If You Only Read One: October 2021

We know that we read — and review — a lot of books. It definitely helps that there are three of us, in that regard. So with this feature, we want to tell you our favorite read of the month - if we only recommend one book to pick up, what would it be?

Elizabeth

I feel like I’m finally back in a bit of a reading groove, which is so nice! I had missed it, tbh, even though it was a situation mostly entirely of my own making. I know I’ve spoken before here about my somewhat nostalgic love of a political thriller, so obviously, I couldn’t resist the siren call of one by Louise Penny and Hillary Clinton. My full review of “State of Terror” (Bookshop | Kindle) is coming later this week, but if you like twisty mysteries set in a high-stakes political environment, you should pick this one up stat. It will make you look at everything that happens in Washington, DC this week just a little bit differently.

Shannon

I somehow read a lot of books in October, but they were all sort of “trashy” thrillers (I use that word affectionately). Lots of 3- to 3.75 stars. But, I really enjoyed “The Cheerleaders” by Kara Thomas (Bookshop | Kindle), which follows high school junior Monica trying to make sense of five cheerleaders’ deaths 5 years ago (one of whom was her sister). The book opened with an abortion (not a spoiler) so right away, I was hooked. It’s a twisty tale with a few different mysteries intertwined, and I really enjoyed it!

Moira

My review is coming soon, but “My Dark Vanessa,” (Bookshop | Kindle), was my far and away favorite this month. This is an unflinching look at the devastating consequences of a teenager’s “affair” with her high school English teacher, and the way that abuse can derail one’s entire life. The book is easy to speed through, but deeply disconcerting.

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