A month that was genuinely all over the board, I was actually astonished that I was able to get as much reading done as I did, between school & work. I’m excitedly looking forward to December, in which I’ll have some additional down time for more books. Now if only more people in my family read, they’d be so much easier to Christmas shop for!
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Kindle Worthy- 3/5 Stars
Beth Johnson’s seemingly steady life on the family sheep farm in Dorset begins to unravel when her first love, Gabriel Wolfe, returns with his young son after years away. Married to Frank and still mourning the death of her young son, Beth finds old longings resurfacing and is forced to confront who she was, who she is, and with a recent murder, how the choices made in youth still echo in the present.
I am glad I stuck with this one as the ending was entirely worth it. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, there’s a twist, and then another twist, and then another twist! I’m not a huge horror fan, so this was the perfect amount of mystery and suspense for me.
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Hard-Cover Worthy- 4.5/5 Stars
Oraya, a human raised by the vampire king, enters a deadly divine tournament to claim her place in a world that would see her destroyed. To survive, she must trust Raihn—a ruthless, alluring vampire who might be her greatest threat or her only chance.
I picked this book up not realizing it was part of a series, and now I’m hooked!
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
The Women by Kristen Hannah
Hard-Cover Worthy- 5/5 Stars
Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young nurse from California volunteers for service after her brother is deployed to Vietnam. Thrust into the chaos of wartime, Frankie confronts the brutal realities of combat and loss while finding her own strength.
Kristin Hannah does it again, another favorite that’s being added to my physical shelf!
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
The Unwritten Secrets of Magic by Author
Hard-Cover Worthy- 2/5 Stars
Emerson Clarke, a single mother struggling to balance responsibility and personal passion, discovers that her late father’s old type writer can make her written wishes come true. However, it comes at a price with unintended consequences and she must choose between rewriting reality and embracing her life as it is.
This book fell a little flat for me though, and while it was a cute, easy read, it was just missing that tension of real life, magic and connection I tend to look for.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Hard-Cover Worthy- 4/5 Stars
Misery, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman, who is forced into a marriage of alliance with Lowe Moreland, the alpha werewolf of the rival clans. The union is meant to bring peace between their species, but Misery has her own hidden agenda and tensions rise between Vampyres and Weres.
Let’s just say I immediately ran out and bought the second book of the series!
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
Alchemised by SenLinYu
Kindle Worthy- 3/5 Stars
In a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy, Helena Marino, a healer within the resistance, awakens in captivity with no memory of the final days of the conflict. As she tries to piece together her past, Helena struggles to find those she can trust and is drawn into a web of power, betrayal, and forbidden science where alchemy blurs the line between creation and destruction.
It wasn’t revolutionary but it was ok and I enjoyed listening to it.
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey
Hard-Cover Worthy- 2/5 Stars
Oprah Winfrey shares reflections and wisdom on finding purpose and living with intention. Through personal stories and insights from thought leaders like Brené Brown, Eckhart Tolle, and Deepak Chopra, she guides readers toward recognizing their calling and aligning their lives with it.
I found the cacophony of voices to be disorienting with no clear path or direction.
In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy
Hard-Cover Worthy- 4/5 Stars
In a kingdom where being a Siren is a death sentence, Imogen Nel has to hide her true identity, suppressing her siren powers to survive living in the castle of a king who hunts her kind. Betrayal and political machinations force her to flee her home by forging a risky blood bond with a foreign king, Theodore Ariti. As they navigate undead-infested seas, looming political threats, and their bond, Imogen must confront the monster within and decide whether embracing her dark power is the only way to save herself and those she wants to protect.
I loved this more than I thought I would, the traditional take on sirens in Greek lore is refreshing, and I can’t wait for the second installment!
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
I, Medusa by Ayana Gray
Hard-Cover Worthy- 3.5/5 Stars
Ayana Gray reimagines myth through the young eyes of Medusa, a mortal girl living among gods who has always longed for belonging. Hoping to find purpose in the temple of Athena, she instead discovers the cruel truth of divine power. Caught in the aftermath of a god’s wrath, ‘Meddy’ must confront what it means to have one’s story twisted by others and how to stand for truth.
I am in awe how Ayana manages to incorporate an examination of social issues into her retelling of Medusa. Beautiful.
Kindle & Audible: US or CA
What was your favorite read this month?
-Anna R.
*As always if you purchase through any of the links in this post, or throughout this blog, a small commission comes back to help support the page & what I do here!
The Weekend Readers 
Leave a comment