October was kind of chaotic with all of the moving preparations, but I read some good books I wanted to share. I’m still on my fantasy kick and I’ve been really curious to read older fantasy to see how the genre has evolved. And hey, I actually read some non-fiction in October.
Howl’s Moving Castle
If you’ve seen the movie you may be curious to check out the actual book, and you might be surprised to find how different it is from the movie. The movie is a sweeping epic, but the book includes far more whimsy, banter, and truly chaotic personalities. The pacing is a bit slow, but a great time if you’re not dying to get the plot resolved.
Castle in the Air
This is the second book of the three-part series, but it wasn’t nearly as engaging for me as the previous book and I’m currently stuck on the third. Diana Wynne Jones is just as clever as ever with her characters, but unfortunately less engaging and too loosely connected to the first book.
Don’t Believe a Word: The Surprising Truth About Language
I am such a language nerd, so this was an absolute treat. It introduces a lot of key concepts in how to understand how different languages compare to one another and considers the huge role our language plays in our thoughts and as a society. Easy to read, but packed with so much info that I’m hankering for a reread.
Every Heart a Doorway
This is the second book I’ve read that explores what life after a magical journey to another world would be like. Unlike The Light Between Worlds, this story includes a boarding school with students dealing with the return from different worlds. I didn’t love the ending, but it was a thoughtful and interesting read all the same.
The Folk of The Air Series
This is technically a reread, but since I haven’t written about it yet, I thought this would be a good time. The Act Ya Age podcast covered the series last month, and I jumped on the opportunity to guest on their episode covering The Wicked King. Holly Black’s take on the fae is beautiful and horrifying and sets the perfect stage for a story about security, trust, and power.
You can follow me on The StoryGraph if you want to see more of what I’m reading or come back next month for a round-up of November.