For the Love of Reading: October 2022

October was a slow month of reading for me, comparatively speaking. Of course, one of the books I read was over 600 pages so that accounts for some of it. I blame the rest on an increased interest in knitting lately. In any event, it’s not a contest, I’m happy for all reading and knitting time, and here are the books I finished last month:

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a weird review to write because I enjoyed this book but also skimmed quite a bit because at times it just felt tedious. Still, it’s a fast paced story and easy read. I figured out some of the twists but not all and the ending shook me a bit and certainly gave me a lot to think about. In fact, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and I don’t think I’ll ever look at the experience of deja vu the same!

Fairy Tale by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoy today’s Stephen King. He’s still a master of horror but in a far more subtle way that I find engaging and fascinating. Fairy Tale feels like part Wizard of Oz, part Rumpelstiltskin, part Jack in the Beanstalk, all combined to create a creepy, magical, imaginary world. The hero is very much a typical teenage boy yet he rises to every challenge placed before him and becomes, quite literally, a prince of the people, seeking justice and a solution to the problems of the fantasy world he has entered. The book is long, incredibly well written, and utterly engrossing. Highly recommended.

The Midcoast by Adam White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What would you do if you saw someone living far above where you expected? Would you wonder (and then investigate) how they made their fortune? That’s the story behind The Midcoast, a novel about Damariscotta, Maine, and the native son who returns there to raise his family only to find that the uneducated lobsterman he knew years ago is now the richest guy in town and his teenage bride is now the mayor. There’s a dark underside to all of us and The Midcoast does an excellent job of exploring it.

Hallowed Out by Barbara Ross
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Really more of a short story, Hallowed Out is another installment in this cozy mystery series about a little town (Bar Harbor, I think) on the coast of Maine. With none of the details and side stories of a typical book in this series, this one gets right to the point and wastes no time in reaching a satisfying conclusion. Recommended for fans of the series.

And that’s a wrap on October’s reading.