Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge 2023 - October Update: Deathless Divide & Ace of Spades

Happy Saturday everyone!  I hope everyone's been doing well.  I can't believe it's already almost Halloween.  Anyway, I've now competed twenty tasks of Book Riot's 2023 Read Harder Challenge.  The tasks I completed this month required me to listen to an audiobook performed by a person of color of a book written by an author of color and read a social horror, mystery, or thriller novel and I selected Deathless Divide (Dread Nation #2) by Justina Ireland and Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide respectively.  Read on to see my mini reviews and my plans for next month:

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Deathless Divide (Dread Nation #2) by Justina Ireland  has been on my tbr for way too long.  I don't know why I put off reading it for so long after Dread Nation.  Now that I've finally completed this duology I can officially say that this is such a great sequel/ finale.  I really like this author's take on zombies and alternate history.  As much as I liked reading Jane's perspective, I loved that this novel added Katherine as a perspective character as well.  Finally, I'm glad I decided to listen to the audiobook edition of this novel since Bahni Turpin is one of my favorite narrators - plus, Jordan Cobb is pretty great too.  I'll have to read more from Justina Ireland in the future.

My review is also on Goodreads.

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Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide was a fantastic YA mystery thriller.  I'm happy I decided to listen to the audiobook production because it is outstanding and easily earns a whole star on its own.  I wouldn't quite say it meets the Gossip Girl plus Get Out comparison, but whatever the case it's definitely a must read dark academia novel.  Honestly, it makes me glad I didn't have to put up with going to private school when I was in high school - regular public school was rough enough!  Anyway, I highly recommend going into this YA thriller blind, or nearly blind.  I can't wait to try more from Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé in the future.

My review is also on Goodreads.

Next Up For November: 

Read a book about activism.

My choice: Little Brother (Little Brother #1) by Cory Doctorow - I've been meaning to read more from this author for ages.

Read a book with under 500 Goodreads ratings.

My choice: Murder Among Friends: How Leopold and Loeb Tried to Commit the Perfect Crime by Candace Fleming - Have you ever seen Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948)?  Well, it's based on the Leopold and Loeb case and I'd love to read more about it in this true crime book.

Are you taking part in this challenge?  Have you read any of these books?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!