Booooooks of October

I read 12 books this month, a little less than in previous months. But hey, I managed to add 10K words to my book!!! Woot Woot!! I've moved up my reading goal to 135 books read total for 2011, so if I just manage 10 books in each of the next two months I should make it. This month had a lot of middle-road choices with a few outstanding reads. Let me know what your favorite read was for October. Anything s-s-s-scary????

105. A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young** I thought this was a very different take on angels. There's a constant tension in the story, and I often found myself trying to imagine what it would be like to live in Charlotte's shoes. The LI interest here is HOT. *fans self* Great debut for Suzanne!
106. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins The voice in this one is really fun, but I felt like it was more of the same in the paranormal genre. It would be very appealing for tweens though.

107. Blubber by Judy Blume I read this with the intention to do a review for bully prevention month, but alas, I never got around to it. It was so much fun to revisit these characters though. I hadn't seen them in over 25 years!
108. Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty * I <3 Jaclyn Moriarty, and this one had been sitting on my shelf for way too long. I think this one has taken first place in my heart.
109. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins* Stephanie Perkins's sequel to Anna and the French Kiss has had mixed reviews, from those who loved it more than Anna to those who really didn't resonate with the characters. Myself, I think it was a solid sophomore novel. Maybe not quite as good as Anna, but still worthy of putting SP high on my list of favorite YA authors. I'll be looking forward to reading the third book in the spring.
110. A Job - From Hell by Jayde Scott (indie) Review on TYAC.

111. Before I Die by Jenny Downham** A truly heart wrenching book. I give it high marks because it had me emotionally pumped up, but I'm not sure if I'd want to experience anything so traumatic again.
112. Grace by Elizabeth Scott ES is hit or miss with me, and this one missed. The premise was intriguing, but if you don't read a blurb about it first it WILL confuse. The ending dragged about 2 chapters too long.
113. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern I mistakenly thought this was a YA novel, but it's actually an adult story that's been marketed as a YA crossover. The descriptions were just lovely, but I didn't feel very connected to the characters, and the story dragged a lot. It does have young people in it, but there is little character development and I don't believe the themes would resonate with younger readers. Overall, I think I would have enjoyed it more had I not gone into it thinking it was YA.
114. Bestest Ramadan Ever by Medeia Sharif  What I appreciated most about this book was getting a look into Muslim culture and learning a bit about Ramadan, which admittedly I'm not all that familiar with. The voice was good, but I didn't like the MC very much. I kept reading knowing she had to change at some point, and she does in the end, but getting there wasn't a fun ride.  At times I felt like I could "feel" the writer's presence (as in, it sounded like a middle age person who was pretending to talk like a teen).

115. Ash by Malinda Lo * This was a very interesting take on the Cinderella story, complete with fairies, huntswomen and a lesbian love interest. I liked the added elements while still getting enough of the traditional story to feel like I knew where it was going. The only thing I didn't like was the very abrupt climax that wasn't a climax at all.
116. Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller Available in December. Review coming soon!