I’m sharing my October Reads for Reading Rituals today and what I thought of them.
On a side note – how is it already the end of October? I wonder how much more reading I can fit in before the end of 2018?
October Reads – How to Be Happy by Eva Woods
I read this one as part of a virtual book club (Find What Feels Good Kula Book Club). I didn’t get round to joining in with much of the book club discussion but I am glad that book club prompted me to read this book. From the title it looks like a self-help but it’s actually a fiction novel. I read it fairly quickly and was eager to keep going. This book made me cry – big sobs late at night. It felt quite cathartic.
The book tells the story of Annie who is sad and not living her best life. She meets Polly who seems to be her opposite (happy). Polly pushes herself into Annie’s life with the intention of fixing it. The book covers 100 suggestions for being happy over 100 days. The story is about life and death and how they are connected.
As I was reading, the following quote really resonated with me and reminded me of the Big Magic workshop I went to with Liz Gilbert earlier in the year:
“There was no one like her on the whole of the planet, no one who had ever lived or ever would. There was not a single other person with her fingerprints, with her memories, with the blood beating in her veins. She was herself, and she was alive right now, despite everything.”
In some ways I found this book similar to Eleanor Oliphant (which I wrote about in last month’s Reading Rituals – scroll towards the bottom) – it had some heart-warming life advice threaded through the story. I’d recommend giving it a go (but have the tissues handy).
Other October Reads
Romances with Christmas and Winter settings are my comfort reads as the weather turns colder and the days get shorter!
So this month I read Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis – the latest in her Heartbreaker Bay series. I really enjoyed it and after reading the excerpt at the end I’m looking forward to Playing for Keeps – the next one.
I also decided it was time to re-read some Christmas favourites and read Miracle on 5th Avenue and Christmas Ever After by Sarah Morgan.
I’m currently reading Times Convert by Deborah Harkness which is the follow-up to the The All Souls Trilogy, telling the story of Marcus and Phoebe. I’ll share my thoughts on this one next month.
As a family we are still reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. And I’m wondering how long The Goblet of Fire will take to get through! (Am I right in thinking it’s the biggest one?)
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I didn’t get any books for my birthday this year which is unusual. There weren’t any on my list! I did get issue 11 of Project Calm magazine. It’s full of crafty and creative ideas and projects – I’m looking forward to diving in.
What have you been reading lately? Will you be adding any books to your Christmas wish list?