November wrap-up!
Hello hello! I am back with another wrap up for the month of November. November was a crazy month yet somehow I managed to read 5 books. So reading wise, I would say it was a success. This month I read a few good and a few mediocre. I read a few modern classics which is always a surprise cause I genuinely seem to only gravitate towards more contemporary novels.
Without further ado, the books I read this month:
Starting at number one, we have The Whisper Man by Alex North.
This was...alright. It was a solid book, but from a thriller standpoint, it did nothing new. I loved the writing. I enjoyed the characters and just generally the vibes. But the mystery was pretty meh. If you're looking for some new innovative thriller, this isn't going to be your book. But if you're looking for a solid detective type mystery, with some interesting family drama, this might be your book?
Next up we got The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I read another Poirot book this month and I genuinely believe the best way to consume these books is through audio. This one was narrated by Richard Armitage, who honestly should be allowed to narrate everything and anything. The actual mystery of the novel was just alright. It was convoluted and I was not really invested in it. This is certainly not making it into my top 5 Poirot books of all time. But it is the first and I figured if I was going to properly go through the series, I may as well start at the beginning instead of hopping around. If you're intrigued by the plot, which..alright to each their own, I would highly suggest getting the audiobook and giving it a go.
The next book I read this month was honestly a surprise impulse buy and read. It was Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck.
Idk what is going on with me but I think I subconsciously decided to read every John Steinbeck book in existence. I legit bought another one like two days ago. Don't come at me, I know I have a book buying problem.
The book is about this group of men living in a house in Monterey and their wine-filled, debauchery-filled adventures. This story is based on King Arthur and the Knights at the Round Table. I have said it before and I'll say it again, Steinbeck is truly a literary genius. His writing is humorous, witty and sarcastic but not in a condescending way. These characters do the most ridiculous things, but by the end you are still rooting for their success and their friendship. If you're wary about picking up a Steinbeck after reading 'The Grapes of Wrath', I'd say to let go of your fear and try picking up one of his shorter books like 'Tortilla Flat'. Or if you're feeling particularly brave one day, I'd say to just go ahead and read 'East of Eden'.
After reading some Steinbeck, I was still in the mood for some more modern classics. So I decided to read a book I had been eyeing for a while, Excellent Women by Barbara Pym.
This book had me laughing two pages in. I was genuinely surprised to find that this 1950s book was such a delight to read and so accessible too. Barbara Pym deserves more credit than she is given cause my oh my can she write the most hilarious characters. The story is told from the perspective of Mildred Lathbury, a single woman in her 30s living in London. She is so relatable and hilarious and finds herself getting wrapped up in other people's business. My only issue with this book was that I wanted more. I was so invested in Mildred's character that I was genuinely disappointed to be at the end of the book. 10/10, would HIGHLY recommend.
I guess reading about hilarious British women put me in a mystery mood cause the last book I finished in November was In The Woods by Tana French.
This was a chunkster but wooooow was it fantastic. It was funny, it was emotional, it had fantastically rich characters and was just all around a solid novel. The story focuses on this pair of detectives in Ireland working a murder case. The author puts a lot of emphasis on the actual detective part, focusing on their investigation and methods and such. The pair of detectives? Oh my god. What a great pair. Their dynamic was just *chefs kiss*. The mystery? Damn. So. Many. Twists. And. TURNS. Had me guessing the entire way through. I legit flew through the last 200 pages because I was so intrigued to see how the investigation played out.
So there you have it. The 5 books I read in November. I am officially 8 books away from my goal of reading 75 books in 2020. Hopefully I'll be able to finish December off strong. Fingers crossed!
As always, feel free to let me know if you enjoy or didn't enjoy this post. And let me know if you have any recommendations for me! I'm always happy to add things to my ever-growing 'Want to Read' list.
