Currently Reading - October 2018

Hello Witches and Wizards alike!!! Another month has come to a close, and on this Halloween, we are going to discuss the books I read this month! It was a decent reading month, although the end of the month meant less reading than I was anticipating. One of these books was a new all-time favorite though!! Let's get started.

October Book Stats

Reading Goals: Charms Extra Credit

Number of Books Read: 7

Star Ratings:               Number of Pages:               Genres:
-5                                             -388                                                      -Contemporary, Historical Fic.
-5                                             -574                                                      -Fantasy, Paranormal, Hist. Fic.
-5                                             -258                                                      -Autobiography, Memoir
-5                                             -548                                                      -Mystery, Thriller
-3                                             -67                                                        -Mystery, Thriller
-3.5                                          -368                                                      -M/M Romance
-5                                             -248                                                      -Fantasy

DNF:

Month in Review:
Have you ever had a book that you have hyped up so much for yourself that you are almost scared to dive into it? The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is that book for me. It has been on my wishlist for some time now, so when I saw it for a steal of $3.99 in hardback, I snatched it up in a hurry. As I started this book, I was quickly pulled into the story and couldn't pull myself away from it. I found myself staying up late at night, stealing forbidden hours with the false pretense of reading just one more chapter. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. As I neared the end, I didn't want it to end; however, as soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it all over again.

Audiobooks have become my new favorite while diamond painting, so I started looking to see what my library had to offer. I stumbled upon The Diviners. I have this book in paperback, somewhere, and I have attempted to start it several times without getting too far into it. I had heard amazing things and wanted to give it ago. I am so glad that I listened to this!! It was creepy and captivating. The narrator has a way of distinguishing voices, setting the tone, and pulling you into the story with how eerie it is. To say it left me reeling is an understatement, I even had dreams about Naughty John and the darn whistling. It was the perfect October read and I wish the south would have made it even better with cooler temperatures. The cast of characters are so unique and you get to see each of their stories creating a wonderful web of details. Highly recommend and I really hope that my library decides to get the others in the audiobook as well.

If You Ask Me by Betty White!! As soon as I saw that she narrates this book herself, I knew I had to have a listen. It felt like sitting down and having tea with Betty White, not as a celebrity, but as a friend. It was delightful to learn little eccentric facts about her. I have always loved her since I first discovered her in The Golden Girls; however, after listening to this book I love her even more for her love of animals and all the humanitarian efforts that she makes to help animals in any way that she can. She is truly an elegant and classy woman that understands the value and gift that life gives.

Karin Slaughter... I was warned that someone that writes books as gruesome as she does has to be mentally unstable. I am thinking that is sound reasoning. Pretty Girls was a little confusing for me to begin with. The POV (point of view) switch without warning; however, the audiobook was creepy and haunting. I want to go back and read this on my kindle at some point, especially for highlighting. It was a gruesome story that is woven so intricately that I am in awe of it. The audio also had the prequel, Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes at the ending. It was interesting but didn't really add much after having finished up Pretty Girls. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Game Changer was a really cute story and the characters were so enjoyable. The pacing and POV switching created a really disjointed feeling, but I was able to work through those alright. I really appreciated the struggle that we got to see with Scott. It was just an internal struggle that was focused on himself, but one that really took into consideration those around him, his teammates, the league as a whole, etc. It really redeemed the storyline for me. I would have liked to see more development for Kip though. I felt like before their argument that it was something that could have been handled better with communication. As a reader, it is frustrating when you are seeing both sides and simple communication could really improve the situation.

Every once in a while there is a movie that you like better than the book... And we all collectively gasped. Stardust is that for me. Having watched the movie several times before listening to this on audio, I just prefer it better in a visual format. Had I been reading it without the fresh visuals, I am not sure I would have completed it. It was hard to picture from the story alone. I don't think that is negative for the book or the writer, he is known for such things. Overall, I still loved the story. I will say, the ending for the movie I find to be more appealing.
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**This post may contain thoughts on books that I have read complimentary of NetGalley.com or directly from publishers. All opinions and reviews are my own. Books were requested in an exchange for an honest review. No reviews are sponsored or solicited by the company, publisher, or author.