Let’s see, in October we got our first atmospheric river of the season here in the Bay Area, I started some seeds to plant in our winter garden, and I finally carved our homegrown pumpkins into jack o’ lanterns! It was a pretty moody month, so I stuck with horror, thrillers and magic for the most part. I’d say I got a decent amount of reading done. Let’s dive into the reviews, shall we?

Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews

4/5 stars

Florence Darrow is a small-town striver who believes that she's destined to become a celebrated writer. When she stumbles into the opportunity to become the assistant to Helen, the writer behind "Maud Dixon," a celebrated-but anonymous-novelist, she believes that the universe is finally providing her big chance. On a research trip to Morocco, where Helen’s new novel is set, Florence wakes up in the hospital after a terrible car crash and Helen is dead. Florence begins to imagine what it might be like to 'upgrade' into not only Helen's life, but also take the pseudonym, Maud Dixon.

I highly enjoyed this! The pace was impeccable; never a dull moment. There was solid character development, juicy details revealed at just the right time, and a main character who actually moves nimbly through the plot (nothing worse to me than a mystery character who just has things happen to her). The plot moved seamlessly from NYC to upstate NY to Morocco, which is tough to do. However, it seemed a tad on the short side and I wanted to see a bit more of the side characters. It left me wanting more in a good way.

Desperation by Stephen King

4/5 stars

Four group of travelers across Nevada’s lonely interstate highway have the bad fortune of getting pulled over by a demonic cop, who takes them back to the little mining town of Desperation, where evil has taken over.

As to be expected from Stephen King, this was an absolute feast of a story. I like that it started right in the action and immediately sucked me in, loved the setting, and the characters are all interesting and unique. I usually haaaate backstory too early in a book, but at least Mr. King makes it fascinating to where I actually do want to learn the history about these characters I just met.

Also to be expected, there is a big theme of good vs. evil at the center of the plot. Because of this, there is much religious discussion and melodramatic (imo) scenes where characters discuss God and evil and death, and it didn't always fit with the action (one of these conversations happens during an ATV ride through the desert, which you would think would be a bit loud).

Also, David the 12-year-old often sounded way too old. He talks about sex like he knows anything about it, swears, and yet is also extremely pious and pure. Didn't really add up.

As always, the writing is impeccable and there is even a note of humor to cut through all the religious talk, so thoroughly entertaining overall.

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

5/5 stars

A popular dating show casts its first plus-size lead, Bea. Even though she asks producers to cast similarly body-diverse contestants, she’s met with conventionally hot men vying for her hand. Bea has to decide of she can really believe love can be found here.

I loved it! Body diversity is definitely a conversation that pop culture needs to have. The main character was so easy to root for, but I do wish she were a little more flawed so she'd feel a bit more real. The plot kept up the drama ("most dramatic season ever!") from start to finish, and I thought the commentary from blogs and podcasts were a clever narrative device. Overall this was an entertaining read with heart and a timely discussion!

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

4/5 stars

A nanny takes a post at a Victorian mansion in the Scottish highlands, but the home's touchy smart technology and the ill-behaved children make it a tough job. Plus, there are creepy, unexplained happenings—AND she's all alone while the parents are gone on business. Can she stick it out?

Solid thriller from one of the most popular current authors in the genre. A great page-turner with a gothic atmosphere. I liked the steady pace of creepy happenings, the frustration of bratty kids and tech that's on the fritz, and the isolation of being the one adult in a secluded house. I did feel like some of the elements could have been expanded on (the love interest, the main character's back story, and the outcome of the court case) but the author chose to keep the scope pretty tight and because of that, some of the explanations felt a bit weak. For 300+ pages worth of mysterious events to be explained by one little detail felt shortchanged. But like I said, this book still kept the pages turning for me.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

3.5/5 stars

On a dark midwinter’s night at an ancient inn on the river Thames, the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation?

I do think the writing was lovely and the story was rich. I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first because there isn't a main character to guide the plot; instead, it meanders through several different storylines, in my opinion never getting deep enough with any of them. The pace also lagged at times, especially when it constantly paused to build up this motif of storytellers that felt a bit forced to me. Overall, I think I would have enjoyed this book if it had been a bit tighter and not so long-winded.