Mini Book Reviews – October 2025
Mini Book Reviews – October 2025: What To Read & What To Skip
Welcome to my regular round up of mini book reviews of what I’ve read this past month! There’s a wide variety of reads to share for October.
In my list of mini book reviews, I include everything I’ve read recently that I finished. I like to share both my five star reads and any misses to help you get a better idea of what you should read or might want to skip.
As always, I love to hear if you agree or disagree with my ratings! Let me know in the comments what you thought of my October 2025 mini book reviews.
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Mini Book Reviews – October 2025
Physical Books:
The Compound by Aisling Rawle
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this darker take on a reality show! Lily enters a reality show where the contestants live together and have to complete challenges (either with each other or individually) to earn prizes. The prizes range from necessities like food to luxury items.
Plus, to stay on the show, every boy and girl must pair up and anyone left alone will be kicked off. It sounds simple, but the situation turns desperate when they start to run out of necessities and the challenges take a nasty turn. This thriller shows the depths people will go to when they’re facing survival or what they’ll do for money.
I enjoyed this the whole way through! Reality show novels are always a fun read, but this unique darker twist really sets it apart. 4.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
This book has been on my TBR for ages and I’m so glad I finally got around to it! It’s part of a duology and takes place within Bardugo’s Grishaverse but you don’t need any prior knowledge of her world building to enjoy it.
The story focuses on a heist – a ragtag group of thieves, criminals, runaways, and others take on a seemingly impossible task in order to gain an astonishing monetary reward. They are led by Kaz Brekker, a legend among the slums and his handpicked crew. We get alternating chapters among the six main characters as the narrative unfolds.
I loved seeing the glimpse into each of their perspective’s as we hear their history and how they are connected to each other. The plan is formed and eventually executed, resulting in plenty of tension and high stakes action! I was enthralled from start to finish. 4.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon
It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard
I requested this on a whim from the publisher and it turned it to be one of my favorite books of the season! It helps that it features, Les Mis, my all time favorite musical! I have spent many a shower and commute belting out On My Own, although with far less talent than June.
This is a second chance romance between two former roommates who find themselves back in each other’s lives when they’re given joint ownership of the brownstone where they once lived. June and Adam are under the same roof again and it doesn’t take long for old feelings to flare up. I don’t usually love second chance romances but this was perfectly done! Plenty of humor and spice! You’re absolutely going to want to read this during this season. 4 Stars | Buy From Amazon
AudioBooks:
As always, I recommend using Libro.fm if you’re an audiobook listener!! Libro.fm directly supports indie bookstores, but costs the same as Amazon’s Audible! You can get TWO audiobooks for only $15 with my link and code CHOOSEINDIE.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Absolutely everyone recommends listening to this on audio and I can see why. The characters truly come to life through the narration and sounds, so if you’re interested in reading it, I definitely recommend the audio too! It’s currently only available on Audible.
I had super high hopes for this after loving The Martian, and while I really enjoyed the story it didn’t quite live up to that book. The Martian still takes first place. Project Hail Mary definitely felt more science-y and had less of a thriller vibe. The action and tension exists, but it’s not the main focus of the story like survival was in The Martian.
Overall, this focuses on one man’s journey to attempt the impossible and find a way to save Earth. Along the way we switch between present day and flashbacks to how we got there. Also, we get introduced to one of my favorite characters in fiction! So that kept this at 4 stars for me! | 4 Stars | Buy From Amazon
eBooks:
Caught Up by Liz Tomforde
This is technically Book 3 in her Windy City series but it can easily be read as a standalone and you’re not going to want to miss out on Kai Rhodes!! I picked this first because of the baseball + single dad tropes and it delivered! Kai is a professional pitcher with a young son who desperately needs some help during the season. When the coach’s daughter ends up back home for the summer, he convinces Kai to give her a chance.
But Miller is wild and young and DEFINITELY leaving at the end of the summer – the last person he thinks he wants around his kid. At least until he starts to see how quickly and easily she cares for him. Miller meanwhile is facing a looming deadline as a professional pastry chef and pursuing her dreams means she’s constantly on the go. The allure of this baseball player and his adorable son shouldn’t be enough to keep her around…
Ahhh – this was such a fun romance!! Kai and Miller are such opposites in some ways but so good for each other. Their flirting and dancing around their attraction was a blast to read! It was just as endearing to see Miller fall in love with Kai’s son and the unique relationship Kai has with his coach. Highly recommend this if you’re looking for a spicy romance with a lot of heart! 4.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon
In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
I always have high hopes for Ruth Ware’s thrillers but they never seem to quite deliver. This was another mediocre thriller that took a while to build up tension, but never delivered a compelling ending.
The story revolves around a bachelorette weekend in a remote wooded retreat, where the attendees share an interesting history and someone ends up dead by the end of the weekend. As we go back in time to understand the relationships and try to figure out who arranged the murder, secrets and lies are revealed. 3 Stars | Buy From Amazon
For more mini book reviews, check out What I Read in September 2025!
My son and I read Project Hail Mary this summer. I think I liked it better than The Martian because of the friendship angle. Looking forward to the movie!
As a big Les Mis fan, I’m off to request It’s Different This Time. Thanks!
Project Hail Mary is waiting in my Audible library. I want to get it read before the movie comes out next year. I loved The Martian as well, so I’ll lower my expectations a bit for this one.