Best Books of November
As I say every month, I’m shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessica Lahey. She has a recurring monthly date where she reviews all the books she reads that month. Book reviews are important for authors, and I want to get better at doing this.
So. I’m going to review them here and also online, but I’m going to do it a little differently. I’m only going to review the stuff I really liked. I don’t see a reason to spend my time writing about something I didn’t love; it’s just using up more of my energy. So only positive reviews.
These are the books I liked (or mostly liked) from November.
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Benjamin Stevenson): The best way I can describe this book is an Australian Knives Out crossed with Anthony Horowitz’s The Word Is Murder series. He often breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the reader. I’d even go as far as to say it had the humour and cleverness of a Richard Osman book. I bought this because it sounded interesting, and I’m so glad I did because it was, in a word, brilliant. So much fun.
One of the Girls (Lucy Clarke): This is the type of book where you don’t remember any details two weeks later, but you have a lot of fun while you read it. A totally enjoyable fluffy thriller that made me want to go to Greece more than spend time with the characters. It moved very quickly, with short chapters to give plenty of stopping places.
The Other Side of Night (Adam Hamdy): This is a “just trust me” book. I cannot tell you anything without spoiling it, and it was one of the most moving, beautiful, amazing books I’ve ever read. I immediately ran out and bought it in hardback after reading it as an e-book. It is a map for grief, much like All Our Wrong Todays is a map for grief and love. I will re-read this book many times. I feel so happy this story exists in the world.
The Bullet That Missed (Richard Osman): Is there anything more enjoyable than a Richard Osman book? Probably not. Each one is better than the last. Richard Osman writes a perfect book. I bought this book without looking at the synopsis, positive I would love it. And I’ll do it again for the fourth book.
The Missing of Clairdelune (Christelle Dabos): The second book in the Mirror Visitor series. It continues to amaze me, and the second book was even better than the first. It ends on an absolute cliffhanger, so I immediately launched into the third book in the series. It’s billed as the French Harry Potter, by which people mean that it’s written by a French author and contains something akin to magic.
What did you read last month?
5 comments
Love hearing about what you (& other people) are reading, Mel!
🙂 Wasn’t “The Bullet That Missed” fun??
I finished 5 books in November — all reviewed on my blog and on Goodreads:
* “Remarkable Creatures” by Tracy Chevalier (November’s pick for the Gateway/Lighthouse Women NoMo book club). 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. I liked this, it was interesting and I learned a lot from it… it made me think… but I can’t say I absolutely loved it. Several of the women in the group did, though, so your mileage may vary…! It’s based on a true story about two female fossil hunters in 1820s England
* “The Palace Papers” by Tina Brown. 4 stars. Long (600+ pages), but highly entertaining 🙂 and some delicious details I’d never heard/read about before. She dishes the dirt, but also gives credit where it’s due, and I think she’s pretty fair in most respects.
* “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery (chapter-by-chapter group read with my LMM Readathon Facebook group). 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. It’s a classic for a reason. 😉
* “Navigating the Messy Middle” by Ann Douglas. 4 stars. A good overview of women’s experiences at midlife, the good and the bad, written in a chatty, friendly style and featuring a diverse range of stories & insights from 100+ middle-aged women.
* “The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama. 5 stars. There’s nothing in here that’s really original or profound or earth-shattering — but it’s well-synthesized, sound, practical, timely advice and encouragement on living in turbulent, changing times — well written and delivered in a warm, personal and ultimately optimistic voice. I enjoyed it.
My current read: “Killers of a Certain Age” by Deanna Raybourn. I think you were the one who flagged this one on Goodreads, Mel? I devoured half of it yesterday, and I am hugely enjoying it. 🙂
I read several but the ones I most enjoyed were Lessons in Chemistry which was lovely, and I listened to Molly Shannon read her memoir Hello, Molly! I loved it. Listening to someone tell their story is special.
Thanks to your “best books of October” post, I discovered Anthony Horowitz. Thank you!!!
…A few more books to put on my reading list (this makes me so happy)
I continue to find it interesting that all of your books are books I haven’t read!
Here are my favorites from November:
Manhunt by James L. Swanson. This book is about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth after his assassination of Lincoln. It almost read like a novel, and I learned a lot as well.
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill. There were parts of this book that I found tedious and/or did not resonate with me as they did with others I know who’ve read it, but overall, I liked what the author did.
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware. Kinda typical Ware book. I found a few of the characters grating at times and am beginning to wonder if I’m just over her method of storytelling, but overall I enjoyed it.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. I enjoyed this book but had to look at reviews to refresh my memory about exactly how it ended, so . . . maybe good but not particularly memorable is the best description?
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. This book was very interesting, and I learned a lot. Honestly should be required reading for anyone who has to deal with the public.
Oh man, I am going to have to add The Other Side of Night to my list. Your recommendations that fall under “just trust me” or “weird but wonderful” have been amazing! I’m glad I read Finna and When The Coffee Gets Cold from that category. I didn’t know most of these books, they sound great. I feel like I can use a fluffy candy book like One of the Girls, I feel like my brain is overly busy and full lately.