This was a much, much better month of reading. Last month I had a few meh books and was also very into TV whereas this month I was back to my bookworm ways. And you know that I am a (relatively) tough crowd but I gave THREE BOOKS an A+ rating this month, which never happens!
TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE READING! I’m always looking for great recommendations… I love reading your comments!
IF YOU’RE NEW HERE AND ARE LOOKING FOR A BOOK, DON’T FORGET THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS CHECK OUT MY BOOK CLUB PAGE.
Every month I update it with everything I read – it includes every.single.book I’ve read in the past few years. The best part is that you can filter + search by genre (memoir, light read, historical fiction, thriller, etc!) to find exactly what you’re looking for. I always add whatever it is that I’m currently reading in real-time to my Amazon Shop. If you’re feeling like you need even more book recs, check out last month’s list.
Here’s everything I read in November 2019:
If you loved the show, you will LOVE this book!
Modern Love
by Daniel Jones
THIS BOOK! Wow. You’re need to read it. Immediately. It’s thought provoking, heartwarming, heartbreaking, the whole thing. If you watched the TV show you’ll absolutely love it. I do want to add that one of the things I got asked the most this month via DM was if it’s worth reading if you’ve already watched the show. My answer? YES! And maybe even more! It contains the 8 stories from the TV show and so many more. It’s also really interesting because the TV show definitely took quite a few liberties when they told the stories… I enjoyed spotting the difference. I can’t recommend this book enough. It will make you laugh. And cry. And everything in between. I’m just so in love with this column (I read the column, I listen to the pod, and now I devoured the book). Get it for yourself but also get a copy or two for your mom, your sister, your best friend, and so on and so forth.
- Overall Score: A+
Two Buzzy December New Releases!
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (out 12/31)
I have a feeling that this is going to be one of the most buzzed about books of the year. It’s such a complex story about race but also so much more than that. It begins with when Emira (a black babysitter) is held at a supermarket because the security guard there believes she’s kidnapped the little girl she’s babysitting. It gets complicated when a bystander records the whole exchange. And then it goes from there. The book alternates between the perspectives of Emira and Alix (Emira’s boss). There’s a bit of a twist where their stories overlap outside of their working relationship (this one shocked me!!). It’s hard to talk more about this book without giving anything away so I will just say that a) I highly recommend it and b) it’s a very real look at the awkwardness between employer/employee relationships, wanting to do the right thing/wanting to be liked (and totally failing at it), and relationships. I absolutely loved it!
- Overall Score: A
Regretting You by Colleen Hoover (out December 10th!)
I was so excited to get my hands on Colleen Hoover’s latest, as she is one of my favorite authors. Okay first of all, this is VERY different from Verity. It is NOT a thriller so I would not even compare the two. I’d say it’s a romance / mother-daughter story with a tragedy in there. Morgan is a 34 year old housewife who got pregnant at age 17 and put her dreams on hold. Now, her daughter Clara is 17 and wants to be anything but her mother. The book alternates between the perspectives of Morgan and Clara as they face a horrible tragedy (AND scandal). What happens is really, really terrible. In the aftermath, they both turn to people they never thought they would. I am being vague here but this book is both very upsetting (Colleen Hoover tends to be good at that!) and also heartwarming. I read it in a couple days as I needed to know how everything worked out!
- Overall Score: B+
Why did I let this sit on my shelf!?
City of Girls, by Elizabeth Gilbert
All I have to say is oh my goodness WHYYY did I procrastinate reading this book? I have no idea. It was sitting in my TBR pile, waiting to be read, and I just kept putting it off. And now I regret that but man – I really, really enjoyed this book. The book follows Vivian Morris (a 19 year old Vassar dropout) to New York City, through ups and downs and middle age all the way until she’s 89 years old. She moves to the city to her aunt Peg’s house, where she takes up costume design for glamorous showgirls… spending most nights out on the town . When she makes a terrible mistake her whole world implodes and she faces ruin but ultimately lands on her feet. This is the story of female friendship, of female sexuality, of redemption… and so much more. I could not put it down.
- Overall Score: A+
A Thriller that was just Medium.
The Woman Upstairs, by Ruth Heald
First, a trigger warning. This one deals with violence to small children and upset me at times. (I’m pretty thick skinned and am not easily triggered.) Second, I actually meant to read a different Woman Upstairs (apparently this is a pretty popular title, lol). So it wasn’t the book I had intended to read but it was still medium-enoyable. It’s a fast paced thriller. But the plot is upsetting, and there are holes. For example: WHY would you allow a total stranger to move into your house (without checking any references or doing a background check). But anyway – Katie, pregnant with twins, moves into a rundown house and meets Paula (a doula) who offers to help her. Katie gives birth to the twins but simultaneously uncovers horrible secrets about her husband… so she comes to really rely on Paula. But all is not as it seems. This book is pretty upsetting and rather implausible but it was fun.
- Overall Score: B-
Will probably cry whenever I think about this book.
In Five Years, by Rebecca Serle (out March 2nd)
Oh My God – This book WRECKED ME. Not in the way I thought it would, but probably even more intensely so. Dannie is one of those girls who has everything figured out. Engaged by 28, married by 30, making partner at her law firm, and so on and so forth. Her fiance David is dependable, sweet, and handsome, and she is certain she is on the right path. Then, the night she gets engaged, she has a dream that feels more like a premonition: it’s exactly five years later, and she wakes up in someone else’s apartment with a (very dreamy) strange man. She can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong and 4 years later, she meets that man (same name, etc etc.) It’s eery! This book is a little bit like The Light We Lost, and a little bit like One Day in December. I loved both of this books and maybe loved this one even more! You won’t be able to put it down and it is going to cause some serious tears. I definitely recommend preordering it.
- Overall Score: A+
photography by Rebecca Patton.
Ooh, your description of Such a Fun Age makes me want to read it so! Might get my hands on a copy! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
Oh you totally have to read it!!! It’s fantastic.
I ordered Modern Love last week! Can’t wait to read it! Currently loving This is how it always is by Laurie Frankel! It’s great so far!
Aw yay hope you love it as much as I did!!
Reading holiday books all months! Most excited for We Met in December and Royal Holiday. Plus I have a whole stack to start on in 2020 ♥️ Mostly BOP recs. I pre-ordered Such a Fun Age after Becca recommended too! I skipped City of Girls after seeing lots of mixed reviews, but now I think I need to read it!
Well Met is in my to read pile, as is Royal Holiday!!!
Such a Fun Age was so good; I hope you love it. And I absolutely LOVED City of Girls! Am going to have to read the mixed reviews as it as just such a standout great book for me.
I preordered Such A Fun Age on Black Friday, so I can’t wait to read it! I’ve been on a huge Tana French kick this month. Thanks for sharing!
Oh GOOD! Hope you love it!!!
I’m a newish reader/follower. These posts are so helpful! Thank you!
I am so happy to hear that!!!
I really need to read. City of Girls! Idk why the synopsis doesn’t really call to me but several bloggers I trust have loved it so I need to pick it up. I also have ARCs of Such a Fun Age and In 5 Years that I need to read so I’m so glad to hear you loved them!
I kinda felt the same about City of Girls. I was sent an advanced copy almost a year ago and was medium on it and waited SO long to read it… I’m so glad I read it!
Hope you enjoy the other two, they are amazing!
I LOVED ‘The Light We Lost.’ I am sooo looking forward to reading “In Five Years.” I almost shed a tear myself when I realized I would have to wait until March to read it. (Haha!)
I still think about The Light We Lost ALL THE TIME. Such a good book.
Gilbert’s book sounds amazing.. I love her writing.
Dee ~ Vanilla Papers
Couldn’t agree more!
I’m about to start Twice in a Blue Moon per your recommendation a few months ago. Also can’t wait to read In Five Years and Such a Fun Age.
briana | youngsophisticate.com
I hope you love it!!! It’s a fun book.
Have you read The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert?? It’s her first novel (I think) and her best in my opinion! I adored City if Girls so that says a lot!
Not yet!!! My TBR is out of control right now but I will DEF add it to my list! Thanks for the rec!
I echo the suggestion: The Signature of All Things is gorgeous!
Ahhhh…I can’t wait for In Five Years. I loved The Dinner List so much and I have heard from multiple sources (ok…you and Becca) that this one is even better. I just finished reading The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern and I have no idea how I feel about it. The writing was absolutely beautiful, but it was 500 pages and literally nothing happened. It was so strange. I just started an ARC of All Adults Here by Emma Straub and I’m really liking that so far.
Hahahahaha I hope you love it! It’s amazing and a strong contender for our March or April book club.
I have The Starless Sea and have heard such mixed things about it. I don’t like when nothing happens. Dying to read All Adults Here!!! Emma is the best!
City of Girls is my favorite book of 2019!! SO SO good! I’m so glad you read it and agree.
It was amazing! Thanks Sarah!!!
Bought my husband Modern Love for Christmas – we loved the show! And I hated Eat Pray Love so I skipped City of Girls but you have me rethinking it! Preordered In Five Years a few weeks ago – it sounds so good!
I’ve just finished reading Giver of Stars and Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I wanted to read them back to back after reading about the plagiarism charges and I think they are VERY different books, despite the same topic and setting, a few similar passages notwithstanding. Recommend both, but I thought the actual writing in Giver of Stars was better.
Thank you so much for the suggestion.
Eat Pray Love and City of Girls are SO DIFFERENT. You’d really never know they were written by the same person, if you just read them blindly!!
I received an ARC copy of In Five Years and was equally as obsessed. I rarely ever cry in books, and I cried quite a bit during this one! Such a well done book! Did not expect that little twist at the end.
City of Girls is high up on my TBR list! Can’t wait to read that one.
I cried so much! It’s one of the best books I’ve read in ages.
I am not sure that I am emotionally ready for In Five Years, but I am pretty sure that I will be reading it ASAP. (I loved The Light We Lost but it made me ugly cry.) The best book I read this month was The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal. He also wrote Kitchens of the Great Midwest, and they are both great love letters to Midwesterners. But maybe I am biased since I am one of these Midwesterners that feels very seen by his stories. 😉
Thanks Maire!!! (I loved The Light We Lost so much too!)
It sounds like you read so many amazing books! Modern Love, City of Girls and In Five Years are all on the top of my list but I’ll have to add the others as well!
xx Chelsea
http://www.organizedmessblog.com
They were all wonderful!
I LOVED City of Girls as well! I just finished Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson and really enjoyed it. It’s a quick read about three generations of a family living in NYC – I think you might like it!
Ooh that sounds interesting – I’ll take a look!
LOL Did you mean to read The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud, by any chance? That’s on my TBR as well. I read The Burning Girl earlier this year, also by Messud, and it really captured teenage girlhood — I’d definitely recommend it! Excited to read more by her.
Hahahaha yep! I ordered that one and will be reviewing it next month!
Definitely adding “Such a Fun Age” to my reading list. I’ve been hearing SO much about In Five Years I’m so excited for it to come out.
Thanks Kayla!
Oh god just reading your description of ‘In Five Years’ reminded me of how I felt reading ‘The Dinner List’ before I realized it’s by the same author. I wasn’t expecting ‘The Dinner List’ to be as emotional as it was and now I can’t wait/am terrified to read ‘In Five Years’ (lol). Is Rebecca Serle trying to break us??
Oh god just reading your description of ‘In Five Years’ reminded me of how I felt after reading ‘The Dinner List’ before I realized they are by the same author. Is Rebecca Serle trying to break us?? I wasn’t expecting ‘ The Dinner List’ to be as emotional as it was, and I now can’t wait/am terrified to read ‘In Five Years’ lol
I am pretty sure she is completely trying to break us! I felt the same about The Dinner List!!!!! You’re going to love this one. It’s amazing.
For a nonfiction read, consider “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”. It discusses the short, but important life of Henrietta Lacks whose cervical cancer created the first immortal line of cells. Because of her cells (called HeLa), important scientific discoveries including medications, chemotherapy, among others were discovered. It also explores the fact that she never gave consent to have her cells taken, and underlying emotional and racial issues her children faced after her death. Though she died in 1951, it is estimated that there are now nearly 50 metric tons of her cells in the world (still used today as a work horse in the laboratory). Oprah even turned it into a movie on HBO.
Thanks for the suggestion!
I also have City of Girls in my Kindle waiting to be read. It’s just been bumped up my list!! Also looking forward to In Five years and Such a Fun Age. Love your reviews, thank you!
Definitely adding “In Five Years” to my reading list!!
Oh man – In Five Years sounds amazing! Definitely pre-ordered from the library. Can’t wait!
I need to get my life together and both read and watch Modern Love. I wonder if I missed the boat on In Five Years though, because I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would!
Oh my gosh, City of Girls was one of my all-time favorites!! I can’t wait to get my hands on In Five Years, since The Light we Lost and One Day in December are two of my all-time favorites. Literally going to run out to Barnes & Noble on my lunch break and pick it up to read this weekend. Thanks again for your recs! This is always my favorite post of yours every month.
I wholeheartedly agree with your review of City Of Girls. Just read it after MONTHS of staring at it on my kindle library and was inspired after I saw your review. So so so good. Thank you!!
I am so happy you agree! Amazing book.