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| NB: I finished this book today, not in November. But it's cute and I wanted to show it. |
November was a slightly below average for me but I still managed to meet my reading goal for the year somewhere mid-month. I used to set my goals too high to ever achieve (well, without going hikikomori or anything drastic like that); now I set reasonable ones and feel good when I meet them.
1. The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon. Very compelling and disturbing story. Highly recommended. Review is here.
2. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. Outstanding YA novel. Highly recommended. Review is here.
3. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall. Audio book. Sweet and wholesome, but not in a bad way. More like the pure goodness associated with mid-century Middle America, but with modern sensibilities.
3 1/2. The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets by Kathleen Alcott. Didn't actually finish this one, but read over half of it, thus the ranking on my list. Intriguing concept that didn't pay off, at least to this reader.
4. Kind of Kin by Rilla Askew. Impressive novel that looks at immigration and families and a pastor who really asks himself what Jesus would do in the face of illegal immigrants. The book is quite ambitious only occasionally falls short of its reach. Review to come, if I can get my act together.
5. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson. This one is book two in the Shades of London trilogy. Fun and frothy and much less scary than the first book.
6. Southern Cross the Dog by Bill Cheng. Debut novel, gorgeously written, lacking a little direction in the middle. Review to come.
7. Just One Day by Gayle Forman. I really like this YA author and this book was no exception. Review here.
8. After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey. I don't read many memoirs, but I'm glad I made an exception in this case. Remarkable writing, good story. And a lens into the heyday of Chicago journalism. Review to come.
Hooray for making your reading goals!
ReplyDeleteReally want to read Eleanor & Park. And I need to check out some Maureen Johnson, since her Twitter feed is so wonderful.
If you like spooky, try the first Shades of London book, The Name of the Star. And if you like fun, ligt, and travel-ish books, I recommend 13 Little Blue Envelopes.
DeleteI just got a galley of The Colour of Milk. Looks so good! I almost started it tonight but I think I will wait till I finish one of my in-progress books! Soon though!
ReplyDeleteIt's pleasantly dark. It took me a bit to get accustomed to the main character's voice but it's good!
ReplyDeleteHooray for eggnog! I was so excited to find my favorite brand in our grocery store, since it's usually a bit tricky to track down.
ReplyDeleteKind of Kin sounds like a really interesting read. It's nice to find an honest look at a complicated issue, instead of listening to politicians convinced that their way is the only way.