Bookish Thoughts for November
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… in all the bookish things! This time of year, I try to get my hands on as much Christmas content as I can. I’ve re-read Christmas books that I own. I snagged a couple Christmas novellas on sale. I’ve used the Libby app and our local library. I also got a Black Friday deal and re-subscribed to Kindle Unlimited. Give me all the Christmas books! While my fiction reading list looks long, about half are novellas, so I fly through those in a blink. I plan to keep all the Christmas cheer coming in December as well! It’s the happiest reading time of the year!
When I re-read The Hunger Games this summer, I mentioned waiting to re-read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes until November. It was my least favorite of the series and the snake content gave me the heebie-jeebies. While I found the history of Panem and Snow’s backstory interesting, I don’t love stories that don’t have a happily ever after. Snow is the villain of the series, but I couldn’t help rooting for him in Ballad, only to watch him fall. Not my favorite, but definitely informative for the series as a whole. I had a greater appreciation for the book after a second reading. I enjoyed reading it again before seeing the movie. No surprise, I liked the book better, but it was super fun to watch the movie with my forever friend and book buddy, Christa.
I’m making book lists and checking them twice. Between Christmas and my January birthday, this is the best season for adding to my home library. All I want for Christmas is books… you can substitute Christmas for my birthday, Groundhog’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, etc. You get the idea. All the books, all the time. After the holidays, I hope to pour over my 2023 book list and add some favorites from the year to my bookshelves. Because I’m an avid reader, I sometimes forget a good book I read in February by the end of the year. Thankfully, keeping track of my reading on Goodreads and on my phone gives me a great snapshot of what I’ve enjoyed most this last year.
Top Picks for November
Non Fiction: Honey for a Child’s Heart Updated and Expanded: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys Hunt and Mark Hunt. I read an older copy of this book a few years ago. While I enjoyed it the first time, I really appreciated this updated edition. I found myself stuck wondering what my oldest son should read next and a book about good books for kids was the perfect place for inspiration. Not only is this book packed full of recommendations, but the message is convicting! Good books offer kids so much. As parents, we get the great honor of sharing a world beyond our homes with our children. There are so many good books that will not only spark imagination, but help children gain wisdom, understanding, courage, and many more admirable attributes. Books are one of the greatest tools for shaping the next generation.
Non-Fiction: The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer. This book was recommended by multiple sources, so I decided to give it a go. It had been a while since I’d read WWII historical fiction and I think that made the experience extra emotional for me. I was a blubbering mess by the end! I enjoyed the dual timeline between the grandmother as a teen in Poland during the WWII and her granddaughter in present times. The story is a mystery that unfolds and the title was so fitting. So many things go unsaid, for so many reasons. You see layer after layer throughout the whole story. It was well done and very moving (thus the puddle of tears I created)!
The Book List for November
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.
Non-Fiction:
- At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor by Carey Nieuwhof – 5 Stars
- Honey for a Child’s Heart Updated and Expanded: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys Hunt and Mark Hunt – 4 stars
Fiction:
- The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer – 4 stars
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – 4 stars
- The Other Side of Darkness by Melody Carlson – 2 stars
- Christmas at Harrington’s (novella) by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
- The Christmas Bus (novella) by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
- The Gift of Christmas Present (novella) by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
- Angels in the Snow (novella) by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
- Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel – 4 stars
- A Christmas Spark (novella) by Cindy Steel – 4 stars
- Christmas Baggage by Deborah M. Hathaway – 4 stars
- Host for the Holidays by Martha Keyes – 4 stars
- Solo for the Season (novella) by Martha Keyes – 3 stars
- A Newport Christmess by Jess Heileman – 4 stars
- Later On We’ll Conspire by Kortney Keisel – 4 stars
- The Holiday Stand-In By Kortney Keisel – 4 stars
- Cotswold Holiday by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
- Cabin Crush (novella) by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
- Christmas Like This (novella) by Carina Taylor – 3 stars
- Cocoa Kisses (novella) by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
- Christmas Ella (novella) by Angela Ruth Strong – 3 stars
Amy Scott's Thoughts 