November was a quieter and cozy month. We had one of the kiddos home for a week around Thanksgiving but were missing the other. I finished 10 books and there were a few DNF’s in there too that will remain nameless. I made some progress on my 2023 Reading Goals list but I am starting to wonder if I will finish them all before year end. Which is fine! I try not to get hung up on my reading goals but do enjoy them as they tend to keep me reading great books. As of right now, I have five more to go. I am glad that I did make an effort to get back to that list as three in November were from it and were terrific.
I hope you had a wonderful reading month and are finishing the year out with wonderful books.
If you missed it, be. sure to visit my Gift Guide for Readers!
Here are the books that I read in November.
These Silent Woods – Kimi Cunningham Grant
To put it simply, I loved this book. Cooper and Finch are a a father daughter duo with a deep, lovely relationship, living in solitude and rely on each other 100%. It is a suspenseful story with a good amount of tension and is masterfully crafted. The sense of place in These Silent woods ranks right up there with the best! You will see, hear and smell this forest as if you are there. I have put Grant’s first novel on my 2024 Goals list and will be sure to read her upcoming release as soon as it comes out next year.
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Hidden Potential – Adam Grant
I am not sure I would called this a self help book – but more an idea book and perhaps motivational/creativity book. Adam Grant is a wealth of bringing the nuggets to surface and helping us all discover our hidden potential.
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
A Little Hope – Ethan Joella
Ethan Joella is another of my favorite authors that I have found this year. A Little Hope is definitely a very sad book and I honestly wasn’t sure if I was up to it. It’s filled with sad events, struggle, emotions and more. But there is an overall sense of hope throughout. We meet a varied cast of characters in a small Connecticut town that are all interrelated throughout different parts of their lives. Joella is a gifted writer that weaves everyday life in a satisfying way to basically illustrate that it is indeed a small world after all. I have already been approved with an ARC for his 2024 release, The Same Bright Stars and I am sure I will be reading it early next year as I don’t think I can let it wait for the summer.
🍷🍷🍷🍷1/2
Last Summer on State Street – Toya Wolfe
This is a coming age novel where we meet Felicia, who lives in one of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes with her older teenage brother Theo and her mother. Her building is destined to be the next to be ripped down and throughout the summer she worries where they will wind up. It’s a realistic and raw view of growing up in the projects among one of the roughest neighborhoods in the country with a girl that just wants to play double dutch with her friends.
🍷🍷🍷🍷1/2
Snowed In – Catherine Walsh
I loved reading Holiday Romance last year and this had some of the same characters, Molly & Andrew, however we are focused this time on Megan & Christian. I listened to Snowed In and found the Irish accents delightful on audio and added to the charm. It is a light holiday romance with several of the tropes; fake dating, forced proximity feathered in with family issues and past healing. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture audio for an advance audio copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Snowed In is now available.
🍷🍷🍷🍷
Birdie & Harlow – Taylor Wolfe
While I enjoyed it, this isn’t a book that everyone is going to love. It’s a memoir by comedian/influencer Taylor Wolfe who has made a name for herself with her funny, sarcastic tales of her love for her dog and now love for her children. I enjoyed this one on audio.
🍷🍷🍷🍷
Anything for a Friend – Kathleen M. Willett
I read this page turner very quickly, mostly on a long flight. It is a family drama/psychological thriller that centers on Carrie and Maya, long ago best friends that have been suddenly reunited. Maya’s husband has died and she and her daughter Lola have come to seek a place to catch their breath. Carrie’s family welcomes them and offers a place or them to rest and unwind as they deal with their loss. Old secrets come undone and long ago decisions still haunt them both. Anything for a Friend was entertaining but I wasn’t a big fan of the ending. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance e-copy in exchange for my review. Anything for a Friend is now available.
🍷🍷🍷1/2
The Helsinki Affair – Anna Pitoniak
I was excited to read this based on the synopsis but ultimately was less than I expected for a few reasons. First, I wouldn’t call this a spy thriller. Thriller it was not. But my main issues came with the time jumping. It happens so often and so fast, right within chapters and it was very difficult to follow. I am not even sure how many times I had to stop and reread paragraphs to figure out what was going on because I couldn’t always follow the jumping. It is very abrupt. It’s a good premise and had good potential but was just ok for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Helsinki Affair is now available.
🍷🍷🍷
Amazing Grace Adams – Fran Littlewood
This is one of this real time type books where the entire story takes part over the course of a day when Grace pretty much looses her $hit in a traffic jam. Lots of flashbacks of how we got here and I just didn’t connect with Grace as much as I thought I would. Because what mom hasn’t lost her $hit and thinks she will connect with that type of story. 🙂
🍷🍷🍷
Before I Let Go – Kennedy Ryan
This was a tad disappointing as I had high hopes. While I didn’t dislike it, it was just ok. A couple once supposedly so in love (although it seemed like it was just physical to me) has broken apart after deep loss and attempts to navigate the future with their lives still intertwined with a business and their children. The style was just not a good first for me to make this more entertaining than it was.
🍷🍷🍷
