{ Books read in October 2024 }

 

I am so thrilled to be able to make this post, and say that I read 7 books in the month of October.  It's crazy to even type that out because I had been in such a reading slump, for years, and nothing I tried pulled me out of it.  

Then a few months, it just clicked again and that was it.  Sometimes all it takes is one book to bring that love back, and for me it was Where the River Flows by Isabel Ibanez.  Speaking of which, her newest is out today and out for delivery for me.  I pre-ordered it months ago and forgot about it until I saw the notification for delivery.

Can't wait to get into that one.

But anyway, I will talk more about that book in another post, let me show you what I read in October.

I read 5 physical books and 2 on my Kindle.  I used to not like the Kindle at all, and honestly I'll always be a physical book kinda girl.  To me nothing beats a real book, the smell of the pages and just holding it in my hand.  But, I have grown to enjoy the Kindle too, for moments when I want to read somewhere outside the home, or in the car.  It's easier to grab the Kindle and have hundreds of books at my fingertips.

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked again, let's talk about the books I read not on the Kindle.

 

I read the entire Gold Seer Trilogy and really loved them.  I've added Rae Carson to my favorite authors list, and have actually ordered another of her books, that should be arriving within this week.  It is the first in another series.

The Gold Seer Trilogy takes place in the 1800's gold rush era and we follow Leah, a girl with a special gift of feeling out where gold is located.  Because of that gift, her parents are murdered and Leah is forced to flee to the west coast in search of a better future.  She teams up with the boy she loves, she runs from her crazy uncle, and in the midst of it all, she makes incredible friendships with other families also making the trek west on a wagon train.

Really enjoyed the series. 

Woven in Moonlight series by Isabel Ibanez.  

Isabel Ibanez is a new author for me, my first book of hers was back in September or August, when I read Where the River Flows, which I absolutely adored.  Because of that book, I pre-ordered the next in the series, which I currently have right in front of me, to begin reading today.

But while I waited for it's release, which was this Tuesday the 5th of November, I got her Woven in Moonlight Series.  Loved them both as well, though I will say, much as I enjoy Isabel Ibanez, I absolutely hate the way she ends her books.  

I always feel like I am left halfway or not getting closure or an actual ending.  For example, it's as if I have written you a story and built up this great love, and at the end they finally meet face to face.  And that's it, the book ends and I'm sitting there thinking.....ok and?  Did they hug, did they kiss, are they together, what happened?  It's kinda like that.  I don't enjoy the endings but the stories themselves are wonderful.

So, Woven in Moonlight and Written in Starlight.  In the first book, Woven in Moonlight, we follow the story of Ximena who has been living her life as a decoy, since she was 8, for the real condesa.  Her people have lost everything, they were massacred by Atoc and his army of summoned ghosts.  When he demands the hand in marriage of the real condesa, Ximena steps in as always.

It's a story of adventure and revenge and a young woman trying to do the right thing, but feeling like she doesn't belong and can't ever truly be herself.

In Written in Starlight, the story takes over from the real condesa Catalina.  She has been banished to the jungle and feels like she has lost everything.  Her chances of surviving are slim, until she is saved by Manuel, her former general's son and her true love.  It is another adventure story set in South America.  Again, I loved the story but had another quite disappointing ending.

On the Kindle, I read The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen. 

 

If you're looking for a good Christian author with the sweetest period stories, Klassen is it. I just love her books, they're wholesome, sweet, with good family oriented characters. 

 

I also read The Beauty and the Beast by Jenni James, part of the Faerie Tale Collection. It is a short story based off the fairy tale we have all come to know. It was a bit cheesy and not really a great read, but I mean, sometimes it's good to read something that is not heavy, or long or requires as much attention, so for that alone, I appreciated the quick albeit predictable story. 

 

7 books may not seem like a lot, but for me, that was a record read in one month.  I absolutely love books and being transported to different settings, stories, emotions and so on.  

I would love to know if you've read any books lately, and any good ones that you can recommend?  I'm always looking for new ones to add to my list.