My October 2023 TBR
My 2023 OCTOBER TBR
This year is flying by! I recently started a new job, and the initial transition period presented some time-based growing pain. So, it’s probably not a surprise that all my September reading goals – and the accompanying book blog content – went out the window. Thankfully, I’m back on track and in the mood to dive into some spooky reads. Care to join me?
7 Books on My October TBR
1. "Plain Bad Heroines” by Emily M. Danforth
Genre: Horror Comedy, Sapphic, LGBTQ+
Publisher: HarperCollins
GoodReads Rating: 3.66 ⭐⭐⭐
The StoryGraph Rating: 3.78 ⭐⭐⭐
I have seven books on my TBR this month, starting with one of my favorite novels of all time. This is a re-read for me, and I can’t wait to jump in again. I checked out “Plan Bad Heroines” as an audiobook via Hoopla to be my airplane read (listen) on my way to Iceland last fall. It ended up being one of – if not my TOP – favorite books of 2022. I’ve added it to my 2023 TBR because I want to explore it again in written form to test which version hits the best for me.
While it’s gotten traction on TikTok in some circles, it’s not nearly as popular as I think it should be. The horror-comedy novel follows a group of sapphic-leaning creatives as they come together to make a movie about a famously cursed all-girls school. The plot contains three layers of time – the present and two paths in the past. While it sounds complicated, the audiobook was incredibly easy to follow. I’m excited to dive into the sapphic horror story again with a new approach.
2. "What Lies in the Woods" by Kat Alice Marshall
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Publisher: Flatiron Books
GoodReads Rating: 3.99 ⭐⭐⭐
The StoryGraph Rating: 4.01 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Okay, this mystery book was on my August TBR, and I didn’t get to it before it was due back on Libby. Fortunately, I’ve finally gotten my hands on it again, and I can’t wait to finally jump in. The novel follows two women decades after their testimonies were key to putting an alleged serial killer behind bars. Now, they both have to return to the scene of the crime in the present to discover the truth of the past.
3. "Magpie Murders" by Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co.
GoodReads Rating: 3.95 ⭐⭐⭐
The StoryGraph Rating: 3.89 ⭐⭐⭐
This crime novel is another from my August TBR that I didn’t revisit in time, but I’m determined to get it read by October. “Magpie Murders” is another story that follows intertwines two different time periods. However, the “past” in this mystery is actually a novel in itself written by a murder victim in the present.
4. "The Turn of the Key” by Ruth Ware
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Scout Press
GoodReads Rating: 3.93 ⭐⭐⭐
The StoryGraph Rating: 3.83 ⭐⭐⭐
I fucking love Ruth Ware. I own many of her novels, and they always have a way of sucking me in and keeping my attention. I have this mystery thriller checked out on Libby, and it’s at the top of my TBR for October.
In “The Turn of the Key”, the plot follows the lead character as she accepts a live-in nanny position in the Scottish Highlands. While the smart house is enticing, it may also be dangerous. The thriller novel lets readers know that the nanny ends up on trial for the murder of one of the kids, but the truth of what happened and who is actually responsible for the death is what the meat of the story tries to find out.
5. “Bad Like Us” by Gabriella Lapore
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, YA Fiction
Publisher: Inkyard Press
GoodReads Rating: 3.76 ⭐⭐⭐
The StoryGraph Rating: 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐
Now that I’m in my old age – 35 😉, I don’t dive into young adult reads very often. However, I have learned that YA thrillers and horror novels are the key to breaking a reading slump. I’m hoping “Bad Like Us" can do that for me if I hit any walls in October, especially with the mid-month travel that’s planned.
The thriller novel follows two friends groups on spring break at a private retreat that leaves one person dead and plenty of questions left unanswered. I was given a free digital copy of the novel via NetGalley in exchange for a review, which is a new experience for me. Feeling fancy af.
6. "Stay Out of the Basement" (Goosebumps, #2) by R. L. Stine
Genre: Horror, Children's Fiction
Publisher: Scholastic
GoodReads Rating: 3.69 ⭐⭐⭐
The StoryGraph Rating: 3.39 ⭐⭐⭐
I’ve been slacking on my Goosebumps Challenge, but I’m determined to get through at least Books Two and Three in October. Book two in the series follows two siblings whose dad is obsessed with breeding plants in the basement. The hobby itself is a bit weird, but when their old man starts becoming a bit plant-like himself, the kids get concerned.
7. "Monster Blood" (Goosebumps, #3) by R. L. Stine
Genre: Horror, Children's Fiction
Publisher: Scholastic
GoodReads Rating: 3.53 ⭐⭐⭐
The StoryGraph Rating: 3.2 ⭐⭐⭐
The third book in the original Goosebumps series starts with a very standard childhood activity – visiting a toy store. An innocent purchase of green Monster Blood quickly turns into a nightmare when it takes on a life of its own.
Follow My October Reading Journey
Any book on my TBR that I start and finish will get a review. (DNFs are spared as it doesn't seem fair to rate and review them if I couldn't be bothered to finish.) So, check back on my book blog at the end of the month to see my thoughts, or follow along as I go on TikTok and Instagram. I also hang out on Goodreads and The StoryGraph, so please join me!
Have any of these books landed on your TBR list this fall? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
🖤 Thanks, Tiff