What I Read in November

Hey, hey! It’s time for my November book update. I was really surprised when I sat down to write this post, as I realized I read 12 books in November! That’s my biggest reading month since May (I’ve been averaging 9-10 books recently). And I rated all of my books 4 or 5 stars, except for one anomaly. I am either getting better at selecting the books I know I’ll enjoy or becoming too generous with my ratings. Ha. Anyway, let’s dive into my reviews:

My Favorite Book of November

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, edited by Alice Wong (★★★★★) – This is the kind of book that I want to press into everyone’s hands. There is so much about the disability experience that able-bodied people (like myself) do not understand and/or take for granted. There were stories about using public transportation while disabled, the lack of resources available to Deaf people in prison, the Indigenous experience of chronic illness, fostering joy through disability, and so much more. It was a beautiful collection of stories from people who normally get silenced—in media, in publishing. It was a wonderfully diverse collection that really changed the way I viewed disability rights. When we say “Black lives matter,” we must also remember that disabled Black lives matter. When we fight for environmental policies, we must remember that disabled people will be the ones most affected by climate change. When we think about prison reform, we must center the experiences of disabled inmates. A must-read, in my opinion.

My Favorite Romance of November

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite (★★★★★) – I haven’t read too many sapphic romances, but it’s really something I want more of in my reading life. In this book, Lucy is a budding astronomer and answers a letter from a widow, Catherine, to translate a groundbreaking French astronomy text. Lucy is healing from a heartbreak and Catherine is coming to terms with her abusive marriage and what’s next for her. As Lucy and Catherine work together on this astronomy text, they find themselves falling in love with one another. It’s a really sweet romance and I loved all the astronomy facts! Some reviewers said that the novel got a little bogged down with all the astronomy, but I found it fascinating. But I love astronomy so much that I took an elective course on it in college, so there’s that, haha.

Other Favorites of November

A Better Man by Louise Penny (★★★★★) – What an absolutely delightful mystery! Is that weird to say? Maybe, but Louise Penny’s cozy mysteries are always delightful. I don’t like talking too much about the plot in these novels because it can give away things that happen in earlier books, and the enjoyment of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series is reading it from beginning to end. Anyway, this novel had a really excellent central mystery, and even though I pinpointed the “whodunit,” I was way off on the motive. It was quite a shocking reveal! There was also a slightly melancholy side plot that sent me into my feels.

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall (★★★★★) – What an outstanding book that could be uncomfortable at times. In this book, Mikki Kendall posits that white feminism has continually diminished and forgotten Black women in their movement, especially poor Black women. White feminism has centered on the needs of privileged women while forgetting that the truest form of equality is meeting the basic needs of the many. Each chapter involves a specific part of Black womanhood that has been forgotten by white feminism and it’s a call to action to remember that housing inequality, food insecurity, racism, and educational disparity are all issues that need to be solved, and solved for all women. Please add this one to your list, especially if you’re working towards an anti-racist ideology.

You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar (★★★★★) – Who knew that a book all about the crazy racism a Black woman has experienced her whole life could be funny? Amber Ruffin is a comedian and her sister, Lacey, has worked a bunch of “regular” jobs in their hometown of Omaha her whole life. In that time, she’s encountered racism in all its forms—from scary situations with police during regular traffic stops to microaggressions in the workplace—and this book is a collection of those stories. While the tone is light-hearted, these stories are infuriating and awful and sad. Black people are subjected to so much terribleness from white people, and these are the stories white people need to read to remember that Black people have lived through situations we cannot even fathom.

Honorable Mentions

• Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare (★★★★☆) – This was such a delightful “rags to riches” story involving a duke who wants his mom to stop hassling him about getting married so he pretends to choose a lowly barmaid as his fiancee. I really loved the rapport between Pauline (the barmaid) and the duke’s mother—it was really sweet, and Pauline needed that motherly figure in her life. Tessa Dare can do no wrong in my eyes!
• Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig (★★★★☆) – I really struggled with this book, and I think that was the point! In this novel, Ginny Moon is a recently adopted 12-year-old who is autistic and simply wants to reunite with her “Baby Doll,” which she left at her mom’s house when the authorities took her away. It’s hard watching Ginny struggle to communicate and connect with her new family. At times, I felt for the mother who adopted Ginny because Ginny could be very difficult to love but as the story progressed, I found myself growing more and more irritated with her and more and more protective towards Ginny.
• Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez (★★★★☆) – This book is an incredibly well-researched primer on how evangelical faith became what it is today. It travels through time from the 1950s until today, showing us how leaders in the Christian church have always been political and have always tried to make their stamp on politics and American life. If I have one criticism of the book, it’s that I wanted a little more nuanced thoughts from the author. At times, it felt like I was reading a textbook because the writing was so dry and bare bones.
• Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis (★★★★☆) – I really liked this contemporary romance, way more than I enjoyed the first book in this series. In this story, Lanie has taken a new job at a winery in California, escaping the grief of the sudden loss of her husband—and finding out that he was a serial adulterer with multiple wives she knew nothing about. This book is chock-full of fun, interesting characters, including a pair of precocious twins that I fell completely head over heels for! This was just a fun, light-hearted book that gave me happy feels. It’s not going to change your life, but it will make you happy.
• A Gentleman Never Keeps Score by Cat Sebastian (★★★★☆) – This was such a wonderful M/M romance! Hartley has become a recluse after news of an arrangement he had with a rich benefactor comes to light. Sam owns a nearby pub and needs to break into Hartley’s home to steal a rather salacious painting of his friend. Hartley and Sam become embroiled when Hartley sees him skulking around his home and later develop a friendship… that becomes something more. This book had some very steamy sex scenes, so be prepared, friends! Whew.
• The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (★★☆☆☆) – Oh, you guys. I really did not like this book! There is some discussion that Jojo Moyes plagiarized this book to write The Giver of Stars, but I don’t know if I quite believe the hype in that. I read TGOS last year and really liked it, and wanted to give myself some time between books before I read this one. I found this book to be so much more boring compared to TGOS with very underdeveloped and underwhelming characters. What I liked about this novel is the discussion of “blue people” and how they encounter their own form of discrimination—I thought Richardson made a very compelling argument about that. Otherwise, this novel was a slog with an extremely far-fetched and dissatisfying ending.
• Cuff Me by Lauren Layne (★★★★☆) – Best-friends-to-lovers is my romance kryptonite, and this book delivered for me. Vincent and Jill have been long-time partners in the NYPD but there’s always been an undercurrent of sexual tension. When Jill comes back from a three-month hiatus with a ring on her left finger and the news that she’s leaving for Chicago in just a few short months, Vincent decides it’s time to finally make his move. This book was just everything I was looking for, and I enjoyed every minute I spent with it!

November Book Stats

• # of books read: 12
• Fastest read: Cuff Me by Lauren Layne (3 days)
• Slowest read: Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez (22 days)
• Star average: 4.25
• % of books by or about BIPOC or the LGBT community: 42%
• Sources: Libby (6), Amazon (4), library (1), Target (1)
• Formats: print (5), e-book (5), audiobook (2)
• Abandoned books: 1 (The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver)
• Goodreads goal check-in: I’m currently 17 books behind schedule to read 150 books this year. For my adjusted goal of reading 125 books, I’m 5 books ahead of schedule.

What was the best book you read last month?