Nicked by M.T. Anderson (4/5)

This book was so fun and I was NOT expecting that. When it first started out the language felt very dense and I was worried that, despite its short length, it was going to be a bit of a slog. However, once I got through about 30 or so pages I felt completely grounded in the style.

This one reads like an early 2000s adventure film montage–think the Mummy or Pirates of the Caribbean. It's the perfect balance of antics, action, comedy, and heartfelt storytelling. Our book club loved this one and we had a really fun discussion about how weird and endearing this one was.

The Art Thieves by Andrea L. Rogers (4/5)

This one was probably my favorite read of the month. I love dystopian and apocalyptic fiction, so when I first read the blurb I was immediately in. Once I started reading, I realized that this book is so much more than another climate-based disaster novel. This book is a love letter to media–whether that be books, or music, or art (fun fact all the chapters are song titles and there is a full playlist). It’s also one of the most hopeful stories I’ve read in a long time.

Though this book does deal with heavy topics, such as the impacts of colonialism, climate change and natural disasters, as well as violence at abuse. At it’s main core, it’s story full of diverse characters from various indigenous tribes and nations, gender identities, and sexual orientations who are working to save the things and the people they love the most in this world.

A Vile Season by David Ferraro (3.5/5)

This may just be Lestat fanfic, but I'm not necessarily mad about it. The one line description of this one is: queer vampires in a regency-era equivalent of a reality dating show. And, seriously, this book was just fun. It’s got found family, a redemption arc, a grumpy protagonist, and a cat named after a demon.

Was it my favorite book I've read this year? No, but it was a quick, easy read that got me out of a bit of a slump and I had a blast.

Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris (4/5)

Look, I obviously love all of the Bindery 2024 titles, but Strange Beasts was the one I was most excited about, because I'm so specifically the exact target audience for this book.

In case you still haven't read much about this one, let me fill you in... JONATHAN HARKER’S DAUGHTER TEAMS UP WITH JAMES MORIARTY’S DAUGHTER TO SOLVE PARANORMAL CRIMES IN EDWARDIAN ERA PARIS INCLUDING MULTIPLE TRIPS TO THE CATACOMBS AND MAYBE THEY’RE IN LOVE.

I'm sorry for the screaming, but seriously though, this book is basically the crossover episode of late-Victorian literature but with way more monsters, magic, and queerness. I loved every single second of it. If you've every trusted me in any book recommendation ever, please trust me in this one and read Strange Beasts!

This Cursed House by Del Sandeen (3.5/5)

This one was one of my most-anticipated reads of fall and it didn't disappoint. I love historic/gothic horror–some of my favorite reads of the last few years have been The Reformatory by Tananarive Due and Lone Women by Victor LaValle. This Cursed House feels very much akin to those in the way it talks about racism, as well as familial relationships and secrets.

The only thing that kept this one from being a 4 star read was the pacing. At times, it felt a little like someone first learning to drive in that lurching acceleration & sudden stops kinda way, but this is a debut novel and pacing comes with time & practice.

Besides that, this was still a great October read and I can't wait to see what Sandeen does next!

Women's Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery (4/5)

Friends, I am one of those readers who loves a character-centric novel in which nothing actually happens. Sure, I also love plot-driven stories, but if you give me a character I love then I will follow them from work to home for 100s of pages. The Women's Hotel is exactly that. It goes super deep into the personal lives of a group of people living in a women's hotel in the 1960s, but doesn't focus on much besides their day to day.

I will say, at first, I wasn't 100% sure this concept was going to land, but the last few chapters of this book blew my expectations out of the water and completely changed my opinion from luke-warm to really invested. So, if you are a patient reader who is willing to stick through monotony in exchange for character depth, pick this one up. If that sounds absolutely miserable to you, then probably best to skip this one.

The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaranillo (3.5/5)

Ugh I am so torn about this one. I wanted so badly for this to be a little bit more amazing than it was and it just didn't work out for me. The storytelling, prose, atmosphere were just amazing and had me hooked almost immediately, but there were so many plot holes and the ending felt so rushed.

If this book would have been 100 pages longer, I think it would have been a 5 star read, but as it stands there were just so many inter-personal character things that felt so big throughout and then weren't even mentioned in the ending.

And don't get me wrong, this book is good. It is 100% worth reading, but it had every potential to be stellar with a little bit more development and time. Honestly, I want a re-do.