When it comes to my monthly reading wrap-ups, I’m noticing a trend. For my November 2024 reading wrap-up, I’ve realized that although I successfully achieved my goal of reading fourteen books this month, I didn’t manage to follow and stick to my TBR list for the month. And you know what? That’s absolutely okay because I had a spectacular reading month.
Here are my November reading stats. I read a total of fourteen books which add up to a total of pages and I had ten five-star reads. When it came to genres I managed to read one romance, two-holiday romances, three nonfiction, two literary fiction, two young adult fantasy, one romantasy, two thrillers, and one dark academia.
My favorite nonfiction book was Valerie Bauerlein’s The Devil At His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty. My favorite fiction book was a tie between Intermezzo by Sally Rooney and If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio.
November 2024 Reading Wrap Up
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
I started the month out by finishing this sweet fall-themed romance. It gave all the Hallmark vibes and provided the perfect fall themes which helped me get excited for the incoming season. In this story, we follow Jeanie and Logan. Jeanie is new to Dream Harbor and has taken over her aunt’s Café as she’s decided to retire and live her life to the fullest. She meets Logan the local farmer and they develop an instant attraction. However, due to Logan’s very public heartbreak, he’s a little gunshy when it comes to romance, especially with newcomers who may not stick around and want to build a life with him.
As they navigate their feelings for each other we not only get to enjoy their charming romance but soak in the small-town vibes, and fun fall festivities and untangle the mystery behind who’s trying to sabotage Jeanie’s success at the Pumpkin Spice Café.
I enjoyed this story very much and it was the perfect way to kick off my reading month.
Check out my full review for this book Book Review: The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
My second read was Wrong Place Wrong Time and I had so much fun with the time element in this one. So we meet Jen who’s a successful lawyer with a husband, Kelly, who she’s madly in love with, and a brilliant son, Todd, who excels in science-related subjects. It’s Halloween and she’s waiting for her son to return home. Only when she sees him approaching in the window she is shocked to witness him stab a stranger committing murder. Through a tangle of events that occur that night from Todd getting arrested and them not being allowed to see him, she falls into a fitful sleep.
Only when she wakes up she realizes it’s two days before the event happens. And each night she goes to sleep and wakes up to this continual pattern of her falling further back in time. She concludes that she must uncover the truth of what led Todd to commit the murder in the first place and stop it before it happens. However, she learns of secrets that threaten the fabric of her marriage and family and changes everything she’s ever known.
This was a twisty thriller with a twist I didn’t see coming. I found this story to be unique, well-paced, and intriguing with a satisfying conclusion.
Check out my full review Book Review: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris
Next, I read fiction on my Kindle that I wasn’t able to read in October as I wanted. In this endearing story, we learn about a Jo Wilding and Rachel Willoughby and their enduring friendship that has lasted since they were school kids. Many of Jo’s best memories were when she could escape the strict rule of her mother and spend time with Rachel and her family at their Scottish Manor named Clachan. However, Jo learns of a dark secret that Rachel hid from her.
And it’s during a visit to Clachan that she’s left to confront the truth of Rachel’s many secrets as well as the secrets she’s kept from Rachel over the years. It’s a story of grief, forgiveness, healing, redemption, and finding a way to move forward in life after facing traumatic circumstances.
I enjoyed this heartwrenching read and while I wasn’t exactly happy with the way Jo felt about certain circumstances that happened to her and wished that she received better closure the story was a remarkable one definitely to leave an impression on the reader.
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
I felt it was time to dive into Fantasy as this time of year is one of my favorite times to explore this genre. So, I picked up Belladonna which has been a series I’ve heard so much about and have been eager to read. We follow Signa who became an orphan as a newborn. After living a relatively happy life with her grandmother she passes away and Signa is left to be cared for by relatives who seem to care more about the generous allowance they’re afforded for taking her in. Many of these relatives care poorly for Signa and meet an untimely demise.
However, these occurrences don’t pass by Signa’s watchful eye. The combination of her unspoken ability to see ghosts and spirits and her unusual bond with Death himself she concludes that Death wishes her harm believing he’s causing her guardians to die contributing to the rumors amongst her kin that she’s cursed.
As she’s staying with her current guardian she hatches a plan to confront Death once and for all and demand he leave her alone when the unthinkable happens and her current guardian dies. She is then whisked away to live with her last remaining family the Hawthornes at Thron Grove Manor. She is blown away by their hospitality and willingness to take her in. She vows that nothing sinister befall them so she can reach her eighteenth year claim her inheritance and enter into society to seek a well off bachelor to love and live happily ever after.
That is until she stumbles into a murderous plot. The truth about her Aunt’s untimely death is revealed to indeed be murder through poisoning. Furthermore, the same thing is happening to her young cousin Blythe. Signa springs into action to get to the truth regarding who’s behind it all. She enlists the help of the stable boy Silas and reluctantly joins forces with Death to ferret out the truth.
But as her attraction to Silas grows and her passions for Death ignite. Signa realizes she’s playing a far more deadly game than she ever imagined.
Oh, how I loved the delicious gothic vibes, the enigmatic appeal of Death, and Signa’s stubborn and demanding attitude. It made for a silly, goofy time and was quite entertaining. I didn’t guess the ending and was shocked with the cliffhanger at the conclusion and raced to pick up the second book and looking forward to reading it in December.
Check out my full book review Book Review Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder by Gabor Maté
This was my first nonfiction of the month and it was so insightful. As a person living with ADHD, I found it helpful in helping me to understand this condition while also knowing that there are integrative methods to help heal and lessen traits and symptoms synonymous with it. Maté explains that while there are genetic factors that play into the onset of ADD/ADHD that the reality of the environmental elements that trigger this condition can’t be ignored.
He provides unique insight into how these traits present themselves and the reasons why giving tips on how to heal them with patience and adjusting the emotional climate for children that struggle with this condition in hopes of establishing better parent/child relationships built on love, connection and understanding.
This is an important book to read if you’re a parent of a child with ADD/ADHD or you’re an adult living with this condition. You’ll not only be able to better understand yourself but come up with realistic and actionable solutions to manage your condition that much better.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Onto my second thriller of the month. I’m late to the game with this one but I finally read the domestic thriller that changed the genre. And it did not disappoint. We follow Nick Dunne who wakes up on his five-year wedding anniversary and leads what seems to be a normal day. That is until he gets a call from his neighbor that his door is open and his cat is sitting outside. He goes home to investigate and comes home to his living room disheveled and with no sign of his wife.
Later he reports her missing suspecting foul play but quickly the tables turn against him making him appear to be the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. This is a story where nothing is as it seems and in my opinion the type of domestic thriller that I crave and look for. The characters are immensely unlikeable while simultaneously relatable. It’s equal parts sinister, diabolical, and absolutely insane. And I enjoyed every bit of this twisty ride.
The Devil At His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of A Southern Dynasty By Valerie Bauerlein
I love True Crime and trying to understand how seemingly normal people decide to commit violent acts against others. Like many, I was shocked upon learning about the Alex Murdaugh case. How a seemingly successful man would murder his wife and son and show no remorse or accountability concerning his actions?
Upon reading this I feel I have a better understanding of the circumstances that contributed to the downfall of Alex Murdaugh and his family. Bauerlein does an amazing job of detailing not just the crime but providing a backstory that dives deep into the Murdaugh family history showcasing a legacy of one family’s privilege, affluence, status, and power in a small town. How they were able to bend the law to fit their needs and how tragic murders and accidents seemed to follow them wherever they go.
It was interesting to see how everything built up to the horrific murders from the embezzlement, drug addiction, and blatant disregard for authority or law Alex was a truly depraved man without conscience. This is an interesting read for fans of True Crime and this case in particular.
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore
I was excited to discover that there was a holiday romance set in the Dream Harbor series and jumped at the chance to spread a little holiday cheer and give it a read. In this story we meet Kira and Bennett. Kira is new to Dream Harbor after impulsively purchasing the Christmas Tree Farm sight unseen in her quest to make her homesteading dreams a reality. Upon arrival she realizes she bit off more than she can chew and is working hard to make this business work and be independent and not the spoiled rich girl she’s been all her life.
Bennett is in town for the holidays visiting his sister Jeanie and her fiancé Logan. As he’s wondering around walking his dogs he meets Kira and while Kira loves his dogs she’s not too fond of him. Yet, fate has other plans and the townspeople task Bennett with welcoming Kira to Dream Harbor. And eventually a fledgling romance develops. But can Kira maintain her independence and build a solid and real relationship with a man like Bennett? And can Bennet trust his heart with Kira and not rely on his desire to people please and help others as a way to gain love and acceptance?
This romance was fluffy and cute. While it did share some close similarities to The Pumpkin Spice Café I thought it was adorable and contained all the holiday charm and small-town camaraderie that have become synonymous with this series and these books. A perfect way to add a little sugar and spice to the holiday season.
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Next, it was time to wrap up this series. I’ve put it off for far too long due to the fear of the emotional damage it would cause me which was inevitable. This story focuses on a ragtag gang of six misfits who call the streets of Ketterdam home. They come from different backgrounds with their own troubling stories. But, with Kaz Brekker as their leader they unite to pull of an impossible heist. A heist so big, so improbable and so lucrative it could make them not just legends but extremely rich. Will they be able to keep it together and complete this job without tearing each other apart?
This book picks up following the events of Six of Crows and from the first page it’s filled with tension and doesn’t let up until the final sentence. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and their backstories which made them so real and endearing. I also enjoyed how everything came together. Bardugo did a tremendous job of structuring and building a solid story full of complexities and multi-dimensional characters. And while the ending was bittersweet for a variety of reasons I enjoyed this masterful conclusion to this beloved series.
Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
I was itching for something a little different, so I decided to dive into a new Romantasy series and picked up the first installment from my library. I didn’t have high expectations that this would be any good and boy was I wrong. This was amazing and highly entertaining. We follow Kenna, a young girl living in her local village who has lost her mother to illness and spends her morning digging in the bog to discover a secret treasure that she can sell.
Her only friend is Anya who she loves like a sister and they’re getting ready for the ceremony in which three young women are selected to travel through the bog to the Fae realm where they’re promised an enchanting life of love, wealth, and leisure. Kenna doesn’t believe this lie and is torn when Anya’s name is called.
Quickly she hatches a plan to follow her through the bog guiding her safely to the Fae realm. Only they find they’re under attack and running for their lives. She loses Anya and arrives at the Fae border where she’s captured and made to be a servant to Earth House one of the houses in the Fae court. Princess Oriana decides she’ll be her daughter Lady Lara’s maidservant and help her win the trials that young Fae go through when they come of age to test and determine if they’re qualified to obtain full use of their powers and immortality.
Kenna is desperate to escape the brutal Fae realm and King Osrics barbaric rule. She uncovers a plot to overthrow the King and begins to work to support the efforts in an attempt to end King Osric’s tyranny.
This was so entertaining and nothing was quite as it seemed. While there were some aspects of this story that I guessed it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this tale.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
I first learned of this book after watching the series on Apple TV and knew that I had to get my hands on the book. And I’m so glad that I did since it provided so much depth into Jason’s mental and emotional state. We also get to explore the themes present in this story concerning identity and what happens if you can choose the path not taken.
So, in this story, we meet Jason Dessen who is a college professor married to his beautiful wife Daniela whom he adores, and their teenage son Charlie. While his life isn’t perfect and he never achieved wild success and accolades in the science field concerning his theories on quantum physics he’s happy and content with this life.
That is until one night he’s walking home after celebrating with his friend Ryan regarding his recent award and he’s abducted at gunpoint by a stranger wearing a white mask. He makes him drive to a deserted area where he attacks and drugs him. The last thing Jason remembers is the stranger asking him if he was happy. Then all goes dark and he wakes up in a laboratory dazed and confused as to what’s happening.
He later comes to find out that they think he’s someone else that’s responsible for creating The Box which allows you to travel across the multiverse. Bit by bit Jason pieces together the clues to discover that he’s in a parallel world and that the person who stole his life was another version of himself. Through a string of circumstances he breaks free and begins to work towards finding his way back to his world where his wife and son are.
Equal parts trippy and thought-provoking this is definitely a wild ride.
The Christmas Catch by Toni Shiloh
This was my second holiday read and it was a sweet, cozy second chance romance following Bebe a divorced single mother to a daughter named Hope who relocated to her hometown renting her family home to get her bearings together and recover from the betrayal of her husband who left her for another woman. She happens to run into her ex-high school sweetheart Jahleel as he’s returning home to stay with his parents following an injury while playing football during the Thanksgiving game.
They both reminisce about their prior romance and its abrupt ending due to Jahleel wanting to focus on pursuing an NFL career and leaving Bebe heartbroken. As they work their way through these feelings and start to rebuild their friendship their feelings begin to become less than friendly and more romantic.
While Jahleel is convinced he wants to build a life with Bebe and make right his past mistakes Bebe is a little reluctant due to past hurts and the emotional toll her divorce had on her. She’s not all too convinced that Jahleel will stick around and commit to her. Can they work through the challenges that separate them and get a second chance at romance?
I enjoyed this romance despite not really feeling the chemistry between the two. However, Jahleel really stepped up and worked hard to woo Bebe and show her that he wasn’t going to walk away this time. It’s important to note that this is a no-spice, Christian faith-based romance. So, if that’s not your thing this won’t be a good fit for you.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
I finally decided to dive into the Dark Academia genre and it was the best decision that I ever made because this book was amazing. This story is about seven Shakespearean actors attending their fourth year at Dellecher and their close-knit friendship with each other. However, underneath there are rivalries, and unrequited love that slowly begin to create a rift in the friend group. Until one fateful night one of them is murdered.
Art begins to imitate life as they begin to act out the very emotions and underlying themes present in the tragedies they act out on stage. The more they cling to each other and try to hide the truth of their crimes the more they unravel and fall apart until a life-altering decision is made.
What a masterful story that was well-written, exquisitely executed, and a joy to read. I was a little apprehensive to read this book because it relies so heavily on the themes present in Shakespeare’s work. However, this fear was unfounded because it just worked. The inclusion of Shakespeare and the timing of scenes and lines was superb and added a layer of dimension, intrigue, and drama to it all. I highly recommend this book if you want to dip your toe into the Dark Academia genre.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
After reading such an amazing and masterful book as If We Were Villains I was certain that none could top that experience. However, Sally Rooney said hang on tight spider monkey and away we went on the most emotional, thought-provoking, and poignant journey I’ve ever been on. In Intermezzo we watch two estranged brothers who are drastically different in personality, mindset, and age grapple with life while managing their grief over their father’s passing.
Ivan who excels at chess is trying to figure out the next steps in his life and determine who he is now that his father’s gone. He’s struggling to adjust to all the changes until he meets a beautiful older woman and begins an intimate relationship with her. Despite the judgments and views of being in a May-December romance, Ivan finds that he can be himself with her and enjoys her easy companionship.
Peter is struggling with his place in the world following his father’s death. He feels a lot of guilt over not doing enough and being able to prevent his father from passing away from cancer. Additionally, his love life is a mess. He’s caught between two women Sylvia his ex and longtime love that he adores and doesn’t want to let go of and Naomi his young girlfriend who’s 23 and a little bit irresponsible and spastic. However, he cares deeply for both of these women and spends so much time bouncing back and forth between the two as they satisfy his needs for different reasons.
Rooney is an amazingly talented writer because of her ability to juggle these complex themes while creating fully developed and dimensional characters and never once allowing the story to become disjointed. She blended these topics and themes seamlessly creating a slice-of-life story that’s relatable, complex, and profound. This is literary fiction at its best.
These are the fourteen books I read this month and like I said it was a phenomenal reading month. Looking forward to another terrific month of reading in December so we can finish the year strong! Let me know what your favorite books of November were share in the comments below! Until next time happy reading!!
Check out my November TBR 2024 and Monthly Reading Goals to see how I did this month!
