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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Augustana chapter.

Probably my favorite hobby (and/or procrastination tactic) is, and has always been, reading. As a definite bookworm (or as I prefer, bookwyrm – everything is better with dragons), reading is a way to calm down, step away from the real world, and stay up ridiculously late at night!

My goal for each month this year is to read something I’ve never read before, and so far, it’s working! (fingers crossed that I don’t slack off in November and December!)

in october, i read…

  1. per my roommate’s suggestion, the Aurora Rising trilogy by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. This is a sci-fi/dystopian series with cute found-family and underlying queer representation, as the main characters (a mismatched sort of crew) develop into themselves and their relationships with each other… while, of course, saving the galaxy!
  2. The Brothers Hawthorne, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It builds on the backstory of two of the four Hawthorne Brothers, Jameson and Grayson, while also exploring their future after the Final Gambit. This book stands as a sort of novella set after the author’s popular Inheritance Games trilogy, so I’d definitely recommend reading those first.
  3. A Curse for True Love, by Stephanie Garber. Evangeline Fox, in search of her happily ever after, must brave the Magnificent North and the ever-changing legends surrounding it. The final book in the booktok-famous Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy (if you’ve heard of or read Caraval, this is the same universe), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one (Once Upon a Broken Heart and the Ballad of Never After were quite possibly my favorite books that I read in 2022). Definitely recommend!!
Fall, marshmallows and mug and book
Photo by Alisa Anton from Unsplash

IN November, I hope to read…

  1. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. An action-packed adventure with fantasy, danger, war college, and – of course- dragons! The widely anticipated sequel to Yarros’s Fourth Wing, Iron Flame won’t be out until November 7 (next week!!!), but I’m already planning to head to the bookstore as soon as I’m out of class!! 
  2. The Princess Saves Herself in This One (and the rest of the Women are Some Kind of Magic poetry collections) by Amanda Lovelace. I don’t generally read a lot of poetry, but really enjoyed Break Your Glass Slippers back in September, and want to see if I can find the others in the same series! They tell stories of women-empowerment, self-love & personal growth, plus it’s always good to branch out and try something new!
  3. Illuminae, the first book in the other sci-fi trilogy by Amie Kaufman. After reading Aurora Rising, my roommate suggested Illuminae since it’s by the same author and she read it in grade school. I don’t know much about it yet, but hope to get it from the library soon!

Happy reading, my bookwyrms!

Kaitlin Troha

Augustana '26

Hi! My name is Kaitlin, and I’m a sophomore at Augustana College. I graduated from Wheaton North High School in 2022. I’ve declared a major in environmental science and a minor in Spanish, but I’m still exploring other options like WGSS. Outside of class, I like to rollerblade (which I have yet to attempt on campus), spend time with my friends, listen to music and read from my ever-growing collection of books, both at home and in the library. I also participate in HerCampus Augustana, Sierra Club, and hope to seek out more extracurricular opportunities as I balance my work and school schedules. I’ve been writing for student publications since middle school, so I’ve covered a wide range of topics over the years. My preferred writing topics include books (reviews, new publications, recommendations… everything!), environmental and social activism, and so much more!