Reading In October Has It's Own Atmosphere

A little spooky. A little darker than summer's beach reads. Kind of like this picture from our front yard on an early Saturday morning in mid-October.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
(Fiction)  (Audiobook)

Fun. Fantastical. With just a bit of spooky to keep you glued.  This Audible version was read by the author who did a wonderful job. I can hardly wait to pick this one up for my grandchildren when they are ready.

Side note: This novel is the only one to win both the Newberry Medal and the Carnegie Medal.

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Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?
 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
(Classic Fiction) (Audiobook)

Slow.  Plodding.  Had to get it on Audible to move past the first chapter (after several tries).  Probably my least favorite Classic, but I certainly understand why it is one.  The character progression was drawn out with lots (and lots and lots) of words.  But the ending was worth the effort.

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In this celebrated work, his only novel, Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.

Heating And Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
(Memoir)  (Shelf Subscription: October)

Laugh out loud funny.  Moving and poignant.  Deeply disturbing in all the right ways.  I devoured this little nugget from the Bookshelf Thomasville's Shelf Subscription in just a couple of nights.  But it will remain on my nightstand as I slow down to savor as I read through it again.

Side note: The author of these micro-memoirs is the Poet Laureate of Mississippi and teaches at the University of Mississippi -- just down the road from my sister's new home.

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The 52 micro-memoirs in genre-defying Heating & Cooling offer bright glimpses into a richly lived life, combining the compression of poetry with the truth-telling of nonfiction into one heartfelt, celebratory book. Ranging from childhood recollections to quirky cultural observations, these micro-memoirs build on one another to arrive at a portrait of Beth Ann Fennelly as a wife, mother, writer, and deeply original observer of life’s challenges and joys. Some pieces are wistful, some wry, and many reveal the humor buried in our everyday interactions. Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs shapes a life from unexpectedly illuminating moments, and awakens us to these moments as they appear in the margins of our lives.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances: A Novel by Ruth Emmie Lang
(Fiction)  (Book of the Month: October)

Magical.  Beautiful.  Moving.  A baby is born. It begins to snow.  It is the middle of summer.  And that is the most normal part of Weylyn's story.  This novel swept me away from the very first page.  Not an easy feat for a debut.  Releases on November 14.  Pick it up!

Side note: It is already signed to a movie deal.  I hope it makes it to production.

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Orphaned, raised by wolves, and the proud owner of a horned pig named Merlin, Weylyn Grey knew he wasn’t like other people. But when he single-handedly stopped that tornado on a stormy Christmas day in Oklahoma, he realized just how different he actually was.

As amazing as these powers may appear, they tend to manifest themselves at inopportune times and places, jeopardizing not only his own life, but the life of Mary, the woman he loves.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance tells the story of Weylyn Grey’s life from the perspectives of the people who knew him, loved him, and even a few who thought he was just plain weird. Although he doesn’t stay in any of their lives for long, he leaves each of them with a story to tell: great storms that evaporate into thin air; fireflies that make phosphorescent honey; a house filled with spider webs and the strange man who inhabits it.

There is one story, however, that Weylyn wishes he could change: his own. But first he has to muster enough courage to knock on Mary’s front door.

The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin

(Non-Fiction)  (Audiobook)

This was my commute listen while reading Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances.  I listen to Gretchen's "Happiness" podcast with her sister, Liz, and really enjoy it.  Her book 'The Happiness Project' remains one of my favorite non-fiction reads ever.  It was revealing to learn a bit more about my own tendency (Obliger -- all the way!), but I think what I enjoyed most was learning about other tendencies (especially Jim's -- Rebel).  It just helps me to make sense of some of our challenges.  I am actually thinking of buying a hard copy to highlight and keep around for personal and professional use.

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During her multibook investigation into understanding human nature, Gretchen Rubin realized that by asking the seemingly dry question "How do I respond to expectations?" we gain explosive self-knowledge. She discovered that based on their answer, people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so using this framework allows us to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and engage more effectively. 

More than 600,000 people have taken her online quiz, and managers, doctors, teachers, spouses, and parents already use the framework to help people make significant, lasting change.  

The Four Tendencies hold practical answers if you've ever thought...
·         People can rely on me, but I can't rely on myself.
·         How can I help someone to follow good advice?
·         People say I ask too many questions.
·         How do I work with someone who refuses to do what I ask—or who keeps telling me what to do?

With sharp insight, compelling research, and hilarious examples, The Four Tendencies will help you get happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. It's far easier to succeed when you know what works for you.

I had a great recommendation from a friend in Finland for my next Classic. (Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway)  Another for our next Book Club Read from a dear friend who belongs to several herself.  (Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah)  How about you?  Read anything worth recommending lately?