🎃 October Reviews 🍬
October 1st-31st
In October, I read 16 books with 4310 pages. It was another wonderful month of reading where I enjoyed many of the stories I picked up. My favorite books from the month were: The Slantwise Histories: Collected Stories by Alix E. Harrow, Which Witch? by Eva Ibboston, and Winnie-The-Pooh: The Graphic Novel adapted by Kevan Chandler and Joe Sutphin.
Hope you enjoyed what you read during October and that the rest of your year is great!
Happy Reading.
Book 157: Mestra
By Madeline Miller
Read October 1st
Pages: 65
Release Year: 2026
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Another beautiful short story from Madeline Miller. I always enjoy her writing style, though I do wish she would write a longer novel. If you enjoyed Galatea, I believe this would be another great story for you.
Book 158: Tales from the Territory
(Legends & Lattes)
By Travis Baldree
Read October 1st-2nd
Pages: 224
Release Year: 2026
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I'm glad to be getting back into the world of Legends & Lattes again. It is such a cozy little series that feels absolutely perfect for fall. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Travis Baldree, who is a great narrator. One of my favorite things is when an author narrates their own book and Travis always does a wonderful job doing so. If you are a fan of this world you definitely should pick up this short story collection. Below, I'll give a short review for each of the stories.
"Goblins and Greatcoats" - 4 stars
- Loved this mystery and Zyll as a character. Would love more cozy mysteries with her.
"Just a Thimbleful"- 5 stars
- A cute story that shows how Thimble found his way to Legends & Lattes to begin with. Such a sweet tale and I absolute adore Thimble.
"Pages to Fill"- 4 stars
- This story follows Viv on one of her many jobs and shows how she first came upon coffee. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
"Mirograph"- 4.5 stars
- We get to see Tandri as an art student at college as she tries to find her way. I loved getting more about her art and backstory.
"Cavaliers and Coffees"- 4.5 stars
- This one takes place after the events of Legends & Lattes with a rival coffee business opening up that is stealing Viv, Tandri, and Thimble's ideas. I enjoyed getting more of Viv, Tandri, Thimble, Cal, and many of the other characters.
- Loved this mystery and Zyll as a character. Would love more cozy mysteries with her.
"Just a Thimbleful"- 5 stars
- A cute story that shows how Thimble found his way to Legends & Lattes to begin with. Such a sweet tale and I absolute adore Thimble.
"Pages to Fill"- 4 stars
- This story follows Viv on one of her many jobs and shows how she first came upon coffee. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
"Mirograph"- 4.5 stars
- We get to see Tandri as an art student at college as she tries to find her way. I loved getting more about her art and backstory.
"Cavaliers and Coffees"- 4.5 stars
- This one takes place after the events of Legends & Lattes with a rival coffee business opening up that is stealing Viv, Tandri, and Thimble's ideas. I enjoyed getting more of Viv, Tandri, Thimble, Cal, and many of the other characters.
Getting to visit these characters again felt like a warm hug. Absolutely wonderful collection!
*Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Travis Baldree, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 159: Which Witch?
By Eva Ibbotson
Read October 4th
Pages: 231
Release Year: 1979
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Such a wonderful book! This had me laughing quite a bit throughout and I could not believe how creepy the scene with the rats was. Definitely a great read for Halloween.
Book 160: The Moonlit Spiral
By Mike Maihack
Read October 5th-6th
Pages: 304
Release Year: 2026
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Such a wonderful graphic novel with stunning illustrations. I have loved Mike Maihack's artstyle for years and this shows it off beautifully. It reminded me of The Lightfall series by Tim Probert. The story was adventurous, had great world-building, and characters that readers will connect with. I enjoyed the questing aspects of this world and hope we will get more adventures from it.
There was a variety of interesting creatures that were wonderful additions to the plot. My favorite character was Quill. She was such a fun character and I loved the sections from her journaling over their adventure.
I highly recommend this to younger readers. They will have such a great time in this world and I also believe older readers can get a lot out of it too.
*Thank you to Candlewick Press, Mike Maihack, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
There was a variety of interesting creatures that were wonderful additions to the plot. My favorite character was Quill. She was such a fun character and I loved the sections from her journaling over their adventure.
I highly recommend this to younger readers. They will have such a great time in this world and I also believe older readers can get a lot out of it too.
*Thank you to Candlewick Press, Mike Maihack, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 161: The Slantwise Histories:
Collected Stories
By Alix E. Harrow
Read October 7th-10th
Pages: 304
Release Year: 2026
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Alix E. Harrow has a masterful writing style that I enjoy so much every time I pick up a new one of her works. I was thoroughly looking forward to this short story collection when I first heard about it earlier in the year. Each of these stories is uniquely told and stands out.
Short stories are such a great medium for Alix's writing and I love how each of these fifteen stories reflects on the human experience in so many different ways. There were stories that had me laughing out loud, while others had me deeply moved. I've heard such incredible things about a couple of the stories in this collection and they definitely didn't disappoint.
Below, I'm going to give a short review for each of the stories. For the most part, I highly love all of them so very much and cannot recommend them enough. This is one of my favorite short story collections I have ever read and listened to. Jeanette Illidge and Jenn Lee were great narrators for each of the stories. I highly enjoyed reading along in the ebook while listening to their narration.
Short stories are such a great medium for Alix's writing and I love how each of these fifteen stories reflects on the human experience in so many different ways. There were stories that had me laughing out loud, while others had me deeply moved. I've heard such incredible things about a couple of the stories in this collection and they definitely didn't disappoint.
Below, I'm going to give a short review for each of the stories. For the most part, I highly love all of them so very much and cannot recommend them enough. This is one of my favorite short story collections I have ever read and listened to. Jeanette Illidge and Jenn Lee were great narrators for each of the stories. I highly enjoyed reading along in the ebook while listening to their narration.
"The Tale of Two Brothers, or, The Famous Folklorist Confesses Fratricide!" - 4.5 stars
- Loved this entire story felt like a fairy tale, especially with the way it was written and how it also referenced other famous tales in the plot.
"Mr. Death"- 5 stars
- A beautiful story about grief and life. Such an interesting take on the afterlife and where Alix E. Harrow took this story.
"A Whisper in the Weld"- 5 stars
- A beautiful story of a mother's love for her daughters and what she will do to protect them.
"The Knight and the Butcherbird"- 4 stars
- This is one of the stories from this collection I have heard about before picking it up. I didn't know anything about the plot though. What an interesting take on demons.
"The Six Deaths of the Saint"- 5 stars
- Such an incredible story! I can see how the idea of Alix's book The Everlasting came from this. I love the way she chose to write this story. So far this is my favorite of the collection.
"The Final Voyage of the Good Ship Fortune"- 3.5 stars
- An epistolary story that grew on me by the end.
"Do Not Look Back, My Lion"- 3 stars
- I didn't love this story but really enjoyed the ending.
"The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly"- 5 stars
- I adored this story so very much! Another epistolary one, which is told through letters an empress sends to the mother of Miss Coraline Connelly, who she took into her realm.
"The Long Way Up"- 4 stars
- The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of my favorites and I love when I find a new take on the classic tale. I enjoyed the direction of this one.
"Up in Flames (Working Title)"- 6 stars (Because it was just that great)
- My favorite story from the entire collection. I love how we got the story and then the comments throughout from Val. Brilliantly told!
"A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies"- 4.5 stars
- The story from the collection I was looking forward to the most because of the title, other than "The Six Deaths of the Saint." I love the idea of some librarians being witches.
"Dustbaby"- 4 stars
- What a story. This one hit me really hard.
"The Sycamore and the Sybil"- 4 stars
- I love this take on an empowerment story, especially with how it dealt with the trees.
"Roadside Attraction"- 5 stars
- I'll always love a time travel story and this one was perfect for me. It surprised me how much she was able to put into such a short story.
"The Last Archive"- 4.5 stars
- One of the most interesting aspects of every story in this entire collection is how Alix E. Harrow decided to tell them. They each have a style of their own. I like how this one was the narrator telling the story to the boys she took in. Such a beautiful story.
My favorites from the collection:
- "Up in Flames (Working Title)"
- "The Six Deaths of the Saint"
- "Mr. Death"
- "The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly"
- "Roadside Attraction"
- Loved this entire story felt like a fairy tale, especially with the way it was written and how it also referenced other famous tales in the plot.
"Mr. Death"- 5 stars
- A beautiful story about grief and life. Such an interesting take on the afterlife and where Alix E. Harrow took this story.
"A Whisper in the Weld"- 5 stars
- A beautiful story of a mother's love for her daughters and what she will do to protect them.
"The Knight and the Butcherbird"- 4 stars
- This is one of the stories from this collection I have heard about before picking it up. I didn't know anything about the plot though. What an interesting take on demons.
"The Six Deaths of the Saint"- 5 stars
- Such an incredible story! I can see how the idea of Alix's book The Everlasting came from this. I love the way she chose to write this story. So far this is my favorite of the collection.
"The Final Voyage of the Good Ship Fortune"- 3.5 stars
- An epistolary story that grew on me by the end.
"Do Not Look Back, My Lion"- 3 stars
- I didn't love this story but really enjoyed the ending.
"The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly"- 5 stars
- I adored this story so very much! Another epistolary one, which is told through letters an empress sends to the mother of Miss Coraline Connelly, who she took into her realm.
"The Long Way Up"- 4 stars
- The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of my favorites and I love when I find a new take on the classic tale. I enjoyed the direction of this one.
"Up in Flames (Working Title)"- 6 stars (Because it was just that great)
- My favorite story from the entire collection. I love how we got the story and then the comments throughout from Val. Brilliantly told!
"A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies"- 4.5 stars
- The story from the collection I was looking forward to the most because of the title, other than "The Six Deaths of the Saint." I love the idea of some librarians being witches.
"Dustbaby"- 4 stars
- What a story. This one hit me really hard.
"The Sycamore and the Sybil"- 4 stars
- I love this take on an empowerment story, especially with how it dealt with the trees.
"Roadside Attraction"- 5 stars
- I'll always love a time travel story and this one was perfect for me. It surprised me how much she was able to put into such a short story.
"The Last Archive"- 4.5 stars
- One of the most interesting aspects of every story in this entire collection is how Alix E. Harrow decided to tell them. They each have a style of their own. I like how this one was the narrator telling the story to the boys she took in. Such a beautiful story.
My favorites from the collection:
- "Up in Flames (Working Title)"
- "The Six Deaths of the Saint"
- "Mr. Death"
- "The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly"
- "Roadside Attraction"
This collection was everything I could have wanted and I know I will revisiting many of these stories in the future. I cannot wait to add this to my growing collection of Alix E. Harrow's books.
*Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Macmillan Audio, Alix E. Harrow, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 162: Winnie-the-Pooh: The Graphic Novel
adapted by Kevan Chandler and Joe Sutphin
Read October 11th
Pages: 176
Release Year: 2026
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I grew up loving anything Winnie-the-Pooh, whether that be the books, movies, or television shows. His adventures are wholesome, funny, and nostalgic for me. This graphic novel adaptation created by Kevan Chandler and Joe Sutphin is a wonderful take on the original book by A. A. Milne. The illustrations fit so well with this world and the story was adapted perfectly into this medium by Kevan Chandler.
Joe Sutphin's illustrations were stunning. I love how there are many background details in the scenes such as when Pooh is stuck in Rabbit's front door. These stories are so well known at this point and I believe this does a great job of representing them and each of the characters. The character designs were perfect takes on them. I particularly loved the design of Eeyore and Piglet, though they all were great.
Winnie-the-Pooh: The Graphic Novel would be a great addition to any home library, whether you have been a fan of this silly old bear for years or are new to his stories. It is a great book to come out around Winnie-the-Pooh's hundredth birthday (October 14th). As a life-long Pooh Bear fan, I cannot recommend this graphic novel enough. I hope both Kevan Chandler and Joe Suphin adapt the next book in the Winnie-the-Pooh series.
*Thank you to Ten Speed Press, Kevan Chandler, Joe Sutphin, and NetGalley for my ARC of this wonderful graphic novel. All opinions are my own.*
Joe Sutphin's illustrations were stunning. I love how there are many background details in the scenes such as when Pooh is stuck in Rabbit's front door. These stories are so well known at this point and I believe this does a great job of representing them and each of the characters. The character designs were perfect takes on them. I particularly loved the design of Eeyore and Piglet, though they all were great.
Winnie-the-Pooh: The Graphic Novel would be a great addition to any home library, whether you have been a fan of this silly old bear for years or are new to his stories. It is a great book to come out around Winnie-the-Pooh's hundredth birthday (October 14th). As a life-long Pooh Bear fan, I cannot recommend this graphic novel enough. I hope both Kevan Chandler and Joe Suphin adapt the next book in the Winnie-the-Pooh series.
*Thank you to Ten Speed Press, Kevan Chandler, Joe Sutphin, and NetGalley for my ARC of this wonderful graphic novel. All opinions are my own.*
Book 163: The Village Library
Demon-Hunting Society
By C.M. Waggoner
Read October 12th-17th
Pages: 339
Release Year: 2024
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I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. The reason I even finished it was because I wanted to know who was the murderer. Its plot was all over the place and the demon aspect of the story felt like an added in afterthought. I love cozy mystery stories and the idea of a Murder, She Wrote type story mixed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer sounded like my perfect book. I'm sad to say this really wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. The fantasy parts of the book were very lackluster and mostly nonexistent. I never thought I would be bored through a book with demons, but I very much was.
Book 164: The Story of Gumluck and
the Portrait Thief (Gumluck Book 4)
By Adam Rex
Read October 17th
Pages: 156
Release Year: 2026
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Gumluck's adventures are always a delight to read and this one is one of the best in the series so far. I love the dynamic between Gumluck, Helvetica, Helvetica's children, and Butterscotch. Helvetica is a great narrator for these tales and I enjoy her voice. She brings a lot of the humor into the story by the way she tells it.
The focus of this tale was on art and the mystery of who stole a painting. It is full of so much heart and humor just like the others in the series. The illustrations were great as always. I especially enjoyed seeing the various paintings the characters made at the art class. Also, Butterscotch's little detective hat was adorable.
The Story of Gumluck and the Portrait Thief is another perfect tale to pick up for your younger reader, whether for them to read it themselves or for you to read with them. I highly recommend this series it is a great one.
*Thank you to NetGalley, Chronicle Books, and Adam Rex for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
The focus of this tale was on art and the mystery of who stole a painting. It is full of so much heart and humor just like the others in the series. The illustrations were great as always. I especially enjoyed seeing the various paintings the characters made at the art class. Also, Butterscotch's little detective hat was adorable.
The Story of Gumluck and the Portrait Thief is another perfect tale to pick up for your younger reader, whether for them to read it themselves or for you to read with them. I highly recommend this series it is a great one.
*Thank you to NetGalley, Chronicle Books, and Adam Rex for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 165: The Daily Bunny Book: 365 Days of Comics and Advice from Bighearted Bunnies
By Will Quinn
Read October 22nd
Pages: 380
Release Year: 2027
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I adored this collection of daily bunny comics and illustrations. Will Quinn's artstyle is quite charming and I had wonderful time reading through this book. Over the years, I have seen some of his daily bunny drawings online and have always loved them. This has 366 and would be perfect for reading in one sitting or over the course of a year.
Below, I have mentioned my favorites from the volume and said a little bit about them. There are so many great ones. I highly recommend picking this up for fans of cute animals, especially bunny lovers. This is an adorable book and I'm sure it will look even more beautiful in the physical copy.
Below, I have mentioned my favorites from the volume and said a little bit about them. There are so many great ones. I highly recommend picking this up for fans of cute animals, especially bunny lovers. This is an adorable book and I'm sure it will look even more beautiful in the physical copy.
Daily Bunny favorites:
No. 1- Great details in this one
No. 8- I love designs like this
No. 37- For the Discworld lovers
No. 41- This one is absolutely adorable
No. 58- That would be dining in style
No. 65- Love the space ones
No. 72- Cute little shop
No. 73- Great addition of the notebook page
No. 74- Adore cross section pictures like these
No. 81- Adorable
No. 82- This one makes me think of Super Mario Galaxy
No. 88- Love the maze design in this one
No. 124- Love the map
No. 126- Cute
No. 141- Always love pyramids
No. 146- Love the lighthouse
No. 179- Love the references throughout this book
No. 259- Beautiful
No. 260- I'll always love a library
No. 266- Perfect picture for what would be around the first day of fall. Love the colors
No. 276- Love the vibes of this one
No. 335- Love
No. 338- This makes me think of the illustration from Winnie-the-Pooh of Rabbit's home. So cute
No. 340- I love BUNGO.
No. 366- Great final image
No. 1- Great details in this one
No. 8- I love designs like this
No. 37- For the Discworld lovers
No. 41- This one is absolutely adorable
No. 58- That would be dining in style
No. 65- Love the space ones
No. 72- Cute little shop
No. 73- Great addition of the notebook page
No. 74- Adore cross section pictures like these
No. 81- Adorable
No. 82- This one makes me think of Super Mario Galaxy
No. 88- Love the maze design in this one
No. 124- Love the map
No. 126- Cute
No. 141- Always love pyramids
No. 146- Love the lighthouse
No. 179- Love the references throughout this book
No. 259- Beautiful
No. 260- I'll always love a library
No. 266- Perfect picture for what would be around the first day of fall. Love the colors
No. 276- Love the vibes of this one
No. 335- Love
No. 338- This makes me think of the illustration from Winnie-the-Pooh of Rabbit's home. So cute
No. 340- I love BUNGO.
No. 366- Great final image
*Thank you to Chronicle Books, Will Quinn, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 166: Land of Oz
Edited by Marie O'Regan & Paul Kane
Read October 20th-23rd
Pages: 384
Release Year: 2026
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I am a big fan of the world of Oz and have been looking forward to this short story collection ever since I first heard about it coming out earlier this year. So, I was excited to be able to get an audiobook copy from RB Media for a review. The narrators, Candace Fitzgerald and Trevor Wilson did a great job of narrating the stories, though I did not enjoy them as much as I would have liked to.
These stories do not for the most part really branch out much more than the first two novels in the series and the only ones that do, focus on elements from The Patchwork Girl of Oz (Book 7). There is also a focus on Kansas which really isn't something many readers want to keep revisiting when reading a book about the Land of Oz. There are so many wonderful elements from the other Oz books by L. Frank Baum that I would have loved to see expanded here. Such as those from Ozma of Oz (Book 3). I just find it strange to have a collection of stories based on the world of Oz and you really don't have Glinda, the Nome King, Tik-Tok, or so many of the other fan favorite characters.
Many of these stories don't feel like they are set in the world of Oz. So many of them use the character names and that is about it. I went into this volume excited to get more stories from this world and left it feeling disappointed. Though, I will say there are a few really great stories I loved near the end of the collection such as "The Lost Princess of Zo" by Delilah S. Dawson, "Silver & Gold" by Christina Henry, and "General Jinjur's Last Stand by Una McCormack.
These stories do not for the most part really branch out much more than the first two novels in the series and the only ones that do, focus on elements from The Patchwork Girl of Oz (Book 7). There is also a focus on Kansas which really isn't something many readers want to keep revisiting when reading a book about the Land of Oz. There are so many wonderful elements from the other Oz books by L. Frank Baum that I would have loved to see expanded here. Such as those from Ozma of Oz (Book 3). I just find it strange to have a collection of stories based on the world of Oz and you really don't have Glinda, the Nome King, Tik-Tok, or so many of the other fan favorite characters.
Many of these stories don't feel like they are set in the world of Oz. So many of them use the character names and that is about it. I went into this volume excited to get more stories from this world and left it feeling disappointed. Though, I will say there are a few really great stories I loved near the end of the collection such as "The Lost Princess of Zo" by Delilah S. Dawson, "Silver & Gold" by Christina Henry, and "General Jinjur's Last Stand by Una McCormack.
"The Door to Oz" by Simon R. Green - 2 stars
- A continuation of the original story taking place twenty years after the first novel. I don't like where this took the world much at all.
"Rose and Emerald" by Caitlin Rozakis - 3.5 stars
"Rose and Emerald" by Caitlin Rozakis - 3.5 stars
- This story focuses on the Munchkin girl The Tin Wood Man once loved and left behind when he completely turned to tin. I found it an interesting look at how the citizens of the Emerald City would feel about what happened with the Wizard. One of my favorite books in the original series actually deals with a continuation of their story and I highly recommend it. The book is called The Tin Woodman of Oz (Book 12).
"The Poor Workman" by Louise Carey - 2 stars
"The Poor Workman" by Louise Carey - 2 stars
- The first of the stories focused on The Patchwork Girl of Oz. I'm not a fan of this one much at all.
"Heartless" by Adrian Tchaikovsky- 3 stars
- A science fiction/dystopian take on the world of Oz. It was not my type of story but the writing was good.
"The Blue Jay" by Ian Whates - 3 stars
"The Blue Jay" by Ian Whates - 3 stars
- This was a story focused on a blue jay from our world who is involved in many of the events occurring at the beginning of the first book.
"Final Report on the Rex Rembrandt Affair" by M. R. Carey - 3 stars
"Final Report on the Rex Rembrandt Affair" by M. R. Carey - 3 stars
- Another of the stories focused around the powder that brings inanimate objects to life from The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Patchwork Girl of Oz. This seems to be a favorite among these writers. I believe this is one of the better ones using this idea, though I wish the stories could have been about other elements from the world.
"The Wizard of the Bookish Omnibus" by Paul Magrs - 3 stars
"The Wizard of the Bookish Omnibus" by Paul Magrs - 3 stars
- I enjoyed the element of how important books are in this story though this really didn't feel like an Oz story. It was more about the love of reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
"The Lost Princess of Zo" by Delilah S. Dawson - 4 stars
"The Lost Princess of Zo" by Delilah S. Dawson - 4 stars
- One of the best stories from the entire collection. I love how this feels similar to the way Baum wrote the many adventures Dorothy went on over the course of the Oz series, but much darker. It is definitely a dark and twisted take on this world and I loved it.
"Heart's Desire" by Robert Shearman - 3.5 stars
"Heart's Desire" by Robert Shearman - 3.5 stars
- A look at grief using the world of Oz. This one is both dark and heartbreaking.
"The Other Foot" by Stark Holborn - 3.5 stars
"The Other Foot" by Stark Holborn - 3.5 stars
- Another dark story that is a twisted take on the Ozian world. I enjoyed the way it was written for the most part and Trevor Wilson did a great job creating the voice of Jack.
"Silver & Gold" by Christina Henry - 4 stars
"Silver & Gold" by Christina Henry - 4 stars
- Another favorite out of the collection for me. Love this take on the witches, wizard, and Dorothy.
"General Jinjur's Last Stand" by Una McCormack - 5 stars
"General Jinjur's Last Stand" by Una McCormack - 5 stars
- My favorite from the collection. I like how this one focused on General Jinjur from The Marvelous Land of Oz (Book 2).
"The Little House on the Kansas Prairie" by Jonathan Maberry - 3 stars
"The Little House on the Kansas Prairie" by Jonathan Maberry - 3 stars
- This story focused more on Kansas and some elements of Oz.
*Thank you to RB Media and Tantor Media for my copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.*
Book 167: The Ten Thousand Doors of January
By Alix E. Harrow
Read October 24th-26th
Pages: 374
Release Year: 2019
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It took me quite a while to get into this book but once I did I was hooked. Alix E. Harrow has one of the most beautiful writing styles I have found and it shines throughout this book. I will always love a portal fantasy and this was such an interesting take on one. One of my favorite parts of this book was the book within the book and how important it was to the overall story. Such a beautiful story.
Book 168: This is a Door
By Daniel Nayeri
Read October 29th
Pages: 400
Release Year: 2026
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October 29th, 2026 reread:
This is the first time in many years I decided to reread a book within the same year of reading it. I wanted to listen to Daniel Nayeri's narration of the audiobook when I saw he had narrated it. It had a wonderful production and I highly recommend picking up both mediums so you can hear his narration and also see the way each page is formatted. This is one of the best books for younger readers I read in 2026.
July 23rd, 2026 read:
This Is a Door by Daniel Nayeri was a great middle grade novel told in verse. I loved the author's note at the end of the book where he explains his process of writing the story. He created a story based on the writing structure of the hero's journey but changed it a bit to fit Nothing's journey. Each chapter goes along with a part of the structure.
Daniel Nayeri describes the book as an illustrated novel without pictures, which is the perfect description of this book. The shape of the verses change to fit what is being told on the page such as into different shapes, twisting around the pages, and even changing size. It was one of the most inventive ways I have ever seen a book written and I highly recommend this for younger readers and for the older readers who still enjoy these types of stories. If you do choose to pick it up, the print copy would probably be your best option. The formatting doesn't translate as well into an ebook.
*Thank you to Stonefruit Studio, Daniel Nayeri, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
This is the first time in many years I decided to reread a book within the same year of reading it. I wanted to listen to Daniel Nayeri's narration of the audiobook when I saw he had narrated it. It had a wonderful production and I highly recommend picking up both mediums so you can hear his narration and also see the way each page is formatted. This is one of the best books for younger readers I read in 2026.
July 23rd, 2026 read:
This Is a Door by Daniel Nayeri was a great middle grade novel told in verse. I loved the author's note at the end of the book where he explains his process of writing the story. He created a story based on the writing structure of the hero's journey but changed it a bit to fit Nothing's journey. Each chapter goes along with a part of the structure.
Daniel Nayeri describes the book as an illustrated novel without pictures, which is the perfect description of this book. The shape of the verses change to fit what is being told on the page such as into different shapes, twisting around the pages, and even changing size. It was one of the most inventive ways I have ever seen a book written and I highly recommend this for younger readers and for the older readers who still enjoy these types of stories. If you do choose to pick it up, the print copy would probably be your best option. The formatting doesn't translate as well into an ebook.
*Thank you to Stonefruit Studio, Daniel Nayeri, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 169: Nectar
By Angela Valis
Read October 27th-30th
Pages: 128
Release Year: 2026
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A beautifully illustrated collection of poetry which was majorly focused on nature. I liked reading through this collection, especially for the art painted by Svetlana Karnaukhova. Braided throughout the collection there are poems based on The Wizard of Oz movie which sometimes don't fit the heavy content of the war poems they were between. Though, I do understand why they fit into this collection as a whole. I enjoyed many of the poems throughout this volume and would be interested in seeing what else Angela Valis writes in the future.
*Thank you to NetGalley, Amplify Publishing, and Angela Valis for my ARC of this collection. All opinions are my own.*
*Thank you to NetGalley, Amplify Publishing, and Angela Valis for my ARC of this collection. All opinions are my own.*
Book 170: The Strange House, Vol. 1
By Uketsu
Read October 30th
Pages: 173
Release Year: 2023
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I enjoyed this manga adaptation of the first part of The Strange House by Uketsu a good amount. It had such an eerie vibe throughout the entire volume and had me wanting to know what would happen next. I've wanted to pick up the book before I reading this and now I want to even more. Such an interesting concept for a horror/mystery thriller. Perfect for this time of the year.
*Thank you to Seven Seas Entertainment, NetGalley, and Uketsu for my review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.*
*Thank you to Seven Seas Entertainment, NetGalley, and Uketsu for my review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 171: How to Survive a Horror Story
By Mallory Arnold
Read October 19th-31st
Pages: 416
Release Year: 2025
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I had a pretty great time reading the chapter a day version of this book for the last thirteen days. It reminded me a bit of a adult horror version of The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin/ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl mixed with "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe. I love a locked room mystery and enjoyed the ghostly aspects of this especially with the house. Every day I looked forward to when I would pick it up for the next couple of chapters to see what would happen next with the writers.
Book 172: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
(Oz #1)
By L. Frank Baum
Read September 1st-October 31st
Pages: 256
Release Year: 1900
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Reread from September 1st- October 31st, 2026:
Decided to listen to the audiobook with my mother one day when we lost our power for a bit and then continued it at the end of October. She highly enjoyed it and so did I.
Reread from November 21st, 2025:
I decided to reread this wonderful novel right after seeing the movie version and before seeing Wicked: For Good. This will always be an all-time favorite book of mine. It's absolutely perfect.
Review from my reread on October 2nd, 2022:
I have been wanting to reread this novel ever since I finished the rest of the Oz series (at least the ones that L. Frank Baum wrote himself). This time around, I listened to the audiobook read by Titus Burgess, and it was phenomenal! He does such a wonderful job creating voices for each of the characters. I especially enjoyed his “Queen of the Field Mice.” Over the years since I first read this novel, I have fallen in love with the world of Oz even more from Baum’s books. This book hit even more this time around because of the other books. It is my second favorite in the series right below Ozma of Oz.
Review from April 8th, 2017:
Before I read this novel, I only knew the story from the 1939 movie and the many television shows I have seen based on the novel. The story is similar to the movie. A little girl named Dorothy is swept up in a tornado because she is not able to get out of the house in time. She lands in the house on a witch in the Land of Oz. There she finds out from the Witch of the North (one of the differences between the movie and the novel) that she should go to the Wizard of Oz, and he may help her get home. On the way to the Wizard, she meets three characters: the Scarecrow, The Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion. Each has a reason to go and meet Oz.
One of the differences that I was surprised about was the Wicked Witch of the West, who was one of my favorite characters in the movie. She is not in the novel that much and really is in the novel as a comedic device. I did think that the witch was funny, but this is one of the reasons that I did not love the novel. The Wicked Witch of the West has become one of the biggest and most known villains of all time, and I kind of wish that she had more of a story in the novel. I loved her in the movie, but I only liked her in the book.
This novel was one that I have been wanting to read for a long time, and I am glad that I read it. If you like the movie, I believe that you will enjoy the novel. It is interesting and a great piece of children's literature.
Decided to listen to the audiobook with my mother one day when we lost our power for a bit and then continued it at the end of October. She highly enjoyed it and so did I.
Reread from November 21st, 2025:
I decided to reread this wonderful novel right after seeing the movie version and before seeing Wicked: For Good. This will always be an all-time favorite book of mine. It's absolutely perfect.
Review from my reread on October 2nd, 2022:
I have been wanting to reread this novel ever since I finished the rest of the Oz series (at least the ones that L. Frank Baum wrote himself). This time around, I listened to the audiobook read by Titus Burgess, and it was phenomenal! He does such a wonderful job creating voices for each of the characters. I especially enjoyed his “Queen of the Field Mice.” Over the years since I first read this novel, I have fallen in love with the world of Oz even more from Baum’s books. This book hit even more this time around because of the other books. It is my second favorite in the series right below Ozma of Oz.
Review from April 8th, 2017:
Before I read this novel, I only knew the story from the 1939 movie and the many television shows I have seen based on the novel. The story is similar to the movie. A little girl named Dorothy is swept up in a tornado because she is not able to get out of the house in time. She lands in the house on a witch in the Land of Oz. There she finds out from the Witch of the North (one of the differences between the movie and the novel) that she should go to the Wizard of Oz, and he may help her get home. On the way to the Wizard, she meets three characters: the Scarecrow, The Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion. Each has a reason to go and meet Oz.
One of the differences that I was surprised about was the Wicked Witch of the West, who was one of my favorite characters in the movie. She is not in the novel that much and really is in the novel as a comedic device. I did think that the witch was funny, but this is one of the reasons that I did not love the novel. The Wicked Witch of the West has become one of the biggest and most known villains of all time, and I kind of wish that she had more of a story in the novel. I loved her in the movie, but I only liked her in the book.
This novel was one that I have been wanting to read for a long time, and I am glad that I read it. If you like the movie, I believe that you will enjoy the novel. It is interesting and a great piece of children's literature.
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