In the past, I have chosen to read darker books that fit the season. One year, it was Dracula, and another was Something Wicked This Way Comes. This year, however, I found that too many of my books led me down darker storylines and more sinister themes. Even the Gaslight series, which I have enjoyed so much, took a severely dark turn with one of the installments. It was time for a change of pace.

This month, I returned to some childhood favorites to lighten my spirit. I also flew through Follett’s cathedral epic. The murder mysteries this month were some of the most difficult ones to read. Thankfully, I had other reads to offset the darker stories.

Here is what I read in October:

A WRINKLE IN TIME BY MADELEINE L’ENGLE

I admit it: I had never read L’Engle’s famous work until now. After searching for a lighter read, this book seemed to be a good compromise between a complex storyline and themes gentle enough for young readers.

I found the characters of Meg and Charles Wallace to be enjoyable and consistent throughout the book. I found the names of the three ‘W’s endearing and their personalities distinct. I also liked the spiritual symbolism in the story. There is a good versus evil theme that permeates throughout the book. I tend to like the spiritual undertones in books as they create a greater complexity to the story.

I also found the part about the planet of Camazotz and its forced conformity by the controlling group IT intriguing. It reminded me of The Fountainhead (one of my favorite books of all time) and the confrontation between the conforming society and the individual who would not be controlled. The power of love was also a theme, and although some people may not believe that love can circumvent evil, I do.

There were several spots in the story where I was confused and did not always follow the storyline, but I did enjoy the book. A Wrinkle in Time truly is categorically unique. It is an interesting read for youth but still thought-provoking for adults. Certainly worth reading.

4/5 Stars

MURDER IN MURRAY HILL BY VICTORIA THOMPSON

I listened to this book through Libby. This is book sixteen in the Gaslight Mystery series.

Although I enjoyed reading (listening to) this series by Victoria Thompson, this installment was difficult to read. Young women are responding to ‘lonely heart’ advertisements, hoping to find an adequate male companion. What they find instead is enslavement and their own personal kind of hell. This story resembles the modern version of sex trafficking and exposes the evil that men can be capable of.

The lightheartedness of Sarah Brandt and Detective Malloy saves this book from becoming completely depressing. These characters add a sense of normalcy to the Gaslight world, where corruption and wickedness prevail. The ending offers a satisfying conclusion in that the female victims are empowered rather than dismissed. Still, the theme remains difficult, and I was happy to finish the book quickly.

3.75/5 Stars

Trigger Warning: There are no scenes, but the victims of sexual assault share descriptions. I would not recommend it to someone who has experienced sexual assault themselves, or the idea of such harm would be too much for the more sensitive.

LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY BY FRANCIS HODGSON BURNETT

After reading Mistress of the Art of Death and the most recent book in the Gaslight series, I wanted to read something heartwarming. I am a big fan of Burnett, so I reread her famous book about the young American boy who becomes heir to an English earldom.

I was immediately delighted by the descriptions of young Cedric and his mother. The grandfather, with his prejudice towards Americans, believing them to be uncultured and coarse, added a lovely character arc. His transition from a gouty, foul-tempered miser to a warm-hearted, caring grandfather and earl is wonderful to read.

There is a wonderful theme in the book about what constitutes true nobility. On one end is the cold, superior, and harshness of the earl. On the other hand, young Cedric has a kindhearted, humble, and brave attitude. The Earl lives in a castle with much wealth but is lonely, while Cedric is poor and makes friends wherever he goes. Stories like these are simple in their approach but make the point nonetheless that kindness, generosity, and humility are greater assets than superiority, selfishness, and cruelty.

4.5/5 Stars

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH BY KEN FOLLETT

After reading the introduction and not knowing if I wanted to delve into another medieval story, I started reading the prologue, and the story immediately swept me away. Follett’s writing is brilliant and compelling. I could tell that he was familiar with the use of proper cliffhangers at the end of a chapter or point of view. Cliffhangers should be in just about every book, in my opinion, and not just kept for thrillers.

I greatly enjoyed reading about the building of the cathedral and the many twists and turns. Some of my favorite parts of the book were when the prior, Phillip, outwitted his superiors. What I did struggle with were the explicitly sexual scenes. Historically speaking, I have read enough medieval fiction and non-fiction to know what life was like for women, but the scenes were still difficult to read.

The character development, as well as the pacing, was excellent. I could not put the book down. My main disappointment with the book was the dissatisfaction with the ending. For all the pain and suffering some of the characters managed, their punishments in the end seemed too quick and too simple. There does seem to be a theme of how quickly a person can fall from grace and also find themselves completely destitute. However, for the time put into the development of the evil of some of the characters, I would have liked to have read a slower account of their fall from favor and their utter demise.

In the end, I am glad I read the book. Follett does a wonderful job writing characters and utilizing different points of view to propel the reader forward. Even so, I will not continue with the sequel. It could be that I am more sensitive to some of the harshness of the time period at present, or I just have a sensitive soul. Either way, I am going to move on to other historical fiction reads.

4.25/5 Stars

MURDER ON AMSTERDAM AVENUE BY VICTORIA THOMPSON

I listened to this book through Libby. This is book seventeen in the Gaslight Mystery series.

After struggling with the last book in the series, I wanted to jump into the next one, hoping the storyline would be far less brutal. The theme of Amsterdam Avenue was not about sexual exploitation (thank goodness) but ending up being about racial prejudice.

With this read, I had the rare occurrence of knowing who the killer was early on. Typically, I struggle with identifying the killer because Thompson does an excellent job weaving together her stories. This time, I knew, but there was so much information that filled in why the killer had done it. Even so, I was truly surprised by some of the revelations and found the book to be intriguing even up to the last pages.

4/5 Stars

OCTOBER 2024 READING LIST