It’s Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.
Well, this wraps up another Thanksgiving… this year we had dinner with my father and his relatives, and we made a special dinner just the two of us the night before. Of the many things I’m thankful for (my family and good health most of all), I’m also thankful for you! It’s been a good year at The Book Stop and I wouldn’t be here if you weren’t hanging in there with me.
November was an excellent reading month! Here are books I finished in November:
- The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
- The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon
- The Gods of Second Chances by Dan Berne
- Mac and Me by Esther Freud
- The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
- Landline by Rainbow Rowell
- The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan
- Astray by Emma Donoghue
And here’s what I posted:
- Among Others by Jo Walton
- Snow White Red-Handed by Maia Chance
- An Impartial Witness by Charles Todd
- Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
- The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
- Wool by Hugh Howey
You can see I’m way behind on writing reviews, but I’ll be finishing up class December 8 and then I’ll have most of the month free (aside from gift shopping). We’re not going anywhere this month – this Christmas we’re staying in, and instead we’ll spend a week visiting family in California in January (and doing a little wine tasting in the process). It may be less “festive”, but not fighting the hordes of people trying to get home for the holidays is so worth it. And it means the husband and I can begin to build our own traditions for the holidays.
What I’m currently reading: Heaven’s Queen by Rachel Bach and Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.
Favorites this month? I loved Mr. Mac and Me, because I got to learn more about one of my favorite artists, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The Confidence Code was fascinating; I learned a lot about the ways that I lack confidence – I also learned that I’m strong in some areas, weak in others. This was a book I think every woman should read. Another favorite was The Sparrow. I found this book difficult to get through at times, but it all came together in the end and I’m still thinking about it.
So look for some good reviews in December! The year’s “best of” lists are starting to come out, and I’ll be tracking them as usual. I’m realizing that this year I read very few new releases, so I may not have much to say about the year’s best books.
A few other notes: Estella’s Revenge and some other blogs are hosting “A Month of Favorites” with daily post ideas about your favorite reads. I also wanted to share this post from Books on the Table about books NOT to give for the holidays.
Thanks again for reading, and happy holidays!
