This Week: October 5th

News and Updates

What’s better than waking up to cooler temperatures, golden sunrises, and the smell of fall? I am loving my early morning reading sessions with a cup of hot tea and a cozy blanket. I hope you are having a great start to the week, as well! We celebrated our wedding aniversiary last week and it sparked memories of some of our aniversaries traveling to places around the Southeast and visiting local independent bookstores. I’m thinking of the people in North Carolina still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and of the people out in the Outer Banks dealing with the destruction from the high waves caused by our most recent pair of Atlantic storms. If you are looking for a way to support them, I invite you to visit:

BeLoved Asheville

Outer Banks Community Foundation

This Week

Our theme this week is Action/Adventure and you will definitely see that in our book choices! I can’t wait to share the latest Ryanverse novel with you, but I think I’m most excited about sharing an update on our 2026 Reading Challenge! I’ve been very busy working on our monthly themes and weekly prompts and have some exciting updates to make reading with us easier!

Reading Challenge: Action/Adventure

The Three Musketeers is arguably the book that opened the way for today’s modern romance novels with half-dressed men on the cover. Romancing every woman they encounter while trying to save the kingdom – it’s the perfect knight-in-shining armor trope! This is my second time reading the book, but my first in English – I read it in the original French text in high school and this really hits home differently in each language.

Originally published in the 1800’s, this book has 150 years of readers who love it, helping it achieve “classic” status on the shelves. Widely read in schools both in Literature and Language classes, this really is a foundational book for anyone looking to delve deeper into romance literature.

If you’re looking for other great books for this prompt, try one of these:

The Prey Series, John Sandford
The Jack Ryan Series, Tom Clancy et. al.
The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
https://bookshop.org/a/90507/9780593718063Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton

New This week

The 21st installment in the Jack Ryan series, Executive Power brings back writers Andrews & Wilson for their second book. Focused on the youngest Ryan children, this book sees Katie’s intelligence career continue developing while delving into Kyle’s burgeoning career. When both Ryan kids end up in danger, will Jack have to negotiate their release, or will they channel their father’s ingenuity and find their own way out?

Other great reads hitting shelves this week include:

In the Name of Freedom, Enes Kanter Freedom
The Intruder, Freida McFadden
Mate, Ali Hazelwood
Twice, Mitch Albom

In Case You Missed It

Last Week’s Prompt

The Professor was Bronte’s first adventure into literature although it was not published until after her death. Following a young man as he attempts to reinvent himself and falls into a love triangle. The first few chapters felt a bit like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol but later developed into the novel we love from Brontë.

I give The Professor 3.4 out of 5 stars. Chapters of the book were heavy in French which could be difficult for some readers. It also took me a while to get into this book. If I wasn’t utilizing the audio version, I probably would have put this down.

Last Week’s Article

October’s theme is “Black”, bringing all the spooky vibes perfect for Halloween! If you missed it, we shared our reading prompts for the month, the reading playlist, and some great options for books both with a black cover and with black in the title in the October Preview on Thursday.

Reading the rainbow has been fun this year, but I’m looking forward to a little bit of a different challenge in 2026. Stay tuned for more information this coming Thursday on both our monthly themes and an exciting new way for you to read with us!

Last Week’s Preview

This was the third of three Christmas romance novels I was lucky to get from NetGalley this past month. Following a group of friends dealing with professional dilemas and family drama, this book is perfect for readers who love the Outer Banks show or enjoy Nicholas Sparks novels. I was transported to my favorite spot on the Crystal Coast while reading this and am dreaming of a trip back soon! If you are looking for a holiday romance to read at the beach – grab a copy of this new release for your trip!

Reading Challenge Prompts

Are you reading along with us for October? Here’s the full list of our upcoming weekly prompts. Not up for reading a book every week? That’s ok – we have a once-a-month prompt, too! Our monthly theme for October is Black – look for a book with a black cover or black in the name.

This Week: October 5th

News and Updates