6 Book Recommendations for 6 Different Moods

I can’t believe it’s November already. October went by in a whirlwind. Maybe that was because I was reading reading reading like a maniac. I had set a goal to read two books in October because I knew it was going to be a busy month, but I ended up reading NINE. All in between writing 30k words on my new book, so October was a month of lots of words for me!

But that’s good news for you because that means I have book recommendations. :-) And because I’m working on my Read Wide reading challenge, the recs fall across various genres and are pretty different from each other. So I thought it’d be fun to give recs based on the reading mood you might be in.

Ready? Let’s go!

1. I am overwhelmed, and I need an easy, page-turning read that will not stress me out and will give me the warm and fuzzy romance feeling.

Smooth-Talking Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Maisey’s books are where I go when I need a sure thing, feel-good read. Her characters are likable, the love scenes hot, and the story fun.

2. I’m feeling a little down and I want a sweet read that’s going to make me smile.

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

This story of two teen boys falling for each other, one a Mormon, is a sweet, moving story of young love. I adored the fun voice of the main character, and it had the right amount of angst to make you worry for them.

3. I am in a really good place and can handle a beautiful, epic read that’s going to rip my heart out and (kind of) put it back together again. (Or I’m in need of a good, hard cry.)

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Okay, y’all. ALL the warnings here. If you are in any way feeling down or depressed, don’t pick up this book yet. It’s an emotional wringer. I’m glad I read it on a sunny vacation in Phoenix to offset the heartbreaking story. Having said that, it was a beautiful, amazing story. And the setting of the Alaska in the 1970s was so well drawn that I felt like I was there. It’s one of those books that I’m happy I read but that I couldn’t read again, if that makes sense. It gutted me. The ending is hopeful. I wouldn’t recommend one with a completely tragic ending, but don’t go in looking for an “Ahh” feeling happily ever after. (Also trigger warnings for domestic violence.)

4. I’m looking for something totally different, and I have time to listen to a story during a commute or during chores.

Dead Air by Gwenda Bond, Carrie Ryan, and Rachel Caine

Now for something a little different…Dead Air is on the new platform/app for serial stories Serial Box. The story is told in episodes and has full sound effects and such, so it’s different from a straight up audiobook.

I was curious about the format so I started listening to Dead Air while I was washing dishes and driving. I got hooked after probably two episodes, and that’s saying something because, though I listen to a lot of non-fiction in audio, I have yet to get into fiction audiobooks. This one held my attention. And I didn’t figure out the mystery ahead of time. There’s also a new adult romance mixed into the story. I believe you can try the first episode free if you want to see what it’s like. If you like it, you can buy the whole season for the price of a book.

5. I’m already missing Halloween, and I’m looking for a scary book that will have me peeking out my windows to check that no one’s out there.

The Surviving Girls by Katee Robert

I happened to be reading this book the same week that I saw the new Halloween movie. This book and that movie have a lot in common. It’s about a survivor (or survivors) going up against a human monster that ruined their lives in a tragic way when they were teens. In this case, two women who survived a sorority row slaying are being hunted again by the killer (or are they?) This is a thriller, but it also has a strong horror feel to me. There is a minor romance in it as well.

(This one is free in Kindle Unlimited if that’s your jam.)

6. I’m in the mood to learn something.

Overdressed by Elizabeth L. Cline

I got this in audiobook from my library, and I found it really eye-opening. If you ever wonder why those tops at the store can be sold for five dollars (or wonder if they should be that cheap) and why pretty much any clothing you buy these days falls apart after a few washes, this book will answer those questions. Be warned, it’s one of those topics you can’t “unsee” once you know about it. It’s made me look at clothes shopping through a whole new lens. Also, if you get this in audiobook, the narrator takes a little getting used to.

All right, those are the six picks I have for you today. What have you read lately that you loved? Are you a mood reader?

A Screw-With-Your-Head Read: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

I was supposed to do a lot of things yesterday. House cleaning. Laundry. Run errands. Instead, I spent most of the day immersed in this book and only managed to go grocery shopping so we wouldn't starve this week. 

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood was one of my Book of the Month Club choices. It was actually a pick from last month (but you can choose old picks). I didn't get it the first time around because I wasn't sure I wanted to read the subject matter. But then I saw a number of people (whose reading tastes generally align with mine) recommending it, so this month I grabbed it.

I'm glad I did. This was one compelling read.

First, a warning. This is not an easy book to read. It doesn't hold back and is very dark. However, at its heart, there's also love. Love that will leave you with uncomfortable mixed feelings most likely. But isn't that the best part of a well-written book? It leaves you thinking. It leaves you questioning your own feelings about the story and the characters.

I won't go too deep into the plot, but I know most of you who are reading this are romance readers, so if you want to know if this is a happy ending or not, scroll to the bottom of the post to see under the spoiler heading. If you don't want to be spoiled. Avoid that. :)

I'm still processing my own feelings about this book, but I think my biggest takeaway is that we can't ever know what it's like to be in someone else's shoes. We make judgments. We know what's right unequivocally. Or we think we do. But is it always so cut and dried? I don't know. Hence the uncomfortable feelings.

It made me think about my days as a social worker. I did therapy with middle school aged children from very difficult backgrounds. Some had seen and been through so much, I could barely wrap my head around it. So reading about Wavy, I couldn't help but think, I met girls like her. Thirteen year olds who'd walk in my office with the eyes of a hardened adult. Ones who would often get involved with boys much older than them. They'd grown up too fast because they'd had no other choice. It was do that or not survive. Did they make bad choices? Often. Could I blame them? No. Would I have reported Wavy and Kellen to the police if she'd walked in my office? Absolutely. I did that very thing a number of times in that job. And I'd still do it every single time without pause if I were still doing that job.

So if I were in this book, I'd be one of the antagonists (like her aunt.) But the story made me root for Wavy and Kellen. So...yeah. It's a book that effs with your head. That's one reason I read dark books. I don't mind a book messing with my lines. Fiction gives a space for that. But I also know that's not for everyone. So, you've been warned. : )

But if you decide to pick it up, you're going to get one hell of a read. 

Here's the blurb:

A beautiful and provocative love story between two unlikely people and the hard-won relationship that elevates them above the Midwestern meth lab backdrop of their lives.

As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.

By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget, Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.

Grab a copy or you can still get it through Book of the Month Club (sign up with my link and code REFER 50 and get 50% off a three month membership.) I have to say the hardback version is lovely. Gorgeous cover and that nice soft feel to the jacket. (Yes, I pet my books. Don't you? ;) )

Has anyone else read this? What books have you read that screwed with your head or made you question your feelings?

SPOILER! SPOILER! 

This book has a positive ending. You have to go through hell to get to it though. :)