Hi friends!
Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve done a wrap up.
I actually did a hug wrap up for the summer (July – September) and a separate one for October. So if you’re interested in seeing how my reading was for those months, be sure to check out those videos.
But on to November!
This month I managed to read 7 books, which I am actually super happy about. I was hit a little by the Great BookTube Slump of November towards the end of the month, but was overall happy with all I read!
Here’s to hoping I can end the year strong!
BookTube video:
Stats:
ReadAThons:
Tome Topple: Completed 4 books
- Vicious (not a tome, but I read this in preparation for my next book)
- Vengeful
- Strange the Dreamer
- Muse of Nightmares
Ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 2
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – 5
Pages read: 3,164
November TBR:
After doing my YOU PICK MY TBR post and video, I wanted to hold myself more accountable for actually reading my TBR picks.
So here are the books I had on my November TBR:
And then for Tome Topple I added these books to my TBR:
So, of the 18 books actually on my TBR, I managed to read 7. So all the books I read this month were on a TBR, which isn’t awful. But, I do need to work on creating more manageable TBRs and actually sticking to them.
READ PERCENTAGE: 39%
The books:
Book 1: The Storm Racer by J. C. Cervantes
Rating: 4/5
Review: This was such a fun addition to the Rick Riordan Presents publishing house! I think Mayan mythology is super interesting and I loved learning more about it through our main character. I also really enjoyed how authentic the characters felt. While there were some decisions that were made that seemed juvenile and/or foolish, they felt like the decisions a teenager would make. The ending has me SO excited for book 2! Full review here.
Book 2: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Rating: 4/5
Review: This was my first Ruth Ware book and it was such a treat! I loved how atmospheric this one was. Though there was no paranormal element in this book, there was this eerie presence that made you think there might be one. I know that now all Ruth Ware books are as good as this one (at least from what I hear), but I am excited to read more from her. Full review here.
Book 3: Sawkill Girls by Clare Legrand
Rating: 4/5
Review: This was such an eerie and atmospheric book, it was perfect for my Halloween hangover. I loved the relationships in this one and the representation that we saw. This book has such an interesting and important underlying message. Full (mini) review here.
Book 4: Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Rating: 4/5
Review: Ah, this was such a fun introduction to Victoria/V. E. Schwab! As a huge lover of the X-Men, I really loved how the affinities in this one were explored (especially how people developed this one). I also really enjoyed how there was no absolutism in the morality, our characters were both “bad” and “good”. This allowed for a really interesting conflict and narrative.
Book 5: Vengeful by V. E. Schwab
Rating: 4/5
Review: This was a fun sequel. While I didn’t love it as much as the first book, there was a lot to enjoy. We had some new characters introduced and I enjoyed most of them. The only character I didn’t love was our new baddie. The grey morality was one of the things I really enjoyed about the first book, so having someone portrayed (pretty heavy handedly) as morality bad did take away from the story for me. Don’t get me wrong, I get her motives, but I would have liked some more grey. I did like that we got more of Eli’s back story. I wanted more of his motive in the first book and I think we got it here. While I would have preferred a more cohesive ending, I do like that it’s open in case V. E. Schwab wants to return to this world again in the future.
Book 6: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Rating: 5/5
Review: This was a reread for me, but wow I loved this one as much as I did the first time (if not more). I love how enticing and captivating this world is. Revisiting this book was like revisiting an old friend. Also, I missed a few details the first time around, so rereading this before Muse was great. Full review here.
Book 7: Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
Rating: 5/5
Review: One of my most anticipated releases of the year, if not my most anticipated release, Muse was a book I’ve been ready to get my hands on since reading that cliff hanger at the end of Strange last year. I really enjoyed how Muse built upon the mythology and world building of Strange and added an extra layer. I did have a few more problems with this one than I did Strange, but the second half of the book really saved this one for me. I do have some unanswered questions still, but the way this one ended makes me think they may be answered in time. Full review here.
What was your favorite November read?
Be sure to let me know below!
Coffee Cocktails & Books 📖 