What I Read in October

Surprisingly, the best of the bunch was a re-read on audiobook: The Diviners by Libba Bray. In preparation for the newest book in the series, I decided to relisten to the first two. And boy, I was not disappointed! This is a great audiobook.

I've posted about this series before, so I'll just reiterate: it is spooky, it is fun, and I highly recommend it. Now I just have to wait my turn to listen to book 2 and check out book 3. 😔

The other October read that I recommend was a complete surprise to me:

Olive and the Backstage Ghost by Michelle Schusterman


Olive loves to sing but experiences extreme stage fright when her famous and controlling mother are in the room. So when she fails another audition, she runs out and finds an old vaudeville theater called Maudeville, which just happens to be looking for a singer for their new show. As Olive sneaks out to rehearse, she quickly discovers that the theater and its performers are not quite what they appear to be and her very life may be in danger.

The cover doesn't really do it justice but I like the spiders. Beginning like a take off on Glee or Sing, Olive finds a theater tucked in a back alley and discovers a varied and exciting new family. This is especially important since her own is not doing so well.

Surprisingly the true theme of the book is recognizing and dealing with grief. Also unexpected was the truly scary and Coraline-esque ending. Give this one to your 4-6 graders who adore scary books.

Everything else I read this month:

1. The Turning by Francine Prose
2.  I Am Bat by Morag Hood
3. All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
4. Thornhill by Pam Smy
5. Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Emma Garcia
6. The Darkest Part of the Woods by Ramsey Campbell
7. Jonesy vol. 2 by Sam Humphries
8. In Your Hands by Carole Boston Weatherford
9. A Different Pond by Bao Phi
10. Older Than Dirt: A Wild But True History of Earth by Don Brown
11. Life by Cynthia Rylant
12. Bunnicula by James Howe (writing about made me want to reread it)
13. Fruits in Suits by Jared Chapman
14. Ghosts of the Triangle: Historic Haunts of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill by Richard Jackson
15. This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World by Matt LaMonthe
16. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy