I’m slowly catching up on these reading wrap-ups and I have to say, October of last year was a pretty amazing reading month for me! It definitely helped having a holiday to Iceland but I was just really enjoying picking up books and reading in October. I think as the seasons change, I’m more inclined to curl up on the sofa with a blanket and enjoy a good book with a cup of cocoa.
Dominion by Jennifer Ridyard and John Connolly*
This took me a good couple years to get to. I loved the first two books in this trilogy so much that I got stage fright when it came to the final! I built it up in my head that it felt near impossible that it would reach my high expectations. Despite this, it did.
I cringe from the word ‘banter’ but there really is no other way to describe the charming back-and-forth between the cast of characters. An entire cast who are all fleshed out with insights into their backstories and personalities, no matter how minor. There are no throwaways here. But the thing that stands out the most to me is the use of time. It was impossibly clever but impossible to go into without spoiling the first two books so look out for that in my series review. These books are truly the best YA that I’ve read and I recommend them to everyone.
The clear water still lapped in her mind like all the tears ever shed in the universe, and she found her tears were wet with it.
✮✮✮✮✮
The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare*
I decided to re-read the Magisterium series when the fifth and final book came out for a couple reasons; I actually read along with the release dates for the most part so it’s been quite spread out, and I never finished my full review of the fourth book and I wanted to refresh my mind a little before I got to it.
I wrote a full review of this book back when I first read it three years ago and for the most part, I still agree. If anything, I love it more! No longer do I find the tunnel school creepy, but charming and I actually prefer this world to Harry Potter. And the foreshadowing? Incredible.
✮✮✮✮✮
The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare*
In my initial review of this I wrote: “I think it has great re-readabiliy” and y’know what? I was right! Go read that review because everything I wrote there stands up three years later including for when I found this hard to get into at the start. It was still a little tough for the first couple chapters.
“I always have a plan”, she said, raising her eyebrows. “Sometimes even a scheme. You should take lessons from me.”
✮✮✮✮
Service with a Smile by P. G. Wodehouse
I’m truly so impressed with how the threads of Wodehouse’s plots tangle and untangle over the course of the book. He is a master even if it does get a bit repetitive. At least if he’s self-aware;
-it sometimes seemed to her that Blandings Castle had Imposters the way other houses had mice-
✮✮✮
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
I had a go at reading this in Summer last year, but didn’t get very far and moved on to other Austens. However, in October I discovered that Audible had released the audiobook read by Rosamund Pike, who read Pride and Prejudice to me last December which I loved! She really brings the characters to life.
And y’know what? I really liked this! I wish the relationships ended up a different way than they did but it was really funny and I might actually prefer it to Pride and Prejudice as my favourite Austen. I’ll have to re-read both at some point to see.
✮✮✮✮
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
This felt too much like two separate books for me to love it. The Bath section and the Northanger Abbey section felt so distinctly different that while listening to the audiobook, I was convinced I had skipped chapters or something. However, I very much enjoyed the novel-adoring heroine and her paranoia coming from reading too many scary stories reminded me a lot of my personal fears following my reading of It by Stephen King last year.
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not the pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
✮✮✮
Imogen's Typewriter. 