What I Read in November

I probably read too much in November.

Well, that isn’t really possible, but I do think I ought to have expended some more energy elsewhere. It’s just so hard to go outside when the weather starts to turn cold, even if I do love winter. All of this month’s reads were a slam dunk, too – so well worth staying up late to finish.

Here is what I read in November:

These Are the Moments by Jenny Bravo

I gushed about this book on Instagram. And then gushed about it on the blog. It is a truly good book and you should definitely check it out if you are a 20-someting gal just living life and hoping your doing it right. Read my full review here.

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

I love this book. Love it. I read it about once a year, and am always reminded of how stunningly Ann Brashares writes. Not only is it a great story, but it is so well written that I get wrapped up in the language and can’t help reading it over and over. Read my full review here.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

This book doesn’t release until January, but I was able to read a preview copy this month and really enjoyed it. It’s a warm, predictable love story that fills your need to read something that turns out perfectly once Rainbow Rowell has broken your heart with Eleanor & Park for the third time. Read my full review here.

It Begins Here: An Anthology

This anthology highlights seven new authors and the beginnings of their stories. My internet-friend Amber Thomas is featured here, and also designed the kickin’ cover art. I love the idea of getting seven stories of beginnings all in a row… and a few of them I definitely wanted more. It’s an anthology, so not all of the stories rang true for me, but they were all worth reading. The writers know how to write, even if the topic or subject matter wasn’t what I would normally reach for. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover several great authors all at once, who would like to support authors just getting started, and anyone who loves a good love story.

The Charismatics by Ashley R. Carlson

After I read Merry’s story in It Begins Here, I had to read more about the world of Shinery that Carlson had created. The Charismatics is a whirlwind of a first novel, introducing characters, places, and plot lines that I’ve not found elsewhere. It’s a steampunk fantasy with dystopian flair, but filled less with extensive descriptions of the surroundings, and more about the main character, Ambrose, as she learns who she is and what she has to do to make the world right again.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

I loved this book when I read it last year, so when my book club wanted a fairytale, this was my recommendation. It is a charming, whimsical, delightful fairytale full of the best kinds of charters: ones you would never be able to dream up on your own. Read my full review here. 

So that’s what I read in November. What about you?

Can you believe there is only one more month left to read in 2015? What are planning to tackle before the end of the year?