Magnolia Mamas : Book Club: October 2021

How is it already November? We feel like we blinked and October passed us by, but we aren't complaining. We are super excited about all things holiday and can't wait for some fun Christmas reads.

But first, we're sharing the books we read during the month of October!

And bare with us because we are exchanging the cocktails for extra caffeine today for our book chat. Why? Because our baseball team won the World Series last night. GO BRAVES!!!

It's been a lot of well worth it late nights these last few weeks. Now we can go back to staying up way too late as a result of our reading habits. :)

WHAT WE READ...

CARRIE BETH

The first book for me last month was Close Enough To Touch by Colleen Oakley. I loved the last title by Oakley that I read so though I would give this one a try. It was about a young woman who was allergic to the human touch. She literally could die if someone touched her so she had been somewhat of a hermit for years until she was forced to come face-to-face with the world outside her home. In stepping out of her comfort zone she found friends, co-workers, and love. This story follows her journey to overcome fear and open herself up the possibility of a somewhat normal life.

I had high hopes for The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. I feel like most of the Reese's Book Club picks and didn't hate this one, but just felt like it was really rushed. It follows a woman and her step-daughter as they look for clues and tips about her husband after he mysteriously disappears. They dig into his past to find answers all while strengthening the mother/step-daughter relationship. They have to make some tough decisions about their future and while I think this plot had potential I just didn't love it. As a reader I had a ton of questions that didn't ever get answered and just wanted more.

It's been a long time since I read a Nicolas Sparks book so I was excited for The Wish. A well-known travel photographer, Maggie, finds herself at home over Christmas dealing with her cancer diagnosis and the fact that she has little time left in her life. She begins to tell a story to her young assistant of a Christmas long ago, her one true love, and life changing year of her life as a teenager as she felt with teenage pregnancy and adoption. I was eager to hear Maggie tell the rest of her story, but also felt the middle of this story dragged on quite a bit. However, the ending threw me for quite a loop and I loved the realization that occurred towards the end of the story!

JEN

I kept things spooky for October, and did a lot of pulling from our Best Books of Fall reading list. I was in the mood for mystery, suspense, and keep you up at night thrillers.

Doesn't this cover just scream Halloween? The Ex Hex is like a really fun Halloween story - for adults! When a book starts with the sentence, "Never mix vodka with witch craft.", you know you are in for good time. It was a laugh out loud rom-com of magical proportions, and constantly made me smile. The story is set in a small town in Georgia (yay for the home state shout out!), and features witchy college professor Vivienne Jones. When her ex strolls back into town after almost a decade both her heart and her magic begin to go haywire. A far-fetched tale of magic filled disaster fills the chapters, but it was from start to finish a super cute story. In the end it was a quick and easy romance read that totally put me in the mood - the Halloween mood.

Next up was a book I'd been looking forward to all year - As Good As Dead, the third book in the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series. This was SO GOOD! It was like two different stories in one, and wrapped up a lot of loose ends from the series while also bringing the story and characters full circle. I was completely blown away as certain details came to light, and the last three seconds of the book - gah!

This book was the outlier in terms of how the plot unfolds from the previous two books in the series. I love the true crime/podcast feel to the first two, and while there are hints of it here, As Good As Dead concentrates more on the characters and their "where are they now" from the first two books.

Read it. Enjoy it. And pray Holly Jackson delivers us another amazing series soon!

What happens when you fall hard for someone you meet on a dating app, and then just as things get serious, you’re ghosted?

Last Girl Ghosted is a dark and twisty take on ghosting. Girl and guy meet, fall in love, profess their love, and the next day one of them is gone. All traces have been deleted, numbers disconnected and without a single trace, moved homes overnight. Both parties have secret pasts, and somewhere along the wild goose chase you realize maybe some things (or people) that are lost shouldn’t be found. This story was both edge of your seat suspense and unique.

The end threw me just a bit because it took a drastically different turn when it came to the overall message and plot of the story. If you like suspense thrillers without all the gore - snag this one.

As a mom I can't even imagine what it would feel like to have your child kidnapped. It's a fear all parents have, and in Little Secrets, one that the comes to life. Marin and her husband seemingly have the perfect life and family - celebrity status, money, and a gorgeous home. In one small moment it all comes crashing down around them. Even more than a year later, Marin refuses to give up the search for her lost son. As little secrets begin to unravel about the people around her, she's willing to do anything to keep her little family together.

I jumped back and forth with who I thought the kidnapper was, and in the end was shocked at how the story came full circle. There's a huge twist in the novel at about 80% of the way through, and it's a good one.

This was a fast paced read with a lot of suspense and build-up to the big reveal. Even though the subject was on the darker side, Hillier does a great job of keeping the subject matter on the tamer side while getting the point and fears across. This is one of my favorite suspense novels I've read this year.

WHAT'S UP NEXT...

CARRIE BETH

Although I liked the books I read this past month I didn't love them.

I've been longing for a book that makes me feel all the feels. Big emotions, crying, laughing, and everything in between. Not sure if I'll find it in Float Plan by Trish Doller, but willing to give it a try!

JEN

I'm going to do a deep dive into all things holidays - including my reading. I already have a large "to read" pile ready to go, but going to kick it off with the always fun and fantastic - Mary Kay Andrews. Her holiday novel The Santa Suit is already out, and it sounds like a great way to get in the holiday spirit.