What I’ve Been Reading: October 2023

Hello and happy Thursday!

There’s nothing crazier that school on the day after Halloween. I’m glad we’re a day closer to the weekend!

I’m a bit behind, but today I’m sharing the books I read in October.

I wanted to read so much more this month, but life and just not having a lot of extra time has gotten in the way of reading…haha

That being said, I enjoyed all three books I read this month, and they were all so different.

Here are the books I read this month:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Mad Honey:

Summary:

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father’s beekeeping business.

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.

And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can she trust him completely . . .

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

Quick Thoughts:

I read this one on fall break, and two of my friends who were with me had read it. Both of them said, “just wait until you get to the twist.” Holy moly was there a twist.

This book was filled with love, secrets, vulnerability and more! I can honestly say I’ve never read a book like it.

Rating:

Before We Were Innocent:

Summary:

Ten years ago, after a sun-soaked summer spent in Greece, best friends Bess and Joni were cleared of having any involvement in their friend Evangeline’s death. But that didn’t stop the media from ripping apart their teenage lives like vultures.

While the girls were never convicted, Joni, ever the opportunist, capitalized on her newfound infamy to become a motivational speaker. Bess, on the other hand, resolved to make her life as small and controlled as possible so she wouldn’t risk losing everything all over again. And it almost worked. . . .

Except now Joni is tangled up in a crime eerily similar to that one fateful night in Greece. And when she asks Bess to come back to LA to support her, Bess has a decision to make.

Is it finally time to face up to what happened that night, exposing herself as the young woman she once was and maybe still is? And what happens if she doesn’t like what she finds?

Quick Thoughts:

The premise of this book is what first caught my attention. It initially reminded me of Amanda Knox’s story.

I liked that Joni and Bess were so different and handled that life changing period of time in their own way. I loved how this book was organized with flashbacks to what happened ten years before to the present day. I do wish there were more details in some parts of the past….just meaning I felt like there was a gap in time when they were being held for the crime.

Overall, it was definitely a great read.

Rating:

Coronation Year:

Summary:

It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned. The people of London are in a mood to celebrate, none more so than the residents of the Blue Lion hotel.

Edie Howard, owner and operator of the floundering Blue Lion, has found the miracle she needs: on Coronation Day, Queen Elizabeth in her gold coach will pass by the hotel’s front door, allowing Edie to charge a fortune for rooms and, barring disaster, save her beloved home from financial ruin. Edie’s luck might just be turning, all thanks to a young queen about her own age.

Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, has come to live at the Blue Lion while she takes up a coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine. London in celebration mode feels like a different world to her. As she learns the ins and outs of her new profession, Stella discovers a purpose and direction that honor her past and bring hope for her future.

James Geddes, a war hero and gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark in a world that disdains his Indian ancestry. At the Blue Lion, though, he is made to feel welcome and worthy. Yet even as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss at his new home.

When anonymous threats focused on Coronation Day, the Blue Lion, and even the queen herself disrupt their mood of happy optimism, Edie and her friends must race to uncover the truth, save their home, and expose those who seek to erase the joy and promise of Coronation Year.

Quick Thoughts:

Hi, my name is Jen, and I love historical fiction.

You know I’m all about the Royal family and all things British, and this book didn’t disappoint. I loved that the Blue Lion hotel was the central figure for the characters who were so different and meaningful to the plot.

There’s a bit of history along with sadness, mystery and romance with so many great details in between.

I loved this book so much.

Rating:

4.5 stars!

In November, I plan on reading at least one Christmas book, so I can share that with you as we move into the holiday season.

Happy reading!