Books To Read In November (Updated 2022)

I wrote a list of books to read in November way back in 2019. It’s not a bad list, but I’m a whole new person now if you know what I mean.

Here’s my updated (post-pandemic) list of books to read in November.

Fiction

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - This Jane Austen classic is really underrated. It’s funny and Catherine is a heroine you can relate to and root for. If you’re doing a classics challenge you can’t go wrong with Northanger!

November Road by Lou Berney - Great historical fiction set around the time of the Kennedy Assassination. I loved the characters in this one

Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman - One of the few books about Thanksgiving that I know of. This family drama is a good November read.

American Royals by Katherine McGee - A fun contrast to what we go through every two years or so for our elections now. I have enjoyed listening to this series on mammoth cooking sessions in November.

Non-Fiction

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway - Before this my only exposure to Hemingway was reading The Old Man and the Sea in High School and The Paris Wife which angered me so much I swore I would never read his books again. But then I saw the PBS special on his life and decided to give him a chance to redeem himself. I really liked this book, but I re-read The Paris Wife right after.

A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter - This is a memoir from a very brave woman who spent a winter in the Arctic in the 1930‘s. I was really impressed by her attitude and resourcefulness.

The Art of Gathering by Pria Parker - The perfect book to read as we think about what we want our post pandemic gatherings to look like. This was great for personal gatherings, and it was surprisingly insightful for work.

Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck - A quick read about the famous author‘s drive around America with his dog in 1960. It‘s surprising how many issues he noticed then are still around today.

Happy Reading!

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Show Us Your Books December 2020

My TBR Shelf

November was a really weird reading month for me. It started with the election (no ability to concentrate whatsoever) and ended with a Covid exposure (complete cocooning with Thanksgiving food for ten people that of course we couldn’t see and tons of reading.) It was really about three months in one. So now it’s December, my house is a complete mess, but at least I have stopped scouring Twitter all night for election news and my reading mojo is back.

Three Great Books

Normally I just pick one favorite book per month, but I liked all three of these in such different ways I couldn’t choose.

Above Us Only Sky by Michele Young-Stone - This book was magical, mystical, and musical. I read it over Thanksgiving and the story of a girl being born with wings tracing the roots of her family with her cranky grandfather was perfect for that holiday.

She Come By It Natural by Sarah Smarsh - Dolly is everywhere these days! This short book about Dolly as a nontraditional feminist and business woman really made me like her even more. They tried to turn her into a boob joke, but the joke is on them.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - This Jane Austen classic is really underrated. It’s funny and Catherine is a heroine you can relate to and root for. If you’re doing a classics challenge in 2021 you can’t go wrong with Northanger!

More Good Reads

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes - This historical novel about a horseback lending library in rural Kentucky had me on the edge of my seat worrying for the ladies in the book. I really liked it, but thought the ending was rushed.

American Royals by Katherine McGee - I surprised myself by how much I liked this alternate history of George Washington’s royal descendants. I didn’t even mind when my dishwasher broke on Thanksgiving and I had to spend hours hand washing because it meant more hours with this on audio. If you read it be ready to turn to part two right away! My copy just came in from Libby and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Savage Summit by Jennifer Jordan - A non-fiction book about the first five women to climb K2. You find out in the first few pages that none survived very long after summiting, and I was left with the question of how someone can be so driven they’re willing to throw their life away to climb a mountain.

That’s it for November reads, but SUYB Best of 2020 is coming on Dec. 29! It’s been such a weird year, I’m not really sure how I can do a wrap up, but I’ll give it my best!

Linked to: Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit

Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Books To Read In November

Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen - Cold, and dark, and spooky. It’s everything a November read should be.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - This tenderhearted book is perfect for reading under a blanket.

Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman - This is one of the few books I’ve ever read that takes place on Thanksgiving, and it’s a good one.

I’ll Be There For You by Kelsey Miller - This book is filled with nostalgia. Perfect for November!

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin - Complicated families make for great reading this time of year.

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Audiobooks December 2017

Hot buttered rum and reading by the fire pit = early winter

I've been taking a break from blogging since work's been flipping nuts, but I'm happy to say despite all that I've been reading and listening to some good ones lately. Nothing Earth shattering, but some good, solid reads. That wasn't my experience through most of the summer, so I'm optimistic that things are looking up in my reading life.

Here are some of the audiobook highlights since the last time I posted.

I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn -- This book didn't get the best reviews, but I listened to the audio over a couple of long nights of Thanksgiving baking. The contemplative nature of this book was perfect for that, like taking a walk with a friend who had to tell you a really long story.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys -- This World War II novel examines the history of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that not many of us know anything about despite its deadly past. Even if you think you've read so many WWII books that you never want to read another this one's worth the exception.

Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman -- Thanksgiving books always seem to be so melancholy, and this one was no different. It's my favorite holiday, and one of the few times of the year that I don't feel melancholy, so I usually avoid Thanksgiving books. However this book had good characters, and I liked the ending, so I'll forgive a little bit of melancholy.

Code Girls by Liza Mundy -- When I was a young physics student I was under the impression that there just hadn't been a lot of women in the STEM fields. According to this book, and several others I've read this year, we've been there all along. We just haven't been acknowledged or written about.

Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

Harry Potter season

For me this time of year is Harry Potter season. Most nights find me staying up late listening to the audio book versions and making cookies.

I still have to finish listening to It, and I have the next Inspector Gamache mystery in my playlist. However I know that soon though the spirit of the season will take over, and I'll need to listen to The Half Blood Prince. It wouldn't feel right not to.

Do you have certain books that you read or listen to at certain times of the year?

P.S. I brought the kids to see Fantastic Beasts this weekend and we loved it! It was funny and cute with a hint of scary. I never really liked the Harry Potter movies, but since I wasn't comparing this one to a book I was able to relax and enjoy it.

November Audiobooks

Sometimes wasting hours on Pinterest is so worth it...

It's my busy time at work, and I've been cranking through audiobooks as I program my life away. I never used to listen to mysteries, because I thought I wouldn't be able to follow them. I gave a couple a try last month though, and now I have a whole new world open to me.

Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal was enjoyable enough. It's a World War II book with a bunch of twists and turns, but nothing too mentally taxing. I didn't realize it was part of a series when I started. I'm not sure I'll seek the others out, but wouldn't turn them away if they showed up on my doorstep. Has anyone else read anything from this series?

Foul Play by Janet Evanovich bills itself as a mystery, but really it was a romance that had a little bit to do with a missing chicken. Total fluff, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Everyone who told me that the Gamache books got better with time was right. This month I listened to The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny, and loved every minute of it. I went out of order and read #3 before #2, and I'm hoping that doesn't mess things up too much. That's the risk when you depend on Overdrive!

Linked to:

Note: Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.