Hello, World! – October Recap

October was a big month for my reading world. At the end of September, I started a book Instagram, which is something I’ve been thinking about for quite a while. I’m one of those people who either makes the snap decision to do something or I’ll sit on the idea for months (or even years) and never see it come to fruition. But there I was, sitting at my favorite coffee shop on a beautiful day, and I decided: today was the day.

I mean, I texted two of my closest confidantes frantically to confirm that it was, in fact, a good idea.

I wanted to have a blog ready when I created the account, but I got too excited and decided to cross that bridge later.

The point of starting a Bookstagram and (another) blog wasn’t to garner a fanbase or anything, though I’ll admit that’d be pretty cool. I did this because I wanted to share my reads and my thoughts to a community that cares about them. And on the side, share some writing and music and happy moments, too. But emphasis on the community aspect of it. Book people are cool people!

I’m glad I started this when I did—the Instagram, I mean—because October ended up being a really good reading month for me. Was it because I was extra motivated by an empty Instagram page? Maybe. But hey, I was reading better than I have in a really long time. Not reading faster or reading more, necessarily, but simply better. And after eight years of barely getting to read for fun, I want to take full advantage of that.

So without further ado, here are some quick thoughts on my October reads!

Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy:

I loved this movie when it came out last summer, so when I got my hands on the books, I had to put them on my list. In short, I kind of loved them. They were wild and dramatic and juicy. If I had to pick, the second was my least favorite, since it didn’t so much focus on Rachel and Nick, but it did expand their world to really bring it home in the third book. It’s not Shakespeare or Austen or anything, but it’s not supposed to be. It was bright and fun and, well, crazy.

4/5 stars

No Judgments by Meg Cabot:

I love Meg Cabot. For a while, when I was a teenager, I sort of stopped reading her because her protagonists were always the unpopular, awkward types, and I related just a little too much. And they always got the guy in her books. Guess how many times I got the guy. None! As I got a bit older, I got over that. I accidentally read a few snippets or reviews of this book before reading it, and they weren’t all that great, unfortunately. Readers thought there was a lack of chemistry between the protagonist and her love interest, etc etc. I will say that it wasn’t the best developed in that sense, and not Cabot’s best work in general, but it was a great “beach read,” as ironic as that is, since the story takes place on an island in a hurricane. Cute animals, a stubborn, headstrong protagonist, and juuuust a little smut to keep it interesting. It was plenty fun.

3.7/5 stars

The Ghost of Blackwood Hall by Carolyn Keene:

It’s my favorite, favorite Nancy Drew in the whole world, and this was my zillionth time reading it. I have nothing more to say than that I still love it, and I’m still looking for my Ned Nickerson.

12/5 stars–always.

Doesn’t sound like much, I know, but this is a lot of reading in one month for me! I set my goal for twelve books this year, to average out to one a month. It felt a bit ambitious, as I’d been spending most of my time binging TV shows on Netflix—it’s way easier to multi-task during those. At least, you think you’re multi-tasking. Really, I was just sitting on my phone. Then my whole day has wasted away, and all I’ve done is burn through an entire season of a show I’ve seen a hundred times. This September and October, I’ve really balanced it out and been able to read so much more. I’ve gotten through sixteen books now! It makes me feel a bit like my old self again, but that’s a whole other can of worms.

I’m wondering whether or not I’ll challenge myself more next year. I want to set a goal that is feasible, like fifteen, but I’ve already surpassed that in ten months. But then again, who knows what’s going to happen in the next year? Could I reach twenty books? I may have to throw in a few Nancy Drews to make that one. But then again, it’s called a challenge, so maybe I should push it just a little.

I have some time to mull it over. For now, I’ll get lost in the lives of nine perfect strangers.