October Reads

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

Source: audiobook

Summary: A young autistic girl petitions to have a memorial created in her Scottish village on behalf of women who were tried as witches. 

Content: clean and recommended for ages 8-12

Review: ***

Final statement: I enjoyed this book, but I struggled a little bit with its accusatory tone. I felt like it vilified too many characters. This might have been, in part, the way that audiobook narrator read the characters. 

I'll Be You by Janelle Brown

Source: audiobook

Summary: Identical twins, Sam and Elli, haven't spoken in over a year, but when Elli goes missing, their mom asks Sam to return home to help take care of Elli's daughter whom Sam didn't know existed.

Content: language

Review: ****

Final statement: I really liked this one. I've read one other book by Janelle Brown, Pretty Things, and liked that one as well. 

Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter

Source: audiobook

Summary: Maddie is the daughter of a secret service agent. Logan is the son of POTUS. During a kidnapping attempt on the First Lady, Maddie's dad is shot, so he takes Maddie to live in the Alaskan wilderness. A few years later, Logan is sent to stay with them, but their location is no longer safe, and someone comes after them. 

Content: clean YA novel

Review: ***

Final statement: I didn't personally love this book, but I know a lot of teen girls who adore this author and have read her other books, so I wanted to document it as something I can recommend to my own daughter someday. 

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Source: paperback

Summary: Gwen Proctor is the ex-wife of a serial killer, who moves from place to place under a false identity to protect her children from people who wish them harm. Just as they are getting comfortable in Stillhouse Lake, a body is found in the water in very similar fashion to her husband's crimes.

Content: language and serial killer gore. This is a no-no for Grandma.

Review: ****

Final statement: This was October's selection for my book club. There are a few people in the group I didn't think would enjoy this type of book, but everyone liked it! It's the first in a series. I have the second book from the library but haven't read it yet. According to someone at book club, the first two books go together (same story), and then after that, it takes the main character into other stories. I'll probably just read the second book and then be done. 

A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

Source: e-book

Summary: This book tell the stories of two Arab women - Isra and Deya - mother and daughter, living in two different timelines. Isra is sent to America in an arranged marriage where she is shamed for giving birth to girls and beaten by her husband. Years later, Deya is being raised by her grandmother believing that her parents died in a car accident. As she reaches the age of marriage, she has to decide if she will fight to choose her own path.

Content: domestic abuse, a few mild swear words, and some non-descriptive sexual content, but I would let my grandma read this. 

Review: ****

Final statement: The author of this book is an Arab-American woman who wanted to represent her culture. The author's note at the end of the book is interesting. I always love a good author's note!

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Books I read this month but didn't write reviews for: