In October, I read 12 books. If you keep track, I have completed 93% (103 of 110) of my 2023 reading goal. October was steeped in Mystery, Zombies, and EMP Disasters.

I FINALLY got around to reading The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. It has been a very long time since I feel like I have been able to fully immerse myself in a world like I have with Basgaith. I enjoyed getting to know Violet and her friends, watching the story develop with the rebellion-marked kids led by Xaden and watching their worlds come together. If done correctly, Yarros could have an outstanding account ahead of her. With Iron Flame releasing this next week, I look forward to reading the next adventures!

Cadaver by Nick Clausen holds zero punches when putting a fast-paced story together. I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath, and it was hard to stay grounded with so much happening. This only gets four stars because it felt like a bit of wasted character development in some areas, only for that person to have their life abruptly ended. So now, in the future, I start to think that the details of a character’s background don’t matter as much because they are probably not going to make it anyway, right? Maybe that is a weird take, but it’s just my opinion. I plan to finish the series!

Still Alive by Ava Strong is an exciting mystery thriller about an FBI agent who is highly capable, efficient, beautiful, and underestimated. The setup is entirely predictable, but I enjoyed it because there was a good dynamic between the young agent and her older chauvinistic partner, who did not feel over the top.

Trackers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith is what feels like a very realistic view of what the US would look like if an EMP and several warheads happened to explode over the US. It is a frightening vision of what happens to people when there is a complexity of fear, privilege, and scarcity. I also appreciated Sansbury’s research when looking into and incorporating Navajo traditions into his stories.

Blind Fury by Nick Clausen is probably one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. Well, except for the first book in this series. I’m not sure where this series is going. I am only a few books in, but I find the premise fascinating. One day, people feel compelled worldwide to look up into the sky. When they do, they are struck blind, and they turn murderous. Some are immune, and they are trying to survive. People have started to try and survive by not looking up. I had to laugh because I definitely thought of the movie Don’t Look Up while reading this. There doesn’t seem to be a connection between those who are immune yet, but the government is doing all sorts of tests to determine if they can replicate it.