November was a really interesting month for me. I read a lot of books, but I also didn’t have nearly as much time for reading as I usually do as I started a course on becoming a teacher librarian. It’s really interesting, but with that on top of teaching full time, I didn’t get as much reading as I wanted to done. However, I’m still happy with what I read. Let’s jump into it.
Books hauled in November:
- The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
- Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
- When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles
- Lore Olympus Vol 1 by Rachel Smythe
- You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
- Aurora’s End by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
- Nancy Drew Books 1-30 by Carolyn Keene
- Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
- Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
- The Game by Linsey Miller
- The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky
Books read in November:
1. Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: The instant I saw this was a gender-bent The Outsiders, I was completely sold. I love The Outsiders a lot and while I didn’t love this one as much, I did really enjoy reading it. There was a really interesting story line, and I liked the way it took elements of The Outsiders and changed it so it wasn’t an exact retelling but more of a reimagining. I liked the characters and the circumstances they got themselves into felt realistic. It was fairly well written and I was really engaged in the story.
2. Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This story was so intriguing. It was twisted in all the right ways and really kept me guessing as I read through. I found myself genuinely shocked by the ending. It’s definitely going to be one that I recommend to family and friends who are looking for a mystery.
3. Lore Olympus Vol 1 by Rachel Smythe
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I loved this graphic novel. I’d already read it as the webcomic, but I loved getting to revisit the early story. It really made me want to get back into the webcomic. I love Hades and Persephone. The art is absolutely beautiful.
4. How the King of Elfhame Came to Hate Stories by Holly Black
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed revisiting this world and learning more about Cardan’s history. The overall story of it was really nice, though not the most exciting book I have ever read. I really enjoyed how the story was paired with some illustrations. It really made it all come alive.
5. The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This story was unexpected to me. I really thought I knew what was going on and then it turned out that I was incredibly wrong. However, I found it really interesting and I enjoyed the development of the two point of view characters. It was fairly well written, but I might have liked a bit more world building. However, It was definitely a different kind of read for me, and I was really engaged in the story the more I got into it.
6. Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I didn’t think I would like reading about older characters since I typically read YA or new adult, however, this romance was too cute not to love. I loved the idea of going away on a vacation and meeting someone interesting that you can have fun with and then unexpectedly falling in love. It was a little fantastical, but also felt very realistic when it came to how things went when they had to separate. Overall, it was super cute and I really recommend it.
7. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I still really enjoy this one, and I don’t really have anything new to add.
8. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This is my fourth time reading this book this year, and I still just really enjoyed it.
9. Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I love Aru as a character. She’s really interesting, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing her grow. I also liked learning more about the world, and the introduction of the newest characters added a new level of intrigue to the story. I’m really excited to see where it goes next.
10. A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This book was so good. I really enjoyed the boarding school setting, and also how dark and twisty it was. The characters were intriguing, and I liked the way that the protagonist interacted with the other characters in the dorm. It was overall quite a fascinating story.
11. Macbeth Graphic Novel
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: Macbeth is probably my favourite Shakespearean plays. I liked this particular version because it translated the Shakespearean language into a more modern language, which was nice. The art style was nice as well.
12. The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: When I was little, my biggest heartbreak was finding out that Carolyn Keene wasn’t real. I was so sad. I loved Nancy Drew so much. I still really enjoy her, and the nostalgia is there, but it’s not nearly as good as I remember it being. The writing is okay, and the story was intriguing.
13. Tree, Vol 2 by Warren Ellis
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I didn’t like the sequel as much as the first one. I wanted more of the depth that the first had. I liked the additional world building, but it just didn’t feel like enough when I thought back to the first book.
14. A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I’m currently obsessed with this book. It hit me in this perfect nostalgia sweet spot of being a more adult (and spooky) version of these books I loved as an early teen. I loved Bronwyn as a character, and I loved the whole slipping back in time premise. I also loved the spookiness of the ghosts and the isolated manor house. It actually freaked me out a little bit. The romance was a really nice slow burn, and I really enjoyed how it progressed over the course of the story.
15. Poisoned Apples by Christine Heppermann
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: My librarian recommended this short poetry anthology to me. I really liked the collection and enjoyed reading the different poems. They were a gritty in a way I could see teens appreciating, and I liked the references to ferry tales.
16. Golden Son by Pierce Brown
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: These books are really good. The world is really interesting, and I kept getting surprised by all the twists and turns. I liked that it gave us some answers for questions that arose from the first book, but still gave us lot of questions to make you want to continue the series. It’s really quite a roller coaster of a book. I’m looking forward to when my hold on the next one comes in.
17. The Twin by Natasha Preston
Rating: 2 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I am honestly so mad at the ending of this book. I was kind of enjoying it as I read through the first parts and I wanted to know how it would wrap up, but the ending made me so mad. It honestly just ruined the reading experience for me. I know some people will probably like the ending, but it’s not what I wanted.
18. Sandman, Vol 1 by Neil Gaiman
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was interesting. I found myself a little bit confused at the beginning, but things did start to make more sense as I progressed through the book. It had some good moments of excitement, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing on with the series.
19. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a re-read for me and it was genuinely so much fun to revisit the story. I still love the characters and the way that they interact with each other. I knew what was going to happen, but the anticipation was still good. There are definitely things that are a little bit problematic about Feyre and Rhysand as a couple but I really do like them together.
20. A Twist of Fate by Kelley Armstrong
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I’m honestly obsessed with these books. The second one in the series was just as good as the first though in a slightly different way. I liked the characters, and getting to know the characters we just briefly met even more. It was also exciting and adventurous in different ways. I’m fully looking forward to reading the next one when it comes out. In the meanwhile, I have the novellas to hold me over.
That’s everything that I read in the month of November! What did you read?
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