October Books

I told myself I would pick it up in October, after a disappointing September. I do know myself well though, so I went with audiobooks to give me the push I needed. Then, spurned on by the amazing podcast What Should I Read Next?, I spent some time on the library's website, placing holds and I even stopped at the physical library the other week. 
November and December WILL be better! 

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris B+
I thought this was a good psychological thriller. My coworker was listening to it and liked it, so I tried it. It was effed up in many ways. I didn't particularly like Grace, and I really got too deep into the thought of Wait, could this really happen? but I would recommend it. The narration was good too, which is always a plus. (My coworker is a lot like me in the sense that the mentality is go-go-go and we listen to our respective audiobooks while we sort papers during our prep periods. I like having an audiobook buddy....she also told me I was putting too much thought into this book, because I kept trying to analyze it.)
The end of this book took on some Dexter-level thinking and strategy. I liked that.

Center Stage by Denise Grover Swank C+
It took me awhile to get through this because motivation to sit and read is lacking. However, it was okay. It's a mystery revolving around a murder in small-town Tennessee, and the second in the series was just released this fall.
Ain't no Rose Gardner, but it passes the time just fine. I have two Rose Gardner books on tap for this month (uh, I pre-ordered those babies), so maybe I'll read part two of this series after that.
Truthfully, Center Stage leaves off with a cliff-hanger and I skimmed a lot of the ending to get to it...and then realized I'd have read the next book.

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple DNF
This was kind of terrible. I really enjoyed Where'd You Go, Bernadette?. This was the same narrator but I was just left depressed by it. There were a few semi-funny moments; Eleanor is very realistic. But I got about 2 hours into the 6+ hour audiobook and I just couldn't do it anymore. I could've suffered through, but if Audible was willing to let me exchange it, that seemed like a better idea.
Don't bother with it. Eleanor annoyed me.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware A-
I liked this. It was enjoyable. It kept me listening. The narration was terrific. Everyone out there seems to be reading it, so I guess I don't have much to say. It's a psychological thriller of sorts, but it starts off very slowly. The second half really picks up, but I can't say I loved Nora. She kind of confused me for a bit (she came across as much older than 26), but I suppose pieces fell into place and explained that by the end. And by the end, I was really liking it and felt all sorts of sadness for some of the characters.
I would recommend this to someone looking for a good book that would be difficult to put down.

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight B
This book prompted me to make a list of things I care about and things I don't feel the need to care about. It's great for personal development. She says f*ck a lot but that was expected. I would say this is a great read for an obliger, specifically. I don't have obliger tendencies, but I enjoyed the fact that it made me think, take notes, and reflect on what I really want.

The Couple Next Door B+
This was a typical mystery-thriller but didn't have the crazy element that Dark, Dark Wood and Behind Closed Doors had. It was more realistic.
I didn't love the ending, but I did keep listening so it kept me occupied. The narration wasn't amazing, but you'll have that. I liked it well enough and would recommend it.

Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale A-

At first I thought, This is like a poor man's Taylor Jenkins Reid. Like, it seemed identical to One True Loves. 
Or at least that what I thought about the first half of the book.
The 2nd half took on the characteristics of a psychological thriller. I couldn't stop listening. I also could not, try as I might, predict the ending. Then it got a little easier to predict and it ended up the way I thought it might, but still. I really enjoyed it!

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Linking up with Jana and Steph!

TL;DR---Go for Everything We Keep, In A Dark, Dark Wood, or Behind Closed Doors (but don't overanalyze it).

Also, (...keeping the font large for this...) I'm at 57 books for the year. I'm going to attempt to round out at an even 70. 
2014 was 52 books and 2015 was 78.

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TOMORROW IS THE PUMPKIN SWAP LINK-UP! Take some pictures of your fall goodies and come back here, or stop by Becky's blog, to join in on the fun!