October Wrap Up

Compared to some of my previous months, I didn't read as much as I have, but really not a bad month.  Mainly, it was just that I did not listen to as many audiobooks.  In fact, I only listened to one book and even then, I ended up switching to the hardcover version and ended up enjoying the book more.





These 2 books have excerpts (the first chapter or two) of several books that will be released.  Some have already been released due to the date I read this.  I only read a few stories from these books - the ones that appealed to me and weren't in the middle of a series.  I got both of these books through NetGalley from the publisher.  It's a great idea to have these available for preview.  Buzz Books 2016 Romance is available for free on Amazon for the Kindle, so download it to your Kindle e-reader, Kindle Fire or use the Kindle app to download it to your phone, tablet or computer.

It has been several days since I read this, but I did not have the time to give it a review. This book, like the first in the series is not in a genre I typically read. Other than these 2 books, I can't think of the last time that I read fantasy. Probably back in high school or even grade school and then most likely, it was required reading, a so-called classic as well as a book I did not really enjoy. But I am really enjoying this series and I find Ransom Riggs a very interesting author (that is said in a most positive way.) He's got a great imagination and writes in a way that someone who usually only reads and enjoys realistic fiction or nonfiction will enjoy the story. I read this particular book on my Kindle, unlike the first which I read in hardcover. Reading it in hardcover, I was able to see the pictures more clearly than I was in Kindle format, where the pictures were somewhat smaller. I look forward to reading the 3rd book, Library of Souls in hardcover early next year.

This is an okay short story, which is a prequel to Jodi Picoult's Small Great Things. Small Great Things is a fantastic book. This one is only about 30 or so pages and really is not necessary to read. It is nowhere as good and thought-provoking as Small Great Things.



I very much enjoyed this book. I started out listening to this book, but one did not have much time to listen and wasn't crazy about the narrator and felt somewhat confused at times. I ended up switching to the hardcover from the library since there was a wait for the Kindle version. I ended up enjoying it a lot more in the written form. It was not the typical Grisham that I read in the 90s, but learning about coal mining, Appalachia, etc was quite interesting. It was nice not to read just about corporate lawyers and the corporate world, but a story that revolves about a formerly corporate lawyer, having the chance to finally do work that effects the so-called "little people" and learn about law from a civil perspective and finally see the inside of a courtroom. The ending was somewhat disappointing in that things didn't totally get resolved, but hopefully the author wrote it that way, so that there can be an eventual sequel.



I am still reading this book and should finish it in the next couple days. I had been on the waiting list for several months and unfortunately not enjoying it quite as much as I hoped to.  You'll find out my final view in the November wrap-up.

Let me know if you read any of these or if you are planning to start some holiday reading in November. Also in November, I plan to read a couple holiday books and listen to some audiobooks.