October is definitely my favourite month of the year. It’s the epitome of what autumn’s supposed to be – both sunny and rainy, with crisp morning air and mild afternoons, with earthy scents and colourful woods. It’s also the month of the Frankfurt Book Fair, which is a lot of fun, a lot of books and bookish people, and a lot of hard work for what feels like 16h a day. I was very fortunate to only lose my voice but not get sick otherwise. The last couple of days I spent in a fancy wellness hotel in the Austrian alps with my mum. Lots of eating, saunaing, reading and hiking (even in the snow! I was so giddy!) ensued.

SuBsalabim

Apparently, I’m alternating between good months and bad months, and this was a bad one. I only managed to read two of the five books.

1. Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1) by Seanan McGuire • 4/5

   Deliciously dark and twisted. A perfect read for October! Loved the concept and the characters were pretty interesting, but that certain something to make it a five star read was missing for me. Still, I’m very much looking forward to continuing with the companion books.

2. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman • 2/5

   So apparently, I’m not a fan of Norse Mythology (pretty much the only exception is Tom Hiddleston as Loki – that I could enjoy all day long). Thor reminds me of Obelix (he’s either not being intelligent, eating, or beating up someone), except that he’s nothing on Obelix’ likability. So the stories Thor played an integral part in were pretty repetitive. Loki was much more fun, but I didn’t like where he was going. All in all, these stories are very bleak without much of a silver lining.

What I’ve Also Read

1. System Pferd [System Horse] (Feine Hilfen, #13) by Claudia Weingand (Ed.) • 2/5
   

   The second volume I read and I must say I’m not impressed. So far, I didn’t find the articles helpful. The gist of this magazine is … surprise, surprise … that not one horse is like the other, which means that there’s not one training system applicable to all. Like, obviously. However, I did like the last two articles about feeding. That was something new and interesting.

2. The Fox and the Star by Coralie Bickford-Smith • 3/5

   Gorgeous illustrations, an enchanting narrative voice, but a story that is severely lacking a solid, comprehensible plot.

3. The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo • 5/5

   I’m not a fan of the Grisha trilogy, but I am a big fan of Leigh’s third person writing (the prologues and epilogues of the Grisha trilogy were simply the best part of that trilogy). I had already read the three tales she published online but I liked rereading those and even enjoyed them more this time around. I can’t even tell you which one’s my favourite although I have a least favourite. Beside the wonderful writing, I just loved how twisty they are. They are neither what you expect nor what they seem. I just want more of these!

4. Wires and Nerve (Wires and Nerve, #1) by Marissa Meyer & Douglas Holgate • 3/5

   On the one hand, this was a must read because The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favourite series. On the other hand, I’m not overly fond of this form of sequel. I wasn’t into the illustration style and missed the narrative style of the novels. I also felt that the characters stayed rather superficial caricatures of themselves. I’ll nevertheless continue reading. Can’t possibly quit on these characters!

5. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher • 4/5

   Oh Carrie. I love her very entertaining writing style, although some things made me quite sad knowing she’s gone. When it comes to her diary entries, I hurt when reading how lost she was, trying to figure out the situation. Her story hit very close to home. What bothered me a bit when reading was how she … I’m not sure which word to use here … absolved Harrison. However, writing this now, I kind of understand how she could brush it off. And who am I to judge, considering.

What I’ve Read for Work

Disclaimer: I can’t really talk about the books, since they are scheduled for spring 2018 and haven’t been announced yet.

I feel really bad since I only managed to read one of the four books still on my TBR list. On the one hand, I just want to get it over with, on the other I don’t feel like reading them at all (that sounds more negatively than I actually mean it. It’s just that I have to take notes while reading and that’s really exhausting). Anyways, the one book I finished reading was a YA that featured a disconcerting mother-daughter-relationship that made me feel desperate for the protagonist, but also has a f/f romance at its centre that was like a bubble of light and happiness in the darkness.

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