WHAT I READ IN OCTOBER 2024

Even more than the actual books I read this month, I’m just happy to report that I found the best solution so far for actually being able to read every day. I have a goal to read every single day, but between nursing around the clock, working, and also just having two kids, when I get into bed every night, I’m just too tired to focus on a book for more than a few minutes. I can stay awake to needlepoint while I watch an episode of television and I can (almost) always find the energy to work when I have a deadline. But not so much the reading.

Well I started waking up at 5:15 as an experiment while Mike was out of town for work because I knew I’d need the uninterrupted time by myself in the morning to get ready (and just breathe) before the boys woke up. Honestly, it was not fun at first… until I realized I actually had time to read. Alone! With hot coffee (thank you Ember mug)! And with ENERGY! I’ve tried to wake up early to workout and even work, but that never stuck. It always felt like a chore. But reading?! It feels like a treat. When my alarm goes off, the sting of getting up early only lasts a few seconds and I’m thrilled to get the time to do something I love. Thought I’d share!

Here’s what I read in October 2024:

THE THIRD GILMORE GIRL by Kelly Bishop

4/5 Stars

Of course I chose to read Kelly Bishop’s memoir. She plays the iconic Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, hence the title. I chose the book to read more about her experience on Gilmore Girls, but was really quite blown away by her whole life and how she got to where she is today. Highly recommend if you love Gilmore Girls or if you’re a big fan of Broadway. Hearing how she got into performing was so inspiring and entertaining. (Also loved to hear how much she loves New Jersey because #same.)

LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

4.5/5 Stars

Wow. Okay let me preface this by saying, it took me a long time to get into Long Island Compromise. Then I got into it and got into it in a big way. Reading it in big chunks (like at least an hour at a time) versus reading a little bit made a big difference on being able to ~get into it~. I thought this was brilliantly written. It’s witty and satirical. A social commentary on wealth and what it does to each generation… the way it wraps up really sealed the deal for me as a good book. Probably not for everyone though, so I think I should caveat my review with that!

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker

4.95/5 Stars

Whoa whoa WHOA! READ THIS. Holy. I did dock .05 points because it got a little long in the tooth in the middle, but now that I’m sitting down to write this I’m thinking I should revise this to a five. It’s phenomonal and an absolute masterpiece of storytelling. You start the book thinking it’s a mystery about trying to solve a case about a serial killer and the story just evolves over time to be so (so!!!) much more. It’s truly incredible. It’s giving a mix of Bright Young Women and Demon Copperhead.

BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten

4/5 Stars

Ina Garten’s memoir was such a great read! Well, I listened to it and she narrates it and I highly recommend. She chuckles throughout the book while reading and it totally adds to the charm!) If you love Ina, you’ll love her memoir. You learn so much about her and her upbringing. It’s kind of a love story, really. A love of food, entertaining, and her partner Jeffrey. I flew through it– choosing to listen to it over just about everything else because I wanted more and more.

THE PUMPKIN SPICE CAFE by Laurie Gilmore

3.5/5 Stars

I needed a little palate cleanser and picked this as a light read to get me in the mood for a cozy fall. I kept seeing it on TikTok and that it was heavily inspired by Gilmore Girls. While I got the inspiration, it was just a little too cheesy and predictable for me. Like very Hallmark Movie, which made it a great palate cleanser! I flew through it and enjoyed that I didn’t have to really think at all– I could just read quickly for fun and enjoy the story for what it was.