October was an ok month personally, but reading-wise it was a bit bland, to be honest. I didn’t enjoy most of the books I read, which might be a first for me. Hopefully next month they will pick up! With that being said, let me start with my October 2024 book reviews.
They will be shorter than the regular reviews I post. I don’t feel the need to drag on with negative reviews, because I know some of you liked the following books. They didn’t work for me for various reasons, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick them up.
Without further ado, here are my October 2024 book reviews.
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
Although many people loved this one, it was simply meh for me. I listened to it on audio, and I couldn’t get into the story. The narration wasn’t the greatest and to be honest, I used it as background noise as I was doing chores. Up to now I’m still not sure what happened. One thing I thought was positive about this book, it’s the perfect spooky read for this time of year! I’ll leave the link here for you, in case you’re curious about its synopsis and want to give it a try.
The Prey by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
I usually love the author’s books, but this is my least favorite of her works. I enjoy the occasional ‘locked-room’ mystery if it’s done well. This one was too long, and I found it to be redundant. It could have been a good 100 pages shorter, and it would have still been too repetitive for my liking. The only reason I finished it is because it was part of my Nordic Noir read along, otherwise it would’ve been a dnf for me. That’s how little I enjoyed it. You can check out the synopsis once you click on my link. I will, however, stop bashing this book here, because she’s an author I generally enjoy very much.
Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jonasson
This book was perfect for this time of year. It had a few spooky vibes and lots of intriguing twists and turns. And like most of Jonasson’s books, it was around 300 pages, so it didn’t drag on. Unlike the previous two books on this list, the story was interesting and the plot engaging. Most of the characters were unlikable. But Jonasson has a way of making you want to know what happened to them that turned them the way they are. And the twist at the end was not completely shocking, but I think it was well done. If you’ve read any books by the author before, this one lives up to its expectations. It’s atmospheric and entertaining, yet the author manages to wrap it up quickly while still surprising you at the end. So far, it’s been my favorite book of the month, if I had to choose. Although I still only gave it three stars.
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
This book is one of the biggest disappointments of the year for me. Since it came out, I’ve been trying to get my hands on it. And once I did, I was so looking forward to reading it! But it was only an ok book, and it didn’t live up to my high expectations. From reading the synopsis, it seemed like a plot I would enjoy, but it felt flat to me.
The four Gold siblings went to a fortune teller when they were kids, where she told them their year of death. So, like last month’s book, Her One Moment by Liane Moriarty, it makes you question yourself: would you want to know how long you have left to live?
The author separated the book into four parts. She dedicated each section to the respective sibling, proceeding from the first one to die to the last.
The idea wasn’t bad, the execution wasn’t impressive. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, and I couldn’t care less when or how they will die. Somehow, I was still curious enough to find out, therefore I powered through it.
What I enjoyed about this book were the questions that came up while reading. They are thought-provoking, and they will stay with me for a while. For example, at what cost would you choose survival over living? That might actually be developed into a later random rambling post!! We’ll see.
All in all, the writing was good, the premise intriguing, but it wasn’t all that great overall.
Concluding Words
There you have it, the shortest monthly book reviews I’ve ever written! These were my October 2024 book reviews, and they weren’t all that impressive.
As a reader, you have these months every now and then, and it’s ok. I’m hoping the quality of my books will improve next month, since it’s my favorite reading month of the year: Nordic Noir November!
Until then, keep reading fellow bookworms!
