I got into a little bit of a pickle on Thanksgiving. Someone asked me what I’d been reading and I had no ready answer. This is a holiday faux pas for those of us with bookish inclinations. I ended up pulling up my Goodreads to remind myself what I’d even read recently. And then felt slightly silly, because really, I read an inordinate amount to not be able to come up with a title offhand. 

Ah well. Next time.

This lovely relative is also a little bookish so she was kind and I added about 10 books to my TBR list then and there thanks to her ready enthusiasm, but I might need to develop a strategy so I’m not pulling out my phone to remember what books I’ve enjoyed recently.

Note to self: Choose a favorite (yes, favorite is hard, just pretend it’s your favorite!) recently read book and think about why you liked it so well-meaning relatives don’t find you at a loss for the 43,000 pages you read this year. 

That’ll work. 

Onward to what I read in November!

Non-Fiction:

• Beyond Colorblind by Sarah Shin – 5 stars. Excellent reading for anyone who has ever even said the word colorblind. More encapsulating review to come. (Review copy thanks to IVPress)
• It’s OK to Go Up the Slide by Heather Shumaker – 5 stars. This book feels like it could be magic if I could only memorize it and apply it. Seems to be the problem with great parenting books. This one is also great affirmation for our approach to school. 
• Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are by Shauna Niequist – 3 stars. Sometimes I felt a little frustrated by the light surface-y and super-privileged perspective. I read it for part of a year a couple years ago and most of the year this year.  It could be encouraging, but sometimes it just seemed out of touch and unhelpful in the context of my own life. Not bad, just not exactly for me. I tend to want a little more to chew on and a little more social justice awareness. 
• Homebody by Joanna Gaines – 4 stars – I admit to mostly skimming this book. I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of text and underwhelmed with the inspiration. Also: Joanna’s style is not really mine and the Library needed the book back. So I skimmed. Maybe it’s for you, it wasn’t for me. 

Fiction:

• Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver – 3 stars. This was so slow. I really liked the modern story, but found myself slogging through the secondary storyline from a hundred years before. I do love her writing style. So nice to just read, but this felt a slog and even a bit stressful at times – because who isn’t familiar with the feeling of all the money problems and family struggles coming to roost for a while? – just a bit real.
• Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist – 5 stars. I loved this one. I read it after hearing Anne Bogel in I’d Rather Be Reading rave about how she and her family loved it.  So enjoyable, interesting, and cute. You just have to read it. 
• The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride #1) by James Patterson – 5 stars. My dad loaned me this and insisted I read it. It was so fun. Another YA Fantasy-Scifi-esque about kids who have been modified with wings and forced into hiding and how their world is changing.
• An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim – 4 stars. I enjoyed this book, but I find that I don’t really remember it, but it had an interesting time-travel storyline and was enjoyable.
• The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis – 4 stars. Enthralling, historically interesting, with some magically done plot twists.
• All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin – 2 stars. This felt like a light book with a really heavy theme that didn’t get enough careful attention. It tried, but I was disappointed with how the misconduct was portrayed and handled. The author did an excellent job showing the personhood and normal-ish of all involved, buuuuut. It made me mad.
• Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak – 4 stars. I wouldn’t ever say this is as fun or lighthearted as the jacket copy might suggest, but I did enjoy the intertwining storylines and how all the characters got to feel their feelings together in spite of themselves. 
   

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What did you read this month? Do you have any similar tales? I do love talking books, but I am terrible at it in person! Any tips?

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(Disclaimers: Thanks to IvPress for a review copy of Beyond Colorblind. All opinions are my own. Also, Amazon links are affiliate links which means if you purchase after clicking through a link here I might receive a few pennies. Thanks!)