…let’s make this short n sweet.

1. Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson

This is a reverse murder mystery. Truly unlikeable characters. Peter Swanson is hit or miss with me. This one fell somewhere in between.

2. Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson

OK so for a good long while, I forgot that this was horror and got super caught up in the cozy sapphic romance of it all. And the cupcakes! Then…it takes a sharp swerve and it got me good. I thought this was pretty effing good except for the brutal scene with an animal that nearly made me put this down and never pick it back up. Do what you want to the humans in the stories BUT LEAVE THE ANIMALS OUT OF IT. Major trigger warning there.

3. Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick

Bro, this was so basic and boring.

4. The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown

Historical fiction that’s also a mystery thriller? Let’s go. Sadly, this one kind of petered out for me.

5. Someone Who Isn’t Me by Geoff Rickly

FIVE STARS. This is not surprising though because I have mad respect for Geoff as a person, musician, and song-writer so I knew this was going to be good. And it was. There are so many times his turn of phrase made me actually close my eyes and let it sink in. This is such a fever dream, a harrowing journey through the psyche of an addict. It made me so relieved that Geoff has clawed his way into a safe, clean space.

Even better is that I bought my copy of this from Geoff directly at a show in 2025 and he signed it for me while we had a really nice and memorable chat. If you have ever seen his solo shows, you know that this man can tell a story and if you loved what you heard from him on stage, you will love his written words on these pages.

(Also, never forget the time he spit on my face at Smiling Moose. I was like Marsha Brady….)

6. Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

Another 5 star read! Full disclosure, this is a middle grade book. I read one of the Hahn’s book (Wait Til Helen Comes) when I was a kid and that book CHILLED ME so I wanted to see what another one of her books would do to me as an adult. YEP. Chills. A quick and perfect October read!

7. What Happened That Summer by Laura Pearson

My friend Eve recommended this to me on Goodreads and wow, does she know me or what. First of all, the audiobook is CHEF’S KISS – full cast, podcast-style. It’s a present-day recount of a tragic accident that kills a Justin Bieber-esque American teen pop star in the 90s….at an amusement park. The very first line is about him dying on a freak roller coaster accident, and this was literally the same week someone was killed on a coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, so that was chilling.

But OMG, this was engaging, excellent, and just REALLY FUN. I loved it – thank you, Eve!!

8. Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison

This was probably my least favorite Harrison novel so far but still a solid 4 stars because she is just so good at dialogue. Her characters are always so easy for me to visualize. However, this one is a Groundhog Day-type of plot with a horror twist to it.  I loved the horror parts but the “Wake up and do it again” always gets so old for me no matter who is writing it.

9. They Say a Girl Died Here by Sarah Pinborough

It was OK. You always have to expect some type of utterly unrealistic twist with Pinborough.

10. This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

Wow two summer books in October, I can’t let go, I guess! Anyway, I liked this one. It was cozy.

11. Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm

If you aren’t already FREE PALESTINE and still aren’t after reading this, then you are fucking dead inside. This is a heart-wrenching take on the haunted house trope. Brilliantly written, I was so emotional and sobbing by the end.

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