Here’s the weird thing about October {and the last month or so}: I either fly through books in 2-3 sittings, or they are dragging like cold molasses. I also bailed on a couple that just didn’t fit my headspace or I set down for a day or few and forgot about. If I’m not invested enough to even remember I’m reading it, probably not the right time for that book. All in all, October was a pretty decent month. Especially when you take into consideration our various adventures and projects – trying to get all the things taken care of before it gets too cold. Let’s see how the month went …

📖 Persuasion | Jane Austen | ⭐⭐⭐
You can read all my thoughts and reactions here. Still not my favorite Austen, but maybe not quite as bad as I remembered it? At the very least, Jane’s snark was perfect.

📱 I’ll be Home for Christmas | Jenny Bayliss | ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
The perfect start to my holiday reading. Jenny Bayliss is one of my Christmas Queens, and this one rates a high spot on my favorites list. I loved that we got two stories: Bella and Fred, mother and daughter, and the way they’re twined together. Once more, the small town charm is heavy and perfect, and the whole community of Pine Bluff is fabulous.

📖 Birding with Benefits | Sarah T. Dubb | ⭐⭐⭐
Wanted to read this one before watching the Hallmark movie version. While it’s a fun idea {fake dating! bird counting contest!}, and I love the way Celeste and John are so different – but working through similar relationship baggage, there is definitely more emphasis on the benefits than the birding. Maybe I’m just very in my birding era, but I wanted more of that, especially since the contest was such a massive part of the plot. Also important to know going in: this one has language and is very open door.

📖 A Game of Lies | Clare Mackintosh | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I missed the release of this one last year, so it’s been a minute since I read the first book in the series. But it didn’t take long to get back into the swing of investigations with Ffion {spoiler: she’s a hot mess}. The Wales setting is exotic but deliciously rural, and I love the tension between Ffion and Leo, her English counterpart. The location is a character in its own right, but the people – and dog – characters are so colorful. There are more twists than a mountain road, and that ending … Definitely picking up the latest book sooner than later.

🎧 Christmas at the Shelter Inn | RaeAnne Thayne | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An impulse check out while surfing Libby for an audiobook, but such a good addition to the festive reading. This is the first book by Thayne I’ve read, but won’t be the last – she officially has the “small town knack,” which is apparently a major weakness. There’s some heavy things mentioned in this one, a lot of grief and pain baggage being dealt with, but there’s also a steady underlying message that Christmas is the time of Hope and Love.

📱 Overdue | Stephanie Perkins | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this one! I actually squealed when the approval email hit my inbox, I was so excited about the idea. Featuring librarians and a North Carolina mountains setting, what’s not to love? The experiment that Ingrid and her boyfriend Cory conduct for the first part of the book. Their decision to date other people for a month before moving toward a deeper commitment – a decision that kept extending, before they finally called off the whole relationship – is weird and off-putting. Once you get past that portion of the story, it’s lovely: small-town charm, colorful secondary characters, and a slow burn friends-to-lovers love story. Also: there’s a cat!

🎧 The Christmas Ring | Karen Kingsbury | ⭐⭐⭐
I’ve not read much Kingsbury, but since this one was available in Libby + there’s a movie releasing soon, I decided to give it a listen. A short read, packed with emotional notes and a surprising amount of drama. The twist is predictable, but the story should transfer very well to the screen. There were some continuity issues that bothered me, but I don’t generally expect festive reads to be “great literature” either.

📖 Northanger Abbey | Jane Austen | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read my thoughts and musings here. It’s been a bit since I read this one, so the reread was welcome. Also, why are there not as many NA retellings?

Listening:
After missing the September A Jane Austen Year podcast episode, I got to double-up, which was actually rather lovely. A little music. A few audiobooks. A lot of chicken sounds.

Watching:
October started with some watching, and then things got busy and the watching tapered off again. The longer nights {which mean an earlier start to cozy time} will probably see more viewing to come. And I know we’ll be catching up on The Gilded Age soon!

• 📺 Designated Survivor (Season 1) | Netflix
  We started this one the end of September, and then promptly binged Season 1. Whew. The twists and turns and absolute chaos taking place.
• 📺 The Great British Bake Off | Netflix
  Why is this show so very soothing? And why can’t more competitions be like this one?
• 🎬 How to Train Your Dragon (2025) | DVD
  My hold finally came in and I got to see what everyone has been raving about. Yes! This is the kind of live action remake I want: don’t dramatically change the story, just make it “better” for being real versus animation. Also: I forgot how amazing the musical score is. So, so good.

On the Blog:
It was a somewhat eclectic month on the blog, from a new bird feeder to crochet updates to literal “odds & ends.” Not to mention recaps of adventures, walking, and more walking. And the first festive reading update!

The next few months will likely continue to be a weird mix of things, as outside time slows way down and inside pursuits take over. There are a lot of bookish posts in the works, more crafty/crochet things, and hopefully some more recipes! We may need another chicken update soon: it is amazing how much Popcorn has continued to “evolve” in such a short amount of time.

I hope everyone has been having a lovely Fall – the colors are absolutely stunning here now, and I am savoring every second. I only wish the camera did half justice to the intensity.

What was your favorite read/watch of October, and what do you most look forward to in November?

Here’s to a cozy and quiet month for all!