KateKintail's October Reading Log

This is a recap of my October reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• The Sherlockian by Graham Moore


• Allegiant by Veronica Roth


• The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles De Lint and Charles Vess


• Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/193683.html
   My hold finally came in at the library and I got to read this second book in the trilogy. I didn't like it quite as much as the first, but I still really enjoyed it. The faction system introduced to us in book 1 is breaking down and Tris isn't sure who to trust any more or how to save the people she cares about. I particularly liked finally getting much more of a look at each of the other factions.


2. What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/193822.html
   My favorite character from all of Cassanda Clare's works gets his own series, and this is the first in it. I loved Magnus' humor and exploits here as he gets "banned" for all time from Peru (and, as an immortal, that's a long time!) I cannot wait to read more of this series soon!


3. Just After Sunset by Stephen King
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/194106.html
   I love Stephen King's short stories; he does a great job with concepts without letting it run away from him. That being said, I liked some of the stories more than others. There were some I LOVED. And there was one in particular that was the most disgusting thing I'd ever read.


4. Geography Club by Brent Hartinger
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/194423.html
   I loved the movie so much that it was hard to accept that the book was very different in places. But it still was a great story about a boy coming out and realizing that, at his high school, he's not alone.


5. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/194786.html
   Esperanza's was the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner in Mexico... until her father died and she, her mother, and close servarts were forced out of the country. She has to learn what it's like to live when you have nothing. It's beautiful to watch her struggle in this book. She learns so much about the world and also about herself. I found it endearing and powerful, and it was great to find out it was heavily inspired by the author's family.


6. The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/194874.html
   A library full of books and animals at night? I'm there! I loved the color scheme as well in this fun, sweet picture book.


7. The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/195519.html
   I didn't quite understand this one, which is sad to me because it's a kids book and I feel like I should have understood it. But I'm still confused. It was a worthy attempt at taking a Celtic fairy tale and bringing it into modern(ish) times. It just didn't captivate me, sadly.


8. Shug by Jenny Han
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/195794.html
   When Shug and her friends start middle school, life changes completely. While she's dealing with her emotions and losing friends, she almost doesn't notice what she's gaining. This book felt incredibly realistic to me, like I was right back in middle school all over again.


9. Lucky by Eddie De Oliveira
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/195852.html
   Sam Smith likes both girls and boys, but he has a hard time admitting it to himself because of what it could mean to everyone in his life. I liked this thoughtful and emotional exploration as he comes out. Plus: ENGLAND! What's not to love? :-)


10. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/196119.html
    An interesting take on immortality and what it means overall as well as what it means to this family in particular. A neat tale with a lot of kindness as a central theme.


11. The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/196843.html
    A series of great stories--some intense, some moving, some funny. It was a real slice of life and culture from that time and place with characters I loved. Also, LeVar Burton was the audiobook narrator, and he was fantastic.


12. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/197116.html
    Strange but beautiful! A magician "accidentally" conjurs an elephant during a magic show act which, somewhat indirectly, makes it possible for a young boy to find his long-lost younger sister. I was enchanted by this book and how such impossible things brought so many people together.

There is also an untitled book that should be added as part of my not-yet-finished list above is a novel manuscript I've been reading and copyediting for a fellow writer in my writers' roundtable group. I'm enjoying finding out what happens next in the book even as I'm copyediting. I'm only about 30 pages from the end of it.

I earread a ton of juvie fiction this month, but there was a smattering of mystery, picture books, urban fantasy, and even horror (which was great timing, given this is the month with Halloween).

Happy reading, everyone!