October 2025 Reading Recap
Well, so far this reading recap thing is going…. well-ish?? I completely forgot to finish my post until now, but it still seems like a more manageable idea than the quarterly approach I was doing before.
I read a lot this month, helped along by the fact that I really enjoyed many of the books on this list. It is going to be SO HARD to narrow down my favorites of the year to ten books. There have been some great ones. This month, among my favorites are Busted by Dan Gemeinhart, We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart, and All the Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tian. Labyrinth of Souls by Leslie Vedder and Silenced Voices by Pablo Leon also blew me away.
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October 2025 Reading Status Update
The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett
My Thoughts: I heard about this book from another blogger, who loved it. This is a reimagining of Anne of Green Gables if Anne was a witch and was unwillingly adopted by another witch. I wasn’t sure I’d like this at the very beginning because of the Marilla character, but this clever story won me over. The main character is so Anne. I loved this.
Published February 12, 2023 | My Review to Come
Paul Weaver and the Soul Reaver by Sean McMurray
My Thoughts: Each chapter of this one starts with an illustration that looks like a YouTube video thumbnail. The chapters are written like a video transcript. That format worked really well for this wacky paranormal story.
Published July 8, 2025 | My Review
Through Our Teeth by Pamela N. Harris
My Thoughts: Harris’s debut was incredible, so I knew I had to read this one. It’s an intense, closed circle suspense story that kept me on edge. I love how she used Wuthering Heights in this book.
Published September 16, 2025 | My Review
Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1) by Katherine Rundell
My Thoughts: Every time I saw this book at the bookstore, I wanted to read it. It’s got some sad moments, but I loved the imaginary world and all the fantastical creatures. Christopher is a great main character. I just bought the sequel, so I’m excited to see where the series goes.
Published September 10, 2024 | My Review to Come
Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron
My Thoughts: Kalynn Bayron plus a Frankenstein-inspired novel? YES, PLEASE! This contemporary fantasy had me hooked until the last page. The main character’s family runs a funeral home, which was such a cool setup for this kind of story.
Published September 30, 2025 | My Review
The Essential Christmas Classics by Charles Dickens, et al.
My Thoughts: This is a boxed set containing three volumes: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Nutcracker by E. T. A. Hoffman, and Twelve Christmas Classics, a short story collection by various authors. The collection includes some familiar stories and stories by familiar authors. If you’re looking to start a collection of Christmas classics for readers 10 up, this is a good beginning.
Published October 7, 2025 | My Review
Exquisite Things by Abdi Nazemian
My Thoughts: So many of the things I want to say about this one are spoilers, so I can’t say them! I did enjoy this one. It has scenes from several different timelines that all converge on a series of events. I like that it showcased life in multiple time periods and gave readers space to compare/contrast them.
Published September 23, 2025 | My Review
If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry
My Thoughts: This one blew me away. The story follows Jack the Ripper’s murders, but centers on a group of women who ultimately go head to head with him. I loved the setting and unforgettable characters.
Published September 16, 2025 | My Review
The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar by Sonora Reyes
My Thoughts: This is the first novel by Reyes that I’ve read, but I will absolutely read more. Though I wouldn’t describe this as an easy read, I couldn’t help rooting for Cesar, even when we both knew he wasn’t making good choices. Such a moving story.
Published September 16, 2025 | My Review
The Unfinished (The Unfinished #1) by Cheryl Isaacs
My Thoughts: Making an undisturbed body of water seem sinister isn’t easy, but Isaacs does it so well in this book. This story is perfectly unsettling. The tale continues in a sequel that I couldn’t wait to jump into.
Published September 3, 2024 | My Review to Come
All the Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tian
My Thoughts: I’d loved another book by this author already, and I love this one, too. It’s an up-close exploration of complicated grief and the cost of avoiding vulnerability. So well done. I highly recommend this one.
Published September 30, 2025 | My Review
The Labyrinth of Souls by Leslie Vedder
My Thoughts: The author of one of my favorite YA series has started a MG series! And its so worth reading. I loved the creative story world with all the fun creature names. The plot kept me guessing. And Ix is such a wonderful main character. I can’t wait to read the sequel.
Published February 11, 2025 | My Review to Come
Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause
My Thoughts: An intricate fantasy world with a mystery spanning generations. I’m not always into enemies to lovers stories, but this one won me over. I have thoughts about the way twins were used in the story.
Published September 2, 2025 | My Review to Come
Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign by Sara F. Schacter
My thoughts: Such a sweet story! I loved how Georgia uses science and creativity to navigate tricky social situations in her class at school. She doesn’t always get it right, but ultimately, she learns some great lessons.
Published October 14, 2025 | My Review
You’ve Found Oliver (You’ve Reached Sam #2) by Dustin Thao
My thoughts: This companion to Thao’s popular debut follows Sam’s best friend as he navigates grief and new love. A tender romance exploring the philosophy of space and connection.
Published September 30, 2025 | My Review
The Crimson Throne by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
My thoughts: I read a series by these authors before and enjoyed it, so I knew I wanted to read this one. I really appreciate the way the story sets up this enemies-to-lovers romance. Lately, I’ve seen that trope done in some frustrating ways, so I love that I enjoyed this version. I also love alternate history novels, so I’m especially intrigued by those components. Can’t wait for book two!
Published October 7, 2025 | My Review
Hazelthorn by C. G. Drews
My thoughts: I loved Don’t Let the Forest In, so I knew I wanted to read this book. It’s darker than Don’t Let the Forest In, but has this very “The Secret Garden but make it horror” vibe. Loved the characters. At first there were horror moments that seemed like too much, but they make so much sense once you reach the end.
Published October 28, 2025 | My Review
We Fell Apart: A We Were Liars Novel by E. Lockhart
My thoughts: I’ve followed this series since the beginning, and I’ll admit that I went into this one uncertain if it would still grab me as much as the first book had. Uh, yeah! It really did. This book takes you on an unsettling emotional journey. It kept me off-balance, waiting for that shoe to drop, and when it did, I still felt stunned.
Published November 4, 2025 | My Review
Once for Yes by Allie Millington
My thoughts: It’s not everyday that you see a book embrace a building as a sentient character and give it a voice. I loved the way the Odenburgh narrates scenes and finds ways to communicate with its tenants. Prue had my heart from her first page. I loved how she framed things through her “talk show.”
Published March 25, 2025 | My Review to Come
Silenced Voices by Pablo Leon
My thoughts: I am only ever more convinced that my education didn’t include enough information about South and Central America. I didn’t even realize that this genocide happened. I love that this multi-generational book explores the history and its impact on families.
Published September 2, 2025 | My Review to Come
Your October 2025 Reading Recap
Did you read anything in October that stands out? Do you track your reading? Leave a comment and let me know if you read anything on my list.