A month of reading with no duds? Finally! I knocked out four books this month, and am currently sitting at 43 books total for 2022. My goal is 50. Before I start thinking about how I can possibly make that happen on top of holiday crafting and baking, let’s get into this month’s reads.
A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler • ★★★★☆
It’s been a minute since I’ve read this sort of historical fiction. I love a creative retelling of a prominent historical figure—in this case, Alva Vanderbilt.
This was the perfect book to read while anxiously awaiting the release of the second season of The Gilded Age.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston • ★★★★☆
Despite loving Red, White & Royal Blue, I resisted One Last Stop for a good while. Why? I loathe time travel. I find it overly complicated. I just don’t like it! But when I saw this at the library, I figured why not? And I’m glad I picked it up.
In One Last Stop, aimless August moves to NYC and falls madly in love with Jane, a stranger on the subway. The only catch is that Jane is somehow stuck in 1977 despite it being 2019 everywhere else. Of course, August and Jane fall in love. But how do they get Jane unstuck and off that damn subway car?
I appreciated this book because it made the story more about relationships than the logistics of time travel. Plus, I genuinely liked every character. What a win!
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix • ★★★★☆
Much like One Last Stop, I avoided Horrorstör for a long while. It was one of those books that were always available at the library which made me think no one wanted to rent it.
But then my good friend, a serious bookworm, recommended it and I decided if it was good enough for her, it was good enough for me. And guess what: I loved this book.
Set in an Ikea-type store, three coworkers patrol the building overnight to get to the bottom of some strange goings-ons. Well, it turns out that the turned-over furniture and stained cushions aren’t just hooligans; they’re ghoul-igans (HA!).
My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix • ★★★★☆
Yep, two books by the same author in a single month. What can I say? I really did like Horrorstör!
My Best Friend’s Exorcism walked the same line between scary and cheeky that I found so fun. Plus, it’s set in the ’80s so there were lots of fun references to the music and movies of the time. Prepare to queue up “I Think We’re Alone Now” on Spotify as you listen.
I’ll also say that the end of this book was just so so good. It proves that the rituals and relationships that we create are just as important as the religious ones we inherit.
As always, you can follow along with my progress and see what I’ve read over on Goodreads! Also, if you’re an audiobook fan, I encourage you to try Libro.fm—you can support your favorite small bookstore while downloading your next listen.
I hate time travel, too, but this one actually sounds pretty cute!
I definitely recommend it if you like McQuiston’s other books!