Everything I Read in November 2024.

I read seven books this month. I had been in a little bit of a reading rut, struggling through some more literary picks, DNFing a few thrillers that had underwhelmed me. With election stress (how was the election less than a month ago!?) and work being busy, I declared November “candy books month!” and decided to more or less only read twisty thrillers. Honestly? The candy was delicious. I read five thrillers this month and highly recommend them all! What was your favorite book this month? Would love your recommendations in the comments!

Everything I Read in November 2024.

Thrillers

Society of Lies, by Lauren Ling Brown

This book has it all: murder, unsupervised teens behaving badly, a secret society. But also: race and privilege… so it’s not entirely just candy. Maya has returned to Princeton for her ten year reunion. The trip stirs up old memories. She’s excited to see her friends, who all belonged to the same eating club and secret society that she did. She’s also excited to see her little sister Naomi–now graduating from Princeton. Everything comes crumbling down when Maya learns that Naomi has been found dead. The police call it an accident, but Maya is convinced there is more to the story. Maya begins to piece together the months leading up to her sister’s death.

The story is told from three perspectives. Maya in present day, Maya ten years ago (where we learn about a very similar, terrible death), and Naomi. Maya uncovers layer after layer of secrets. Turns out, Naomi was hiding quite a bit. But Maya had secrets of her own. Alternating between past and present, it is a race to figure out what really happened to Naomi. I loved this and couldn’t put it down. It has a satisfying ending! Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon.com or Bookshop.org

A Very Bad Thing, by J.T. Ellison

This might just be a perfect thriller. I loved it so much. There were tons of twists and turns, some of which I guessed, some of which I didn’t. Columbia Jones is a beloved author (I thought of perhaps, Jodi Picoult) when I pictured her. She is adored by her fans and has built an empire off of her books and now even has a movie deal. But on the last night of her book tour, Columbia is brutally murdered. Her death rocks the country. As is her daughter (and publicist) Darian, as well as the reporter covering the tour, Riley.

Details emerge, and it turns out Columbia might have been hiding some pretty big secrets, and an illicit past. Turns out, many people might just want her dead. As Riley and Darian race to uncover the truth about Columbia’s past, lives are shattered. There are twists and turns. Everyone is a suspect, no one can be trusted. Despite it’s longer length for a book of this genre (nearly 500 pages), I tore through it in two days. I loved it. Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon.com or Bookshop.org

Like Mother, Like Daughter, by Kimberly McCreight

This was excellent. It’s a mother-daughter story. Highly bingeable and deeply satisfying! Cleo is a student at NYU. Her relationship with her overbearing, perfect mother (Kat) is rocky at best, but when she arrives at her childhood home in Brooklyn for dinner, she knows that something terrible has happened. Food is burning in the oven, there is a puddle of blood on the floor… her mother is missing. As Cleo races to figure out what’s happened to her mother, we alternate between her POV and her mother’s POV (leading up to the disappearance).

Cleo uncovers secrets about her mother. She isn’t the patents lawyer she claimed to be, but rather a fixer for her legal firm with unconventional tactics. She grew up in a dangerous group home and has a lot of secrets. And the worst part: her parents are separated but neither wanted to tell her. Everyone is a suspect. Was it Cleo’s drug-dealing ex-boyfriend? Could it be Kat’s philandering husband (also Cleo’s father?). This one really kept me on my toes, I absolutely loved it! Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon.com or Bookshop.org

The Night We Lost Him, by Laura Dave

I am a longtime Laura Dave fan and I think this might just be my favorite of hers yet? It’s what I would call, a “heartwarming thriller.” That is a genre I really enjoy, but can be hard to find? The Maid (while totally different!) also belongs in that genre. When wealthy businessman Liam Noone falls to his death at his cliffside home, it is ruled as an accident. But things feel a little bit strange to his son Sam, so he enlists the help of his estranged step-sister Nora to help him figure out what really happened on the night of Liam’s death.

As Nora and Sam fly between New York and California to try and make sense of Liam’s death, they uncover secrets (one of which spanned over fifty years!). As they put together the pieces of their father’s past, they realize that they may not have known him at all. I couldn’t put this down and did not see the final twist coming. This is a thriller but it is also a family story (I love seeing estranged siblings come together) and a romance (there are a few). It was so good! Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon.com or Bookshop.org

Middle of the Night, by Riley Sager

Riley Sager is prolific! Every book he writes is just so good. In this book, a man contends with the disappearance of his childhood best friend. Thirty years ago, Ethan’s best friend Billy was snatched from their tent, as the two boys camped in Ethan’s backyard. The case remains unsolved to this day, though everyone has their theories. When Ethan finds himself single and needing a change, he moves back home to his childhood home: a quaint New Jersey cul-de-sac with beautiful homes and manicured lawns (I pictured the neighborhood from Desperate Housewives!).

From the minute he arrives home, fishy things begin to happen. In addition to Ethan’s regular nightmares, he becomes convinced that Billy’s ghost has returned to Hemlock Circle, to try and help Ethan solve the case. Is Ethan being pranked? Or is it really Billy’s ghost? Ethan begins to investigate. Everyone is a suspect. We’re introduced to a mysterious “institute” that Billy had been obsessed with. This is fast-paced and kept me guessing the whole time. Also, the ending made me cry. I really enjoyed it and literally stayed up into the “middle of the night” finishing it! Overall Score: A- // Order on Amazon.com or Bookshop.org

Romance

Hardly Strangers, by A.C. Robinson

This book was a like, not a love. Not because of the writing (it’s phenomenal) but the plot just didn’t resonate with me. It’s about a young woman in LA. She’s pining over a (very obvious asshole) filmmaker and invites him to meet up at a bar with her friends. But then, she meets Max King: the frontman of an Irish punk band, and an electric spark transpires between the two. Shera is swept up in a way she never imagined, and the two begin an epic evening.

The entire novella occurs in just one night at Max’s place. Both characters have a lot of emotional baggage. Over a bottle of vodka and shared vulnerability, they peel back the layers. I will say that I liked the way this book made me feel young (we’ve all had those up-all-night kind of dates!), but I just didn’t connect with the main character, and Max did not appeal to me romantically. Still, it’s a fun romp of a book. I really love what 831 stories is doing, creating these under 200 page novellas that are perfect for busy women that want smart, well-written novellas (but don’t have a ton of time to read!). Overall Score: B+ // Order on Amazon.com or Bookshop.org

Non-Fiction

Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon, by Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez

I listened to this on Audible and really loved it. It’s a look at the iconic American mall brand from the beginning, when it was just a tiny brand. We meet Les Wexner and watch him build the brand (and also watch it fall). We meet an intriguing cast of (often very controversial) characters and see the brand grow from a tiny chain of boutiques to a full blown retail phenomenon, with more than $8 billion in annual sales. This was very nostalgic for me at times, I remember being in high school and saving up my money to buy an angels bra.

I also remember reading about the Angels’ workout routines, and wishing I could look like them. It brought up a lot of feelings at times! I love a good “rise and fall” business story and this is that. It’s really fascinating to see how the brand was built, and equally fascinating (and upsetting) to see what went wrong. The impossible beauty standards. The fat (and trans) phobia. The fashion shows. The sueprmodels. And of course all of the Jeffrey Epstein bits, and Wexner’s complicated relationship with him. I loved this book so much– learning a lot and also just enjoying the ride. Highly recommend. Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon.com or Bookshop.org