What I Read in November

Blew me out of the water; loved! (5 stars)

Anon Pls by DeuxMoi: Definitely my favourite of the month - I even Irish goodbye'd a family birthday party to sneak a few chapters in. It was so damn fun and easy to read! It's a fictionalized account of how Instagram phenomenon DeuxMoi started: about a young woman in the fashion industry who after a rough day at work, posts to her (anonymous) Instagram account asking people for boss/celeb horror stories. She gets bombarded with celebrity gossip and gets addicted to the account. If you like celebrity gossip or pop culture, pick this one up!

I liked it! (4 stars)

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham: I really enjoyed this! It's a bit dark because it's about a child taken from his bed at night. It was a slower burn, but the payoff is worth it. I liked the casual podcast element and the quips on true crime culture. I did enjoy Willingham's debut, but much preferred this one!

It was good (3 stars)

The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch: I read Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing - a (rare) political fiction book which I liked, so had this book on my radar. This was a 'just okay' second chance romance, about two college exes who have to re-live the night before their best friends' wedding where they fear they got married. It was just okay and pretty forgettable.

The Strangers by Katherena Vermette: This is a semi follow up to Vermette's The Break (which I loved). It's an intergenerational family drama following the Stranger family, the strength of their bond and the pain from their past. I enjoyed this book, but preferred The Break and its more memorable characters and story.

Sadie by Courtney Summers: This was a quick (and very well produced) audiobook! It's comprised of podcast episodes, interviews, and journal entries - one with a big cast. This book didn't hit me as hard as it did for other readers based on the very passionate reviews I saw on Goodreads. It's about a girl who goes to get revenge on the man she knows killed her sister, and about the podcaster who tries to follow her after she's been missing (in pursuit of the killer).

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese: This is historical fiction (a genre I rarely reach for) based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's inspiration for The Scarlet Letter. A young woman immigrates to Salem from Scotland, her (not so great anyways) husband checks out on a boat expedition of sorts and she's left in this new town, falling in love with NH. It's a very character driven historical fiction read - which worked!

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson: This is very reminiscient of 'Nothing to See Here' (which I LOVED) and Pizza Girl. It's about two kids who connect in the '90s, create these posters and hang them around town and people think they love Satan. (BTW, had to Google is Satan is capitalized). Wilson writes quirky coming of age really well, and while this one didn't hit me in the feels as much as Nothing to See Here, I'd still recommend it if you like that type of story.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin: I loved The Night Swim by Goldin, and knew I'd eventually pick up The Escape Room even knowing a 'closed door mystery' isn't really my thing. A handful of people working lucratice corporate jobs are invited to do an escape room as a team building exercise, but after the elevator doors close and show no signs of opening back up, they know they're in for something dire. I'd say 30% of the book felt redundant, and it wasn't until the last quarter that I was really paying attention and engaged.

Mothered by Zoje Stage: Hmmmm. This is one I feel unsure about after finishing but I get the feeling it will stick with me for a while. It was very vivid! I read it with anticipation something horrible and dramatic would happen. It's about a young woman (Grace) who's mom (Jackie) moves back in with her during the pandemic, and their relationship is really put to the test while old wounds fester and new ones come out. Even though the reader is in Grace's head, you never know who to believe when one is accusing the other of something, and it all eventually comes to a head... This one also felt a bit less subtle compared to Baby Teeth; I think I would have liked a bit less ambiguity!

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng: This one is hard to write a review for. I listened to the majority of it on audio (Lucy Lui narrates it, how could I not?!) and sometimes I find that literary fiction can be a tough genre for me to listen to. The best way I can describe this book is 'vague'?? It seems to skim the surface and I felt I didn't get as much of this dystopian world as I wanted to. It's about a young boy trying to igure out what happened with his poet mother, in a society that esparates kids from their families.

Unimpressed (2 stars)

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth: Why is Hepworth writing such problematic books? Her books are very readable and this one is no exception - but given my feelings with The Younger Wife (which I thought was very problematic with its' gaslighting and making victims question if they are being abused, when they very much were), I couldn't help but be a bit bothered with the mental health rep in this one.

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren: I see that Christina Lauren were trying to do something different here, but it still wasn't great. It was an Indiana Jones-esque, second chance type romance, but the characters were boting and hard too root for, and felt one part of the book was really unnecessary?? Unfortunately this won't deter me from reading their other books.

Why did I read this? (1 star)

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh: I love Mackintosh, and was disappointed my feelings for the book were the polar opposite. It was tooooo long!!! No thriller needs to be 430 pages. Also there were so many characters we got a deep dive into their backgrounds and don’t think it was necessary. There really wasn’t much of a twist either. I was so turned off by the length, run on plot lines, and the fact that I could read for 30 mins and barely make a dent. Do not recommend.