Hello friends! I hope you are doing well! October was a bit of a wild month for me, mostly because I just… unapologetically indulged in happiness, that didn’t involve a lot of reading! 🧡

Basically, three of my favorite kpop groups had comebacks, therefore I had so much new music to love, so many new stages to see, and so many nights of questionable sleep to mess up my schedules, haha! I will say that BTS do have a comeback in November, so I am a little scared for my reading this month too, but I will save that for November posts! 

Also, I am still in a five star read drought! I haven’t read a five star since August, can you believe? But I am currently reading The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore and it is most likely going to be a new favorite of all time, so hopefully we will start November off with a five star! 

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➽ The Project by Courtney Summers ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publication: February 2, 2021 
It is no secret that I have loved Courtney Summers’ stories, so I knew once I received an ARC of this one that I would not be able to let it sit on my ipad for long! This is a story all about cults, and brainwashing, and power dynamics and imbalances, and predatory behavior and actions, but it is also a book about siblings who are willing to do anything for each other and, just like all of Courtney’s books, I was a weeping mess at the main characters of this story. I think so many people will really enjoy this one when it releases, but I just didn’t love the ending as much as I thought I would. 

➽ Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was the October pick for the Dragons and Tea Book Club! This is a spooky story all about a girl also willing to do whatever it takes for her family, but the setting is in a very haunted house in Mexico City. Yet, you quickly realize the scariest part of the story is the entitled white men who feel like the world should give them everything. Again, I really enjoyed this one, but I just didn’t love one part at the end! 

➽ The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson ⭐⭐⭐
Okay, I loved the first half of this book and I still think it is such an impressive debut, but the end just got a little too messy. But it is a story about a cult that also is ruled by white entitled men (truly I was reading the spookiest theme all October)! But our main character is constantly ostracized because she is mixed race, but also because her mother might have had contact with the witches who dwell in the surrounding forest. I know I sound like such a broken record, but again, I just didn’t love the end of this, but I was so in love with the first half! 

➽ House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas ⭐⭐⭐
Me, feeling a reading slump coming on, but also feeling guilty I haven’t wrote a review I know a lot of people are waiting on, therefore I start a 1,000 page reread of a SJM book? Yeah, that for sure happened. So basically, I reread this with Maëlys via audiobook one week, and we had a good time, truly. I promise, an actual and real and long review SOON, but the TL;DR is always going to be that this book should have been sapphic. 

➽ Queen of the Conquered (Islands of Blood and Storm, #1) by Kacen Callender ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I buddy read this with Shae & Maëlys and I couldn’t believe how amazing this book was, and I’m feeling so thankful that book two comes out this December! This also is a book starring a mixed race main character who has seen colonization happening to her islands her entire life, but her position makes me see she does not feel like she belongs to either half of herself, and she feels a bit helpless even with a magical ability. This book was so very dark at times, and so very unapologetic constantly, but I had goosebumps while reading every page. I wish I could put this book into way more peoples’ hands, because I truly was blown away by the power of these pages.

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What was your favorite read of October? I cannot believe we only have two months left of 2020. Also, just a friendly reminder that I know today is going to be a lot for so many, but I’m sending you all extra love, and I hope you all are checking in with your mental health! Take breaks when needed, and check in on loved ones, and be safe, but also make sure that your voice is heard.

Lastly, for a bit more serotonin and maybe some escapism, here are the three kpop groups that I love a lot that had come backs in October (and if you want to see my reactions to their music videos): 

✨ TXT (투모로우바이투게더) ‘Blue Hour’ Official 

✨ 이달의 소녀 (LOONA) “Why Not?”

✨ 펜타곤(PENTAGON) – ‘데이지(Daisy)’ 

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