Hi and welcome to another monthly overview!
Remember when I said September was a bit of a rough month? Yeah, October was even worse 🙈 It was a stressy, exhausting month that quite frankly kicked my ass. I started the month with a viral infection that messed up my stomach. By the time I’d bounced back from that, my dad had a health scare. He’s not entirely out of the woods yet, but things are looking a whole lot better than they did for a while there and I’m keeping everything crossed.
Book-wise, October was a mixed bag. I read fewer pages than ever before in 2025, but I did listen to audiobooks for more hours, so I guess that evens out. I read / listened to quite a few fantastic books and I had only a couple of duds.
Honourable mentions to House of Idyll, When the Bones Sing and The Winter Job, but were my favourite reads of the month:
In figures, October looks like this:
October
Novels: 4308 pages across 11 novels
Audiobooks: 61 hours across 9 novels
And here’s what I did in October:
What I read:
Hear Him Calling, Carly Reagon
The Wasp Trap, Mark Edwards
House of Idyll, Delilah S. Dawson
Of the Flesh (18 stories of modern horror)
House of Splinters, Laura Purcell
Coldwire, Chloe Gong
No Rest for the Wicked, Rachel Louise Adams
Futility, Nuzo Onoh
The Last Witch, C.J. Cooke
The Witching Hour (Haunting Tales for Long Dark Nights)
Ghost Story, Peter Straub
What I listened to:
Red River Road, Anna Downes
The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The Mountain King, Anders de la Motte
The Hideaway, Nikki Allen
Little Voices, Vanessa Lillie
Never Flinch, Stephen King
Blood Like Ours, Stuart Neville
When the Bones Sing, Ginny Myers Sain
The Winter Job, Antti Tuomainen
What I read earlier but reviewed in October:
The Vanishing Place, Zoe Rankin
Rainforest, Michelle Paver
Let’s have a look at the books that landed on my lap in October:
Three highly anticipated hardcovers that lived up to my high expectations and a paperback that I’m currently reading (and loving!):
One 99p deal and a NetGalley widget:
I hope you had a good month and that you are safe and well! Thanks for joining me today and happy reading xxx
I hope your dad will be fine (I’m going through a similar thing myself now)! I see a lot of spooky/witchy reads on your list, it was the perfect timing. I’ll take a closer look at Laura Purcell’s book ❤️ I hope you’ll have a better November month!
Thanks so much, Inge. Hope you’re okay!
Yes, I do prioritise spooky and witchy reads this time of year, ’tis the season ☺️
I’m fine thank you. It’s also my dad who is having some problems. He had a little surgery to his stomach last week but it’s not solved so probably something else. Hopefully they’ll find what it is soon.
I’ll keep everything crossed for you and your dad, Inge! I hope they find and fix it soonest!
Hope this month is better for you Kelly and that things continue to improve for your dad.
Thanks so much, Jill xx
Sorry you didn’t have a great month, Kelly, I hope November is kinder to you and your Dad. I’m glad you loved Red River Road! 😀
Thanks Nicki, I hope so too!
Red River Road was so good!
Gosh, best wishes for your Dad, Kelly – parents can be more of a worry than kittens sometimes!!
Thanks Laurence! And yes, definitely 😅
I hope your Dad is okay. Here’s hoping for a better November, Kelly💜
I’m sorry October was unpleasant I hope there is much improvement in November
Thanks so much!
I’m sorry to hear October treated you so bad! I hope things will be better with your dad, and that November will treat you both well. <3 Blood Like Mine is on my list of October favorites as well (and was basically my favorite audiobook in general so far this year).
Thank you 💜
I’m sorry to hear October treated you so bad! I hope things will be better with your dad, and that November will treat you both well. <3 Blood Like Mine is on my list of October favorites as well (and was basically my favorite audiobook in general so far this year).