My October TBR

I don’t usually plan out my monthly reads. When I’m seeking out a new book, I intend to find something that’s already on my (lengthy) to-be-read list. However, I often stumble across a recommendation, on Facebook or Amazon, and indulge in that instead.

This October, I have decided on four specific books that I feel fit the whole vibe of this particular month. Admittedly, they are not a far cry from what I read year-round, but still…

  1. Something Wicked This Way Comes [Ray Bradbury]
  2. Brother [Ania Ahlborn]
  3. Halloween Fiend [C.V. Hunt]
  4. A House With Good Bones [T. Kingfisher]

It is highly likely there will be a few autumn- and Halloween-themed cozy mysteries sprinkled among these main four, and I have already been enjoying bits and pieces of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with my morning coffee.

I love the autumn months!

If you have any October-y recommendations for me, please leave them in the comments!

I Completed My 2022 Goodreads Challenge!

My goal was 25 books. I’ve actually read 26 (and started on a 27th). I must have miscounted at some point because I didn’t actually have to finish The Snakes by Sadie Jones to wrap up the challenge. Below is a full list of all the books I read this year.

  • Last Breath (Rachel Caine)
  • The Sandman (Lars Kepler)
  • Dark Across the Bay (Ania Ahlborn)
  • The Invitation (Lucy Foley)
  • Black Dawn (Rachel Caine)
  • The Thicket (Noelle W. Ihli)
  • Afraid (Lisa Jackson, Alexandra Ivy, and Lisa Childs)
  • House (Frank E. Peretti and Ted Dekker)
  • My Pretties (Jeff Strand)
  • The Woods Are Always Watching (Stephanie Perkins)
  • Pan’s Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun (Guillermo del Toro)
  • His Final Girl (Brooklyn Ann)
  • Theme Music (T. Marie Vandelly)
  • Bitter Blood (Rachel Caine)
  • Long Live The Pumpkin Queen (Shea Ernshaw)
  • Fall of Night (Rachel Caine)
  • The Hypnotist (Lars Kepler)
  • The Fear (Natasha Preston)
  • Survive the Night (Danielle Vega)
  • Small Spaces (Katherine Arden)
  • Court of the Vampire Queen (Katee Robert)
  • The Maze Runner (James Dashner)
  • Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke (Eric LaRocca)
  • Daylighters (Rachel Caine)
  • Dead Voices (Katherine Arden)
  • Red Rain (RL Stine)

It’s been a good year, and I have found a few new authors I definitely want more from. I’m going to close out 2022 re-reading the Harry Potter series, then hit the ground running in 2023 with a new challenge. Cheers!

2022 Reading Challenge + My To-Be-Read List

I’m not gonna lie: the last two years I’ve participated in the annual GoodReads reading challenge, I have failed. My goal always seems achievable when I set it – after all, what else am I gonna do with my free time besides read?

Ha. The joke’s on me. Between work, writing, blogging, trips to Colorado to visit my brother and sister-in-law (and their answering visits to Alabama), and driving up to Kentucky to see my best friend, my free time always fills up.

But this year, I am determined. I will complete my list. Upon finishing Ania Ahlborn’s Dark Across the Bay, I have read 5 of my 25 book goal. Here is a short list of what’s coming up next for me.

Currently reading: Afraid, which consists of three intertwining tales by Lisa Jackson, Alexandra Ivy, and Lisa Childs

Up next:

  • Black Dawn by Rachel Caine (a Morganville Vampires novel)
  • His Final Girl by Brooklyn Ann
  • The Thicket by Noelle W. Ihli – I am very intrigued by the summary of this one. It sounds similar to the slasher flicks I enjoy.