Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2017

This year it has been easy to find things to be thankful for. Books, of course, and great author friends always make my list. Family and friends. Delicious snacks. You get the idea.

As we get into the holiday season, we’re not only preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus as our Christmas celebration, but also the birth of our own new family addition. This month family and friends gathered to celebrate with us and help us get ready for our new little bundle. I forgot how much stuff babies need, y’all. It’s a LOT of stuff. My husband teases me because whenever we get a new thing (not just now, but any new thing, any time) my first question is always, okay, but where are we going to put it? So we’ve had a lot of shuffling things around from place to place in our house during the last several months, which has left our furry friends a little disoriented.

In the midst of all of that, I’m mostly reading books I choose from my ridiculously long to-be-read stack and only accepting a few review requests since I’m afraid I’ll over-commit and end up letting authors down by not being able to fit in books I promised to read. I’m hoping by next spring I’ll be back to my usual frenzied, request-accepting self. We’ll see how things go.

For now, between Gabrielle and me, we were still able to share nine reviews this month. Here’s a bit about them in case you missed a few in all the holiday bustle.

November 2017 Reviews

	Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl by John Demos Review | Amazon | Goodreads The style of this book was more like creative nonfiction than a novel. It’s based on a true story about a girl who grows up adopted by a Mohawk family after she’s kidnapped from her Puritan settlement.
	The Griffin of Darkwood by Becky Citra Review | Amazon | Goodreads A friend recommended this one to me. I liked how offbeat and unusual it was. If you’re looking for a middle grade fantasy set in the real world, this is a good one to check out.
	Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare Review | Amazon | Goodreads I had a hard time with this one. Loved some elements– some of the characters especially– but struggled with how dark it is. Lots of people rave about the series. It just isn’t for me, I guess.
	Gemina (Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Review | Amazon | Goodreads Super. Fun. Read. I put this one off because I had so much fun reading Illuminae, the first book in the series, and worried this second couldn’t measure up. Yeah, no. I liked it a lot. It’s got some content, though, so see the notes in the review.
	The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim Review | Amazon | Goodreads Another really unusual story. I loved that it’s got a historical basis but blends a bit of magic into the tale as well.
	The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Review | Amazon | Goodreads Gabrielle’s reviews always make me want to read the books, and this one is no exception. This one gave her chills. You might need it on your Christmas list.
	The Kiss of Deception (Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson Review | Amazon | Goodreads Gabrielle recommends this one to readers 14 and up who love complex fantasy. Sounds like a win to me.
	Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli Review | Amazon | Goodreads This is another book I’d been meaning to read for quite a while. It wasn’t quite what I expected– has a lot of profanity– but I loved the genuineness of the characters and found it to be a really quick read.

What did you read this month?

So what about you? Read anything interesting this November? Have you read anything on my list? If so, what did you think? Anything on the list look particularly intriguing to you? Leave a comment telling me about it!