The Christmas decorations are out, the tree is lit, and the air is cold. In my opinion it’s the best time of year to dive into a good book. And that’s just what I’ve been doing lately!

My October and November reads were an interesting mix of fiction. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t read any non-fiction either month!

The list includes:

• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
• Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
• Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
• My Friends by Fredrik Backman
• Pines by Blake Crouch
• Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
• Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
• Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Let’s get into the reviews!

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

This book was much slower than what I usually read, but I can see how it’s become a classic over the years. While I wouldn’t necessarily say that I enjoyed reading it, I find myself thinking about it a lot, especially with all the changes in technology today related to AI.

Tom, fresh out of prison, returns to his family’s farm to find everyone gone. It’s essentially a ghost town as the Dust Bowl is in full effect. People have no choice but to seek out work elsewhere- namely California. Tom manages to track his family down at a relative’s house and together they make the treacherous and slow journey out west. But when they arrive, California isn’t everything that they had been hoping for. In fact, it’s rather bleak.

Reading this does me make me want to continue my goal of reading more classics. Maybe, I’ll actually do it this time?

Rating: ??? I really don’t know how to fairly rate a classic.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

After disappearing two years ago, a missing teenager has turned back up on a hiking trail. It’s clear that the girl, Ellie Black, has been through significant trauma and doesn’t want to talk about it. But when the detective on the case ties her case to other missing girls, she realizes this is much bigger than anyone thought. Flashing between the past and the present, this book keeps you guessing.

Can a book have too many interconnected twists? That’s a question the ending made me ask. Maybe you’ll feel differently.

Rating: 7/10

Note: Fair warning that this book covers some tough topics, so read carefully.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab

This had an interesting premise: Female vampires spread through time. There’s María in the 1500’s in Spain, Charlotte in the 1800’s in London, and Alice in 2019 in Boston.

María is living a life she doesn’t want. She’s married to a man she doesn’t like, who is demanding kids from her. But that’s the opposite of what she wants. So, when a chance at freedom becomes available, she takes it regardless of the cost. Under the name Sabine, she wanders the world eventually crossing paths with Charlotte and Alice.

I liked the vibes of this book, but parts in the middle were slow. I think if this is shorter, I would have liked it more.

Rating: 7/10

Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell

After hearing Patricia Cornwell speak on a recent podcast, I really wanted to check out her books. This is the first in a 29-book series!!

Kay Scarpetta is a medical examiner who has examined the bodies of a presumed serial killer. Using the latest technologies (as of 1990), she’s hoping to help catch the guy responsible and prove that one of the victim’s husbands is innocent. She ends up uncovering a string of strange connections.

So, I’m interested to see where this series go, but I had been hoping for a bit more from the big reveal. It felt like a lot of build up and then just suddenly ended.

Rating: 7/10

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

I want to start this off by saying that based on Goodreads, I am in the minority here, so don’t let my opinions stop you from reading this book. It’s very well loved.

Louisa, a teen on the verge of turning 18-years-old, runs away from her foster home to go see a famous painting in person. This painting is known as being a painting of the sea, but for Louisa it’s about the group of kids on the dock that are always overlooked. After a chance encounter, Louisa finds herself traveling with one of the artist’s closest friends, Ted, and learning the true story behind the painting and the kids on the dock. It’s funny, sad, and heartfelt all at once.

As someone that absolutely loved Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People, I assumed I would love this book. But honestly, the bouncing back-and-forth between the past and present made the story drag at times. Or maybe Ted is just a bad storyteller after all. (Sorry Ted!)

Rating: 7/10

Pines by Blake Crouch

A man wakes up injured with no clear idea of where he is, or even who he is. As he stumbles through a seemingly picturesque town, he eventually winds up in a hospital where he learns he’s been in a car accident. As his memory comes back to him, Ethan Burke becomes more unsettled. He remembers being sent to the small Idaho town to find two missing Secret Service agents. As he interacts with the other townspeople, he realizes something is deeply wrong. He can’t leave or contact the outside world.

This book has me excited! It’s the first in a sci-fi trilogy and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

Rating: 8/10

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

I feel like this book is a mish-mash of genres and I absolutely loved it.

Finlay is a mess: Her ex-husband is trying to get custody of their kids, she’s behind on her book deadline, she’s behind on her bills, etc. So, when her editor warns her that she may lose her book deal entirely (AKA her only source of income), Finlay is at rock bottom. That’s when someone eavesdropping on her conversation gets the wrong idea about her profession. She’s mistaken for an assassin setting off a wild string of events. In desperate need of cash, Finlay and her nanny/accountant Vero, have little choice but to play along.

After reading this one, I immediately picked up the next in the series!

Rating: 9/10

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

This is the second book in the Finlay Donovan series, so spoilers may be ahead. Proceed with caution.

Despite Finlay’s and Vero’s best intentions to get out of the “assassin” for hire business, they find themselves getting pulled further in and closer to the mob. But Finlay is determined to find out who wants her ex-husband dead. As she digs deeper, another assassin is seemingly competing for the job. Can Finlay and Vero stop “EasyClean” before it’s too late?

This, of course, makes everything even messier for Finlay’s love life as she finds herself torn between a young bartender/law student and a detective who is seemingly on her case.

I love the chaos of these books and Vero continues to be my favorite character!

Rating: 8/10

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

This is the third book in the Finlay Donovan series, so spoilers may be ahead. Proceed with caution.

Obviously, I was on a roll with this series! I just love the chaos and humor combined with the high stakes.

In this one, we pick up right where we left off. Finlay and Vero find themselves in debt to the mob and the boss, Feliks, has a job for them: Find out who “EasyClean” is and take care of it. But Finlay and Vero believe this other assassin may be a cop, making their snooping even more dangerous as bodies continue to pile up in their wake. Can they hide their own crimes while revealing someone else’s? It’s time to head to a citizen’s police academy and find out.

Rating: 8/10

Want more reviews? Check out what I read in August and September 2025!

As always, I want to know what YOU are reading. Please leave a comment below.