Everything I Read in October
10 absolute bangers
Monthly reading wrap ups are BACK! September was my slowest and least favorite reading month of the year, so I was thrilled that October was so incredibly rich with unique and fascinating reads. I’ll let them speak for themselves, but hope you find something you love in here.
One thing before we get started: by now you’ve likely heard of the effects on SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown. As someone who received government assistance and free school lunch for much of my childhood, it feels especially urgent to me to spread not only compassion for recipients of these programs but also to contribute financially.
I’ve made a donation to Brooklyn Community & Housing Services to support their food bank. I will also donate the proceeds from any new paid subscribers that sign up starting today through November in an effort to maximize the impact we can make together. While the government shutdown may end and SNAP benefits may resume, there will always be hungry neighbors in need.
Onto the books! Listed in the order I read them.
Breakdown:
10 BOOKS TOTAL
GENRE:
5 Literary Fiction
3 Science Fiction
1 Climate Fiction
1 Horror
FORMAT:
9 physical copies from the library
1 digital copy from Netgalley
PAGES READ: 3318 (average length 332)
PS: If you, like me, are meticulous about tracking the books you’ve read, I highly recommend the digital reading log templates sold by this seller on Etsy. Simple to use, easy to read, and just a good time for anyone who is interested in their reading stats.
Other than that spreadsheet, I use Storygraph for tracking, reviews, and stats. SG > Goodreads forever!!
And lastly, please be sure to check trigger warnings for any and all books I share.
HEART THE LOVER
by Lily King (2025)
What It’s About:
This is a highly emotional and visceral story about how a love triangle during a young woman’s college years echoes throughout her entire life, shaping the course of it. King covers the naivety and intense bond of young love, the concept of “meant to be” and soulmates, and the compounding influence of people who are in our lives even for only a season.
My Thoughts on It:
I’m such a fan of King’s back catalog, but her newer works haven’t struck me in quite the same way. I heard so much about this release and had extremely high expectations going in which may have negatively impacted my experience. Overall, I did enjoy this book and I can’t say enough good things about her writing style. Personally, my favorite book of hers is Father of the Rain and I never hear anyone talking about it.
Heart the Lover bookshop.org link
IN ASCENSION
by Martin MacInnes (2023)
What It’s About:
This book takes you from the depths of a mysteriously deep ocean trench all the way to outer space, deftly exploring both the minutiae of everyday life and the broad strokes of our existence and place in the universe. Leigh grew up with an abusive father and turned towards the ocean as an escape, leading her to a career in marine biology. She joins an expedition to investigate a bizarre undersea phenomenon which ultimately reveals secrets about the cosmos and potential life beyond Earth. Simultaneously, her flailing relationship with her family is in stark contrast to her soaring career.
My Thoughts on It:
Wow. What an epic novel. I’ve never read anything like this and was immediately intrigued when I heard it included several of my favorite things - not only the deep sea but also outer space!? I was SOLD. This is one of my highest rated books of the year. However, if you’re *not* a nerd for the ocean and space like me, you might find it a bit slow and unable to hold your attention.
In Ascension bookshop.org link here
TILT
by Emma Pattee (2025)
What It’s About:
Annie is crib shopping at Ikea in Portland, 9 months pregnant, when The Big One hits. Smack in the middle of the most devastating earthquake to ever hit the west coast, she must navigate miles of destruction to make her way to her husband. Along the way, she encounters the best and the worst of humankind, arguably a more volatile force than the fault lines that pushed them into this disaster.
My Thoughts on It:
I really enjoyed this! It’s a very quick read and I zipped through it in a day. It’s propulsive and raw and quite terrifying. Honestly, despite the focal point of the natural disaster, I found the scariest thing about it to be Annie’s rumination on how she has spent her years so far - all the things she hasn’t accomplished, the rippling effect of her decisions, the disappointment at the outcomes and questioning what she could have done differently. I was feeling quite existential during this one.
LOVED ONE
by Aisha Muharrar (2025)
What It’s About:
Another exploration of young love and the effects it has on us, Loved One tells the story of Julia and Gabe. Their teenage relationship turned into a lifelong friendship - that is, until Gabe dies unexpectedly at 29. Julia, his first girlfriend, travels to London to see Elizabeth, his last girlfriend, on a quest to retrieve Gabe’s most meaningful possessions. Julia and Elizabeth are both keeping things from each other, creating a delicious tension throughout the book as they reach their boiling points.
My Thoughts on It:
I was pleasantly surprised by and loved the inside of this one as much as I loved the cover. I appreciate that it was a realistic and layered commentary on grief and contained heavy emotions but also somehow conveyed a light and beautiful setting infused with this sort of engaging aestheticism I really enjoy in a novel. The characters were complex and messy and so entertaining. Highly reco!
Loved One bookshop.org link here
THE ENGLISH TEACHER (2005)
by Lily King
What It’s About:
Set on the campus of an atmospheric prep school, Vida is a single mother of a teenage son who has lived on the school grounds for fifteen years. She impulsively accepts the marriage proposal of a fellow teacher which turns their entire existence on its head as she and her son move into the family home of her new husband, a widowed father of 3.
My Thoughts on It:
This book is chock full of frustrating characters and extremely bleak circumstances, and I absolutely ate it up. Just before I read this, I watched Halloween H20 which is an movie that happens to also feature a single mother of a teenage son living on the grounds of a school. The movie thrilled me because of its wonderful 90s halloween aesthetics and undeniable ~vibes~. I absolutely pictured this world as I read the novel, and I think perhaps without that it wouldn’t have hit so hard for me. Anyway, a perfect pairing if you’re looking for one.
The English Teacher bookshop.org link here
THE DUTCH HOUSE (2019)
by Ann Patchett
What It’s About:
The Dutch House is a glass monstrosity of a mansion that a well-meaning father bought for his family in the mid 20th century. After a series of unfortunate events, the father’s new wife exiles his two children from this home they grew up in. Danny and Maeve never can quite outrun The Dutch House’s grip on them or the unbreakable bond they forged in the face of the traumas they experienced there. We follow them throughout their lives as the house and its characters weave in and out of their stories.
My Thoughts on It:
After reading State of Wonder last month, I knew I wanted to read more Ann Patchett and this one is my favorite so far of the three I’ve read this year. The intricacy of storytelling is absolutely unbelievable and the characters jump off the page with their realism. Patchett created such a rich, deep history of these siblings and their lives that really stuck in my brain.
The Dutch House bookshop.org link here
TOM LAKE (2023)
by Ann Patchett
What It’s About:
It’s spring 2020 and Lara’s three daughters have returned home to the family cherry orchard to weather the pandemic together. As they work alongside each other in the orchard to replace the labor force they’ve lost, Lara divulges to her daughters her past as a young actress playing opposite a now famous actor in Our Town.
My Thoughts on It:
Interestingly, it seems there was a theme for me this month around the concept of love triangles of sorts - or maybe moreso around the concept of what could have been and the idea of choosing one type of love over another. I appreciate how delicately this book was set during the pandemic, something I typically do not want to read about. Overall another solid read from Ann Patchett.
Tom Lake bookshop.org link here
THE BETWEEN
by Tananarive Due (1995)
What It’s About:
It’s becoming clear to Hilton that he is not supposed to be alive. We watch his utter devolution as he experiences nightmares and loses stretches of time, increasingly unsure what is rooted in reality and what is not. Simultaneously battling these visions and a racist threatening his family, a childhood brush with death is doing more than just haunting him - it’s coming for him.
My Thoughts on It:
I became an instant fan of Tananarive Due after reading The Reformatory last year, one of the single best books I’ve ever encountered. I discovered in the (fantastic) foreword to this book that she was an executive producer on Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, a documentary I will be watching expeditiously. The Between was an exquisite example of horror and settled deep into the crevices of my mind. If you haven’t delved into Due’s work, you absolutely must.
The Between bookshop.org link here
THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SEA
by Ray Nayler (2022)
What It’s About:
Set in a near-future world ruled by corporations and artificial intelligence, a miraculous discovery has been made off the coast of a remote archipelago. There is evidence that a species of octopus has evolved enough to develop a language and culture, potentially unlocking true interspecies communication for the first time. A rumination on consciousness, Nayler starkly juxtaposes technology and biology in this ecological thriller.
My Thoughts on It:
Another movie <> book pairing for you - I kept thinking of the movie Arrival while reading this and think they make good companions.
More marine biology! I can’t get enough. This one didn’t grip me as much as In Ascension, but I still really enjoyed the ride. I was extremely riveted by what I learned about octopuses (yes, that’s the plural they use in the book), like the fact that they are intelligent enough to develop culture but are unable to because they don’t live long enough to pass down generational knowledge. I also was especially daunted by the depiction of autonomous AI fishing vessels whose only mission is profit, no matter the human cost. A prescient and chilling look into the (very close) future.
The Mountain in the Sea bookshop.org link here
AN UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS
by Rivers Solomon (2017)
What It’s About:
Set on a generation starship, the HSS Matilda, a hierarchical society is propelling through space in search of a Promised Land. The ship is populated by Upperdeckers and Lowdeckers, stratified by race and kept in line with strict “moral” codes and obligations. As Aster uncovers some well-kept secrets amidst political turmoil, the authoritarian regime of the Matilda may be under threat of civil war.
My Thoughts on It:
You already know I love to read about space, but I am extremely intrigued by generation ships in particular (this is one of my favorite bedtime podcast episodes). I think this was the perfect setting to expose the similar inequities and brutalities of our own society and systems, exposing the cruelty towards our most vulnerable. I’m looking forward to picking up more of Solomon’s work.
An Unkindness of Ghosts bookshop.org link here
What’s On Deck:
Infinite Ground | Martin MacInnes: Excited to dive into another one by this author after how much I loved In Ascension
The Fraud | Zadie Smith: Will be my first by Zadie Smith! Have only heard great things
The Force of Such Beauty | Barbara Bourland: I picked this one up after hearing the Bad on Paper gals rave about it. I think it’s going to my pick for book club this month! I also grabbed Bourland’s other two books as well.
Dominion | Addie Citchens: Been waiting for library hold on this one for a whiiiile and can’t wait to get into it.
Don’t forget to share your favorite books of the month + let me know what you’re reading next. And if you’ve read any of the books mentioned here, I’d love to know what you thought! Any that you’re now planning to read? Tell me!
Adding all to my TBR! Excited to hear your thoughts on The Fraud