Hello Friends!  Welcome (or welcome back) to the blog.

** Quote ** 
“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
― Fran Lebowitz, The Fran Lebowitz Reader

My bookish peeps, how are you? October has come and gone in a Wonder Woman twirl, and I’m sad.  However …November is here, and it’s officially the “Whodunit-Murder-Mystery-Month,” and it’s exciting.

Wherever you are, stay hydrated, take a long walk, kick some leaves, and read a good book. And for the love of all things … put down that phone📱!” (LOL)

You already know this post is about bookish business, which means challenges, goals, and upcoming reads; without further ado, here’s my October newsletter.

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VOL. 2 | Issue No. 20| OCTOBER 2026 | Blog Version | PDF

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LATEST BOOK REVIEW

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
Amanda Mortlock
[FANTASY ✮ PARANORMAL ✮ ROMANCE]
3.37 ✨ Goodreads Rating

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the advance copy of this title.

When I accepted this title via email, it wasn’t something I would normally gravitate toward, but the cover and brief synopsis caught my attention.

With so many ARC titles on my reading list, I somehow missed that this was a romance (or romantasy), a genre I typically steer clear of. However, in hindsight, I’ve been trying to broaden my reading horizons beyond horror, so why not?

I know this book will appeal to some readers, but by the 20% mark, I was already thinking, “This isn’t for me.”

Initially, the story was interesting, but once we got into Cleo and Wes’s relationship, it started to feel a little too saccharine for my taste. I mean, dripping with it! And then there was the gratuitous sex, seemingly for the sake of having sex scenes. We know you’re having sex. We don’t need every intimate detail.

Which brings me to another question: Why do we always have to wait until the 45% mark to get to the witches?

I understand some of the buildup was necessary to explain the connection between Wes and Cleo, but once Bailey and Ollie entered the picture, things finally got interesting. We learned more about the families, their past tragedies, and the mystery of what happened. I enjoyed most watching Bailey, Ollie, Wes, and Cleo work together to uncover those secrets.

I don’t think Strange Bedfellows is a terrible story by any means. There are certainly readers who will gravitate toward its dark academia atmosphere, fantasy elements, and romance. Unfortunately, the parts I found most intriguing took too long to develop, while the romance occupied much more of the story than I would have liked.

Ultimately, this title just wasn’t for me, and that’s okay. Not every book will be a winner for every reader.

I gave it ✨✨2.9✨✨ stars.

CURRENTLY READING

Approved ARC downloads 💾

The Last Match, Jessa Maxwell
Tell Me Everything, Sara Shephard

GOOD READS CHALLENGE UPDATE!

Here are all the books I’ve read so far. Will I complete my 36-book (original) challenge? I’m not sure, probably not… but let’s see where I’m at.

ORIGINAL GOOD READS CHALLENGE VS.—> The ARC titles weren’t part of my original reading list, because you never know what you’re going to get approved for or what you will be offered. Big Bad, Christian Galacar The Godsend, Bernard Taylor The Babysitter Lives, Stephen Graham Jones The Film You Are About to See, Haley Newlin We Had a Hunch: A Mystery, Tom Ryan A Box Full of Darkness, Simone St. James My Ex the Antichrist, Craig DeLouie Play Nice, Rachel Harrison 13 Months Haunted, Jimmie Juliano The Maid, Nita Prose Silence for the Dead, Simone St. James Of Monsters and Mainframes, Barbara Truelove Polybius, Colin Armstrong Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo Meddling Kids, Edgar Cantero Dearest, Jacquie Waters A House With Good Bones, T Kingfisher Schrader’s Chord, Scott Leeds The House Isn’t Haunted, But We Are, Stephen Howard MOVING TO 2027 CHALLENGE Her Body and Other Parties, Maria Carmen Machado  The Extra: A Novella, Annie Neugebauer  This House Will Feed, Maria Tureaud The Lost Amongst the Living, Simone St. James The Killing Hills, Chris Offutt The Haunting of Blackwood House, Darcy Coats All Night Horror Show, Eric Mosher  Angel of Indian Lake, Stephen Graham Jones  Sign Here, Claudia Lux The Rotting Room, Viggy Par Hampton  This title is moving to the “Never-Enough-Time” List because I’ve been shuffling it between lists for the last few years. Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy, S.A. Bradley

📌 READ & REVIEWED —> A House With Good Bones, T. Kingfisher A Box Full of Darkness, Simone St. James That Night, Gillian McAllister The Godsend, Bernard Taylor Silence for the Dead, Simone St. James The Babysitter Lives, Stephen Graham Jones The Film You Are About to See, Hayley Newlin The Patel Motel, Maulik Pancholy Dearest, Jacquie Walters My Ex, The Antichrist, Craig DeLouie Polybius, Colin Armstrong Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo READ & REVIEWED ARC TITLES —>  Nothing Tastes As Good, Luke Dumas (ARC) The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing, Marshall J. Moore (ARC) Wayward Souls, Susan J. Morris (ARC) Molka, Monika Kim (ARC) Observer, Nicholas Russell (ARC) The House That Eats the Dead, Max Doty (ARC) Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die, Mallory Arnold (ARC) Wretch, Eric LaRocca (ARC) Head Cleaner, David James Keaton (ARC) This Is Not A Test, Courtney Summers (ARC) Strange Bedfellows, Amanda Mortlock (ARC) Please Enjoy Your Stay, Tara Goedjen (ARC) Public Access Afterworld, Jane Schoenbrun (ARC) Odessa, Gabrielle Sher (ARC) The Calamities, Chuck Wendig (ARC) ARC TITLES REMAINING THIS YEAR: 4 ARC TITLES READ & REVIEWED: 15 OTHER TITLES READ & REVIEWED: 12 ALL TOTAL: 31 ────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ───── Check out my original Goodreads Challenge post from November 2025, where I laid out my 2026 reading challenge.

🕯️📖 What I read in OCTOBER

I’ve had a good reading month, friends, and I made it through four healthy titles in September. (Patting myself on the back.) I still have one review pending, but I’m not even gonna sweat that. Here’s what I read!  📚🎧☕

Please Enjoy Your Stay, Tara Goedjen
Strange Bedfellows, Amanda Mortlock
Public Access Afterworld, Jane Schoenbrun

🕯️📖

NOVEMBER 🎧 Reading Challenge

“Listen to an audiobook.”  🔍

Great Book Sources

✯ BookTrib ִ✯ Goodreads ִ✯ Book Riot ִ✯ Literary Hub ✯ Booktrovert ✯ Fable ✯

Well, friends, that’s it for today. The Halloween decor is down as we enter November and the Thanksgiving holiday.  Thank you so much for stopping by today. Please consider subscribing or following the blog.  – Duces.✌🏽 –

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