10 thrilling Books I Read Recently in October 2021

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October was obviously spooky month so I read a lot of mystery books and psychological thrillers. And it being my favorite genre I loved every bit of my reading in October.

If you asked me my favorite I wouldn’t be able to pick one because I loved Rebecca my first read of the month as much as I loved Persepolis, my first physical graphic novella and Interpreter of Maladies my first book by Jhumpa Lahiri.

But my least favorite book had no competition. It has to be The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. Frankly, I don’t think it was her best work. The character building was great but the mystery element was a real dampener.

Moving on, let’s just jump in to the list of complete and amazing 10 books I read in October.

Also linking the book lists I published this month on the blog down below. Do read them.

Many of these books are also available on Kindle Unlimited. Try Kindle Unlimited Free for 30 days!

Fiction books read in October 2021

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Last Night I Dreamt I went to Manderley Again...

This beginning just had me. This book is an epic example of the author’s brilliant writing that makes us believe in one thing but the reality turns out to be quite the contrary.

How do women think? Hasn’t this been a haunting question for so many centuries? While here’s a classic book that explains two very opposite sides to a woman’s nature. I loved every bit of the book. The innocent romance, the Gothic atmosphere, the lovable Mrs. De Winter and the equally repulsive care taker Danny.

The protagonist is working as a companion to an old lady, in an elegant hotel, where she meets the mysterious widower Maxim De Winter. They fall in love and in a matter of weeks get married to settle back in Manderley, the De Winters family home and also the place where the former Mrs. De Winter was loved, respected and worshipped like a queen by all. What follows is quite a thrilling journey to the mystery and aura of the place.

Read this for Booklist Queen’s October Challenge – A Psychological Thriller.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

BookTubers – Smriti Sant and Melodramatic Bookworm hosted the Scaredy Cat Readathon for October. And they had 3 prompts. One of which was  – A book that gives you major FOMO because everyone else is reading it. This book was my pick for the prompt.

When Iris was little, she and her elder sisters disappeared. Right before their parents eyes. After a month’s search by the authorities and their parents, a woman found them huddled naked near the same place they disappeared at.

Just one thing had changed. All of them had a moon-shaped scar on their throats. And they remembered absolutely nothing of the month they disappeared.

After the incident all Iris Hollow wanted was a normal life. But with horned men shadowing her and eldest sister Grey, she realizes that there are some deep secrets to her life and past and she needs to uncover them.

This is the story about the world beyond our worlds – the haunted world. And it is very spooky and bloody, but a little too YA for my taste.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

Bestselling Author Rainbow Rowell and award-winning artist Faith Erin Hicks have come together to create a riot of colors and pumpkin delicacies amongst a sweetly charming story between friends Deja and Josiah.

 I love the fact that Rowell has stepped away from a typical cast of characters where Deja is a plump dark-skinned girl ready to have some fun instead of sulking about their last day in the pumpkin patches before college.

By the end of the book, my eyes had quite a feast with the beautiful illustrations and my mouth was watering from all the descriptive pumpkin delicacies and my heart was smiling because of the sweet end.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

October 2021, Liane Moriarty has a new book launch, Apples Never Fall. and everyone was raving about it. I happened to have The Husband’s Secret by the same author on my shelf so I decided to read it.

I was disappointed. Not because it isn’t a good book but because, given the hype, I expected much, much more.

Cecilia accidentally discovers a letter written by her husband that he meant to throw away. On the envelope was written ‘to be opened after my death.’ When she asks him about it he is vague. What dark secrets from her husband’s past does the letter hold? Will they be so devastating that they will tear the whole family apart?

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

As we are nearing the end of the year I had challenged myself to read all the thick books on my shelf that had been ignored up until now only because they were massive. This book was my thick book pick for the month.

Geisha are very young women in Japan who are sold for the sole purpose of entertainment. How you look and how you behave matters the most here. And you cannot expect love in such a transaction.

But despite the cold and grim but authentic setting of this story of a Geisha, this book feels romantic, innocent, and charming. The fierce competition between the Geisha and the unique and never-before-heard-of culture makes this work all the more mysterious and fascinating.

There is no doubt in my mind as to why on its release this work of fiction became an unforgettable literary sensation. 

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories, some of them set in Boston while some others set in Calcutta. They are all stories about Indians settling abroad, who are rooted in their traditions and reminiscing about their motherland, while simultaneously trying to adjust to the new world and culture around them. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000.

In the titular story, an interpreter guides an American family through the India of their ancestors and hears a shocking confession. But my favorite has to be The Treatment Of Bibi Haldar as it is the craziest of all with that involves a cryptic disease and its even bizarre remedy.

Jhumpa Lahiri’s prose is perfectly balanced, refined, and clearheaded, and not everything is explicitly explained. But her attention to detail in every story is brilliant. And emotional and thought-provoking read.

Evil Eye by Madhuri Shekhar

Pallavi, the protagonist, is a wannabe writer living in California. Her mother, Usha, lives in Delhi, India, and is obsessed with finding her daughter the perfect match. 

 Madhuri Shekar’s highly-recommended, clever story-telling is in the form of back-and-forth calls via phone and social media. It takes a supernatural twist when Pallavi meets her perfect man, but the climax will have you pausing all things in life just to get to the end of it.

This Book is free with your Audible Membership - Get Books Free 

Non-Fiction books read in October 2021

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis is the true story, beautifully illustrated, of Marjane’s childhood years and coming of age years within a loving family in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. The memoir chronicles the inconsistencies between private life and public life in a country afflicted by political upheaval. It also portrays her highschool years in Vienna facing the trials of youth far away from her family and her return--both sweet and dreadful; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her homeland.

It is the chronicle of adolescence and teenage years that is both shocking and familiar, a young life twisted with the past of her country yet packed with the common trials and joys of growing up.

Anxious, observant, and outspoken, often tragic but intertwined throughout with humor and wisdom--Persepolis is a splendid work from one of the most highly regarded, unusually talented graphic artists at work today.

The Good Girls: An Ordinary Killing by Sonia Faleiro

In 2014, in Katra UP in India, something dreadful happened. Two girls, as was their custom, went to pee in the fields adjoining their house at night and never returned. The family searched for the girls all night only to find them hanging by a tree in the early hours of the next morning.

Everyone believed it was a case of rape and murder. But what happened will make you think about your presumptions and judgments. I was astonished at my quick judgment and prejudice when I read about the justice proceedings during the first few chapters.

But the way the author gradually took you through what happened without ever blaming any parties but declaring it a very sad state of affairs and a result of cumulative consequences due to the lack of quality parenting, government infrastructure services, and a sound policing and judicial system.

Read This Book for Uncorked Reading Challenge 2021 - A True Crime Book

Books on my November TBR

So stay tuned and keep reading.