Read With Keri: Books I Read in October

Guys, I am so excited for this post! If you’ve kept up with my book recap posts, you know I’ve been going through a bit of a reading rut lately. But October came through with some great stories, and it reignited my love for reading once again. It’s going to still be a race to the finish line to reach my yearly reading goal, but October books definitely helped.

Here are the books I read in October.

{ONE} Then She Was Gone — Lisa Jewell (4.5/5 stars)

This was a page-turning thriller to kick off spooky season. It’s told from multiple points-of-view, which I enjoyed and didn’t find it difficult to keep up with. It contains triggering content because it's about a girl who was abducted/disappeared and her remains are found years later. Needless to say, this is written with a mature audience in mind, but if you can stomach some of the more intense scenes, it is a well-written plot that kept me intrigued and gasping from the start.

{TWO} Letters to My Daughter — Maya Angelou (3.5/5 stars)

I love Maya Angelou’s writing so when I saw this available on Libby and saw she narrated it, I immediately downloaded it. It’s equal parts autobiography, poetry, and letter. It’s beautifully transparent and thought-provoking.

{THREE} Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography — Neil Patrick Harris (3.5/5 stars)

I loved the concept of this book but think it may have translated better via physical book form. Since I listened to this (NPH narrates it), he chose the adventures for me. It was light-hearted, witty, funny, and sometimes a bit serious. His humor can be self-deprecating at times. I didn’t give it a higher rating because there are some parts where he blatantly makes fun of religion and anyone who doesn’t believe the same things as he does, which I did not appreciate and found disrespectful.

{FOUR} Dear Future Mama — Meghan Trainor (4/5 stars)

I surprisingly enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Meghan details her pregnancy and postpartum experiences, and it was all the things: honest, funny, relatable, encouraging. She doesn’t give medical advice or try to convince the reader one way or the other on various topics, which I appreciated. I’d recommend this for mommas-to-be or new moms of any age.

{FIVE} Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — J.K. Rowling (4.5/5 stars)

Would you believe me if I said this was my first time reading Harry Potter?! I know, I know. I’ve watched the movies but honestly had no interest in reading the series until recently. I’m not the biggest fan of the fantasy genre, so the idea of reading the series never appealed to me growing up. But, I’ve heard great things and realized I never gave it a chance, so better late than never, right? I enjoyed book #1 and found it to be a quick and fun read. I’m already onto book #2 (Chamber of Secrets) and look forward to inching my way through the series.