It’s time for a look at my OCTOBER reading life!
It’s time for another wrap-up/haul post — and some fun stats!
If you’ve seen my weekly updates, you already know this, but October was WILD! My family spent sooo much time going on outings together. 😅 My mom basically picked out a lot of fun Halloween-themed stuff we could take Isaac to and we all went together as a big family. We had a ton of fun, but I won’t lie, I spent at least 1/3 of the month running on fumes and in total burnout status, so I’m hoping November involves a lot more time just hanging out at home. I was also sick for part of October and haven’t been feeling great lately, and I’m pretty sure it’s my body’s way of telling me to sit my ass down for a hot minute. 😂 Somehow, despite all of the time away from home, I still got a LOT of reading done! I think it was thanks to a mix of ebooks in the car and pure force of will (and a huge lack of sleep). 😬
What I read:
(each title link will direct you to my review for more thoughts!)
emoji key:
✨ review copy → 💞 buddy/group read → 🔁 re-read → 🎧 audiobook → 🍰 graphic novel/manga
🤷♀️ TBR jar → 🗓️ 2023 TBR → 🌻 seasonal TBR
- The Pram // Joe Hill
- Dark Waters & Empty Smiles // Katherine Arden 💞🎧
- A Dowry of Blood // S.T. Gibson ✨💞🌻
- The Last Haunt // Max Booth III ✨
- The September House // Carissa Orlando ✨💞🎧
- The Haunting of Hill House // Shirley Jackson 💞🔁🎧
- Do Not Go in That House // Ruth Anna Evans ✨
- Becoming the Dark Prince // Kerri Maniscalco 💞
- Partying with Pixies // Hazel Mack 💞
- The Skull // Jon Klassen 🍰
- Ankle Snatcher // Grady Hendrix
- The Prettiest Girl in the Grave // Kristopher Triana 💞
- Rule of Wolves // Leigh Bardugo 💞🎧
- Capturing the Devil // Kerri Maniscalco 💞
- All Hallows // Christopher Golden 💞🎧
- Legends & Lattes // Travis Baldree ✨💞🎧🗓️
- House of Hollow // Krystal Sutherland 💞🎧
- Halloween Fiend // C.V. Hunt
- There’s No Way I’d Die First // Lisa Springer ✨💞🎧
- Maeve Fly // CJ Leede ✨💞🌻
- The Woman in Cabin 10 // Ruth Ware 💞🎧
- Hollow // C.M. Nascosta 💞
- Off Season // Jack Ketchum 🤷♀️🌻
And now, for some of my favorite recent hauls:
My birthday was on the 16th, so I added a section for the gifts I got this month! Thank you so much to the loved ones who sent presents, they all meant so much to me 🥰
- Secret Faces // Kealan Patrick Burke (from Misty)
- The Halloween Store and Other Tales of All Hallows’ Eve // Ronald Kelly (from Terry, my spouse)
- The Lives of Saints // Leigh Bardugo (from Terry)
- Hide and Seeker // Daka Hermon (from Sarah)
- The Raven and the Reindeer & Bryony and Roses // T. Kingfisher (from Malli)
- Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places // Colin Dickey (from Cathy)
- From Here to Eternity // Caitlin Doughty (from Cathy)
I had a few book boxes and pre-orders arrive, plus I treated myself to a nice BookOutlet order! I had a coupon, so I might have gone overboard. 😅 The entire second list in this section was from BookOutlet.
- Sword Catcher // Cassandra Clare (Illumicrate edition)
- Survivor // J.F. Gonzalez (ebook)
- Throne of the Fallen // Kerri Maniscalco (B&N edition)
- Christmas and Other Horrors // Ellen Datlow
- After the Forest // Kell Woods (Illumicrate edition)
- Last to Leave the Room // Caitlin Starling (Illumicrate edition)
- The Stitchers // Lorien Lawrence
- Dark Stars // John F.D. Taff
- The Lost Village // Camilla Sten
- Falling // T.J. Newman
- Mine & Camp Scare // Delilah S. Dawson
- In the House in the Dark of the Woods // Laird Hunt
- A Day of Fallen Night // Samantha Shannon
- Survivor Song // Paul Tremblay
- The Survival of Molly Southbourne & The Legacy of Molly Southbourne // Tade Thompson
- Glassheart // Kate Alice Marshall
I got a couple of my most anticipated eARCs over the last few days!! 🥳 I mean, I’m excited for ALL of these, but especially the new Barnes and Kingfisher books!
- The Pale House Devil // Richard Kadrey (finished copy)
- One Dark Window & Two Twisted Crowns // Rachel Gillig (finished copies)
- Ghost Station // S.A. Barnes (eARC)
- What Feasts at Night // T. Kingfisher (eARC)
- Bride // Ali Hazelwood (eARC)
- A Dark and Drowning Tide // Allison Saft (eARC)
How was your month? What was your favorite book you read or hauled, or what was something nice that happened in your life?
— destiny ♥
Dini @ dinipandareads
November 2, 2023Sounds like a super busy but fun month! I hope you do feel better soon though and you get some good chill time in November 🙂 It looks like you also have some great reads lined up and I hope you enjoy them all. Have an awesome month ahead, Destiny! 💜
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
November 4, 2023Thank you, Dini!! It was good but I’m definitely grateful for how laid back the first few days of this month have been, lol! I hope you have a wonderful November too 🥰🥰
Caro @ bookcheshirecat
November 3, 2023I hope you get to relax a lot in November! 💗 So glad to see that you liked Dark Waters & Empty Smiles – I love this series so much!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
November 4, 2023Thank you!! I thought of you so much while reading those books, they were SO much fun that I already want to re-read them 🥹
mistysbookspace
November 3, 2023Sounds like you had an amazing fun but draining month. I hope November slows down a little bit for you.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
November 4, 2023Thank you! Fun but draining is a good way of putting it. You saw firsthand how chaotic things were with how scattered I was with replying to things throughout the month 🤣 but so far November has definitely been calmer and I hope December will be, too. I’ll have to DM you about that lol!