Chelsey's October 2025 Reads | 12 Books

More than halfway through the month I had barely finished six books. I was in a bit of a depressive episode and I also wasn’t enjoying many of the books I had been reading. Thankfully, I got over the hump and ended up reading 12 books in October: 1 nonfiction, 3 spiritual, and 8 fiction books. This brings my total for the year up to 138 books!

Favorite Book This Month

So Far Gone by Jess Walter
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

At first, I had a different book in this slot because I only rated a few books five stars this month. But as I listed out the other books I read, I chose this one because it was by far my most enjoyable reading experience this month. This book was hilarious and has many of the same vibes that made me love The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (read more in my September 2025 Reads post). It too involves an older man who has only had to worry about himself for years becoming unexpectedly responsible for taking care of two kids. This one also has conspiracy theory and cult-adjacent subplots so I was on board from the beginning.

Least Favorite Book This Month

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I have read several of Grady Hendrix’s other books (How to Sell a Haunted House, The Final Girl Support Group, and The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires). He’s written many more, but Vampires seems to have put him on the map in 2020, and for good reason. I loved that book. I kept reading his books because I enjoyed that one so much, but I am enjoying them less and less. My biggest criticism of this book is that it was insufferably long. I like long books. But a major plot point happens about 40% in and I felt the book should have been about 75% over by then. It was a complete slog.

The book takes place in the 1970s at a home for unwed pregnant teen mothers in rural Florida. As a work of historical fiction, it is pretty well done. The witchcraft aspect is pretty tame and the book itself even seems to question if all the “witchcraft” is actually real. I just got so bored. I wanted the main character to have her baby so the book could be done. I think this will be my last Grady Hendrix book.

Nonfiction

Raised by a Serial Killer: Discovering the Truth About My Father by April Balascio
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

This book grabbed my attention for reasons that will surprise no one who knows me. I was not familiar with the author’s father, Edward Wayne Edwards, but I was fascinated to read about what her life was like growing up completely unaware that her father was a murdered. Her journey from a truly horrific childhood to an adult that ends up turning her father in (this isn’t a spoiler; it happens at the very beginning) is unique and compelling. That said, the author narrates the audiobook and it was hard to listen to because she seemed to not have practiced or had any kind of coaching on narrating a book. I had to turn it up almost to 2.0x speed to get through it. She also gives a lot of stories that seemed irrelevant to the overall narrative and made this feel like it didn’t have any kind of editor. That said, I had to finish it because I had to find out what happened.

Fiction

The Bad Seed by William March
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Years and years ago I was staying at my grandparents’ without my parents and I caught part of the film based on this book. I was transfixed. I asked my grandpa if there was any way we could watch the whole movie, and because this was pre-streaming television, he pulled out his TV Guide and found that the movie was going to be played again that night. At midnight. He told me that if I went to bed at the normal time with my sister, he would wake me up. And that’s how I ended up watching an old movie about a psychopathic serial killer child in the middle of the night when I was ten or so years old. For years I wondered if I had dreamed it, because I couldn’t remember the name of the film, but recently I saw a reference to it and all the pieces clicked. I decided it was worth reading the book, which is possibly more terrifying than the film. It was a perfect spooky read for this month.

The Bear by Andrew Krivak
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was marketed as an amazing post-apocalyptic novel, and while it wasn’t at all what I expected, I did enjoy it. It was not a chaotic book; it was a quiet book. A young girl and her father seem to be the only humans left alive, and they live a meager lifestyle in a mountain wilderness. There is some magical realism sprinkled throughout (and I don’t usually enjoy that) but it was a small part of the book. The descriptions of their survival tasks like hunting, preparing food, and making supplies were beautiful and somehow calming.

Sipsworth by Simon van Booy
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In light of all the books about murder and death that I read this month, this is one I think I could actually recommend to my friend Anna, who does not like murder books. It’s about an elderly lady and her unlikely rodent friend.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I always get excited when Fredrik Backman comes out with a new novel. Ever since I read A Man Called Ove I think I’ve read almost all of his books. His Beartown trilogy remains one of my favorite series of books that I’ve ever read. I went into this one without reading anything about it, which I think is the best way to go into his books. The way he unfolds the characters and the setting is incredible. One “criticism” I guess you could make of some of his books is that they tie up really neatly at the end. But his books are full of the realities of life and the people in them act like real people, which is what I want most from a good work of fiction. The premise is that a homeless and teenage aspiring artist accidentally ends up inheriting the painting of a world-renowned artist. The timeline shifts back and forth between the past and the present, but it does so almost seamlessly.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love a good psychological thriller. This one was well written, but I didn’t find myself excited to get back to it. It’s about a mom who basically experiences a sort of Groundhog Day in reverse where she keeps waking up on days further and further in the past to try to stop something from happening in the present.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Lots of people raved about this, but it was “meh” for me. I don’t enjoy books with stuff about Greek gods, regardless of the context, so I probably should have known better. I don’t think this is a bad book; I’ve just read so much better.

Spiritual

When It’s Trauma: A Biblical Guide to Understanding Trauma and Walking Faithfully with Sufferers by Darby A. Strickland
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book could serve as both a devotional and a desk reference. I found it hugely helpful for me to consider the difficult experiences I’ve had as well as how to help other people who have suffered. I can’t recommend this book enough for any Christian.

Disrupted Journey: Walking With Your Loved One Through Chronic Pain and Illness by Nate Brooks
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I wrote earlier this year about my foot pain, which has mostly resolved after surgery and several months of physical therapy. I have been dealing with another issue with my arms and neck, and it has been happening for months. I’m in the process of trying to figure out what’s wrong, but in the meantime, the days are very long. While this book was written for someone who loves someone dealing with chronic pain, I found it encouraging for me as well. The author doesn’t mince words and doesn’t pretend like it’s not unbearably hard sometimes. But in the end, he points to the hope we have in Jesus without sounding trite. (I also think the term “chronic illness” can apply to mental health conditions!)

Ezra & Nehemiah: The Quest for Restoration by Dale Ralph Davis
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As the wife of a pastor, church occupies a lot of our time as well as my own emotional space. Ministry can be discouraging. Dale Ralph Davis’ books have always encouraged me because he writes for ordinary Christians in ordinary places. He is so skilled at examining God’s Word and extracting application that cuts to the very heart of what we really need to here. Whether it’s this book or another one of his commentaries, you can’t go wrong with Dr. Davis!

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I’d love to know what you read this month!