Witches and Weddings
What I read in October
October Reads
This month’s reading list was highly influenced by a couple of Goodreads listicles about novels with witchy-spooky-autumnal vibes. I also finished the last book in the Ironside Academy series and finally read one of the books everyone’s been talking about all year—The Wedding People. I’m not sure all those everyones would appreciate my thoughts on it, though…
Let’s dive in!
Awakened by A.E. Osworth
2 ⭐ | Hardcover 📖 | Finished October 6, 2025 🗓️
I actually DNFed Awakened, but I’m still giving myself credit because I made it more than halfway through before calling it. The concept itself was genuinely interesting, and I really wanted to see where the story was going—so much so that I ended up looking up the ending online. But the writing style kept pulling me out of it.
It felt like it was trying really hard to be unique and relevant, and at times read more like a creative writing thesis than an immersive novel. The heavy-handedness of the prose distracted from what could’ve been a compelling narrative. I wanted to like it, but ultimately, the voice didn’t work for me.
Elancer by Jane Washington
4 ⭐ | Audiobook 🎧 | Finished October 18, 2025 🗓️
Elancer marked the end of a series I’ve stuck with for six books, and while I didn’t love the ending, I still found a lot to appreciate. First and foremost: Jennifer Sterling’s audiobook narration was, once again, absolutely fantastic. By this point, she is these characters—her performance brought so much emotion and consistency to the series.
As for the story, I know it’s nearly impossible to wrap up a popular series in a way that satisfies every reader, and while the ending fell a little flat for me personally, I think I understand why Jane Washington made the choices she did. I might not have felt the emotional payoff I was hoping for, but I respect the arc she created (not that she needs my blessing!). Ultimately, this one didn’t hit quite as hard as I wanted it to, but I’m still glad I saw it through.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
4 ⭐ | Hardcover 📖 | Finished October 18, 2025 🗓️
I had no idea this book was such a whopper (482 pages!) when I requested it from the library, but once I started, I was hooked. Set in the sweltering summer of 1970, it follows fifteen-year-old Fern, who’s been sent to Wellwood House—a rigid, repressive home for unwed pregnant girls. When a mysterious librarian hands her a delinquent book on witchcraft, Fern and a small group of girls begin to explore their own power—both magical and personal—in a world determined to suppress it.
What really worked for me was the way Hendrix developed his characters—flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human. You’re never quite sure who to trust, which added a subtle suspense that kept me guessing. The story touches on real horror—shame, isolation, forced obedience—and layers it with quiet, eerie moments of magic and resistance. Oh and one deeply disturbing scene that I still think about. It’s a quietly feminist novel that doesn’t need to shout to make its point. It made me angry, hopeful, and totally captivated.
The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan
3 ⭐ | Hardcover 📖 | Finished October 24, 2025 🗓️
The Witch’s Orchard was a solidly okay read for me. I went in expecting a classic whodunit with a witchy, folkloric twist, and that’s pretty much what it delivered. The plot centers around Annie Gore, a private investigator in a small Appalachian town, hired to investigate a haunting cold case involving three missing girls. As she digs deeper, local legends and long-buried secrets begin to surface, blurring the lines between myth and truth.
I really liked the setting—it had a strong sense of place, with the kind of quiet menace that mountain towns in mysteries often hold. The atmosphere was rich, and the premise definitely had potential. That said, some of the plot points were predictable, and the ending stretched believability just a bit too far for me to fully stay invested. It didn’t quite have the depth I tend to look for in character development or emotional payoff, but I can see it working well for readers who want something lightly suspenseful without getting too heavy. It was a good read, just not a standout for me.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
3 ⭐ | Audiobook 🎧 | Finished October 30, 2025 🗓️
I kept waiting for The Wedding People to become something more than what it was. It tried to be profound—and occasionally, it came close—but too often it felt like it was doing the heavy thinking for the reader. There were moments of insight and emotional resonance, but they were surrounded by prose that felt overly packaged, like it was built to be underlined and highlighted without actually saying much.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this is where books—especially the popular, buzzy ones—are headed: easily consumable, faux-deep reads that let us feel like we’ve read something meaningful without demanding much from us. The kind of book that feels engineered for the Instagram quote block, not the soul. Maybe it’s a symptom of our Google-it, AI-assisted, shortcut-hungry culture. I don’t know. But I do know that I wanted this one to go deeper than it did—and it didn’t quite get there.
DNFs
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce. I probably could’ve finished this one, but it would’ve been a forced finish; less than enjoyable. All credit to the author and her work—much of my disinterest was fueled by stronger tugs toward other books I had waiting on the shelf. I may return to it next Spooky Season.
107 Days by Kamala Harris. I stopped after 34 pages. While there were some juicy nuggets of behind-the-scenes information (e.g., Nancy Pelosi’s text to Kamala after Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential campaign and endorsed Kamala), I found the constant name-dropping and political posturing too distracting. I know, I know, what else was I expecting? Those of you who can filter out all that will, I’m sure, find it interesting.
That’s it for October. What did you read this month? What should I read next?
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