My FIVE Favorite FIVE Star Reads from October 2025!

October was a slower reading month for me as things started to get busier with the holidays approaching. I still had some great reads (and some not so great reads) and was able to enjoy a lot of atmospheric books for fall and Halloween.

I read 15 books in October and 4,311 pages for an average of 287 pages per book. I read 10 books by female authors and 5 by male authors. I borrowed 8 of the books I read and owned 7 of them. I read 3 physical books, 4 eBooks, and 8 audiobooks. I read no new releases. 7 books were part of a series (starting no new series and finishing 1) and 7 stand alone books. I read 4 middle grade, 3 YA, and 8 adult books, sharing 4 read alouds with my kids. I reread 1 book and had 14 new reads. Of the books I read, 7 were by "new to me" authors" and 7 were by authors I've previously read. I read 4 books from my 2025 TBR list, bringing the total read or DNF'd to 29/33, leaving 4 to be read. I had 6 five star reads, 4 four star reads, 4 three star reads, 1 two star read, and 0 one star reads.

Here are my five favorite five star reads from last month!

A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge

A Murder Most French is the second in a series following a friend of Julia Child, the famous chef, as she solves murder mysteries. It is a fun series and I liked this second book more than I did the first (though her Phyllida Bright books are still my favorite!). I'm excited to continue on with the series.

Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie

Three Act Tragedy is a Poirot book that actually follows a few other characters trying to solve the mystery before Poirot gets very involved. Despite this, I really enjoyed the mystery and did not see the solution coming. I always love Agatha Christie's characters and this book was no exception to that.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

Mother-Daughter Murder Night was just exactly what I wanted to read for October--it was a more serious murder mystery thriller but still a clean read. I really loved the grandmother-mother-daughter relationship and how that grew and changed throughout the story. I wish this was a series and I could read more!

Palmyra by Susan Evans McCloud

Palmyra is a thriftstore find that I found quite awhile ago and since I love Susan Evans McCloud, I finally got around to reading it. This story is set in Palmyra during the time that Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon and setting up The Church of Jesus Christ. It takes place in Palmyra during that time, but those events are mostly background setting for the main character's friendships and relationships. It was a little hard to really get into, but by the last quarter of the book, I had a hard time putting it down and it became one of my favorite reads of the month.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Volume 6 by Beth Brower

The Unselected Journals has become one of my favorite series--I just love Emma and the escapades she gets up to and the quandries she puts herself into and especially the friendships she forms. They are all so fun to read about. I am highly invested in her life. I had other reads I wanted to get to for October, so I only read the sixth, but I am already reading the seventh now and plan to finish the eight as well in November.

Those were my favorite books of October! What were your favorite books last month? Is there a book you recently read and just loved? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!