October Wrap-up

This month I read the amazing total of one book. Yeah, I know. I started 11/22/63 in the beginning of the month knowing it was going to be a commitment. The book is around a thousand pages long, so I knew I wasn’t going to finish it right away, especially the way I’ve been with reading these past months. My goal is to have this book finished by the end of November and I’m going to be seriously annoyed if I don’t get that done. Please hold me to it. Anyway, without further ado, here’s the sole book I read this book:

Stalking Jack the Ripper Kerri Maniscalco: I listened to this as an audiobook (duh, because since when do I actually read books that I finish, wow) and it was amazing. The concept was so intriguing and I loved the setting. As I might have mentioned a few hundred times, I’m really, really, into historical fiction. I wanted to write a review for this book because I have so many feelings about it, but it never happened. I’m going to do a mini spoiler free review here.

I loved Audrey Rose and how she stood against all the gender roles that were set in place by London society in 1888. She is supposed to be at home, playing music or sewing, but instead she’s in her uncle’s laboratory dissecting cadavers. That itself was so intriguing. I loved the scenes when she was dissecting and looking at the cadavers, especially the first scene. Withing the first chapter, Maniscalco shows the dirty work Audrey Rose does and I love it. It’s so unique.  I loved Thomas, even though he seemed like a stereotypical YA protagonist to me. He was broody, closed off, but still sarcastic and funny. Nevertheless, I enjoyed his character. He reminded me a lot of Gideon de Villiers from the Ruby Red trilogy, and I think that was another reason why I felt so strongly for his character. At first, I despised him but throughout the book, we learned more about his character and he didn’t seem so flat to me.

The action in this book was really intense and fast paced. I felt as if there was something gruesome and interesting at every corner. I loved it. This book was extremely unique and interesting. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the Jack the Ripper mystery, Victorian London, and female protagonists who break the mold. Amazing read.