you’ve been enjoying it, too!
October was also my husband and I’s 5 year wedding anniversary, so there was a whole week of travel and spending time together that we just haven’t been able to do since COVID-19 happened. It was such a wonderful reprieve and I’m looking forward to recapping everything here on the blog (eventually!) and over on Instagram! We got to experience so many amazing things this trip.
Speaking of Instagram, I’ve also seen a lot of significant growth recently that’s just been really exciting to witness. Hitting milestones and having your work appreciated is really rewarding. I’m excited to see how the year wraps up and the new year begins!! So many good things are happening.
But, without further ado, here are all the books I read in October 2021!
Blog Contents
The Books at a glance
The Books I read in October 2021
The Books at a Glance
Here’s a quick, at-a-glance look at how I felt about each book and the medium I read them on (📖: physical book | 📱: ebook/kindle).
OBSESSED
📱 Walking In A Witchy Wonderful | Stunning Series Spotlight 🎄
📖 Parting The Veil | Utterly Unputdownable 👻
📖 Empire of the Vampire | Best of the Bunch/Most Moving 🩸
📱 Memento | Notable Novella 💜
Heart Eyes
📖 The Damned | Favorite Setting 🦁
📖 The Wicked Deep | Best Atmospheric Vibes 🌙
📖 Kingdom of the Cursed | Sinful Sequel 😈
Enjoyed
📖 Good Catch | The Cutest 🍂
The Books I Read in October 2021
Walking In A Witchy Wonderful by Juliette Cross
Getting hexy for the holidays!
Mischief and mayhem dominate the holiday season for the Savoie sisters of New Orleans. Five sexy stories set in the STAY A SPELL world you don’t want to miss.
Bewitch You A Merry Christmas: Always the peacemaker, Evie conjures Christmas magic between a hexed hottie and his witchy neighbor, while Mateo and Alpha plan to do whatever it takes to get some alone time with their girl.
Rockin’ Around The Hexmas Tree: A Dirty Santa gift with a very special hex boosts Devraj and Isadora’s sex life from sizzling hot to scorching.
Jingle Bell Jock: On New Year’s Eve, a new man puts the moves on Charlie. Tired of pining for his best friend, he’s ready to move on. Fortunately, JJ’s jealousy is just the right ingredient to move them well out of the friend zone.
You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grim: Her first glimpse of grim reaper Gareth Blackwater evokes a major case of insta-hate in Lavinia. In that same moment, Gareth is hit with insta-lust. Fate is playing with them both, and neither one is happy about it.
Jingle Spells: Nico and Violet laugh their way through their first babysitting adventure. But laughter turns to lust when Nico’s “dad” vibes tug on Violet’s maternal heartstrings.
Holiday Anthology Rating: ★★★★★
Overall Series Rating (so far): ★★★★.75
I loved this anthology SO much! It was just absolute perfection. I love how easy it is to get lost in this series... Whenever I've picked up one of the books, it truly has never *felt* like I was reading and that's just the best kind of story, right??
Walking in a Witchy Wonderland is a swoony and magical holiday glimpse into the lives of our favorite couples (and couples to be)! We get 5 short stories that happen alongside and within the confines of the first 3 novels with the cleverest titles and the most bewitching moments.
I didn't realize how much I missed Alpha (he's so snarky and makes me LOL a lot), Issy and Dev are still my absolute favorite couple (I identify with Issy's personality so much), and OMG JJ & Charlie are THE CUTEST (I loved getting a glimpse into their beginning and budding romance). And then there's the itty bitty sneak peek of Henry and Clara (eeeek!) and Livvy and Gareth's short story... (I mean hubba hubba, I can't wait for more)! And my goodness, Daddy Nico at the end to round it all out.... (*sigh* it was so, so good).
If you love this series, do not skip this anthology!! So excited (and dying) for the next book! Thank you so much to Juliette for my advanced e-copy.
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
The Damned by Renée Ahdieh
Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.
Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.
Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.
Rating: ★★★★★
“What I am has no bearing on who I become.” // “But never is a long time, when you have eternity to consider.”
I read The Beautiful last October and absolutely LOVED it. A paranormal fantasy romance with a sinister mystery that'll keep you guessing until the very end. It was haunting and spooky and set in NOLA, so yeah it was just 🤤🖤 Then I got The Damned for my birthday and I finally got to it this spooky season and let me tell you … 🤩🤩🤩 So fun to be back in this world with Celine and Bastien, and I LOVE where the story is headed!!! How unexpected and terrifyingly magical, yet still eerie and ominous, and definitely atmospheric.
THIS INSTALLMENT HAS:
🖤 vampires x werewolves
🖤 other realms
🖤 multiple POVs
🖤 NOLA in the 1800s
🖤 fey creatures
🖤 a diverse cast of characters
🖤 found family
🖤 unexpected plot twists!
I can’t wait to pick up The Righteous!
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…
Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.
Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.
Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.
But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.
Rating: ★★★★
Well. This one tore my heart out a bit and left me heartsick 😭 I'm *still* hurting. The Wicked Deep is a tragically beautiful love story and haunting, cozy mystery that was not what I was expecting and definitely a tear-jerker 🥺 I will say I did feel a little duped by the end of it, BUT I still really loved it.
It was heartbreaking and gutwrenching, and also wonderfully atmospheric with lyrical and poetic writing that bewitched me from the start. It's spooky, it's eerie ... and it's still the perfect time to read this one if you've been eyeing it!
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE:
🌙 witches x sirens
🌙 small, secluded towns on the pacific coast
🌙 vengeful sisters
🌙 curses
🌙 rainy season
🌙 ghost stories
🌙 brief chapter flashbacks
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Parting The Veil by Paulette Kennedy
Some houses hold secrets that are meant to be kept forever…
When Eliza Sullivan inherits an estate from a recently deceased aunt, she leaves behind a grievous and guilt-ridden past in New Orleans for rural England and a fresh start. Eliza arrives at her new home and finds herself falling for the mysterious lord of Havenwood, Malcolm Winfield. Despite the sinister rumors that surround him, Eliza is drawn to his melancholy charm and his crumbling, once-beautiful mansion. With enough love, she thinks, both man and manor could be repaired.
Not long into their marriage, Eliza fears that she should have listened to the locals. There’s something terribly wrong at Havenwood Manor: Forbidden rooms. Ghostly whispers in the shadows. Strangely guarded servants. And Malcolm’s threatening moods, as changeable as night and day.
As Eliza delves deeper into Malcolm’s troubling history, the dark secrets she unearths gain a frightening power. Has she married a man or a monster? For Eliza, uncovering the truth will either save her or destroy her.
Rating: ★★★★★
Parting The Veil by @pkennedywrites is a twisty gothic mystery and romance set in Hampshire, England within a haunted mansion that has forbidden rooms, ghostly whispers in the shadows, and strangely guarded servants. Not to mention the mysterious Lord of Havenwood. This suspenseful and gothic historical fiction novel is intoxicating and was utterly unputdownable for me.
I can't stop thinking about this book! The twists, the deception, the spice!!!! It's like Crimson Peak meets The Haunting of Hill House with a touch of Outlander. I loved it! From the mysterious, foreboding, and ominous tone to the puzzling mystery behind Havenwood Manor that requires your rapt attention ... you’ll be dying to uncover the truths of the Manor right alongside Eliza just like I did.
I was lucky enough to participate in the Bookstagram & Creative Tour in collaboration with @mtmctours. Check out the full blog here and my aesthetic reel over on Instagram HERE!
Shop: Amazon | kindle unlimited | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hand sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.
It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.
Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.
Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:
The Holy Grail.
Rating: ★★★★★ (x infinity)
“Live as a monster, or die as a man.”
The book that feels like everyone and their mom, aunt, third cousin twice removed, and yes just everyone (EVEN JOSEPH MORGAN) have been waiting for. And I was no exception! LOL.
But seriously. Did you just give me vampire blood and make me drink it three times because I am enthralled by this story and world! 🙌🏻 I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. @misterkristoff creates a story that's equal parts terrifying and incredibly moving. It's an all-consuming read that reads like you’re not reading at all and I never wanted it to end. Waiting for the next book to release will be absolute torture!
Empire is a story not only about bloodthirsty, vicious, and sadistic vampires, but it's also a story about family, friendships, love, honor, and faith. When I read the sampler I thought the first half was reminiscent of the White Walkers x The Da Vinci Code x Annihilation... and while that still holds true, after reading it cover to cover it’s really a wholly unique and remarkable tale unto itself that you'll not find anywhere else. It’s truly one of a kind. And I need more of it ASAP!! Check out my sampler review (it was roughly half the book which I was lucky enough to read in July) below!
It was a wild, amazing, and emotional ride that made me snort-laugh, brought me to tears, left me breathless, AND put a smile on my face (and then did all that again before the book was over) all in mere 700+ pages. This tale is not for the faint of heart. I'm so excited for the next books!!
READ THIS FOR:
🩸 old school vampires
🩸 monster hunters
🩸 a dying world/empire
🩸 a holy order
🩸 magical tattoos
🩸 found family
🩸 a prophecy, secret identity
🩸 supernatural bloodlines
🩸 vampire apocalypse
🩸 chosen one trope
🩸 grumpy not-hero
🩸 dual timelines
🩸 forbidden love
🩸 enemies to friends/family 🤍
CW: blood, death, gore, grief/trauma, parental abuse, blood smut, suicidal thoughts/attempts (off-page, just referenced)
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.
She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria... even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.
The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world... or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature?
Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves...
One sister.
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge… Welcome to Hell.
Rating: ★★★★★
"Tell me I'm your favorite sin" // “Your longings will taunt and tease you into oblivion if you can’t control them. This is a realm of sin and desire.”
Ooooh myyy. You guyssssssssss. I loved this SO MUCH. Forbidden love, magical bonds, secret identities. This sequel was everything I wanted (and I think more lol). Hell is a world that is both sinister and majestic filled with secrets and sins ... and even more secrets! You'll be questioning ev. ver. ry. thing. And my my, the steammm. Hmm, hmm. Welcome to hell, indeed, Ms. Maniscalco.
We pick up almost immediately after the events of book one as Wrath and Emilia officially enter hell, a realm that's spooky and mysterious and layered in sinful desires and secrets. Emilia is determined to get closer to the demon princes to find out who murdered her sister and in the process begins unraveling yet another mystery ... and *no one* is who they seem.
I can't wait for the next book! *cough* there is a particular room I want to be in when the next book starts *cough*
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE:
💙 Kingdom of the Wicked (der lol)
💙 forbidden love
💙 demons x witches
💙 the tastiest food descriptions
💙 other realms
💙 magical bonds
💙 secret identities
💙 wardrobes of elegance
💙 cozy mysteries
💙 STEAM 🔥
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Good Catch by Jennifer Bardsley
Former ballerina Marlo Jonas has all the right moves—except when it comes to men. Her latest boyfriend? A cheater. In the wake of her breakup, her father has a novel idea for her: try dating men for who they are and not how they look. This makes it easy to ignore her hot nemesis, Seattle Times reporter Ben Wexler-Lowrey.
Ben’s take on romance means spending time with interesting women whose personalities might sparkle more than their looks dazzle. But Ben’s mother thinks he can fare better. He’s never tried online dating before, but what could be the harm in putting himself out there?
As Marlo and Ben both suffer through a series of hilariously awkward dates, they’re left feeling empty. Marlo needs someone empathetic enough to soothe her past hurt. Ben needs someone who truly sees him for the man he is.
These enemies love to loathe one another; could that mean Marlo and Ben are foes in love?
Rating: ★★★
This was a sweet hometown frenemies to lovers rom-com set in the Pacific Northwest during the fall 🍂 There's a dating app, a dating dare, quirky exes (and one that’s rather obnoxious!), and all the small-town, cozy feels. It was a cute, comfort read perfect for autumn! Marlo, a former ballerina with a knee injury, and Ben, a journalist battling and living with dyslexia, are so sweet together. There's more to both of them than meets the eye and I loved that so much. I also enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the novel and the wholesome, good-natured feels the story exuded, bringing awareness to all kinds of societal challenges, seeing things from other people's perspectives, and canceling stereotypes 🤍
I was lucky enough to participate in the Bookstagram Tour in collaboration with @mtmctours.
Shop: Amazon | kindle unlimited | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Memento by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
From New York Times bestselling authors Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff comes an Illuminae prequel digital novella that gives readers a hair-raising glimpse into the calamity that befell the invincible AI system known as AIDAN–and the daring young programmer who would risk her life to keep it from crashing.
AIDAN is the AI you’ll love to hate.
The advanced AI system was supposed to protect a fleet of survivors who’d escaped the deadly attack on Kerenza IV. AIDAN was supposed to be infallible. But in the chaotic weeks and months that followed, it became clear that something was terribly, terribly wrong with AIDAN…
Rating: ★★★★★
This was an amazing novella! I forgot how much I missed this world and these characters. Memento is just the PERFECT prequel to The Illuminae Files. It’s a shorty - only about 60 pages - but so worth it if you love the series. I LOLed constantly and oh man, those feels, because freakin’ AIDAN!!!!
Shop: kindle | NOOK book
How was your reading month? Did you have a favorite read this month?
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Oh hey, friend!
I’m Leah. Cozy connoisseur and bountiful book buyer. I have a minor obsession with getting lost in the pages of a good book, guzzling coffee, and thriving at home. Yoga pants, wine, and essential oils are also my jam. I'm truly just a homebody at heart with a knack for content creation, flatlays & cozy shots. This is my creative space.
So, December felt like a slower reading month for me, but this stack looks hefty! Regardless, it was a great wrap to the year. Let’s review all the books I read in December 2022!