Read-at-Home Mom Report: October 2024 Wrap-Up

Coming Soon...My Book!

For me, the most exciting reading experience of October was reading through my own book for the final time and scheduling its release on Amazon. The Bennetts Bloom publishes January 14, 2025. You can learn more in this FAQ about the book, and pre-order the Kindle version on Amazon. 

October Favorites

My other favorites from October were an interesting mix. 

Stoking the Flames by Ash Keller
This is a short novella that is part of a series of romances involving the members of a fire department. I love shorter stories like this, and I especially like this author's writing. 

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
All I ever do while I'm listening to this series is say over and over again, "J.K. Rowling is such a genius." But truly, she is just an excellent writer, and this was dark, but still so good. I have the next book of the series in paperback and I can't wait to dive in. 

Vipers' Tangle by Francois Mauriac
I read this with Close Reads, and my first impression was that this author is just like Graham Greene. Turns out, Mauriac is kind of known as the French Greene. I really loved this and would read it again. 

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll 
It's not often that you find a unique voice like this in YA, but this author's writing is so clever and different. The audiobook narration really brought this one to life for me. 

Read-Aloud Books

• The Kellyhorns by Barbara Cooney (4 stars)
• The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling (3 stars)

Series and Sequels

• The Body in the Library (Miss Marple Book 2) by Agatha Christie (4 stars)
• Christmas in the Castle Library (In the Castle Library Book 2) by Ann Swindell (4 stars)
• Happy Birthday, Dear Beany (Beany Malone Book 7) by Lenore Mattingly Weber (3 stars)

Stand-Alone Books

• The Christmas Inn by Pamela M. Kelley (3 stars)
• We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay by Gary Janetti (3 stars)
• Nora, Nora by Anne Rivers Siddons (3 stars)
• Salvation Is from the Jews by Roy H. Schoeman (4 stars)
• The White Coat Diaries by Madi Sinha (4 stars)
• One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery (3 stars)
• A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber (4 stars)
• Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry (4 stars)
• Mistletoe Season: Three Christmas Stories by Sheila Roberts, Pepper Basham, and Kathleen Fuller (4 stars)
• A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (3 stars)
• Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me by Wilfred Reilly
• Sweet Boo by Sophie Sweet (4 stars)

Family Reading Lists

M. (girl, 10 years, 11 months)

• Knight Crusader by Ronald Welch

C. (girl, 9 years, 1 month)

• Thunder in the Sky by K.M. Peyton 
• The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo 
• The Good Master by Kate Seredy 
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

E. (girl, 7 years)

• Our Little Frankish Cousin of Long Ago by Evaleen Stein 

R. (boy, 4 years, 7 months)

• Arthur's Halloween Costume by Lilian Hoban
• Oliver and Amanda's Halloween by Jean van Leeuwen
• Walpole by Syd Hoff
• Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen
• Detective Mole by Robert M. Quackenbush
• Detective Mole and the Halloween Mystery by Robert M. Quackenbush
• Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
• Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish 
• Babar and the Ghost by Laurent de Brunhoff

A. (girl, 4 years, 7 months)

• Pig Wig 

Twins' Readalouds

• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
• The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter
• The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter
• A Tiger Called Thomas by Charlotte Zolotow
• Witches Four by Marc Brown

My husband 

• A Passion Play by Brian Rabey
• Minstrels in the Gallery by David Rees