October Reads Wrap

Hey Hunters,

What a month has October proven itself to be. Honestly speaking nothing as I've anticipated nor hoped for. A lot of book spines were cracked open, and bookmarks used, but in the end, only 4 books came through. In earnest two of them, I outright do not know how, but they ended up on my tabled and read pile. So let's take a look at how my October looked like.

This section of monthly read overview is not to brag, but to promote reading, give short reviews and to connect with my friends.

All The Lovely Pieces by J.M. Winchester

Genre: Mystery & Thriller

Length: 320 pages

The book was provided for an honest review by NetGalley

Synopsis: An abused wife runs away with the child, creating a fake identity hiding away for years from her past and a murder.

Opinion: I enjoyed this as a fast read on the train from and to work, the book was quite engaging. There were times where I couldn't wait to get back to reading, just to see how the author took this seemingly familiar concept of domestic abuse and made it into a thrilling novel. Book has very much the vibes of Sleeping With the Enemy and The Last Mrs Parrish, but with enough uniqueness to make it a new experience for the reader.

I do have to mention that the book is quite triggering and focuses on domestic abuse, rape, murder and psychological issues. Within all this, there are sweet moments of pure love and kindness. Without spoiling too much, I would also say that the ending is unique, giving some reality to the situation and making it an unusual one for the reader. It is quite FAST paced, and possibly I will do a more in-depth review as to why this book did not get a higher rating from me.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Genre: YA Fantasy

Length: 513 pages

I bought this book myself.

Synopsis: In a magical world of Frenchness, Inquisition and Magic a witch Lou is hiding from her past.

A noble and honest servant of the lord, Reid is forced into a marriage where his loyalty, faith and devotion is tested.

Opinion: This was a very fast-paced read, no matter the hefty page count, the book could be read in a single sitting. It carries a Harper Teen stamp, which explains the structure of the text. I cannot say that all of the characters were diverse (demeanour wise), some of the reactions were a little unrealistic and trail of thoughts were lost to me. Non-the-less it is an easy read, which I would only recommend as a cure for a book hangover or in between the series.

Also worth mentioning that this is the first book in thus far two series installation. I thought this to be unnecessary, but obviously the author felt that she needed to drag it out, so we will see if the second part is any better.

Rating:⭐⭐ (or more like 2.5)

The Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords by Perry Marshall, Mike Rhodes, Bryan Todd

Genre: Online Marketing, Business

Length: 377 pages

I bought this book myself.

Synopsis: A simple how-to-guide to set up your first Google AdWords account and campaign. Explanation to PPC and more.

Opinion: In a million years I never thought I would be reading marketing books, or business development or anything of the kind. This is all due to the bad influence of @Alina.LifeAbroad who has introduced me to the possibilities of Instagram and online marketing. I am glad that I have this influence, because seemingly the things that should not influence me, are now clear to me and less intimidating. I would definitely suggest this book as a must-read, or even a part of course in College or High School, So much of the knowledge from my college courses is purely theoretical, although I did have about 5 business classes, the lack of tools is staggering. To this day, no matter how much I was taught about stocks and bonds and etc, not a single class discussion showed where or how to buy. Now Adobe and Microsoft suites are becoming a requirement to use in schools, this is why tools like Google should also be added to the list. Ok, I should stop ranting, go out to your local library or B&N and test this book out yourself. Experience one gains is loads of fun, and you could be surprised with the results.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bigger Leaner Stronger by Michael Matthews

Genre: Health, Body Building

Length: 356 pages

The book was given to me by a friend.

Synopsis: A simple guide to mental, nutritional and physical practices to achieve the best bodybuilding results.

Opinion: Now if you've thought that my previous read was weird, hold on to your teacups people! I was innocently sitting at work, losing weight as one does, and got to talking to one of my co-workers about how I do it at the moment. Losing any substantial amount, as we all agreed, takes a toll on muscles, something that shouldn't be lost, no matter the gender. So my coworker brought this book up and offered for me to read it, explaining that it was targeting men, but still quite interesting as a concept for bodybuilding. Note that bodybuilding used in the sense of muscle gain at any proportion, I am not talking only about Mr Universe kind of muscles.

Now I do have to point out that calculations for BMI, protein intake and workouts are targeting a male physique. The only reason this book got 5 stars from me is the mental strength section. Matthews went into the mental state of people losing weight, overeating and having weak self-control, explaining what kind of the mindset it takes to reach a better self. Considering that it is only a short section of the book that I found useful, I still think it has gripped me into reconsidering my own mindset.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now my October reads were not as colorful as I expected them to be. I was hoping to finish It by Stephen King and Sapiens by Yuval N. Harari, but life has taken its toll on me. I can only reflect and hope that November will be better. Currently, I have about 9 books in mind that I would kill to read.

How did your October look like? Did you get to all of the books you were hoping for?

Cheers,

Regina Hunter

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