October reading wrap-up

October Reading Wrap-Up 🎃📚

October always feels like the perfect month to curl up with a dark, twisty book and this year didn’t disappoint.

Highlight

My stand out read for this month was Small Boat. Inspired by the 2021 Channel disaster in which 27 migrants drowned, Small Boat is a stark, unsettling novella that examines responsibility, complicity, and the failures of empathy. Told through the perspective of a French radio operator accused of negligence, the story unfolds as a relentless stream of thought, blurring the line between confession and deflection. Delecroix forces readers to confront uncomfortable moral questions—not only about institutional failure but about our own roles as witnesses to human suffering. Powerful, topical, and deeply disquieting, this is literature at its most urgent.

Book Club Books

Library Book Club

Kala by Colin Walsh is a dark, atmospheric mystery that moves between 2003 and 2018 in the small Irish town of Kinlough. In 2003, fifteen-year-old Kala Lannan vanished after a disastrous Halloween party. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered, and two more teenagers disappear, forcing her surviving friends—Mush, Joe, and Helen—to confront the past that has haunted them for years.

Told through multiple perspectives, the novel deftly captures both the intensity of teenage friendship and the corrosive effects of buried secrets. The dual timelines are intricately woven, gradually revealing how grief, guilt, and corruption have shaped each character’s life. The portrayal of Kinlough is vivid and immersive, its claustrophobic atmosphere and sharp dialogue drawing readers into the heart of the town’s darkness.

Though the opening chapters move slowly, the narrative soon gains momentum, transforming into a tense, emotionally charged thriller. Mush stands out as the most compelling character—loyal, flawed, and deeply human. The final sections are gripping, with moments of shocking violence and revelation that keep the reader breathless.

While some loose ends remain unresolved and the pacing feels uneven in the latter half, Kala is an intelligent and haunting exploration of memory, loss, and the secrets that bind a community.

BCW Book Club

The novel opens with an arresting encounter between Jake and Mariko, whose chance meeting at Kansai International Airport quickly leads to a chilling discovery: both knew someone who died under the same strange circumstances. Their search for answers sets the stage for a story that blends mystery, gothic horror, and lyrical prose.

Told through alternating chapters, Jake’s investigations and the mysterious woman’s pursuit of her next victim. The structure is intriguing but ultimately repetitive. Each testimony Jake uncovers reads like a disconnected short story, which slows the pace and drains the early tension. Despite the atmospheric writing and strong concept, the narrative becomes uneven, with character depth and motivation left frustratingly vague.

The stylistic choice to forgo quotation marks adds confusion, and the ending, though conclusive, lacks the emotional and thematic impact the premise promises.

Overall, while beautifully written and conceptually compelling, this novel’s pacing and repetitiveness make it more admirable than immersive. Fans of literary gothic horror may appreciate its tone, but it fell short for me.

Indie Books

I have read a few indie books this month.

Over to you

I’d love to know what you read this month! Did you discover any new favourites or spooky page-turners? Drop your October reads in the comments. I’m always on the hunt for my next obsession.