Ahh, November. One of my favorite months. Not only is it my birthday month, but autumn is in full swing. Leaves are fully peaked and falling, the weather is crisp, and you get to pack on layers of cozy sweaters and drink hot beverages all day.
I love Thanksgiving and I love preparing for the holidays, so, November is really where it’s at.
In November, I love to dive back into my favorite genres: historical fiction and fantasy. I like to read big, chunky books during the winter months. I love cozying up in my nook with a cup of tea and getting lost in a story. I have two months left to meet my Goodreads goal, and I have some PLANS.
Let’s get to November:
Vicious (Villains #1) by V.E. Schwab
I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue last year and did not enjoy it, but readers have encouraged me to give her Villains and Darker Shades of Magic series a try, so here I am! I am about 30% through this one already and it is definitely intriguing. Excited to see what comes out of it.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
I really enjoyed The Alice Network and look forward to reading Quinn’s latest book, The Rose Code. I’ve seen some great reviews on bookstagram for this one. This one is THICK, but I always fly through historical fiction books. The Rose Code is about three women who broke German military codes during the war and how they are torn apart by a series of events.
Vengeful (Villains #2) by V.E. Schwab
If all goes well with Vicious, I will be picking up the second book in Schwab’s Villains series (I believe a third one is in the works!)
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Another Kristin Hannah. This one I plan on reading via audiobook. Knowing Hannah, I will make sure the tissues are nearby.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Now this one I am looking forward to! I read The Starless Sea this year and wasn’t a fan, but readers informed me this one is breathtaking. I also read that Morgenstern wrote this book during NaNoWriMo, which I will be participating in this year! I have this one in paperback and audio, so I will most likely do a mix and match with this book.
The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
The cover alone has me interested, but give me a historical fiction about public libraries, suffrage, feminism … I am HERE for it.
What are you reading this month? Have any of these made it on to your list?
This month is going to be one for the books hehe (is this thing on??), because it is the first month where I have no graduate work to complete.
I submitted the thesis. I did the thing! I’m ready for nothin’ but my job and free time on the weekends!
Alright, alright. Let’s talk books.
I have plans to read six books in May, and I look forward to finishing up a couple of series that I have been working through. There is a good balance between fantasy and fiction, and there’s even a nonfiction, self-help book on the list!
This is it, folks. The end. The very last book in Throne of Glass. Look at Aelin on this cover. The badassery, the flowy hair, the armor. So coool. Kingdom of Ash is nearly 1,000 pages, so I am very optimistic in thinking I will get to five other books this month. We shall see. Once I finish, you best believe a series review will be posted on this blog of mine.
I have already started this one, and I enjoy this book more than I enjoyed all of the Shadow and Bone books combined. Don’t @ me (you can if you want).
I think Bardugo thrives in writing third-person narratives, and this premise is just too fricken cool. I love the representation in this book, from race and abilities to gender, and it’s giving me real Sherlock Holmes, Gangs of New York, Pirates, thievery vibes. I just really enjoy it. That’s it. That’s the tweet.
She’s back! If you did not already know, I discovered Kristin Hannah the end of 2020 and love.her.books. This one came out in February, and I can’t wait to read it. I heard it’s amazing, and unsurprisingly, will make you sob. Perfect!
So this will either be a book with tips that I’ve already read 100 times, or it will be revolutionary when it comes to managing burnout and stress. Time will tell. I do look forward to reading this one because I enjoy Thrive Global and its platform. Even though my thesis is over, I still work in a very demanding, fast-paced industry and need some help when it comes to prioritizing self-care. I am hoping this book and “the new science of microsteps” will help me in this journey.
Fredrik Backman has become one of my favorite authors. I read A Man Called Ove a few years back, and in 2019, I clutched My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry while sobbing on my couch. THEN, in 2020, I laughed AND cried again while reading Anxious People. AND THEN, this year, I read Beartown and Us Against You and they are two of my favorite books EVER. SO … enter Britt-Marie Was Here … my last Backman.
What are you reading this month? Share in the comments below!
Check out these posts to see what I’ve read this year:
I thought I would share my January wrap-up (over a month late)!
January was a very good reading month for me. It was freezing and snowy in Connecticut, so I used that opportunity to cozy up in my new reading nook and read 6 books. I enjoyed most of them!
I will let my review speak for itself, but this was definitely one of Backman’s best books. A Man Called Ove still has my heart, but this one really touched me and has stuck with me ever since. Backman is a go-to author for me, and after hearing how much other readers loved this one, I was not disappointed.
I received an advanced listeners copy (ALC) from Libro.fm, and while I enjoyed most parts, I found a lot of the meditations and tips were repetitive from other books that I’ve read before. I wished that I had something new to take away from this book, but I still enjoyed listening to get a recharge.
I discovered Kristin Hannah a few years back when I read The Great Alone (a great book), and after reading The Nightingale (now one of my favorites) and Firefly Lane (another one of my favorites), I had to read Winter Garden with a buddy group on bookstagram. I really enjoyed it! I thought it was a little slow going at first but was soon captivated by the story.
I have been reading the Throne of Glass series since last year with a buddy read group and I am really loving it. I discovered Sarah J. Maas last year during the start of quarantine, and her books have literally helped me get through the pandemic. So far, Queen of Shadows is my favorite of the series (there are 7 books and a book of short stories). I finished Empire of Storms in February (loved it) and I will be starting Tower of Dawn this month!
I really, really wanted to love this book as much as everyone else. Unfortunately, I was exhausted when I finished it. Hear me out: Her writing is beautiful, but she paid too much attention to the bookish atmosphere and aesthetics than the actual plot. The stories within the story? Beautiful. The character development and plot? Not so beautiful. I was lost in the last 150 pages, feeling unsatisfied at the end. BUT — she can certainly create beautiful prose. I plan to read The Night Circus in April because people love it so much.
I listened to an advanced listener’s copy (ALC) from Libro.fm, and I found the narration to be astounding. I heard that the physical book can be hard to follow with the different chorus of voices, but listening to the audiobook and the narrator grounded me as I took in this powerful debut. This book was unique, beautiful, and heart-wrenching.
Have you read these? If you are interested in any of these books and learning about trigger warnings, please don’t hesitate to email me: kass.readsbooks@gmail.com or contact me on Instagram: @keepitkassual.
At the beginning of 2020, I set a goal to read 50 books this year. I planned to slow down and enjoy the books I read, rather than stressing about meeting a large goal. Well, this year was unexpected as we found ourselves at home more than ever before. Despite this extra time, I still decided to read slow, but still surpassed my reading goal by 10 books this year.
Each year, I reflect on my favorite books. I like to share an array of books that reflect different genres and perspectives. While my reading list was heavily fantasy-focused this year (thanks to Sarah J. Maas), I still tried to incorporate romance, memoir, historical fiction, fiction, thriller, and young adult in my reading list. I also introduced new authors to my bookshelves, such as N.K. Jemisin, Neal Shusterman, Octavia Butler, Kristin Hannah, and T.J. Klune. I had an amazing reading year and made incredible bookish friends from around the world!
Now, here are my top 12 books of 2020.
8 pictured here. The others have been lent to friends, were read on my Kindle, or listened to as an audiobook.
I do not think there is a more perfect book out there. Fantasy, adorable children, LGBTQ representation, inclusion, humanity, self-acceptance – this book will make you cry happy tears and clutch your heart to make sure it doesn’t burst. I loved this book. I have purchased this book for about 5 people, and will continue to do so until everyone I know reads it.
I discovered Sarah J. Maas in 2020, reading her ACOTAR series with a buddy read group. Out of all of the SJM books I read this year (about 10), this one was the best. The world, the writing, the characters – it was an amazing experience. Like any fantasy book, get ready for some world building, lots of details, and with SJM, lots of steam. I love Bryce and Hunt, and I could not get enough of this story! Anxiously awaiting the next release.
This memoir should be read by all. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Miller, and my husband read the physical book this year. This memoir transformed and empowered me to stand up against injustice in its many forms. It is a poignant, important memoir that stirs crucial conversations about sexual assault and its survivors. Believe survivors. This memoir was moving, poetic, and brilliant. You will have no words reading this.
This science fiction novel tells the story about a woman who travels back and forth to the Antebellum South, constantly saving a young white man who is her ancestor. This book is fascinating, horrific, and important to read. It’s a captivating story about the history of racism and slavery in the United States. I read this book in one day.
My first Kristin Hannah book was The Great Alone in 2017, and while I really enjoyed it, The Nightingale is a book that will stick with me for a while. It is so powerful, telling the tale of sisterhood, WWII, sacrifice, women spies, and heartbreak. I cried and clasped my hand to my mouth many times throughout this book. Definitely recommend this one. I can’t stop thinking about it.
I was really lucky to receive an advanced reader’s copy of this book back in the spring. I love Practical Magic (the movie) and very much loved Hoffman’s Rules of Magic. I was so excited to get this book and read about Maria Owens. I was not disappointed. A story about sisterhood and witches? Powerful women? Witchy, magical tips about herbs and spells? Even a little historical fiction crossover? Yes, please.
This book, though considered fiction, is based on a true, horrific reform school that operated for 111 years in the United States. It’s such a poignant, heart-wrenching book. It is enraging, captivating, and so well-written. It is a masterpiece. Read it read it read it.
I read The Broken Earth trilogy this summer, and was blown away by Jemisin and her work. This is some of the best, most captivating prose I have ever read. The dystopic, horrific world that Jemisin creates is just the start of why this series was so fascinating. The book features Black characters, a Black female protagonist, and has powerful conversations about race, class, individualism, gender equity, and more. Just read the entire series, OK?
And yet another Kristin Hannah book that made me ugly cry. I think I sobbed for 5 minutes after reading this one. So beautiful – a story about friendship, loss, love, grief, family, coming-of-age, chasing dreams – I couldn’t get enough of it. Reminded me of Now and Then. I heard the sequel is even more gutting, so here I go!
Can I recommend that readers read this one instead of American Dirt? This is an own voices story about immigration and real and current events. This is an extremely painful, heartbreaking story. It tore my heart apart as I read this. It deserves all of the attention and praise.
Can we please talk about this terrifying feminist debut? This book was so scary, captivating, and just plain old awesome. I loved it. This book was revolutionary in many ways. It was some dark horror, and I was here for it. If you want witchy, cutesy spells, don’t read this one. If you want to have some nightmares, read this one!
I was really lucky to receive an advanced listeners copy from Libro.fm. You want to read a powerful story about a woman learning about her northern and southern roots? You want to get a humbling history lesson and learn about the Great Migration and the displacement of Black people across the country – a lesson you did not learn accurately in school? Read this book. Also, Jerkins is a delight!
This was one of the best gothic horror books I’ve read in a long time. Creepy, hair-raising story about a headstrong woman who encounters the imaginable. It also talks about race, colonialism, and eugenics as part of its horror. It’s just … so good. And the cover? Amazing.
What are some of your favorite books this year? Share in the comments!
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