Phew! October was one busy month and full of reading! I read 9 total books for 2671 pages – and that is not including any of my daily scripture reading too! It was just the perfect month for a good book, a comfy blanket and lots of hot chocolate! It was so hard not to share all nine books, but I managed to narrow it down to just 6 books for my round up of favorites from last month.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford was one of my top favorites from October! I’m not sure how I haven’t read this book before – it’s one that has been sitting on my reading list for so long, but since I saw a library copy was available I finally decided to make time and read it! The story bounces back and forth between WWII and the 1980s in the Seattle area focusing on a Chinese American boy who falls in love with a Japanese American girl. Since we lived just south of Seattle in while my husband was in residency I had an easy time visualizing these settings. We lived right outside of Puyallup and I had no idea that the fair grounds there had been an internment camp! This book was touching and really thought provoking. It was happy and hopeful but sad at the same time. I know this book has been around a few years, but if you haven’t read and enjoy historical fiction, please look into this book! You won’t regret it!
Carried by Michelle Schmidt was SUCH a good book but so different than what I expected it to be! I walked into Deseret Book and one of the clerks there suggested it to me, and they were right! Great powerful book full of faith! This story wasn’t so much the story of their search for their daughter while she was missing, but a history and how everything leading up to this life event prepared them for it. Faith had carried the Schmidt family through so much more prior and Michelle was ready and prepared for answers she received about her daughter. I really was struck by so many different parts – especially her ability to call upon and use priesthood power in her life. So many women could learn from reading her story!
Kate Morton released a new book in October and I enjoy reading her tales! The Clockmaker’s Daughter was just as good as her other ones! Similar to her other books it was slower starting off, but just hold on! Once I got about to the halfway point I could not put this book down. It was full of mystery and romance and bounced through different time periods, and multiple narrators (but not in a confusing way). I always feel that Morton’s books would make amazing movies or mini series, and hopefully someday that might happen. All I know is that she releases amazing books, but they aren’t frequent and now I’ll have to wait for more!
Ashtyn Newbold is one of my newest favorite authors. She is young and local to Utah and has fun clean romantic books! I devour them as soon as she releases a new one. Last month her newest book, A Convenient Engagement was released and I loved it! The best part is that this new book is part of a series, Brides of Brighton, so I can look forward to more in the future! Parts of this book were pretty comical, the characters has some fun banter between them, and the healing dips in the ocean were pretty comical too! If you haven’t read her and love proper romance or clean historical romance look up Newbold! Another bonus about this book is it is currently free to read on Kindle Unlimited!
Completely different than the other books that I’ve picked this month, A Spark of Light was a tough read for me…because of the subject. Jodi Picoult books are usually like that – harder content but books that suck you in and that you can’t put down. This book is about abortion. Please read it with caution if you do read it, and there were some very graphic scenes in the book as well. I’ll be honest, there were a couple parts I skimmed and skipped – a little like a movie where you look away during a bad part. Picoult books always have some language as well – if you are sensitive to that. Graphic abortion scene aside – the basic idea behind this book – a shooter inside a Women’s Clinic holding hostages, one of who is a daughter to the police negotiator on the outside really drew me in. The story is also told backwards throughout the day – which was an interesting perspective to read. I really couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know how it ended – although I knew the ending. Picoult always does so much research and her books really are thought provoking. Read this book with caution if you are interested.
And last but not least, but after that heavy topic book I thought I would share a feel good book and another book that has been on my to read list, That We May Be One by Tom Christofferson. I lit a candle and read it early one Sunday morning before anyone else woke up. It was an easy and quick read, but there was SO much there it could easily be a slow read as well. I have had so many people recommend this book to me to read just as reference. While my immediately family does not have any LGBTQ individuals I know many and I believe anyone who works with youth, knows youth, has been a youth – you know, anyone and everyone should read this book! It was eye opening to me. It really re-affirmed what I have come to conclude the last couple years – that love is the real answer. Love and support and do the best you can and what you think is right for you and your family and your own relationship with Heavenly Father. This book was open and vulnerable and I am so glad that Christofferson took the time to write it and that it was published. It is a story we need to hear! My only regret was that I read a library copy and now I want a copy of my own for reference!
November just started but I am already loving the books I’ve been reading and can’t wait to share them with you next! I’m almost to my goal! I’m reading book number 88 for the year right now! Have you read any of these? What have you been reading?
