What I Read in October 2020.

This was an AMAZING book month!! I ended up going through eight books, mostly because I listened to two on audible which always gives me a lot more reading time. I prefer to listen to biographies or personal development books on audio book over fiction, and the two below were so, so good. I also read three books this month that were such good, fun quick reads.

While I’m keeping my reviews here on the blog, remember that you can follow the goodreads account with what I’m reading, so you can see what I read in real time.

You can also join the book club! We have the instagram and secret facebook group here.

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here. I’d love to hear below what you read this month!

What I Read In October 2020

Anxious People – 4.5 stars

This was our October book club pick and oh boy was it good. I love Fredrik Backman’s books (Beartown is my fave) and his writing is one of a kind. The story follows a group of people held hostage by a bank robber and the entire time, you are trying to figure out who the bank robber is. It’s pretty fascinating and also shocking once you discover! I love the way he tied some of characters stories together too. This is such a good one!

Ties That Tether – 4.5 stars

Another great one!! This story follows a woman who has a one night stand with a guy who is totally “off limits” to her, and it ends up becoming much more. She falls in love with him even though she promised her parents she would marry a Nigerian man and deals with the fallout from her mother. The forbidden love trope is always one of my faves and this did not disappoint. It also touches on cultural differences and women’s issues. I really liked it!

The Meaning of Mariah Carey – 5+ stars

I don’t even know if words can describe how much I LOVED this book. It might be my favorite book the all 2020. I listened to it and hearing Mariah narrate added another element to the story. Being a huge Mariah fan my entire life, I found the early years of her career SO interesting. How the industry (and her husband) tried to make her look and sound white, trying to remove what they called her urban sounds from her music. I remember as a little girl, probably 8 or 9, learning that Mariah’s father was Black and not thinking it was true because she “looked” white. So much of her story is heartbreaking too. Also – I didn’t know that she also writes her own music. She is insanely talented. And now, I love going back and listening to those old school favorite songs and knowing who the lyrics are about!

Roommaid – 4 stars

This was a super cute and quick read! I really enjoyed it. The story follows a girl who was kicked out of her affluent family for her career choices, and in a desperation moment, agrees to live with a guy who is looking for a roommate & housekeeper because he travels often. While this was super cute and I did enjoy it, some of it was so hard to believe – like that this girl didn’t know how to run a dishwasher, etc. Just seemed a little out of touch for 2020, haha! But it was still cute and quick.

In a Holidaze – 4 stars

I was unsure if I would enjoy this, because there is a time travel element that I didn’t know if I’d get into. And honestly, I found it a little ridiculous at first, but I did love this story. It follows a girl who goes to the same cabin with family friends every year at Christmas. She ends up in a time loop and relives the trip a few times. While I loved it and it put me in the holiday spirit, I wish we had a more solid resolution or reasoning for the time travel? Ha, of course. But it is still super cute and I highly recommend for the season! It’s a nice escape.

Troubles in Paradise – 5 stars

AHHH I have been waiting for this book since last year, and it’s bittersweet since this is Elin’s last winter novel. This is the third book in the series following the Steele family who finds themselves on St John trying to resolve a multitude of issues. I LOVED this one. I didn’t want it to end! I don’t want to give much away because it is the finale and you have to read all three books to really enjoy this. I highly suggest reading these or her winter street series (or both!) over the next few months.

Everything Beautiful In Its Time – 5 stars

This is another one I listened to and I just loved it. Hearing the story of the Bush family and also a lot about motherhood gave me chills. I loved listening to Jenna’s stories of her grandparents. She lost three of them in the span of a year. I was lucky enough to have both sets of grandparents for all of my childhood. The stories she tells of how the impacted her life are amazing!

One by One – 3.5 stars

This was a little outside of my normal genre but I still enjoyed it. The story follows a group of people who work for a popular tech company who go to the French Alps to decide is they should sell the business. They do not all survive. I found it a little confusing at first to keep track of people, but ultimately got pretty hooked once I learned who was who. I did figure out who the murderer was early on but I loved the entire setting of this. Regardless of the dark plot, it really made me wish I was snowed in at a cabin in the French Alps right now!

What did you read this month?!