Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
October, October
October, October | Katya Balen
317 posts | 3 read | 1 reading | 21 to read
A classic in the making for anyone who ever longed to be WILD. October and her dad live in the woods. They sleep in the house Dad built for them and eat the food they grow in the vegetable patches. They know the trees and the rocks and the lake and stars like best friends. They read the books they buy in town again and again until the pages are soft and yellow until next year's town visit. They live in the woods and they are wild. And that's the way it is. Until the year October turns eleven. That's the year October rescues a baby owl. It's the year Dad falls out of the biggest tree in their woods. The year the woman who calls herself October's mother comes back. The year everything changes. Written in Katya Balen's heart-stoppingly beautiful style, this book is a feast for the senses, filled with the woodsmoke smell of crisp autumn mornings and the sound of wellies squelching in river mud. And, as October fights to find the space to be wild in the whirling chaos of the world beyond the woods, it is also a feast for the soul.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
bookandbedandtea
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I'm caught up. I can barely believe there are only 2 months left. 🙀

blurb
StayCurious
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

For the first time in a long time I had a good reading month! I whipped through Megan O‘Brien‘s Talon Security and Ride Series 2nd Generation- I couldn‘t get enough. But I think my favourite read of the month was The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches that I read with #LittensLoveRomance - Hoping to keep up the reading momentum this month.

blurb
DGRachel
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

16 books finished for October and very few were spooky season reads. Oops. In my defense, though, there was a surprise new Smiley, and that overrides just about all other considerations.

blurb
ElizaMarie
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Great things this month!
#OctoberReCap

blurb
DGRachel
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I‘ll do my official wrap up later, but I keep up with my #bookspin board all month. I bailed halfway through my bookspin, didn‘t get to the #doublespin, but still managed a #bookspinbingo by 7:30 last night.

SilversReviews Love the ghosts!! 3d
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 3d
25 likes2 comments
blurb
kelli7990
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I had 67 Netgalley books on my Oct TBR. I read 9 of them and then on Oct 25, my dog passed away and I decided to mood read for the rest of the month. There was no way I was going to read all 67 books on my Oct TBR and a lot of them were nonfiction books. Nonfiction requires more brain power and I‘m not in the mood for that anymore so I‘m going to mood read in Nov and probably in Dec too just so I can read whatever I want.

blurb
kelli7990
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Here‘s what my October TBR looks like now at the end of the month. I implemented my color coding system again. After my dog Toppy passed away on 10/25, I added a new section called Not Right Now which means I‘ll read the books later but not right now. I‘m not in the right headspace for nonfiction anymore. This was too much. This is 67 books. There was no way I was going to read all of these books this month.

kelli7990 Now, I get to ghost my Netgalley TBR and mood read. My Netgalley ratio sucks and I‘m going to be letting a lot of publishers down because I won‘t be reading and reviewing the ARCs but I need more time and I have too many ARCs to read. I just don‘t think I‘m in the mood to read my ARCs right now but the publishers can wait. Right? Surely, they‘ll understand. (edited) 4d
18 likes1 comment
blurb
Kshakal
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

🤓🤓🤓

LeslieO ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅ 3w
KadaGul 💯 💯 💯 💯🫶 3w
44 likes3 comments
blurb
Suzze
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I‘m so behind! I think I missed this totally the last month or two. Here‘s my list for October. I didn‘t look at which numbers were spun, so I‘m off to find out. Wish me luck, there are a couple I‘m hoping for.
#readyourkindle OCTOBER

blurb
kelli7990
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Here‘s my list of Netgalley ARCs I have to read in October. A lot of them are Read Now books. This is more than I had to read last month. This is 67 books. Can I read them all this month? I don‘t know if I‘ll be able to read all of them this month but I‘ll try my best. This is more than what I read in a month. I downloaded all of them so I can still read them if they get archived. I definitely overcommitted to ARCs but I want to read them all.

blurb
Gissy
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I died when I saw the books you picked, so perfect for this season. Loooove the books. I saved the stickers because someone, daughter, wanted them but they will be part of my journal, so pretty. The candle smells so good😌and the tumbler was also saved, daughter again😆that means that we found it so pretty as well as the bookmark and card. Thank you so much @julieclair for this beautiful #FFF box. I love every single item🥰🍁🤎🍂🧡🍁💛

Avanders ♥️♥️🍁🍎🍂 it‘s so nice that you and your daughter enjoy opening these together! At 7, buggy still enjoys opening the packages with me too 😁😘😘 1mo
Gissy @Avanders Yes, my daughter is chronologically an adult but she has some limitations which means that I have a child/teenage/adult all together in one amazing person😂 1mo
See All 8 Comments
Avanders Aww sounds pretty nice and probably fun (though surely sometimes challenging ;)) to have it all together! 🥰♥️ 1mo
julieclair I‘m so glad you liked everything, and that there were some items your daughter loved as well. Double win! 🧡🧡🧡 1mo
Chrissyreadit 🍁🧡🍁🧡🍁🧡 1mo
Gissy @julieclair Yes! Those tea flavors are so good😋 1mo
Gissy @Avanders Challenges? Yes😅 1mo
35 likes8 comments
blurb
Gissy
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

My beautiful wrapped #FFF box from @julieclair 😍

My daughter opened the box...of course😂and some of those pretty stickers were “recycled” on her water bottle🤣

The gifts were so beautiful wrapped that I thought they deserved a post🧡🧡🧡

I‘m drinking at this moment one of those delicious tea, pumpkin spice 👌😋

@Chrissyreadit @Avanderd

TheBookHippie 🍁🍂♥️🍁🍂 1mo
julieclair 🧡🧡🧡 I‘m glad these made you smile! And I love that your daughter was able to reuse the stickers! 1mo
Chrissyreadit 🍁🧡🍁🧡🍁🧡 1mo
Gissy @julieclair ☺️ 1mo
33 likes4 comments
blurb
DGRachel
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I am too impatient to wait for the #bookspin numbers to create my October TBR. This is mostly library books and buddy/bookclub reads, with space holders for #bookspin and #doublespin. I have my official list and I couldn‘t help myself - I created a second list of just spooky season reads and will have unofficial bookspin and doublespin books, too.
EDIT: updated with bookspin/doublespin selections

blurb
Kshakal
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Looking forward to this month‘s tbr!! 🤓

blurb
Kshakal
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

September went by in a blink of an eye… here is to October and spooky season! #wickedwhispers @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Thank you Kerri 💞 1mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you 🖤 1mo
25 likes2 comments
blurb
MatchlessMarie
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Part of my October TBR. Will post my #ReadYourKindle list next. #BookSpin #HauntedShelf #SkeletonCrew 👻

Emilymdxn I really hope you love paybacks a witch! 1mo
PuddleJumper 💜💜 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1mo
MatchlessMarie Also apparently I can‘t count so I just added a free space for number 5 lol 1mo
37 likes4 comments
blurb
rachelsbrittain
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Sharing in case anyone wants a fun October themed bingo game! #OctoberBookBingo

julesG Looks fun. I'm giving it a try. 1mo
22 likes1 comment
blurb
OutsmartYourShelf
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

My list for October's #ReadYourKindle I only managed 1 read from September but it turned out to be a really good read.

@CBee

blurb
Yuki_Onna
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

1. right now - reread of American Gods by Neil Gaiman
🍂🍁🍂
2. Chai Latte, Pumpkin Spice everything - coffee, latte, muffins, pancakes...
🎃🥧🎃🧋
3. long walks, scattering nuts for animals, watching spooky movies, spooky reads, Litsy swaps and games
🍂🍁🍂
4. Pumpkin Spice!
🧡🎃🧡
#HauntedShelf #HexesandCrows #Halloween #autumn

julieclair I love how you list Litsy swaps and games as a fall tradition! It‘s really true! 1mo
Catsandbooks Pumpkin pancakes sound absolutely perfect! 1mo
30 likes2 comments
blurb
5feet.of.fury
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

#hauntedshelf TBR
#bookspinbingo
@PuddleJumper @Jadams89 #FrightClub
The spooky, the stabby and the supernatural. Can‘t wait!
🧡💀🧛🏼👹🎃

Jadams89 Great list 👻💚 1mo
PuddleJumper Can't forget the stabby! 🔪🔪 1mo
BarkingMadRead Love the background! 1mo
35 likes3 comments
blurb
Charityann
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Here‘s my ambitious TBR for October! There are multiple readathons and bingos I‘m participating in, including #hauntedshelf -you can still sign up for that here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7g2cbAys_w6B9G5HHloV6kRr1yQvXVOptseGn...

Also, you can check out my blog post if interested to see the readathons I‘m participating in this fall.⬇️

47 likes2 comments
blurb
robinb
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

The #birthdayfairies are excited to celebrate this lineup of awesome Littens on their special days next month!

Want a little extra #birthdaylove on YOUR special day?

Send your name, Litsy handle and birthdate to litsybirthdays@gmail.com , and add some extra celebration to your day. 🎉

🎈💜🎈💜🎈💜🎈💜🎈💜🎈💜

squirrelbrain ❤️🎉❤️🎉❤️🎉 1mo
julesG 🥳🥳🥳 1mo
42 likes2 comments
blurb
Yuki_Onna
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

My October TBR list. I have no chance of reading them all as I'm a slow reader, but those are the ones I'm excited about and am going to be choosing from.
I made a list of 48, as that's 24x2 and therefore fits for the #TwinPeaksReadingChallenge

The first 20 are my #Bookspin list for #October
I'm also participating in #Spookoween
#31by31 with the goal of reading at least 31 hours in October,
#GottaCatchEmAll and #PumpkabooHunt
🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃

TheSpineView Good luck and just enjoy! 🖤🎃🧡📖 2mo
julieclair I actually enjoy having a list that‘s impossibly long! It gives me flexibility and freedom of choice. 😉 2mo
See All 8 Comments
PuddleJumper 🎃🎃 Longer lists give you more freedom for mood reads! 2mo
Librarybelle Yay!! 2mo
Yuki_Onna @julieclair @PuddleJumper That\'s the secret plan behind this list 😉 I\'m a huge mood reader 😊🎃 2mo
Catsandbooks This is awesome! 🙌🏼🐦‍⬛🧡 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
28 likes8 comments
blurb
LiseWorks
October, October | Katya Balen
post image
julieclair I love that you‘re doing these ahead of time! 👍 2mo
23 likes1 comment
blurb
LitsyEvents
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Repost for @LitsyBirthdays

“October! October!
There‘s magic in the name-
A clear sky, a blue sky,
And sunsets all aflame.” -D. Maitland Bushby

The #birthdayfairies are excited to celebrate this lineup of awesome Littens on their special days next month!

See original post at https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2776594

AnnCrystal Happy Birthday Littens 📚🎂🍰🥳💫💝. 2mo
40 likes1 comment
blurb
LitsyBirthdays
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

“October! October!
There‘s magic in the name-
A clear sky, a blue sky,
And sunsets all aflame.” -D. Maitland Bushby

The #birthdayfairies are excited to celebrate this lineup of awesome Littens on their special days next month!
Want a little extra #birthdaylove on YOUR special day?

Send your name, Litsy handle and birthdate to litsybirthdays@gmail.com , and add some extra celebration to your day. 🎉

🎈💜🎈💜🎈💜🎈💜🎈💜🎈💜

robinb 🎁🎂🎁🎂🎁🎂🎁 2mo
BarbaraJean Look at that all-star Litten birthday lineup!! 🎉 🎂 🎉 🎂 🎉 2mo
squirrelbrain 🎉❤️🎉❤️🎉❤️ 2mo
See All 6 Comments
julesG 🎉🎂🎊🎉🎊🎂🎊 2mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Happy birthday 🎊🎂🎁🎈🎉 2mo
BookmarkTavern Happy birthday! 🎈🎂🎁 🎊 2mo
30 likes6 comments
blurb
DebinHawaii
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Thanks to #Scarathlon I had a very productive reading month for October. Still working on my event totals to be posted tonight.

I finished 34 books which included 9 audiobooks, 3 children‘s books, 4 horror anthologies, a short story & 3 leadership books for work.

Standouts were The Change, Hemlock Island, Slewfoot, Weyward, The Ivy Tree & The Viper‘s Nest (the latest book in the Sam Quinn series).

I will be posting my November TBR soon.

Andrew65 Awesome 👏👏👏 12mo
Clwojick Such a colourful spread of books! Well done! 🖤🖤🖤 12mo
40 likes2 comments
blurb
Andrew65
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

October was a very up and down month for me. A great start, a poor ending and not much consistency.

I did finish 32 books for #Scarathlon and on a positive note read over a 1000 pages more than for #Scarathlon2022

Happy to reach November and get in to some different genre of books, once I finish the 1 book unfinished from October.

Thanks to my team #Magicalmonsters and everyone for the support, hope to post my totals tomorrow @Laughterhp

Laughterhp Wow! 32 books! Great job! 12mo
Read4life Great job! 🍁👻🎃 Thanks for participating in #Falling4Books 12mo
See All 11 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 12mo
Andrew65 @Read4life Thanks for hosting 😍 I will do my final posting for it tomorrow, been a busy day. 12mo
Andrew65 @Laughterhp Thanks. At halfway I was on track for 35 but things got in the way. 12mo
Andrew65 @TheAromaofBooks Thanks 😁 12mo
TheSpineView Still an excellent month! 12mo
AnnR @Andrew65 - That's a great month of reading! Really! It was fun being on the same scarathlon team. 🎃🎉👍😍📚 12mo
Catsandbooks Awesome job! 👏🏼 🧡🖤 12mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 12mo
80 likes11 comments
blurb
kelli7990
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I‘m sharing the stuff I received in the mail in October.

Photo 1 - Preordered from Barnes & Noble
Photo 2 - Preordered from Barnes & Noble
Photo 3 - Book sent to me by Riverhead Books
Photo 4 - Preordered from Barnes & Noble
Photo 5 - Ordered this Evergreen Trail Journal from Taylor Bradshaw with creative exercises in it. I‘m looking forward to trying them out. I want to start writing again. I used to write and I enjoyed it.

kelli7990 (Continued in comments) Photo 6 - Ordered this Evergreen Bundle from Taylor Bradshaw that includes a personalized journal with my name on it and pressed flowers inside, the Evergreen Sessions signed cd, a teabag and some cool postcards 12mo
9 likes1 comment
blurb
TheBookgeekFrau
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Ugh what a Horrible reading month 😣 First a sick toddler, then a sick household, then me with a damn sinus infection all adds up to a LOT of time laying on the couch binging Cake Boss and almost no reading 😔

bookandbedandtea Oh no! I hope you're all feeling better now. 💗 12mo
TheBookgeekFrau @bookandbedandtea The younger half certainly are 😂 Me and the Mr. are almost there 💕 12mo
bookandbedandtea Figures! 😒 I'm glad you're *almost recovered 😊 12mo
See All 6 Comments
TheBookgeekFrau @bookandbedandtea Thank you 😊😊 12mo
bthegood Glad everyone starting to feel better 🙂 12mo
TheBookgeekFrau @bthegood Thank you 😊 12mo
20 likes6 comments
blurb
BarbaraBB
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

#OctoberStats

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
The Young Man
All the Acorns on the Forest Floor

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hotel Iris
I Have Some Questions for You
Do You Remember Being Born?
Monsieur Linh and his Child

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Walking the Americas
When we Fell Apart

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Diary of a Void
Binti

⭐️⭐️✨
We Were Liars

DNF
The Flame Throwers
Should we Stay or Should we Go
Land of Milk and Honey

CatMS I really liked "We Were Liars" unexpected ending. 12mo
Megabooks So glad you loved Acorns too! 12mo
BarbaraBB @Megabooks Really loved it 🥰 I am on the lookout to read more by her 12mo
67 likes3 comments
blurb
kelli7990
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Today, I‘m sharing the books I read and what I watched this month. I used Fable for my reading wrap-up and used the Likewise app for my movie wrap-up. I participated in #scarathlon for the first time this year and I had so much fun. I‘m looking forward to next year. I feel like it got me in the Halloween spirit.

Books I DNF‘d

🎃The Amish Matchmakers - Beth Wiseman

🎃Crimson Lake - Candice Fox

#HHC

blurb
Emilymdxn
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

One of my bucket list items for #scarathlon was getting new stationery in autumn colours and I worried these wouldn‘t arrive in time but here they are! #sleletoncrew

IndoorDame Cute!!! 12mo
38 likes1 comment
blurb
Gissy
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

#Scarathlon photo challenge Day 16
#October
This is a way to express what this month represents to me....scary spooky read, Yes 👻

I received this print this month for my birthday from @Chrissyreadit loved it!!! 😍

Chrissyreadit 🖤🖤🖤 12mo
25 likes1 comment
blurb
SomedayAlmost
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Outstanding October Read-a-thon-28 hours. (Kid‘s books not pictured.) Considering the kind of month I have had, not so bad. #readathon #Scarathlon #spookybooks #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

blurb
BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

This middle grade novel about a girl named October living in the woods with dad. When her dad is injured, she has to go live in London with her mom. I‘m definitely adding it to my Scarathlon 2024 TBR! #scarathlonphotochallenge #october #blackcatcrew

BookwormAHN Good plan 🐈‍⬛️ 13mo
18 likes1 comment
blurb
peanutnine
October, October | Katya Balen
post image
blurb
Lin3han
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

A double photo for #scarathlon #photochallenge and painting a ghost canvas! I had so much fun doing this for my bullet journal! #creepinitreal #cir

TheBookHippie This is wonderful ! 13mo
StayCurious Oooh I love this! 13mo
Lin3han @StayCurious thank you! 13mo
Lin3han @TheBookHippie thank you!! 13mo
13 likes4 comments
blurb
SomedayAlmost
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

October at a farm near us in Mass. Photo challenge: October. #Scarathlon #photoprompt #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

FlynnDewey I bet it smelled wonderful in that tent. Very autumny. 13mo
17 likes1 comment
blurb
Bookworm54
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I hadn‘t heard of this book before looking for some #ScarathlonPhotoChallenge inspiration, but it sounds great! And not only is #October in the title, it is the MCs name!

Another one to add to my tbr 😂

#Scarathlon #MagicalMonsters

36 likes2 stack adds
blurb
vonnie862
October, October | Katya Balen
post image
dabbe 🧡🖤🧡 13mo
26 likes1 comment
blurb
BarkingMadRead
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

This month‘s page in my Christmas Countdown calendar. #scarathlonphotochallenge #october #teamcryptkeepers

AnnR Interesting traditions.🕷🕸 13mo
31 likes1 comment
blurb
Chrissyreadit
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

#scarathlon A compilation for points: 2 items from my bucket list- Halloween clothes, Fall train ride with my mom and Owen- this was Oct 1st- leaves were still pretty green- and our train had a table for our picnic. Watched Rosemary‘s Baby- (i‘ve watched a few other movies but forget to take pictures) Also 433. words for week 2 game. #hhc

dabbe 🖤🧡🖤 13mo
Gissy 🍂🍁🤎🧡💛🤎 13mo
63 likes2 comments
blurb
Littlewolf1
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

I‘ve been on vacation so I‘ve got lots of things to post, so definitely more to come. However, wanted to start with the fact that I have received both my #HauntedHollowSwap and #AllHallowsReadSwap. I will be shipping right now before the end of the week for both.

wanderinglynn Yay! 🎃👻🧡 13mo
13 likes1 comment
blurb
RainyDayReading
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

Stack for #OutstandingOctober this is definitely ambitious but I hope to get through as many of these as I can. The stack is so big because I‘m not sure what exactly I‘ll feel like picking up but these are all possibilities. Seems like I‘m forever trying to get through library books so I can read the books I actually own 😅 #magicalmonsters @Andrew65

AnnR Wow, that's quite a stack. Good luck! I understand what you mean about library books versus the ignored books we own. There are just so many choices and limited time to read. 🙂 13mo
Andrew65 Great to have you with us, good luck 😁 Impressed with your reading stack. 13mo
31 likes2 comments
blurb
CloakNQuill
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

@TheAromaofBooks October #BookspinBingo
I'll make the board some time tomorrow.
HAPPY OCTOBER 🧡🍁👻

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 13mo
17 likes1 comment
blurb
Kristelh
October, October | Katya Balen
post image
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 13mo
9 likes1 comment
blurb
BookwormAHN
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

#OctoberPhotoADay
October 1st Hello October
#Scarathlon #BlackCatCrew

blurb
AllDebooks
October, October | Katya Balen
post image

My favourite month always leads to daydreams of ditching society and retiring to a woodland glade where I can fully embrace my wild side.

LiseWorks What a beautiful place and photo 13mo
AnnCrystal 💕😍👍 gorgeous. 13mo
42 likes2 comments