I’ll admit I went a little wild this month with book thrifting and shopping and my November 2024 book haul contains more books than I’d normally purchase in the month. Not to mention I went over my monthly book budget this month. Yikes! I’m blaming this solely on the discovery of Pango Books and how affordable it is to purchase books that are in amazing condition. I lost my mind a little bit. However, I got some amazing books that I’m eager to dive into over the winter season.
November 2024 Book Haul
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
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I have this book on my winter TBR because I want to dive back into reading classics. This title stuck out to me because I remember reading it in high school and I really enjoyed it. I was such a classics girl in high school it’s not even funny and John Steinbeck was one of my favorites. The way he was capable of capturing complex emotions about challenging life situations and experiences is exquisite. Can’t wait to dive into this one.
Goodreads Synopsis:
First published in 1939, Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads—driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man’s fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman’s stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck’s powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R. Tolkein
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It’s a crime and a shame that I’ve never read this series but I haven’t. And to think I consider fantasy to be one of my favorite genres! However, this winter I’m setting to right this wrong and read this series and rewatch the movies as well. And I couldn’t be more excited about it.
Goodreads Synopsis:
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.
From Sauron’s fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.
When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.
The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.
The Host by Stephanie Meyer
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Shortly after devouring the Twilight Saga I read this book and I adored it. The premise was intriguing and captured my attention. So, when I saw this at Half Price Books I had to buy it. Looking forward to when I can re-read it. Also, I do believe this book was made into a movie as well so I’ll have to track it down and watch it after I read.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, didn’t expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
As Melanie fills Wanderer’s thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she’s never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
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Ever since reading Eat, Pray, Love I’ve been an avid fan of her work. So, I’m beyond excited to read this book. I’m going in totally blind as I haven’t really read the synopsis or given it much thought and trusting that this will be an amazing story ture to Gilbert’s previous work and her immense talent.
Goodreads Synopsis:
In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager. But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that it will take her years to fully understand. Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves-and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest.
Now ninety-five years old and telling her story at last, Vivian recalls how the events of those years altered the course of her life – and the gusto and autonomy with which she approached it.
Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s. Told from the perspective of an older woman as she looks back on her youth with both pleasure and regret (but mostly pleasure), City of Girls explores themes of female sexuality and promiscuity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of true love. Written with a powerful wisdom about human desire and connection, City of Girls is a love story like no other.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
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I love Alice in Wonderland and I’m highly interested in reading a villain orgin story about the Queen of Hearts and the events that led to her becoming the evil Queen. So, when I saw this on Pango Books at a ridiculous price for a hardcover copy of this book I leaped at the chance to purchase it. And I can’t wait to read it.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.
Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.
In her first stand-alone teen novel, the New York Times-bestselling author dazzles us with a prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Pictures of You by Emma Grey
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I’ve come to discover that this author is a new favorite and when I saw she had a new release I had to have it. I read The Last Love Note by her and it was such a heartfelt, and emotional view of grief after losing a spouse to a debilitating conditon like dementia. It moved me to tears. And I expect nothing less from this story.
Goodreads Synopsis:
When Evie Hudson wakes in an unfamiliar hospital room, she thinks she’s fresh out of a teenage party with her best friend, Bree. Except, Bree isn’t around anymore and high school was years ago. Evie had just survived the crash that killed her husband, Oliver—whom she can’t remember either. After suffering a traumatic loss of memory, she’s left to connect the dots. But how?
Drew, a promising photographer whose chance encounter with Evie unravels the elusive details of her marriage and her husband’s death. As Drew watches Evie stitch the story of her life together, secrets emerge that might shatter both of their worlds.
This tangled second-chance romance leads Evie to question every decision she ever made. This time around, she’s seeing all the things she missed–and the life she gets to choose…again.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
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The young black girl in me that loved fantasy as a teenager is screaming because the gorgeous cover of this book. It’s stunning! I love the representation. I’ve seen this book reccommended by various people but I’ll be honest I have no idea what it’s about and I don’t care. I know this is going to be a good book I feel it in my bones and I can’t wait to continue with this series so I can collect all these gorgeous editions!
Goodreads Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.
But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.
Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
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This is another highly acclaimed book that I couldn’t resist adding to my collection. I’ve heard numerous reviews detail this as a surprsingly emotional story and I’m a sucker for heartfelt stories.
Goodreads Synopsis:
It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.
In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
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Another beautiful book that I found on Pango Books at a super reasonable price and in excellent condition. This cover is stunning! And from what I hear this series is lyrical and beautifully written.
Goodreads Synopsis:
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
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I’m probably the last person on earth who hasn’t read this book but here we are. And finally, my curiosity has gotten the better of me and I’m eager to read this extremely popular romantasy book and experience it for myself.
Goodreads Synopsis
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
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Keeping with my theme of reading popular romantasy books I thought I had to add this to my ever-expanding TBR and see what all the fuss is about regarding this fantastical world of the Fae.
Goodreads Synopsis:
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.
One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus
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Listen I’ve been so eager to finish this series but since the first two books I purchased were in paperback I had to wait patiently for them to release the paperback version. And the time has finally arrived! I’m definitely adding this to my winter TBR because I’m anxious to wrap up this series.
Goodreads Synopsis (One of Us is Lying Book #1 in series)
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Megan Quinn
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One of my book clubs selected this as our December read and why not? It’s the perfect time to spread a little holiday cheer and enjoy a magical and festive romance. It’s a little thick which is unexpected since most romance books are on the shorter side. So, I’m hoping this doesn’t disappoint.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Living in a year around Christmas town has it’s drawbacks. The caroling, the decorations, the insanely cheery spirit, it never disappears. It’s why I like to hibernate away in my cave–I mean house–keeping a healthy distance from the holly jolly spirits.
And all was going according to plan until my nemesis, Storee Taylor, moved in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Without blinking, she turned my simple world into a real nightmare-before-Christmas, especially when she decided to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest – which she was determine to win.
Well guess what? Over my cold-hearted body.
There was no way I was going to let her win, not after the history we’d shared.
So despite my promise to myself of never participating in the sickening Christmas season, I entered the competition as well. That’s right, I planned on beating Storee at her own game by pretending this grump’s heart grew three sizes this season.
And it was working until feelings between us started heating up.
We pretended to date.
We kissed.
And well, sparks flew from there.
Which led to one explosive night involving Christmas lights, the competition, and a ladder. Don’t let me convince you who stole Christmas, I think you need to find out for yourself . . .
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
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This was another book club pick for November. I’ve been eyeing this book after watching the show on Apple TV and wanted to read the book and dive deeper into this story. Looking forward to learning more about the sinister consequences of the multiverse.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters.
“Are you happy with your life?”
Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream?
And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa Terkhurst
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I enjoy Lysa Terkhurst’s infusion of psychology with Christian principles and have found so much insight and help from her talks and bible studies. I’m looking forward to diving into this book as a reformed people pleaser so that I can sharpen my skills with setting healthy boundaries and standing firm in my truth.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Is it unloving or selfish to set a boundary? Are Christians ever called to walk away from a relationship that’s no longer safe or sustainable? Lysa TerKeurst deeply understands these hard questions in the midst of relational struggles.
But after thousands of hours of counseling intensives and extensive theological research that transformed the way she defined healthy relationships, Lysa is now more committed than ever to loving people well without losing the best of who she is. She wants to help you do the same. In these pages Lysa will help you:
Understand the five factors to remember when implementing healthy boundaries.
Determine the appropriate amount of personal and emotional access someone has to you based on how responsible they’ll be with that access.
Stop being misled and emotionally paralyzed by wrongly interpreted or weaponized scriptures that perpetuate unhealthy dynamics in difficult relationships.
Overcome the frustrating cycle of ineffective boundary-setting with realistic scripts and practical strategies to help you communicate, keep, and implement healthier patterns.
Be equipped to say goodbye without guilt when a relationship has shifted from difficult to destructive and is no longer sustainable.
Receive therapeutic wisdom you can trust directly from Lysa’s Christian counselor Jim Cress, who weighs in throughout the book.
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
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I read this book a while back. It was my first book by this author and I loved it. Phenomenal. I lost it after lending out to a friend and never getting it back and decided it’s time to repurchase and reread this book.
Goodreads Synopsis:
One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn’t show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia’s life.
When Colin decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota instead of delivering her to his employers, Mia’s mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them. But no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family’s world to shatter.
Quiet by Susan Cain
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I had to have this book as an introvert I’m dying to here what Susan Cain has to say about the hidden powers associated with being introverted. As well as how challenging it is to live in a world and society that favors and praises extroverts. I believe this book will be really insightful.
Goodreads Synopsis:
At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.
In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
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I remember this book when it was first released a while back and I was interested in reading it but it slipped my mind and fell to the wayside. I saw it while shopping at a local independent bookstore and grabbed it. Can’t wait to dive into it since it sounds deliciously sinister and intriguing.
Goodreads Synopsis:
A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past—the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia’s death and the conviction of the school’s athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers—needs—to let sleeping dogs lie.
But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? Is the real killer still out there? As she falls down the very rabbit hole she was so determined to avoid, Bodie begins to wonder if she wasn’t as much of an outsider at Granby as she’d thought—if, perhaps, back in 1995, she knew something that might have held the key to solving the case.
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
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This is a book that is popular and well-loved by many of the bookish content creators that I follow and I stumbled upon it while shopping at a local bookstore and knew that it was meant to come home with me. Planning to read it sometime during the winter and looking forward to it.
Goodreads Synopsis:
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
That wraps up all the books that I purchased this November. It was a bit much for me since typically I get four or five. So, I’ll try to reel it back in next month especially since it’s Christmas and hopefully I’ll get tons of books and gift cards for Barnes & Noble. What books did you purchase this month? And what are you excited to read? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time happy reading!
