October is finally here, witches!
If it wasn't already apparent, this is our favorite time of year. The weather is getting milder, seasonal treats are hitting the shelves, decorations are going up, and it's finally time to dig into our spooky TBR piles!
This week, we're going over books we're both excited to read this year. Will we be able to read all of them? Who knows. Will we try our hardest? You'd better believe it!
Without further ado, here are the books you'll be seeing us post about this month:
JORDAN'S SPOOKTOBER TBR
I mean, does it get anymore spookytime? The title alone is perfect for this time of year, and the premise . . .
"Bod" Owens is a normal boy, aside from the fact that he lives in a graveyard, where he is raised by ghosts. Living among the dead isn't all bad, especially when the living prove to be more terrifying––a man named Jack, who killed Bod's family, is looking to finish the job.
Another Gaiman novel! Neverwhere seems dark yet whimsical, which is pretty much how I would describe Jordan.
In Gaiman's first novel, a random act of kindness sends Richard Mayhew into Neverwhere––an alternate London that is beyond his wildest dreams. Richard's only hope of escaping back to his home lies in helping the powerful Lady Door in her quest for revenge against those who murdered her family and seek to destroy the subterranean kingdom.
Maniscalco's sequel to Kingdom of the Wicked is out, and Jordan is itching to read it! If you haven't read book one yet, or you're interested in Jordan's opinion of it, read her book review!
Emilia––freshly soulless and now the Queen of the Wicked––and the Prince of Wrath travel to the Seven Circles, where Emilia vows to do whatever she must to avenge her twin sister, Vittoria . . . and is propositioned to marry the Prince of Pride, king of the demons. When it becomes unclear if she can trust the princes, and contradicting clues as to her sisters murder begin cropping up, Emilia is lonelier than ever as she seeks a variety of magical objects in hopes of discovering the real truths.
It seems that Rogerson always has an original, magical idea for her stories. Jordan has been reading her work this year; check out her reviews for An Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns!
On October 5, we get to follow Artemisia, a young woman with a troubled history who's training to be a Gray Sister––a nun who cleans the bodies of the dead so their spirits may move on––as she releases a revenant to defend her convent from attacking possessed soldiers. With the threat of the liberated spirit possessing her, death looming, a hidden evil emerging, and a mystery involving dark magic unraveling, Artemisia must seek out the legendary Vespertine priestesses, of whom all knowledge has been lost to time. She finds her only chance might just be the revenant itself.
A gender-bent retelling of The Phantom of the Opera?! Jordan's had her eyes set on this one for a while, as she can never get enough Phantom.
As far as anyone outside the opera house walls knows, Isda is dead; killed as a child for her magical ability to manipulate memories when people sing. Her job is to keep ticket sales up while remaining out of sight. But then she meets the charming Emeric Rodin, whose voice is unlike anything she has ever heard, and whose memories might hold the key to her freedom.
KORI'S SPOOKTOBER TBR
This historical fiction based on one of the most infamous serial killers boasts shocking twists, period photos, and a dark atmosphere. Why have I been pushing it off for so long when it seems like a perfect book for spookytime?! No longer!
Audrey Rose Wadsworth finds herself drawn to things forbidden to a woman of society, and so she often sneaks off to her uncle's laboratory in order to practice forensic medicine. When she begins working on several brutalized corpses, she can't help but find herself in the middle of investigating a serial murderer.
A deadly, sentient magic school; cold and snarky protagonist; and an opposites-attract rival romance? Yes, please!
I’ve read many reviews arguing whether or not this book is racist, and while it’s not my place to say whether something is harmful to marginalized groups and people, Novik apologized and corrected parts of the book, and many people argue that it depends on whether or not you take it out of context. So I’ve decided to read it for myself and see what’s up. You may want to research and decide for yourself before picking it up.
At Scholomance, a school for the magically inclined, survival is the main goal. Monsters and other dangers lurk in the halls, and the only way students may leave is by graduating . . . or dying. El’s dark magic makes the monsters no problem; the real issue is her powers could also level the mountains and kill everyone else.
I must confess I have never read a Schwab novel, but I intend to remedy this soon. Cute guy in a hidden bookstore? Say no more, Schwab!
In 1714 France, a desperate woman bargains for eternal life with the caveat that everyone she meets will forget her . . . until a young man in a mysterious bookstore centuries and continents away says that he remembers her name.
I am a sucker for anything Beauty and the Beast. A retelling involving sisters, murder, and mystery sounds right up my alley! If I can't get to it this month, I will certainly be reading it at some point this autumn.
Marie is an eighteenth-century France perfume mixers whose concoctions sometimes come with a side of death––Marie uses honeysuckle to mark targets for her sister, Ama, to kill when she turns into a beast. In this way, she controls her sister's curse and keeps suspicions at bay . . . until a young man's body turns up, and she realizes she might have to pivot from controlling Ama to curing her. In order to do so, she must travel to the mansion where Ama was cursed, where she uncovers secrets about the curse, the mansion's owner, and herself.
I stumbled upon this one on Instagram, and while the premise itself is intriguing, I'm honestly reading partly for a quote I saw: "Fuck 'em up, Grandma!" So I had to squeeze it onto my TBR.
Another IG find, this hauntingly beautiful cover and its dark, eerie plot quickly grabbed my attention. I've seen many people say this book is a bit of a mind fuck, so I am highly anticipating this read.
In the Scotland suburbs, three sisters vanish mysteriously before reappearing a month later, changed but with no memory of what happened to them. Ten years later, the eldest sister goes missing, and as the younger two search for her they follow clues to their past and the place that took them . . . which just might be calling them back.
Which of these books have you read or put on your own TBR list? Let us know in the comments below, and keep an eye on our bookstagram and Twitter to follow along as we make our way through our own TBRs!