October-November ’23 Reading Wrap-Up: Middle-Grade Fantasy, A New Favorite, and Rare Books Uncovered

Posted on by Lauren

Hello, everyone! How have your autumnal months been of late? I know fall technically bleeds a good deal into December but I tend to peg the beginning of the season at the start of the month — meaning I’m pretty much bidding farewell to fall.

At the end of the summer, I’d hoped to read more these past few months, and I have, although the books I’ve completed are fewer than the ones I’ve started. I have several books I’m looking to finish up before the year is out but this is a post dedicated to the ones I’ve finished!

Initially, I planned on saving my money and waiting for a library copy of The Chalice of the Gods to become available but haunted by the idea of robbing children of the opportunity to get it quickly, I decided to go ahead and order my own. And I’m so glad I did — even if the hardcover definitely does not match the battered paperbacks of the rest of the series I accumulated earlier in the year.

This newest installment of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is as joyous a reading experience as any before. Riordan has brought back Percy, Annabeth, and Grover with such grace. It tonally matches the original five books without stunting itself; it opens the door for another chapter of the characters so many know and love. I consumed it in two sittings, laughing out loud all the while. I absolutely urge fans of the series to pick up this newest installment if you have yet to. (4 stars!)

In an attempt to read as many middle-grade stories as my inner child demands this year, I picked up a copy of The Field Guide from my local library annual book sale a few months back. This slight book is sweet, mildly fantastical, and features one of my long-standing favorite tropes: a lonely child or set of siblings battling against boredom/discomfort/impending doom (a little specific, yes, but think A Series of Unfortunate Events or Coraline). Its a bit short for an older reader (perhaps even for a younger one) but it serves as a nice reprieve from any of the less enthralling waves of life. (3.5 stars!)

I definitely enjoyed a good chunk of my time spent reading Their Vicious Games but nothing compares to the thrill of this book’s finale. I hadn’t planned on DNFing it earlier, or anything, though I was wondering if it was going to wind up as more of a middle-of-the-road read for me. Once the last hundred pages of this story set in, though, and the nit and grit of the lethal competition–The Finish–culminated, I found myself tearing through the pages and making mildly embarrassing noises of shock, thrill, and overall marvel. For me, the slower ride through the bulk of the book was worth it to reach the conclusion. Rich with commentary on class, race, and misogyny, I’d recommend this somewhat satirical thriller to anyone interested in those themes and a cunning, conniving competition to the death. (4 stars!)

This quippy, philosophical collection of thoughts was a nice, surprisingly introspective read. I picked it up during a little Lemony Snicket haul this past month, and am glad to have added it to my collection. Its range from sillier bits (“It has been said that the hardest job in the world is raising a child, but the people who say this have probably never worked at a comb factory or captured pirates on the high seas.”) to surprisingly hard-hitting nuggets (“One of the most difficult things to think about in life is one’s regrets. Something will happen to you, and you will do the wrong thing, and for years afterward you will wish you had done something different.”) suits it well. I’d definitely recommend it to people who are already fans of Lemony Snicket’s narrative tone as I am myself! (3.5 stars!)

I knew this book was going to be a five-star read as soon as I was describing it to people with a pounding heart and words tripping over themselves, rushing to get out — something I’ve truly not experienced in years (not since reading the Six of Crows duology back in 2021, to be specific). Before the Devil Knows You’re Here has some of the most phenomenal prose I’ve encountered in I can’t even say how long. Each and every sentence is so rich and gripping, enrapturing the reader and pulling them into the beautiful yet grotesque world within its pages. I’d definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy fairy tale-inspired fantasy stories, especially ones that delve into the gothic, gnarled vein of Faustian bargains and mild nature-tied body horror. (5 stars!)

The classical music accompanying The Composer is Dead–a quirky, tastefully macabre and sardonic story by Lemony Snicket–makes it a complete, theatrical experience. Although I hadn’t realized this was a picture book when I first ordered it, I was not let down, especially when I put on the featured CD as I flipped through its pages. On this CD is a grand orchestral performance composed to fit alongside Lemony Snicket’s (or Daniel Handler’s) embodied narration of the story. This combined with the lively illustrations of the book itself made a very pleasant half-hour spent. Who says you need to be a kid to enjoy children’s books? (4 stars!)

In an attempt to both finally get to this short story I’ve procrastinated for so long and also get a few more stories finished before the year is out, I finally read The Yellow Wallpaper and quite enjoyed it. I was actually surprised how short it was, thinking it was more of a novella than a six-thousand-word short story. That being said, the brevity doesn’t detract from its impact. The neglected and constantly disregarded narrator’s descent into madness is compelling and unsettling, especially in the plausibility of the situation enabling it. It’s melancholic, and haunting, and very well executed. (4 stars!)

After being reminded of this book while composing a Down the TBR Hole post, I uncovered a PDF copy I’d downloaded on my computer some time ago and forgot about. This was a very convenient and welcome discovery as the going price for a physical copy anywhere online is generally close to a hundred dollars. Another minute of research also revealed to me that you can find it in parts on Tumblr (for anyone who may be in search of it…).

For anyone who’s a fan of Pete Wentz–particularly those familiar with his writings throughout the 2000s–The Boy With the Thorn in His Side is very obviously in his style. It’s a bit melodramatic, disjointed, and underedited in parts yet still has a definite sense of charm and creativity. The Boy–a social outcast who deprecates himself perhaps more than anyone else–is prescribed pills by The Doctor that distort his reality. He separates his life between his waking and sleeping existences until the disorientation of this dichotomy blurs and inverts–his old reality becomes the nightmare he escapes from as he plunges into the new world the pills unlock.

I quite like the concept, and the narrative voice is quintessentially Wentz’s–one I’ve always loved. Accompanied by offbeat illustrations, this short story is unique and paradoxically fervent and despondent. It probably would have benefited from a little tightening up on the revision front but I enjoyed it even as is (although I’d recommend going the free reading route unless you’re particularly interested in fostering a Pete Wentz-themed collection (which I totally respect and only abstain from due to a limited budget)). (3.5 stars!)

Light DNFs / Saving for Later:

I do want to finish all three of these books at some point but I’m going to shelve them for a little while as I have other books I want to prioritize a little more right now!

Currently Reading:

(If you see any of the same books here from my summer wrap-up, no, you don’t!)

Books Completed: 8
Average Rating: 3.94 stars.
Most Read Genre: Fantasy
Top Intended Audience: Middle Grade & Young Adult

Overall, the books I ended up reading weren’t the ones I thought I’d go for (I had big plans for a very moody, autumnal few reading months) but I’m happy with what’s here nonetheless. I’ve been wanting to start reading some of the many folklore-centered nonfiction books I own this winter, so hopefully I’ll get to some of those this December. I’ve also taken recent recommendations to heart and am planning on picking up something by Brandon Sanderson within the next week or so!

How has your reading been going? Have you read any of the books on this list? If so, did you like them? Why, or why not? What are some of your favorite or least favorites of late? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

Some more content from me…

[DISCLAIMER: Several photos in this post are paired with Amazon affiliate links, meaning I’d earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!]

Unknown's avatar

Published by Lauren

Hi! I’m Lauren (she/her, 22), and I like to read and write; I’m still trying to figure out the rest.

2 thoughts on “October-November ’23 Reading Wrap-Up: Middle-Grade Fantasy, A New Favorite, and Rare Books Uncovered”

Leave a reply to Top 10 Bookish Quotes | TTT – Little Bit of All That Cancel reply