Weekly Reading Roundup: October 22nd to October 28th, 2023

Wow, this has been an EXCELLENT reading week, and I am so excited to share about the eight books I read this week.

At this point, the roundup needs very little introduction, so here we go!

I have removed one of the titles from this article due to the boycott of St. Martin's Press and its imprint, and I forgot to check the publisher of one of the titles. You can read about the boycott here

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The Great Gimmelmans by Lee Matthew Goldberg

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller

My rating: 4 stars

Description via The Storygraph:”Middle child Aaron Gimmelman watches as his family goes from a mild-mannered reform Jewish clan to having over a million dollars of stolen money stuffed in their RV’s cabinets while being pursued by the FBI and loan sharks. But it wasn’t always like that. His father Barry made a killing as a stockbroker, his mother Judith loved her collection of expensive hats, his older sister Steph was obsessed with pop stars, and little sister Jenny loved her stuffed possum, Seymour.

After losing all their money in the Crash of 1987, the family starts stealing from convenience stores, but when they hit a bank, they realize the talent they possess. The money starts rolling in and brings the family closer together, whereas back at home, no one had any time for bonding due to their busy schedules. But Barry’s desire for more, more, more will take its toll on the Gimmelmans, and Aaron is forced into an impossible choice: turn against his father, or let his family fall apart.

From Jersey, down to an Orthodox Jewish community in Florida where they hide out, and up to California, The Great Gimmelmans goes on a madcap ride through the 1980s. Filled with greed and love and the meaning of religion and tradition until the walls of the RV and the feds start closing in on the family, this thrilling literary tale mixes Michael Chabon and the Coen Brothers with equal parts humor and pathos.

BUCKLE UP!”

My thoughts: You can read my full review of this ARC over on Write Through the Night!

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Genre(s): Fantasy, Young Adult

My rating: 5 stars

Description via The Storygraph: “Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to forswear—no matter what the cost.”

My thoughts: I am not usually a high fantasy person, but tend to give it a try if it is a young adult novel, and I am so glad I gave this book a chance!

I loved this story, and I am so excited to read the second book! It is nice to read a duology because it is less of a time commitment, but trust me, this book is not lacking in storytelling!

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

Genre(s): Horror

My rating: 5 stars

Description via The Storygraph: “A cynical twentysomething must confront her cultish family in this fiery, irreverent novel from the national bestselling author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.

Nobody has a ‘normal family’, but Vesper Wright’s is truly…something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she could never return. But then the envelope arrives on her doorstep.

Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie, hosted at the family home. Have they made an exception to the rule? Wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to this wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped from. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.

When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a horrifying family secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.”

My thoughts: I LOVED this! So far my favorite horror of the year!

I am super jazzed to read the rest of Harrison’s novels. If you are a horror movie fan, particularly of cult horror films, or a fan of Elvira, I feel like you would absolutely adore this. I personally love cult based horror, so I really enjoyed this one.

It is not a particularly gory horror book, but it does have a couple bloody points. This is definitely a “feeling discomfort in your guts the whole time” book, not a slasher novel.

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

Genre(s): Thriller

My rating: 4.75 stars

Description via The Storygraph: “There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum-security prison:

1) Treat all prisoners with respect.

2) Never reveal any personal information.

3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.

But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary’s most notorious and dangerous inmates.

And they certainly don’t know that Shane was Brooke’s high school sweetheart—the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke's testimony was what put him there.

But Shane knows.

And he will never forget.”

My thoughts: After the shit show that was The Coworker, I was hesitant to continue reading McFadden’s books, but I had already borrowed this on Kindle Unlimited, so I decided to give it a go. I am glad I did.

Although some of the twists were fairly predictable, this was a fun and quick read that satisfied my desire for thrills. Once I got into it, I had to keep reading.

Not my favorite of hers, but still definitely good, and a nice change from the last one.

I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano

Genre(s): Poetry

My rating: 3.5 stars

Description via The Storygraph: “Animal lovers will laugh out loud at the quirkiness of their feline friends with these insightful and curious poems from the singular minds of funny cats. In this hilarious book of tongue-in-cheek poetry, the author of the internationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth helps cats unlock their creative potential and explain their odd behavior to ignorant humans. With titles like "Who Is That on Your Lap?," "This Is My Chair," "Kneel Before Me," "Nudge," and "Some of My Best Friends Are Dogs," the poems collected in I Could Pee on This perfectly capture the inner workings of the cat psyche. With photos of the cat authors throughout, this whimsical volume reveals kitties at their wackiest, and most exasperating (but always lovable).

Ideal for that "crazy cat lady" or "cat mom/dad" in your life this collection of poems makes for the perfect cat themed gift for anyone who's obsessed with our feline friends.”

My thoughts: Not much to say about this one, the description kind of covers it.

One of my friends got me this for my birthday, and it was silly and short and overall a fun read!

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Genre(s): Nonfiction, Politics

My rating: 3.5 stars

Description via The Storygraph: "The Communist Manifesto (officially Manifesto of the Communist Party) is an 1848 political manifesto by German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that laid out the program of the Communist League. Originally published in German (as Manifest der kommunistischen Partei) just as the revolutions of 1848 began to erupt, the Manifesto has since been recognized as one of the world's most influential political manuscripts.

It presents an analytical approach to the class struggle (historical and present) and the problems of capitalism and the capitalist mode of production, rather than a prediction of Communism's potential future forms. The Communist Manifesto contains Marx and Engels' theories about the nature of society and politics, that in their own words, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles". It also briefly features their ideas for how the capitalist society of the time would eventually be replaced by socialism, and then finally Communism."

My thoughts: Read this as an audiobook free on YouTube

I think, with all of our “red scare” propaganda, reading this book is really important. Frankly, this is not really a radical concept, and I suggest people read/listen to this book before spreading any misinformation.

I had read this in high school and found it informative, and reread it now as an adult as a refresher.

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

Genre(s): Horror, Mystery, Thriller

My rating: 4.5 stars

Description via The Storygraph: “The New York Times bestselling author of The Invited will shock you with a simmering psychological thriller about ghostly secrets, dark choices, and the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters.

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter.

Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that has weighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. In her search for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, she discovers that she's not the only person looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year”

My thoughts: This was a really good read, and I am glad I picked it up!

I had this on my shelf for almost a year, and multiple people on Reddit were encouraging me to read it, so I finally did!

Definitely not the best horror I have read this year, but it’s in the top five. I love a good ghost story, so this fit that bill nicely.

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What book(s) did you read this week? Let me know in the comments!