Is October a fast or slow month for you? For me, it is somehow in between. Like, I can’t believe that Halloween is tomorrow, but I also feel like it has been October for two years. Does that make sense? But anyway, somehow it is the end of October, so it is time for my October Wrap-Up.
I haven’t written a wrap-up in… a long time. I actually can’t tell you have long it has been because I just don’t remember. Life has been crazy over the past couple of years, and my blog definitely went on the back burner. So, now that I have time for my blog, what better way to bring it back with my October wrap-up.
Blogtober is a lot of work, and it is creatively exhausting creating so much content in the span of one month. I tend to tire myself out this month, and then burn out, never acknowledging the work I have done. I don’t want to do that this year.
The solution? Take a second to appreciate the work I have done, and the books I have read! Enjoy!
Favorite Blog Posts This Month
Normally I would start my October wrap-up with the books I read this month, but with blogtober, I definitely think this is way more important. I wrote a lot of content that I am really proud of this month and I want to highlight some of them!
This is the original book tag that I created over three years ago. I am still so proud of this, and complete the questions every year! I think next year I am going to create a Halloween II book tag!
Horror and Thriller Book Recommendations
With this being the first year I had read a fair number of horror books, it was so fun to create this list full of recommendations. It made me feel accomplished with my reading.
Cozy Audiobook Recommendations
Audiobooks will always be one of my favorite ways to consume literature, especially during the fall and winter months. So this list of cozy audiobook recommendations was a lot of fun to create.
5 Lighthearted Book Recommendations
This was the first year that I read a book during October that wasn’t strictly spooky. So, when I created my list of lighthearted books to read when you’ve had enough spookiness, I really understood the purpose. I put some great recommendations on this list.
10 Magical Book Recommendations
Fall is the perfect time to read magical books. Something about the weather puts me in the mood for magic! Fantasy is also my favorite genre, so this wasn’t a very difficult list to put together.
Bookish Halloween Costume Ideas
This was my most creative blog post this month. Although I don’t usually dress up for Halloween, I love thinking of costume ideas. Some people get so creative with it. So this is my list of bookish Halloween costume ideas.
Books I Read in October
Rating: 3/5 stars
Horrid by Katrina Leno was a solid YA horror story, with an atmospheric quality to it. I enjoyed the story, but the lack of characterization and the ending ruined it for me a little. It was an average read.
You can read my full review of this book here.
Rating: 4/5 stars
This isn’t a normal read for me during the spooky season, but I really enjoyed American Royals by Katherine McGee. I read this book to fulfill a prompt for the Hocus Pocus Readathon, but it was actually really nice to have a read with some contrast to the spooky and magical books I read this month.
Rating: 5/5 stars
I adored Luberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, and Brooklyn Allen. The characters and plot were so wholesome, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face the entire time I was reading. I also enjoyed the art style, with the bright colors and stylization of the illustrations.
Check out my full review of this book here.
Rating: 4/5 stars
One of my favorite books of the month was One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus. I am all for mysteries, but YA mysteries tend to lack a certain luster for me. That was not true for this book. The plot twist has me shocked, and I actually cared about the characters that McManus wrote.
Check out my full review of this book here!
Rating: 3/5 stars
As the first short story collection I have ever read, I think Her Body and Other Bodies by Carmen Maria Machado was a great introduction to the genre. This collection had some stories I enjoyed, and others that made me want to put the book down entirely. Overall, an interesting blend of horror and feminism.
Check out my full review of this book here!
Overall a good October wrap-up. For reading, I averaged out at 3.8 stars. That is pretty good considering the year I have had with reading. I also felt like I read a wide variety of genres, which has been my main goal this year.
It has been a tough reading year overall, so I am happy with this. 5 books is a great number for me.
It was also a very busy month with blogging. I took a lot of time for myself this month to focus on this blog and my lifestyle blog, Jackie Em. I can definitely say that I’m proud, which is most important.
In regards to my stats, this month was my best in views and visitors, which is the goal of blogtober. Unfortunately, I did not beat last year’s blogtober numbers, but I know what I did wrong. I didn’t use Pinterest nearly as much as I should have. I know what I did wrong and I know how to fix it.
Did you do something you were proud of this month? Let me know in the comments below!
1 thought on “October Wrap-Up: My Favorite Books and Blog Posts This Month”