October Reading Recap

Or should I say Gothtober?

I spent October chasing seasonal fun in my reading life, from magical boarding schools to vampire-werewolf romances to possibly haunted houses, and after a sometimes frustrating September reading-wise, I’m feeling positively rejuvenated. I had a very loose TBR but left myself a lot of room to change course, make space for library holds that came in, and dive into new books as soon as I got them. (Something I’d like to be better at! I’m constantly struggling against the impulse to save the best for last.) I’d like to push myself a little more with literary fiction in November, and focus on picking up some more diverse romances, but I had a really good, suitably spooky reading month and I can’t wait to share these books with you!

My October reading goals were quite simple:

• A spooky romance: Soul Searching by Lyla Sage

• And a backlist book from an author that I love: Funny Guy by Emma Barry

In November, I’m going to be a tad more ambitious and want to read:

• The remaining book or books in a series

• A book that’s on a prize list or is a prize-winner

• An anticipated 2025 release that I haven’t gotten around to yet

I also have some November writing goals. I’m not doing Nanowrimo this year but I am aiming to have a fully revised draft of my current project by the end of the month and keep myself busy while I’m querying. After a very busy October, I’m looking forward to some coffee shop writing sessions, low-key weekends, and reading underneath a blanket with one of the cats on my lap.

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Really liked

Funny Guy by Emma Barry

Be aware: this friends-to-lovers romance between a newly infamous stand-up comic immortalized in song by his pop star ex and his urban planner best friend who’s determined to make a fresh start after years of loving him is messy. It’s also wonderfully real and complicated and I loved the layers that Barry brings to Sam and Bree’s love story, as well as the palpable connection that flows between them. Friends-to-lovers can be hard to nail but I believed so deeply in their friendship, why they hadn’t crossed the line from platonic to romantic before, why this was finally the moment for them, and their HEA. Barry is an author who’s consistently doing interesting things with the genre. I’m always a little surprised—in an excellent way!—with the spin she puts on classic romance tropes and how fresh her writing feels. Especially recommended if you’re tired of perfect romance heroes. (Open door, medium steam.)

The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas

After traveling with her fiance to his family’s isolated silver mine to escape disease, the daughter of a wealthy family begins suffering from hallucinations, sleepwalking, and a powerful attraction to her fiance’s cousin in this unique blend of historical fiction, horror, and romance from Canas. She has a gift for transforming what I suspect is very thorough research into lush, transporting worlds and vivid, visceral prose. I especially liked how Canas uses possession to explore female bodily autonomy. Long before Alba is ever possessed by a demon, she’s a possession to the wealthy men who see her as a fortune to be won. The star-crossed romance between Alba and Elias is brimful with longing and tension. Bone-chilling, shiver-inducing, and gloriously Gothic.

All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles

Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a relative’s remote manor to find a house full of deadly mysteries and everyone he doesn’t want to see, including his ex-lover Gideon. A fresh take on a classic country house murder mystery, this time much more queer and much more aware of the bloody legacy so many English manors were built upon. I was drawn in by the thoroughly creepy setting, the rapidly increasing sense of dread and danger, the cast of morally questionable supporting characters, and the sincerity and warmth of the romance at the novel’s center. The longing and love that Zeb feels for Gideon is palpable and seeing them make their way back to each other is the perfect counterweight to the darkness swirling around them. (Open door, medium-high steam.)

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach

When her adored older sister Kathy is killed in a car accident, Sally is haunted by her memory, left to deal with the wreckage of her family and finds herself drawn to her sister’s boyfriend Billy both in spite and because of the tragedy that links them. This is the kind of novel that wrecks you in the most quietly devastating way. I found the portrayal of the relationship between Kathy and Sally all the more moving for how real and imperfect it felt, as they fight and make up and speak a language all their own. Espach also excels at writing Sally in multiple phases of life. The narrative voice changes and grows as she does yet always feels undeniably hers. I think this would be a great book club pick if you’re looking to go a little backlist.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

A vampyre and a werewolf enter into a marriage of convenience to cement a fragile truce between their peoples, only to be plunged into unexpected intrigue and discover a powerful attraction brewing between them. Hazelwood has a real flair for writing paranormal romance and I dearly hope she keeps on doing it. This was an incredibly fun read from start to finish and a super satisfying slow burn. The tension between Lowe and Misery just builds and builds and builds until it finally explodes and the tiny snippets we get from Lowe’s POV are the exact right taste of his longing. The fantasy plot is well balanced with the main romance and there’s some great supporting characters, particularly Lowe’s younger sister and Misery’s brother. I’m also delighted to report that we finally get a tall Hazelwood heroine! (Open door, high steam.)

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh

A fantasy set at a magical boarding school where the overworked Doctor Walden teaches a set of talented (and occasionally reckless) students the art of demon summoning and tries to fight back the worry that the greatest threat to her students’ safety might be her. This is a dark academia novel particularly concerned with the academia side of things. There’s a wryness to Walden’s narrative voice and a deep knowledge of the ins and outs of teaching that makes the classroom scenes ring particularly true. Tesh’s vision of a magical world is a deeply grounded, practical, and sometimes casually terrifying one. It’s also a novel drawn to competence, particularly in the form of the extremely skilled Marshal Laura Kenning, and I found that just as appealing as Doctor Walden does. Recommended for fans of T. Kingfisher.

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

Vasti is rapidly becoming one of my auto-buy authors. This sapphic romance between rival Gothic novelists trapped in a haunted manor together is full of verve, wit, and feeling. Vasti’s writing just sparkles. I loved both Georgiana and Cat--the way they’re obsessed with each other is incredibly fun to read and how they decide to build a life together is equally lovely. Moreover, I was extra fond of the subplots with both heroines’ families and the love and acceptance they find there. Vasti has a knack for writing hijinks but her love stories are also grounded in a wonderful way and her celebration of queer joy here feels especially poignant. (Open door, high steam.)

The Singing Hills Cycle #1-#3 by Nghi Vo (The Empress of Salt and Fortune, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, and Into the Riverlands)

I was enchanted by this series of novellas about the traveling cleric Chih, as they voyage through the empire of Ahn collecting stories, encountering dangers, and chronicling the empire’s history. Each of these are stand-alones, although I opted to read in order. They’re spellbinding, surprising little jewels of a novella and diving into the series this month felt a little like reading a big collection of folktales. I just love Vo’s storytelling style, particularly the way she explores the nuances of legend and the way that a story shifts depending on who’s telling it.

Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

This story of a spinster aunt who finally decides to make her own life after years of living for others and ends up becoming a witch is weird in the most wonderfully matter-of-fact way. There’s a crispness and a clarity to Warner’s prose that gives the story its own kind of very English charm and the fantastical elements their own particular flair. It’s witty, imaginative, and remarkably clear-eyed about the cramped lives led by an entire generation of English women. (Not to mention ahead of its time!) I’d really like to read more from Warner.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

An Elizabethan nobleman begins his life as a darling of the Tudor court, is sent to Constantinople, awakens to find himself a woman, and returns to England to pursue more love affairs, adventures, and epic poetry. This is a dazzling, playful, philosophical adventure that leaps through centuries alongside its protagonist, cleverly examines and deconstructs ideas of gender and sexuality, and gleefully satirizes English society. I was surprised and delighted by how funny this was. Woolf even sends up her own style! There’s a freedom and an abandon to the story that’s transporting. The prose is dense and rich, so it took me a while to sink into the cadence of Woolf’s sentences, but once I did, I was caught up completely. A book you could talk about for hours and still find new layers to uncover.

Liked, with minor quibbles

Soul Searching by Lyla Sage

A lightly spooky paranormal romance about a photographer who moves back to her tiny Wyoming hometown after losing inspiration and the upholsterer who came to that same town seeking a fresh start. Sage’s Western romances are one of my go-tos when I want an easy, fun, and feel-good read and this one certainly delivered. I would have liked a tad more angst or a dash of third act conflict between Collins and Brady but I really enjoyed the spooky setting, soft hero and spiky heroine, and palpable attraction between the two main characters. Sage is particularly good at writing loving, accepting families and towns and this book features both a lovely sister relationship and a love letter to small towns. (Open door, high steam.)

Elizabeth and her German Garden by Elizabeth von Armin

A charming account of the heroine’s attempts to craft the wild garden refuge of her dreams as she deals with house guests, the demands of small children, and the occasional intrusions of the Man of Wrath (aka her husband). There’s some absolutely gorgeous nature writing here, both in the descriptions of Elizabeth’s garden and in the descriptions of the German forest in winter, and some observations about the travails of having guests that had me quietly giggling to myself. Occasionally, I wanted a little more plot or forward momentum but I think this would be perfect cozy bedtime reading at the end of a long day.

Quite enjoyed once I got properly into it

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

A cynical twenty-something returns to the family she fled as a teen for her cousin’s wedding and realizes that something is very, very wrong in the place she once called home. Harrison is excellent at creepy, from the subtly building sense that something isn’t quite right to the scenes of full-on gory horror, and works in some clever nods to the larger horror genre, especially with Vesper’s scream queen mother. There’s also some genuinely emotional commentary on the complexities of family and coming home. I did find Vesper’s narration a little hard to become attached to at first--she’s so brittle and sharp that I felt removed from her despite the first person narration, in a time in my reading life when I really wanted characters to latch on to--but as Harrison unravels more about Vesper’s past and the nightmare deepens, I got more and more invested in her fate.

Questionable heroes, excellent storytelling

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

This paranormal romance about an ancient werewolf who escapes captivity to find his mate and a naive, young vampire who must come into her power just goes for it. (In the first handful of pages, the hero chews off his own leg to escape captivity when he finally scents his mate.) The world of the Lore, complete with vampires, werewolves, witches, Valkryies, and ghouls, feels like it sprung full-fledged from Cole’s head in all its over-the-top glory. Lachlain is a classic 2000’s alpha hero and there’s some very dubious consent in this book, so approach with caution, but in spite of my own dislike for alpha heroes, I was glued to the page the entire time. The primal attraction between Lachlain and Emma flares to life almost immediately and Cole effortlessly blends tropes without the book ever feeling like a trope checklist. All I wanted to do after finishing this was to continue with the series. (Open door, high steam.)

Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart

A young governess arrives at a chateau in the French mountains and discovers that her young charge Philippe’s sinister uncle might have designs on his life. I thoroughly enjoyed this classic romantic suspense, despite 100% rooting for the man Linda was never going to end up with. Her actual love interest, the aristocratic Raoul, is classically dark and brooding and unnecessarily dramatic, as well as having a penchant for seizing and kissing Linda without her consent, and I kept on vainly hoping Linda might fall for the charms of the nice British forester instead. But Stewart is such a skillful storyteller that I zipped through the book anyway, riveted by its mix of Gothic drama, peril, and gorgeous descriptions of the French countryside. I especially liked Linda’s relationship with Philippe, who reads like both a very real and very endearing child, and her (mostly) pragmatic nature.

Fun, but didn’t leave a lasting impression?

Perfectly Wicked by Lindsay Lovise

An autumnal paranormal romance about an eldest daughter fighting to protect her family’s magical apple orchard and the ghost hunter trying to unravel their secrets. The relationships between Holly and her aunts and sisters and the resulting Practical Magic vibes were my favorite elements. There’s also some sweet scenes of Holly and Connor connecting over the grief that shadows both of them, a well-drawn Maine setting, and an adorable hedgehog. I do wish that the final act and the third-act breakup had gotten a bit more room to breathe, as had the build-up to Holly and Connor being in love. Everything happens fast at the end and I wanted the HEA to sing a little more strongly. (Open door, medium steam.)

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Currently reading: The Chiffon Trenches, Andre Leon Talley’s memoir about his legendary career in the fashion world.

Recommendations, miscellany, and little bits of joy:

• Afternoon tea at Brooklyn High Low! Their Park Slope location is in the basement of a brownstone and it’s the perfect spot for a cozy catch-up, from their eclectic assortment of teapots to their tiers of tea-time treats.

• An autumnal excursion to Sleepy Hollow, including a very dramatic rendition of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” at Washington Irving’s home.

• Colonia Verde in Brooklyn, especially if you can snag a table in their indoor greenhouse. A friend was in town so we got dinner there and every single thing on the table was delicious.