Hello and welcome to my October wrap up! It’s been another weird month, full of ups and downs in terms of workload and my mental health. I think that’s reflected in my wrap-up. I read a tonne of books via audio and reached for thinner books since my attention span couldn’t deal with the chunkier ones. There was one clear standout favourite this month, but overall I enjoyed most of my reads in October.
Disclosure: titles with an asterisk* were gifted by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I’m an affiliate for Blackwell’s, so this post contains affiliate links to their site. If you buy a book via my links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you – thank you!
You can also shop most of my October wrap up via my Bookshop.org affiliate shop! They support indie bookstores across the UK.
Alright, let’s dive into my October wrap up, starting with my favourites!
October wrap up standouts
Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis
This book is, quite frankly, everything. It’s only 300 pages, but it has that rich feeling of an immersive 800-page novel. Except de Robertis doesn’t need 800 pages to make you care deeply for her characters. Flaca, La Venus, Romina, Paz and Malena have lodged themselves in my soul and I can’t see them leaving anytime soon.
The journeys of these five queer women living in Uruguay at a time when they could be punished for their sexuality moved me in so many ways. I cried multiple times. However, this is the first time a book has made me cry happy tears. I was so overjoyed for one character that I literally wept – that is how good de Robertis is. Cantoras is definitely in my top five for 2020, and I urge you all to pick up a copy and fall in love too!
Sadly only the Spanish version is available at Blackwell’s currently, so you’ll have to source it elsewhere!
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, tr. Mattias Ripa, Blake Ferris & Anjali Singh
My first ever graphic novel! Or graphic memoir. I really enjoyed Persepolis, I think I made a good choice for my first graphic novel if I do say so myself! I got the full collection, so this edition includes The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a Return.
Satrapi does an incredible job of laying out her own personal history and the history of Iran in a straightforward yet emotionally resonant manner. She calls out the way the leaders of the regime twisted Islam for their own ends, as well as calling out the west for manipulating the situation in her country too. She also doesn’t sugar-coat the harsher moments of her life either.
The artwork is simple but very effective, although it took me a while to get used to both reading the text and appreciating the drawings. I do also wish the print was a little larger, my mole eyes struggled a bit!
The rest of my physical books!
Animal Farm by George Orwell
This political fable has been sat on my TBR for years, since I never read it at school! But I sat down one Sunday and devoured the whole thing in just a few hours. It’s very clever, disturbing, and well worth picking up if you haven’t already.
Buy Animal Farm at Blackwell’s
A Man’s Place* by Annie Ernaux, tr. Tanya Leslie
I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Ernaux so far, but for this book she took a different approach. She stuck to the facts of her father’s life without including much introspection. This gave the book a rather cold tone that I didn’t really enjoy. A shame but I still love her!
Buy A Man’s Place at Blackwell’s
Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo, tr. Margaret Sayers Peden
I was happy to pick up this spooky Mexican classic after Fernanda Melchor recommended it when I interviewed her! While it was a little confusing at times, I loved the overall atmosphere – it was ideal for Halloween!
Buy Pedro Páramo at Blackwell’s
Theatre of War* by Andrea Jeftanovic, tr. Frances Riddle
This is one of those books I really enjoyed while I was reading it… but then when I try to think back on it, it didn’t leave much of an impression. It was interesting as it was about a family fleeing war in the Balkans, moving to South America. Perhaps a reread will be in order, as I’m not sure I gave it the time it deserved (I read it while feeling particularly crappy one weekend).
Buy Theatre of War at Blackwell’s
The Summer Book* by Tove Jansson, tr. Thomas Teal
It took me a few dozen pages to warm up to this one, but it soon grew on me. I loved the relationship between the grandmother and Sophie. It’s everything you’d expect between a crotchety old woman and a precocious little girl. This is just a lovely, relaxing read to enjoy in these difficult times!
Buy The Summer Book at Blackwell’s
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
I was heading towards a bit of a slump at the end of the month, but Bluebird, Bluebird saved me. At no point during this crime novel did I have any idea where Locke was taking me. Every guess I had ended up completely wrong. I’ll definitely be continuing with this series!
Buy Bluebird, Bluebird at Blackwell’s
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
My second Acevedo and I enjoyed it almost as much as The Poet X. Clap When You Land deals with grief and Acevedo suffuses every word with so much raw emotion. Admittedly it’s not difficult to make me cry these days, but this book still moved me to tears.
Buy Clap When You Land at Blackwell’s
This Wide Night by Sarvat Hasin
I bought this book after loving Hasin’s short story in the Outsiders collection. However, it was slightly underwhelming. I do think that fans of Little Women and The Virgin Suicides will enjoy this one more!
Buy This Wide Night at Blackwell’s
Swallowing Mercury by Wioletta Greg, tr. Elena Marciniak
I really enjoyed this little collection of coming-of-age vignettes depicting the life of a young girl in rural Poland! Greg’s writing is rich with detail, transporting the reader to the village. It’s both funny and dark, and Greg manages to blend the personal and historical almost perfectly!
Buy Swallowing Mercury at Blackwell’s
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen* by Camille Laurens, tr. Willard Wood
This was an interesting deep dive into the seedy side of Paris at the end of the 1800s. Laurens delves into the life of Marie van Goethem, the model behind Degas’ controversial sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. I do think Laurens got a bit off topic towards the end, but anyone who enjoys the history of France or dance will enjoy this!
Buy Little Dancer Aged Fourteen at Blackwell’s
A Drop of Midnight* by Jason Diakité, tr. Rachel Willson Broyles
A must-read memoir for anyone who enjoyed Wandering in Strange Lands! Diakité, a famous Swedish rapper, heads to America to find his roots, reconnecting with his Black relatives still living there. A lot of books about race centre on the US or UK, so it was really eye-opening to read about Diakité’s experience growing up in Sweden as one of the few Black or brown bodies in the room.
Buy A Drop of Midnight at Blackwell’s
The Fisherman by John Langan
This book was perfect for October! It’s a super gothic and atmospheric tale that unfolds slowly yet builds an inescapable sense of dread. The themes of grief and loss running through it make it one of the more emotional horror novels I’ve read. Fans of Pet Sematary will love this one!
Betty* by Tiffany McDaniel
This book is a lot to handle, but if you can handle it then you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful yet heart-breaking story. Based on the author’s mother, Betty is the story of a young Cherokee girl who remains proud of her heritage despite the adversity she faces. McDaniel’s writing is stunning, often at odds with the difficult topics she tackles. After being rejected by publishers many times when she first wrote it, I’m glad McDaniel finally managed to get her mother’s story out into the world.
Audiobooks
I haven’t much been in the mood for writing blog posts, so I don’t have a separate, longer audiobook post for you this month. You can find my brief thoughts here instead!
This month I listened to two via my library and four through Libro.fm’s ALC programme. Libro.fm have kindly given me an affiliate code, so if you use the code ABREADS at checkout or follow my link, US and Canada folk can get two audiobooks for the price of one with the first month of your subscription! Support your indie bookstores by switching to Libro.fm for your audiobooks.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
An extremely useful book with an unexpected memoir element to it. I appreciated how Kendi related his personal experiences with racism and antiracism, admitting to past harmful behaviours and how he overcame them. It’s helpful in recognising all the ways race can intersect with things like gender and class to create different types of oppression.
Buy a physical copy of How to Be an Antiracist at Blackwell’s
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
I loved the way Jones combined pure horror with social commentary within this novel. It follows four Blackfeet men across the years after a fateful hunting incident which continues to haunt them. Some of the imagery used in this book will be seared into my brain forever, and I may never look at a deer the same way again.
Buy a physical copy of The Only Good Indians at Blackwell’s
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
This book has been getting a lot of love on bookstagram and I totally get why! Cole has revamped the average thriller, resulting in a smart, anxiety-inducing read with cutting social commentary on gentrification and racism. Although I never fully warmed up to Theo, I loved Sydney and it’s definitely mainly Sydney’s story.
Buy a physical copy of When No One is Watching at Blackwell’s
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
An interesting take on your typical end-of-the-world read, exploring what might happen at the time of the world ending rather than the aftermath. There were some truly unsettling scenes, and Alam wove in some subtle commentary on race and class too. I listened to the whole thing in a day – it’s strangely addictive.
Buy a physical copy of Leave the World Behind at Blackwell’s
My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir
I used to read a lot of thrillers before bookstagram, and honestly this book is darker than any of them. Partly narrated by a house, this book explores the darker side of immigration. Prepare for one of the most despicable characters you’ll ever meet. I think I’d only recommend this one to those of you with a strong stomach!
Buy a physical copy of My Mother’s House at Blackwell’s
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
I’ve really been enjoying books written in verse lately and this was the first one I’ve listened to on audio. It was a beautiful experience, as sometimes I’m guilty of reading too quickly. The narration by Woodson herself ensured I slowed down and appreciated the rhythm of her words. She takes us back through her childhood, growing up amid the Civil Rights Movement in New York and South Carolina.
Buy a physical copy of Brown Girl Dreaming at Blackwell’s
October Wrap Up Stats
- Total books: 21
- Audiobooks: 6
- Physical books: 15
- Total pages: 5,576
- Fiction: 15
- Non-fiction: 6
Countries visited and translations reads
New countries visited:
- Pakistan
- Uruguay
Countries revisited:
- UK
- US
- Iran
- Sweden
- France
- Poland
- Chile
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Mexico
- Finland
Languages translated from:
- 2 Swedish
- 3 French
- 1 Polish
- 2 Spanish
That’s all for my October wrap up! If you missed September’s wrap up, you can read that here!