October 2024 Reads
Reading as escapism
This week really sucked. I usually aim to do these reading round-ups closer to the beginning of the month, but the weekend, the beginning of the week and basically everything else got away from me. Emotionally I’m still treading water, I’m mad and disappointed, I’m trying not to doom spiral, and I am holding my little humans close. We’ll get through this, but the uncertainty is tough.
You can tell my stress level based on the number of romance books I read in the month. This month, I read a lot of great BRADs, and I read a lot more Kindle books than I usually do. I have been leaning in hard to reading at the end of the night before bed, and some of these books kept me up way past my bedtime. Which is a blessing, but also a curse in the morning. I love the feeling of not being able to put down a book.
Reading is escapism for me (when I am not too overwhelmed), and if you’re looking for more of that, check out past month’s reads here. Be kind to yourself and each other right now.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five Star Reads:
Husbands and Lovers (Libby) - I've read other Beatriz Williams books, and I loved this one so much. Many of her books cover multiple timelines and multiple main characters and have some historical fiction; if that fits your interest, you'll love her books. Mallory in present day is a single mom raising a son with kidney failure, and Hannah is in post-WWII Cairo, Egypt. How their stories come together is so good. I couldn't put this book down.
Such A Bad Influence (Everand - formerly Scribd) - In this debut novel by Olivia Muenter, Hazel is stalled in her journalism career when her sister Evelyn, one of the original influencers, goes missing. Evie is young, and her entire life has been captured in the spotlight. As Hazel tries to figure out where her sister is, she unpacks her history in the social media spotlight. This book kept me on my toes, and I didn't see the ending coming. Loved this - it was a great audiobook!
Project Hail Mary (Audible) - This was a re-read and one of my top books from 2022. My husband and I have been listening to audiobooks together, and we finished this on our road trip to NYC. Ryland Grace wakes up and realizes he is in a spaceship very far from Earth. Why is he on a spaceship? What is the mission? What is he supposed to do? The book is SO good.
BRADs
The Score 🌶🌶 and The Goal 🌶 (Kindle Unlimited) - These are the next two books in the Off-Campus series, and I really enjoyed them! In The Score, Allie has just broken up with her boyfriend of three years. To avoid him for a night, her best friend offers that she stay in her boyfriend's house, where Dean (the biggest playboy in the off-campus house) is home. Tequila kicks off some fun, but will Allie and Dean become more than a hookup? In The Goal, Tucker sees Sabrina across the bar, and it's love at first sight. Sabrina is working full time and commuting to Briar from Boston while staying with her very dysfunctional family. There's a surprise pregnancy - will Tucker and Sabrina make it work? I really enjoyed both of these, but they take place in the same timeframe, which I found frustrating because you know there's a baby at the end of The Score. I think I might have preferred not knowing.
Pucking Sweet (Kindle Unlimited) 🌶🌶🌶🌶 - I was very excited for the newest from the Emily Rath universe, and I loved this one. Poppy St. James, the hot-shot Director of Public Relations for the Jacksonville Rays, finds herself with feelings for two of the players: the quiet Colton Morrow and party boy Lukas Novikov. Emily Rath writes a fantastic multi-person narrative with complex and loveable characters. A surprise pregnancy and complicated family dynamics all make for a very spicy why-choose romance. This also takes place in a similar timeframe as one of the other Pucking Around books, but I wasn't as distracted by it - probably because I didn’t read them as close together.
Only and Forever (Everand) 🌶 - Finally rounding out the Bergman Brothers books! The first Chloe Liese book I read was one of my first BRADs, and I will never forget staying up late to read Ryder and Willa's story. Finally, Viggo, the romance-reading Bergman Brother who just opened his dream bookstore, finds his second chance at love with Tallulah Clarke, former classmate and stalled author. This was very enjoyable and a perfect complement to the six (!) other Bergman Brothers books!
The Wingman (Kindle Unlimited) 🌶🌶 - I really enjoyed the first two Vancouver Storm books, and this was OK. Hayden's best friend Darcy breaks up with her long-term boyfriend and moves to Vancouver to stay with him and get away from her ex. Darcy enlists Hayden to help her date again, and as predicted, their long-suppressed feelings begin to appear. I struggled with how long they hold on to the ruse about the "dating coach," but I love a friends-to-lovers story!
Reminder - I track my reads on Storygraph, so if you want to see what I’m reading, you can check on there!
More A Day In Her Life:
ICYMI - I loved chatting with Sarah Shapiro of Retail Diary in this week’s episode of A Day In Her Life! Sarah’s newsletter is one of my favorites, blending fashion, business, and context, making us all better consumers. I loved hearing how Sarah isn’t a morning person, how she harnesses late-in-the-day productivity, and her hacks for using AI. Be sure to follow
!One Year Ago - A Day In Her Life with Megan Elizabeth! Megan is an artist and mom of two who’s husband travels often for work! Since we recorded, Megan and her family have moved to England! Give her a follow on Instagram to see her great work! @artbymegan
I opened up the group chat for A Day In Her Life, and I would love if you would hop in there! I will share weekly prompts but would love for you to ask questions of others!
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