What I’ve Been Reading: October 2025

Hello and happy Wednesday!

It’s hard to believe that October is almost over…which is probably something I will say for every post this week. October tends to be one of my favorite months, so I’m actually typically sad when it’s over! October started with me reading on the beach and is ending with me cozy and reading at home while it rains outside.

This month I read three books…

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

The Academy:

Summary:

It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news: America Today just ranked Tiffin the number two boarding school in the country. It’s a seventeen-spot jump – was there a typo? The dorms need to be renovated, their sports teams always come in last place, and let’s just say Tiffin students are known for being more social than academic. On the other hand, the campus is exquisite, class sizes are small, and the dining hall is run by an acclaimed New York chef. And they do have fun—lots of parties and school dances, and a piano man plays in the student lounge every Monday night.

But just as the rarefied air of Tiffin is suffused with self-congratulation, the wheels begin to turn – and then they fall off the bus. One by one, scandalous blind items begin to appear on phones across Tiffin’s campus, thanks to a new app called ZipZap, and nobody is safe. From Davi Banerjee, international influencer and resident queen bee, to Simone Bergeron, the new and surprisingly young history teacher, to Charley Hicks, a transfer student who seems determined not to fit in, to Cordelia Spooner, Admissions Director with a somewhat idiosyncratic methodology – everyone has something to hide.

Quick Thoughts:

This was my fall break book! I rarely purchase books, but I saw it at Target when I was picking up a few things, so I bought it too. I was so excited to read it while soaking in the sunshine.

Quick Thoughts:

This was a highly anticipated book for me, and I love Hilderbrand’s books; this one she co-wrote with her daughter. How fun!

The plot moves through the school year with each chapter a month September to May.

This book was easy to read, and I loved the boarding school drama…although there were definitely some things that surprised me from high school students. Tiffin’s campus is just what I would expect for a boarding school, and I loved that there was a map in the front of the book where all the buildings were located. There’s romance, drama, friendship and more in this book. They leave us hanging because we know there’s a letter to be opened when they graduate, which for some of the students is the next year. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Rating:

4.5 stars

Confessions of a Grammar Queen:

Summary:

There are no female publishing CEOs in 1960’s New York. And that is exactly what savvy, ambitious Bernadette Swift plans to change.

Bernadette Swift, a young copyeditor at Lenox & Park Publishing, is determined to become the first female CEO in the publishing industry. But first she needs to take the next step up that ladder with a promotion that her boorish and sexist boss wants to thwart. Seeking a base of support, Bernadette joins a feminist women’s book club at the New York Public Library, and soon, she’s inspiring her fellow members to challenge the male gatekeepers and decades of ingrained sexism in their workplaces and pursue their personal and professional dreams.

And that is precisely what Bernedette does on a daily keeps her eye on the prize—equality for women in the workplace, and a promotion—while fending off the ire of her boss and the sabotaging efforts of a jealous coworker. With the support of her book club buddies and a certain charismatic editor at Lenox & Park who has completely fallen for her, maybe, just maybe, Bernadette will prove able to claim victory for herself and the young women coming after her.

Quick Thoughts:

I read this book thanks to Sarah’s suggestion, and I couldn’t have loved it more. First of all, who doesn’t love grammar? Just kidding.

Bernadette is such a unique character as she is strong-willed and independent but she’s also vulnerable. I loved the history, the women’s book club, the characters, the love story, the message and more!

Another aspect I enjoyed was that every few chapters were written from the point of view of Bernadette’s dog Frank. So sweet and fun.

I think this book is a contender for the best book I’ve read this year.

You know I love a book if I have a couple of favorite quotes:

• Though women were outranked on every floor, in every department, they were also the backbone of the workforce, the glue that stuck the pages to the spines. Without them, everything fell apart.
• Good mentors never tear you down. They hold your hand and tug you through the portal of dreams.

Rating:

Paris is Always a Good Idea:

Summary:

It’s been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong post-college European adventure. Since then, she’s lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister marry twice, while Chelsea’s thrown herself into work, becoming one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition, and with the exception of one annoyingly competent coworker, Jason Knightley, her status as most talented fundraiser is unquestioned.

When her introverted mathematician father announces he’s getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped after her mother died, and that the last time she can remember being happy, in love, or enjoying her life was on her gap year. Inspired to retrace her steps–to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy–Chelsea hopes that one of these three men who stole her heart so many years ago, can help her find it again.

From the start of her journey nothing goes as planned, but as Chelsea reconnects with her old self, she also finds love in the very last place she expected.

Quick Thoughts:

I listened to this book. I enjoyed it, but it felt very long.

The premise of reconnecting with three previous loves set the timeline from the start. I thought that was a fun aspect in that Chelsea traveled to three different countries, and reconnecting with the men each provided a different encounter.

Of course, there’s some twists and turns along the way, along with a couple of R rated scenes. As the story progressed, I knew how it would end, but I was happy with the ending!

Rating:

3. 5 stars

While I’ve been a consistent reader, I’m afraid I’m going to fall short of my 40 book goal this year. I’ve read 31/40…but I feel like I’ve read more this year! Oh well, the goal is just a fun thing to do year to year. I’m doing the best I can, and I still enjoy reading, and listening to a good book!