What I Read In October 2025
October was a month for horror and thriller for me! I read 8 books, many of which fell under that category, but I also snuck in a memoir, a romance and a humorous fiction book that caused me to laugh out loud a few different times. The best part is I truly enjoyed every single book I read - I don’t know that I could pick a clear favorite!
Check out everything I read below, along with my thoughts!
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I absolutely LOVED this book and was disappointed I hadn’t heard more about it previously. The story follows a young woman on a Blackfeet reservation struggling to make friends. Just as she thinks things are starting to go her way, someone she knows is murdered, and she and four others were the last to see her alive. The ban together to try to figure out what happened, but one of them might be hiding dangerous secrets. This book took a look at the challenges Native tribes face when working with U.S. law enforcement, especially when it comes to missing and murdered indigenous women. Highly recommend!
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What started out as a bit of a slow read for me ended up being a grand, epic mystery that was written more beautifully than I could have imagined. The story begins with two friends, Patch and Saint, who are separated when Patch is taken by a stranger and held captive for over a year. Saint never stops looking for him, ultimately rescuing him. But that’s only the beginning. What follows is a sweeping story that spans decades and explores the aftermath of that abduction and two friends who refuse to let the other missing children and girls be forgotten. The story looks also explores small town secrets, love and loss in several different forms, moral rights and wrongs and so much more. This is no simple thriller - it’s a bit of a masterpiece.
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If you’re looking for a tell-all about Bethany Joy Lenz’s time on hit tv show One Tree Hill, you’ll be disappointed by this memoir. If you’re looking for a memoir that explores just how someone smart, independent and successful could be caught up in something like a religious cult, you’ll love this just like I did. We’ve all watched the cult documentaries and wondered what about it all calls to individuals who seem so well-adjusted. Lenz’s book is honest, introspective and humorous and shows just how easy it is to be manipulated when you’re unhealed or in desperate need of someone to care about you. If your a memoir-lover or are interested in learning more about religious cults, this is a great perspective!
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This book was both poignant and absolutely hysterical. I loved Kirsten Miller’s writing style, the way she embodied so many different characters and POVs so well, and the tongue-in-cheek examination of the banning of books, and how a community fights back against it. This ended up being so much different than I expected, for the better. I know a few family members who will be getting this as a gift from me for Christmas.
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I absolutely LOVED this romance! The story follows Jo, a social media influencer and doctor who’s been in love with her best friend since college - but he doesn’t seem to see her as anything other as a friend. On the night she finally bares it all for him, she bumps into Malcom, a best selling author and a follower she’s had quite a few meaningful conversations with. Obuobi writes about learning what you deserve and not being afraid to ask for it, depression, fraught parenting relationships and more in this romance that is so much more than just a romance. I’ll definitely be checking out more of her books! (We carry On Rotation as well, and it’s been described to me as a Grey’s Anatomy-esque rom com! That one’s next up.)
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Once again, Jones shows he is a masterful horror writer who can make even the most grotesque scenes absolutely stunning. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter isn’t my favorite book of his (that title still belongs to The Only Good Indians for me) but it was still a great, three-person POV story exploring the need for revenge, evil vs. good and how trauma lives on.
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This was another Native thriller for me last month and I was absolutely captivated by this story. It follows Daunis, a biracial teen who’s never felt she belonged with her white family or as a part of the Ojibwe tribe. When she witnesses a murder, she finds herself thrust in the middle of an FBI investigation as an undercover informant. As the stakes get higher, Daunis is forced to juggle protecting her community, falling in love and finding the truth. This was one of the most memorable books for me in October and I highly recommend it!
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I wanted to read some creepy books in October for the Halloween season, and this one definitely delivered. Ji-won is a freshman in college and is facing her parents separation and divorce, her mother’s newest boyfriend, the falling out of her friend group from high school and the stress of college. The book follows her slow unraveling and her hyperfixation on eyes… and eating them. Not for the faint of heart, but a truly creepy and delightful horror novel.
Need other recommendations? Ask me for some ideas!