Like my watch list this month, I didn’t wind up reading a ton in October. I started a few things but wound up being pretty busy overall and spent much of my free time watching spooky movies. So without any further delay, let’s get into my October Reading Roundup:

• A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair — I really enjoyed this sequel! Again, it’s like Scarlett St. Clair took everything I love from Sarah J. Maas’ books and then was like BUT GREEK MYTHOLOGY. So this is all super up my alley. I will say that I struggled with some of the characterization of Persephone; she was mildly insufferable at times. I know it’s all character development and it’s part of her journey and I should love to see her grow but ahhhhh there were so many deeply frustrating parts that had me screaming at the book. That being said, I did enjoy it overall and I’m excited to check out the next book in the series. I’ve heard great things about the books from Hades’ perspective.
• Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean — The writing and the book itself? DELIGHTFUL. While I was reading it, I’d pick it up only intending to get through a chapter and then next thing I realized, I’d gone through several. The writing style is effortlessly fun and youthful and you really feel for Izumi as she tries to find where she fits into the world. Comparisons to The Princess Diaries are very apt and I think any fans of that series will find this book right up their alley.
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig — Despite the hype over this book, it did not disappoint. Beautiful, tragic, heartfelt, emotional, and magical. Truly one of the best books I’ve read this year, maybe up there in my fave books of all time. It’s just such a poignant exploration of humanity and the idea of regrets. I felt such a strong connection to the story and to the message behind it. A must-read story.
• The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith — I loved the writing and premise for the story! A fantastic debut book that explores an urban world but one where magic exists and a handful of extraordinary individuals are gifted with it. While I did love the characters, the majority of the story itself, etc., I wound up wishing that there was a little more of a satisfying final act. It does wrap things up nicely while leaving room for more books (which I appreciate…so few books are standalone these days) but I felt a little disappointed. Definitely worth reading though, an enjoyable ride overall!

And that’s it for the month. I’m quickly working my way through The Ex Hex which I thought I might finish in time for the roundup but you’ll have to wait until next month to see my thoughts on that. What did you read this month and what were some of the highlights?