The Eight Books I Read in October

Brrr!  It's getting cold - the perfect season for curling up with something warm to drink and a good book!  Last month I finished off eight books and most of them were delightful.  Check out my reviews!

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge – This was a beautifully written novel-with-true-parts about the journey across America with two giraffes, an old man, a lovable hardscrabble young man and the redheaded photographer that follows giraffes as they make their way to the zoo in California.  It was a solid read, but it should’ve been better and more uplifting.

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All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton – Now that I’ve read two books by Trent Dalton, I can tell you that I almost have to read him with my hands over my eyes but my God, it’s worth it.  His books are absolutely haunting and beyond memorable.  Read this one about a gravedigger girl and her quest to release her family from a curse.  He may not be everyone’s cup of tea but for me he is just WOW!

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The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You:  Stories by Maurice Carlo Ruffin – I was excited to read this book of short stories based in New Orleans but with the exception of the first story which I may never forget, I quickly forgot all the rest.  Maybe it deserves another read down the road, but it was a dud for me this time.

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Maid:  Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land – After I finished this work of magic, I immediately followed Land on Twitter and then pretty quickly unfollowed her because holy smokes she posts nonstop.  She needs to log off and write some more!  Seeing Facebook friends rave about the Netflix series reminded me that Maid had been sitting on my TBR list forever, so I dove in and must tell you that I wasn’t expecting to have my eyes opened any further than they were, based off of my own experiences as a single parent as well as my involvement with nonprofits that serve low-income individuals.  However, I learned a lot from this memoir and would recommend it 1000%.  

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The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles – Everyone I know who read A Gentleman in Moscow loved it, so there has certainly been a lot of excitement about The Lincoln Highway.  Towles brings us an Americana road trip novel packed with interesting characters along the way.  While I would certainly recommend it, I have to tell you that the ending really threw me for a loop and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.  I haven’t had a chance to talk with anyone about it yet so please read it and send me a message!!!

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Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver – This was the first of two books I read in October that explored different variations of a life or lives where the reader is let in on all of the outcomes.  I really love this fun trick (The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is an example of this being done SUPER well) and this one was fascinating because it revolved around a marriage.  The married couple in their 50’s make a suicide pact for when they hit 80, because it’s all downhill from there in their minds.  We then see all of the results of what happens when they hit 80 and make new decisions regarding their pact.  Recommend!!!  (Some of the later chapters get a little science fiction-ey and weird, but are still good in their own way.)

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Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook – I liked this graphic novel about university students in South Korea in the 1980’s.  It was intense, but a quick and thought-provoking read.

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4321 by Paul Auster – I just finished this 880 page novel that was part 2 in the theme of different variations of a life.  This one centered on just one life, Archie Ferguson, and didn’t seem to be tied to any one specific butterfly effect decision but instead seemed to hinge on how his parents’ decisions, successes, and relationship in the early years created four different kinds of lives for Archie.  I was fascinated by what changed and what remained the same in those lives.  

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Talk to me!  What are you reading?