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Reading & Life Update

November 29, 2021 milelongtbr Leave a Comment

A look at what’s been happening here recently.

Hi, friends!

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted on here, so I thought an update post was in order. I’ll keep it mostly bookish, but there are a few other exciting things I’m looking forward to sharing as well!

It’s crazy to think we’re a month away from the time we’ll be posting yearly wrap-ups (what is time, anyway?) so while this isn’t that there’s a lot of reflection ahead as well.

Anyway, let’s jump into this reading & life update with 9 things that have been going on in my world over these past few months.

I’ve still been reading, just at a slower pace. I had a shift in goals midway through the year and my reading life heavily reflected this. As always, audiobooks are my go-to.
I took a road trip across the country. This was a different way of traveling for me, and while I can’t say I’m in a rush to spend days on end in the car any time soon, I’m grateful for the experience. It was over 3,000 miles of solo driving from Florida to Canada. Did I mention how audiobooks have been my saving grace?
I got to see family I haven’t been able to visit since 2019. Like so many I’ve been separated from loved ones over the course of the pandemic, so reconnecting with them and getting time away from home was long overdue. It made the 23-hour drive totally worth it!
I left a job I absolutely loved and was really focused on soaking up every moment those last few weeks. I believe this coincided with the start of my break from Bookstagram, but it’s not the entire reason.
As many of you know, I started my own bookish store, Mile Long Boutique earlier this year. I’ve been dedicating myself to create the best designs for you guys and grow this business with great products and customer service. I am so grateful that hundreds of bibliophiles from all over the world have purchased my designs online.
My online retail shop has branched out into wholesale! I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity! I’ve pinched myself more than once to be sure it’s all real, but it is. My stickers can be found in multiple independent bookstores across the country and have been featured in bookish subscription boxes as well! I love sharing my happy designs with y’all.
Because this apparently isn’t creative enough for me, I’ve also decided to rededicate myself to writing and finishing my first novel. If you couldn’t tell by my 6-month blogging hiatus, I sometimes have trouble seeing projects through to completion. It’s going to be a lot of work, even more than I initially thought, but I’m not giving up this time around.
I hinted at this earlier, but I’ve been having a BIG social media detox. There were so many factors involved, but I think it served me well to step back for an extended period of time. Still, I miss the bookish community on Instagram, so I won’t be gone for good. Things will look a lot different this time around, though.
I’m going to end on a bookish humble brag. Earlier this year my NetGalley feedback ratio dipped below 80%. It now sits at 94%. I may not have read any nonfiction for Nonfiction November, but I think this is crushing it when it comes to NetGalley November efforts. And I still have three audiobooks (Audiobooks! They’re books too!) I finished this month I’ll post reviews of tomorrow. Or maybe next month. I’m all about showing myself grace in this season.

There’s a peek at what’s happening here. I’d love to hear what’s new with you in the past few months! Let me know in the comments.

Black Buck Book Review

January 18, 2021 milelongtbr 11 Comments

What to say about Black Buck?

I read this book a few weeks ago and I’ve been sitting on my thoughts before writing a review.

It was obvious immediately that I LOVED the book, but there is simply so much to unpack with this book amidst a cast of rich characters and a rollercoaster of a plot.

Summary:

At 22 years old Darren is working at an NYC Starbucks. Formerly the Valedictorian of his prestigious high school he’s now lacking ambition and direction and is happy hanging with his girlfriend in the upstairs apartment of his mother’s home.

After impressing a CEO customer by selling him a coffee other than his usual order, he gives Darren an opportunity to join the sales team at his startup. Darren hesitantly accepts – and takes us along on his journey of being hazed at the company for his first week’s initiation, his experience of being the only Black salesperson in the company, and all the ways making this jump impact his life.

It’s a wild ride, to say the least as Darren, or “Buck,” goes from barista to salesman to advocate for other people of color wanting to get ahead in business. But what is the cost of his advancement? Will he lose sight of the values he held and the people he loves?

In Black Buck, readers who get something out of this book are urged to buy a copy for a friend.

Is debut author Mateo Askaripour having his salesman narrator tell us this as a clever ploy to sell more books?

Maybe, but it’s worth the read so I want to give you the chance to read and see for yourself exactly what the story is about.

Keep reading for details on how to get your own copy of Black Buck!

Analysis:

If there’s one thing I love in a book it’s juxtapositions, and Black Buck hit the nail on the head in this regard.

The book is largely about everyday life and yet takes us on a number of twists and turns of fate that are anything but mundane.

There are moments that will make you laugh out loud and ones that feel like a punch of the gut- bringing you through every range of emotion. I love books that do this and do it well, and the scope of this story certainly makes this possible,

There’s satire on corporate America alongside social commentary about gentrification, class, and privilege.

Additionally, all the characters in this book are so vibrant. From Darrens’ girlfriend Soraya to his mother and coworkers everyone is well-developed and could easily have a book of their own.

“Buck” especially is complex, honest, and raw and I love the way Askaripour used the narration style- and even the occasional breaking of the fifth wall. While risky, it absolutely works in this case and I’m glad he made this choice in style.

The writing was excellent and the story was extremely fast-paced, making this a compelling read.

Audio Review:

I absolutely loved listening to the audiobook of Black Buck.

The narrator, Zeno Robinson, did a fantastic job bringing the character of Darren to life. He brought such great energy and rawness to the story, and I highly recommend purchasing the audiobook of Black Buck.

Many thanks to Libro.fm and Blackstone Publishing for the ALC.

Final Thoughts:

This is definitely a book to send to the top of your TBR!

Whether you enjoy satire, literary fiction, or are looking for Own Voice stories and books with important and timely themes, Black Buck is the book for you.

Black Buck is easily a five-star read and I recommend it for everyone!

If you want a copy of your own, read the following instructions and let me know the last book you gifted or leant to a friend in the comments!

I’ll pick a winner on 31 January 2020 and contact you at the email provided in your comment.

December Reading Wrap Up

January 10, 2021 milelongtbr 8 Comments

Hi, friends!

I’m a little bit late getting my monthly wrap-up posted for December, largely because I read 14 books making it one of my biggest reading months ever.

These were all enjoyable reads, but for this post, I’m breaking them down into books I loved and books I liked. Let’s get started!

Books I Loved

1. Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

First, we have this Queer YA romance. I’m so glad I read this book in the final days of 2020- it immediately slid in to take a spot as one of my 5 Favorite YA reads of the year.

This book is an absolutely delightful YA read. I love the characters Raffy and Luca and their journey as they navigate first loves and coming out, as well as how to really show up for each other.

The premise of the Cosplay competition a’ la Project Runway was so much fun, and I absolutely loved it even though I’ve never been to a Comic-Con.

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy.

2. Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

Next up is this multigenerational family drama. Little Cruelties is a completely engrossing read. I couldn’t put the book down as I tried to find out what would happen next to the Drumm brothers.

This book is dark and twisted, the Drumms are anything but a happy family, and their continual betrayals and cruelties to each other are awful yet in families things are often more complex than they appear.

Read this if you like reading about dysfunctional families or enjoyed Ask Again, Yes.

Many thanks to Scout Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

3. The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard

The Rib King is a riveting work of literary historical fiction centering around black employees in a white household struggling to maintain their affluent lifestyle. The characters in this book are so complex and fascinating- they are ones that will stay with you long after finishing the book.

The author has seamlessly woven the history of the time and commentary on a number of social issues such as race and class disparities into a fascinating narrative. Despite the story being set 100 years ago, the issues raised are still relevant today, making this an especially important read.

Many thanks to Amistad and NetGalley for the advance copy.

4. The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris

Hearing the story of our soon-to-be Madame Vice President in her own words was nothing short of inspiring, and reading this book left me confident in her leadership.

This book tells Harris’ story of being raised by a single mother who challenged her and taught her to believe in herself in her abilities. It goes on to talk about her early career in politics and the policies she believes in the most.

So much of Kamala’s appeal is in her relatability and insistence that government must work for everyone- even those in the most marginalized groups, and this book shows both her heart and struggle which is why she is a fantastic leader.

5. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

I’ve seen a lot of buzz about these books and finially decided to see what the hype is about. Well, it lived up to it, guys!

With his marriage on the line Minor League Baseball player Gavin joins the Bromance Book Club – a gathering of guys who read romance novels in an attempt to keep the ladies in their lives happy.

This book is funny, sweet, and steamy and easily became one of my favorite romances of the year. Now I just need to get a hold of the rest of the series!

6. After All I’ve Done by Mina Hardy

“She’s lost her best friend, her husband–and possibly, her mind.”

After All I’ve Done a delightfully twisted domestic suspense/thriller with multiple POVs, and the ultimate unreliable narrator- one dealing with memory loss. I did figure out a couple of the surprises relatively early on in the book, but there were a lot that I didn’t guess, some that were absolutely shocking.

This was an enjoyable psychological thriller and I look forward to reading more from the author.

I loved the multiple narrators for the alternating points of view and thought they each brought something unique and exciting to the story. Highly recommend the audio.

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy.

7. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

I’ve been an Agatha Christie fan for about 20 years- I couldn’t have been more than ten years old when my mother first gave me a copy of And Then There Were None. In the years since then I’ve reread that favorite many times and regularly read other titles by the author.

This book imagines what may have happened surrounding the author’s mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926. There are a number of details about Christie’s life as well as a book within a book, making this the perfect read for fans of her work.

8. Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

Hausmann has given us a complex and well written psychological thriller. There are so many twists, yet the story is never hard to follow.

This is an impressive debut and I look forward to reading more from the author, though I did feel the ending was a little rushed, especially in comparison to the depth earlier in the book. Still an enjoyable standout thriller.

Many thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Books I Enjoyed

9. Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis

Dear Emmie Blue is such a charming and heartfelt read! It has such a lightness, just like Emmie’s balloon and there are so many good and kind characters that it warms my heart.

Much more than a romance novel, this is a story of unexpected things giving us far more than the plans we have in mind.

Many thanks to Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

10. The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous

After enjoying Rous’s debut novel The Au Pair I was eager to read more from her.

The Perfect Guests is a gothic thriller full of suspense, family drama, and multiple timelines. I love the “Clue” and Agatha Christie vibes, as the guests are summoned to a dinner party at Raven Hall, a long abanonded mansion, for a game.

Sadie is desperate, so she accepts the job acting as a guest in a murder mystery . But could it be too good to be true? She soon learns of a tragedy that occured there years ago, when the previous owners lived there. But is something sinister still inhabiting Raven Hall?

I had some suspicions that ended up being correct, but there were so many twists that therer were still a ton of surprises in store. I love how everything connected, albiet in a very tangled way.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy.

11. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

The Wife Upstairs is Jane Eyre reimagined as a modern gothic thriller set in Alabama, where Jane meets recently widowed Eddie Rochester.

Jane sets her sights on him, but she may be in for more than she’d realize as it becomes clear he’s not just mysterious- he’s hiding something. I loved all the twists and how Hawkings pays homage to the Bronte classic throughout the novel while giving readers a new book.

It’s a suspenseful and twisted book full of surprises, and I think Jane Eyre fans will appreciate it and thriller and domestic suspense readers will love the book as well.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

12. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump

This book by Mary L. Trump, the President’s niece reveals Trump family history that lead to him becoming the man he is. There are also a number of details of the questionable choices and actions he’s made over the decades.

The author is a psychologist, so this adds another level of insight to her revelations. Many parts of the books are hard to read. Still, Mary L. Trump’s insight is something that is worth being shared and I’m glad I read this book for deeper understanding.

13. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

This cute Christmas romance was a fun read for the holidays!

Mae gets stuck reliving her Christmas holiday after an accident sends her back to the past. The Groundhog Day vibes were fun, though I was honestly expecting more of an emotional punch with this one.

Still, it’s a fun ride as Mae realizes that this may just be an opportunity for her to save her annual holiday spot and reveal her feelings for her longtime crush.

14. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Finally, we have this chilling wintery thriller by Lucy Foley. A group of friends goes away to celebrate the new year, but one of them doesn’t make it home.

With close quarters, no outside access to their remote location, and enough tension that anyone could have a motive it’s clear that one in the group is a killer.

This book had a lot of tension and I loved the atmosphere and messy character relationships, though the book wasn’t quite as shocking as I’d hoped. Still, it’s a fast and readable thriller- perfect for snowy days!

There you have it, friends!

One of my best reading months ever to wrap up the wild year that was 2020.

Have you read any of these titles? If not, I hope you’ve at least found one to add to your own TBR!

Tell me one of your favorite December 2020 reads in the comments!

2020 Reading Statistics

January 7, 2021 milelongtbr 4 Comments

Hi, readers!

2020 is now thankfully behind us, and while it wasn’t the greatest year for most of us, I’m happy to say that at least for me it brought one of my best reading years to date.

I’ve broken down my statistics into ten categories- because I’m a nerd like that- to take a closer look at exactly what I’m reading. I really love taking stock and it makes it much easier to frame my 2021 reading goals around the results when the numbers do the talking.

Let’s dive in!

1. Total Books Read

The number books read in a year seems to be the metric everyone’s talking about- especially with so many bookstagrammers setting GoodReads goals.

In all honesty I don’t track my reading perfectly on GoodReads, but managed to count 116 books toward my initial goal of 75.

This is absolutely bananas. I’ve never read over 100 books in a year, but despite a slow start all that time at home reading really added up in 2020.

I know I missed a few, so the number is actually higher. Also, I don’t count cookbooks, nonfiction I skim, kids’ books, DNFs, or poetry collections toward my total count.

I’m glad I got to read so many great books, but for me a good reading year is far more in the quality of what I’m reading than the quantity.

2. Monthly Breakdown

This chart breaks down the number of books I read each month.

I started off reading a modest 6 books in January, then nearly doubled that number in February.

March started off strong, but as the pandemic hit my area my reading slowed for a few months.

By summertime the anxiety was mostly under control and the extra time at home reading lead to high numbers that continued to the end of the year.

My best reading months were October and December in terms of quantity- and I read lots of good books then too!

3. Looking at Genre

I enjoy reading from a number of genres and definitely wanted to make a point to branch out in 2020.

I read a few new to me formats- graphic novels and novels in verse- rekindled my love for the YA Genre and pushed myself to try some horror.

Thrillers were my most read genre of the year. About a quarter of the books I read were thrillers- partly for the escapism and partly because I got the idea to write one of my own. Go check out my favorite thrillers of the year for some recommendations!

If you combine Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Classics together for a “General Fiction” genre those would add up to equal the number of thrillers I read. Many of my favorite titles of the years were from these categories.

Overall I’m pleased with the genre diversity of my 2020 reads, though this does give me a starting point for my goals in the new year.

4. Author by Gender

Reading women is important!

I love that nearly 75% of my 2020 reads were written by people who identify as women. I would, however like to read more from nonbinary voices in 2021 as some of my 2020 standouts fell into this category.

5. Author Diversity

2020 brought many long-overdue calls for equality and diversity.

This is another thing I love about charts and numbers – It really puts things into perspective and you can’t argue facts. The publishing is predominantly white- everything from editors to publicists to authors. The statistics were eye-opening and definitely left me seeking out more diverse Own Voice stories, specifically in the second half of the year.

In 2019 13% of the books I read were by BIPOC authors, and it was a number that needed improvement.

This year I increased that stat to 33% and while there’s always room to go I’m glad to have read more than twice as many books from diverse authors.

6. Queer Representation

Just under 15% of the books I read had strong and positive queer representation, the vast majority of those books being written by Own Voice authors.

This is just another example of where representation matters, and I plan to improve this number in 2021.

7. Book Setting by Country

Of all my 2020 reading stats this is the one that means the most to me.

The countries in orange are the ones my books took me to last year, all while being stuck at home.

Books were the escape I needed during the lockdowns and anxiety of 2020 and I loved being able to lose myself in the pages and travel half a world away with the characters of the story.

Whether it was exploring the streets of Jaipur, India with Lakshmi in the Henna Artist, taking a walk with Vivek Oji in Nigeria, staying in Emily St John Mandel’s Glass Hotel in Vancouver, Canada or riding the Orient Express across Europe with Hercule Poirot, 2020 was filled with many bookish adventures and I loved each of them.

In total,I had 23 stamps in my literary passport in a year full of travel bans and canceled flights.

I know 2020 will be filled with many booksih adventures across the world as well, and look forward to seeking out new countries to “visit” by own voice authors.

8. Format Read

Clearly my best reading year ever in 2020 was brought to me by audiobooks.

Over 60% of my reads were on audio and I have no shame over that. I discovered some great narrators who I’m eager to hear more of and discovered Libro.fm– a great site that supports local bookstores!

Audiobooks let me multitask- I love listening while I’m making dinner, drawing, or working on a puzzle. They were also great for when this year made it hard to focus while stuck at home- and for commuting when I returned to work.

I do sometimes long for a physical book to hold, so I won’t be going purely digital any time soon!

9. How I Got the Books

As you can see, I was lucky enough to receive over 50 ARCs in 2020! I love being able to snag an early copy of a much-anticipate book and am very thankful for all of the opportunities.

The rest of my reads were split fairly evenly between books I purchased myself and books I borrowed. I have borrowed from the library, from Kindle Unlimited over the course of the year. Sadly, none of the books I borrowed were from friends because of social distancing. Thanks, 2020!

10. Backlist vs. New Releases

With reading so many ARCs it comes as no surprise that the majority of my 2020 reads were new releases.

Still, over 25% of my books were from the backlist. It’s a number that I plan on growing in 2020. I also reread 4 books in 2020- and the titles should come as a surprise to those who have been following for long. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Furiously Happy, The Little Prince, and Matilda. I pretty much reread each of those books annually.

Alright, friends! There you have it!

2020 is in the books and this is how my reading year breaks down!

Overall I’m very pleased- both with the quality of the reading year overall and the individual numbers.

Remember, reading isn’t a competition.

Reading is about joy, escape, growth, and learning- and these statistics and charts perfectly show how much of those things the wild ride of 2020 held for me.

Which of these categories was your reading especially strong in last year?

Are there any areas you’re looking to improve upon in 2021? Let me know in the comments, and as always happy reading!

6 Degrees: From Hamnet to Little Cruelties in 6 Steps

January 2, 2021 milelongtbr 16 Comments

See how I got to Hamnet to Little Cruelties in 6 steps!

Hi, Friends!

Last month I was introduced to the concept of a bookish game of six degrees of separation by Carla @happiestwhenreading and I’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to join in January’s game!

The concept is simple- make a chain associating the month’s title chosen by Kate at booksaremyfavouriteandbest, and see where you end up by linking it to six other titles.

This month’s title is Hamnet by Maggie O Farrell.

It’s a book I haven’t read and know little about, other than it’s historical fiction and I’ve seen nothing but rave reviews for it, so I should probably pick it up even though it doesn’t quite seem like my typical read. Where will that book take me? I have the first associated title in mind, and I’m interested to see where this ends up!

First Degree

The first book that popped into my head is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins read.

It’s also historical fiction, and also one which I’ve seen one rave review for after the next.

I read Evelyn Hugo in May and picked it up still knowing little about it other than this and that as the title suggests it explores the titular character’s relationships with a number of different men.

This book was way more than I expected and packed a serious emotional punch- and became one of my favorite reads of 2020.

Second Degree

Oona Out of Order has been on my mind a lot lately. I think her story will play in my mind at the dawn of every new year because it was Oona’s birthday and annual leap to another time. Each year when the clock struck 12 she would find herself transported to another year in her life- sometimes in the body of herself as a much older woman.

Throughout the decades of Oona’s life, she is with a number of very different men, which makes the connection to Evelyn an easy one though they’re from different genres.

Though this one is lighthearted in fun throughout, it also is heavily emotional – something that seems to be a common thread in books dealing with time travel- and was a standout read for me in 2020.

Third Degree

The Time Traveler’s Wife is yet another book that I associate with this time of year. I read it last Christmas and have vivid memories of sobbing on the airplane on my way out of town for the holidays because it’s such an emotionally charged read.

Time travel, go figure.

Like Oona Out Of Order, this book has a character who experiencing life out of order and struggling with the burdens of time travel abilities they can’t control.

For me, one of the more memorable conversations between the book’s two main characters was about The Beatles. I’m immediately thinking about another book where The Beatles play an important role.

Fourth Degree

The Trap is a thriller I read a few years back, but it’s one that has really stayed with me in a genre where books tend to blur together.

It’s written by Melanie Rabbe, a German author and I read it in translation.

The main character is an author who is living as a recluse, and like in the previous book The Beatles are a memorable part of the story. If you know, you know- but to say any more would spoil a twist!

Fifth Degree

I read Dear Child, another thriller in translation from a German author, a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.

The similarities to The Trap don’t end there, though. This book also features characters who don’t go out of the house- albeit for a very different reason. Each also has a family member trying to take matters into their own hands to seek justice for a family member when the law has failed them.

Sixth Degree

The sixth and final link is perhaps a bit of a stretch, but this is my game and my first time playing it so bare with me.

I’m picking Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent. On the surface, it’s the covers that feel similar- both simple scenes but with a creepy and foreboding vibe.

Also, these books both feature some seriously dysfunctional families, each unhappy in their own way but ones you’ll definitely be glad you aren’t related to.

Both Little Cruelties and Dear Child were ARCs given to me by NetGalley, and despite not completely being sure about the cover they suited the books well and I ended up enjoying each title!

Well, there you have it! From Hamnet to Little Cruelties in 6 steps!

If you joined in this challenge please do comment below so I can go see where Hamnet took you!

Next month (February 6, 2021), the challenge starts with Anne Tyler’s latest novel, Redhead By the Side of the Road. I hope you’ll play along and check back to see where the journey takes us.

November 2020: Books I Read

December 5, 2020 milelongtbr 27 Comments

Hi, friends!

Another month in the books! I’m glad to say November was one of my best reading months of the year! How was reading for you this past month?

In November I read 12 books, which Is awesome for me, especially as there are a couple of thick ones among them.

While I deviated from my original Nonfiction November TBR, half of the titles I read were nonfiction. I’m beyond pleased with that number!

I enjoyed all the books I read this month- some more than others- so I have them all listed here broken into two groups. There are books I loved and books I enjoyed.

Let’s jump in to my November 2020 reads!

LOVED!!

1. Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything

First off, let’s look at this fun read!

Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything – from driving on the highway to beans. Yes, beans. Especially Willow Bean, the woman she finds her husband sleeping with and eventually leaves her for.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny, relatable, and inspiring all at once and manages to be both fun and thought-provoking.

I especially loved Agatha’s character arc and growth. She may be an unlikely heroine, but you’ll find yourself rooting for her by the end of the book. (Think Eleanor Oliphant, Bernadette Fox)

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy.

2. Becoming

For one reason or another I hadn’t read this book despite seeing nothing but glowing reviews for it. I decided this was the perfect book to start off Nonfiction November with- and I’m so glad I did!

I loved hearing Michelle’s account of her life. From growing up in Chicago to her life in the White House and her struggles as a woman. Despite her notoriety, her story is relatable and the warmth she brings to it through her narration makes it so comforting. That’s why we love her so much, after all.

3. A Promised Land

Again, I feel like I’d be the least likely person to pick up this book- anything over 400 pages is a commitment for me and I don’t especially gravitate towards political nonfiction.

Still, I couldn’t resist picking up the 700page first volume of 44’s account of his time in office- or the opportunity to hear him tell his own story on audio.

President Obama is wordy- he’s the first to admit it, but I love the way he speaks and writes as he explains so many of his decisions and struggles during his tenure as president.

This is an intimate look into the office as well as how a man balances family with one of the most demanding jobs on earth. Highly worth the read and I can’t recommend the audio enough.

4. Hood Feminism

This powerful collection of essays is a call to action t enure Intersectional Feminism isn’t just a catchphrase but a movement that makes feminism inclusive for all. I love this book for showing certain topics in a different light that some may not have considered and for taking the time to explain how things are feminist issues.

Hood Feminism should be required reading for those who consider themselves feminists- and everyone else- to see why feminism for all is so important.

5. The Midnight Library

Sometimes I’m wary of super-hyped books, but I just knew that The Midnight Library was going to be a five-star read for me.

In Haig’s latest, he imagines a place between life in death- a library filled with books of other lives we might have lived if we’d made different choices.

This is a introspective and emotional read- I had tears in my eyes a few times in the early chapters, but as the main character Nora is dealing with the loss of a pet it may have been a little close to home for me.

This is definitely a standout book for me- the end didn’t quite deliver the emotional punch I was expecting- possibly because I seemed to be realizing much of what was happening a step or two ahead of Nora- but that didn’t stop me from appreciating it in the least.

Definitely pick this book up and see for yourself what the buzz is all about!

6. Wow, No Thank You

Wow, No Thank You is a hilarious collection of essays on a wide range of subjects from her personal struggles to things all of us are sure to relate to. I love her deadpan sense of humor and observational wit.

This is my first time reading Irby but I definitely plan on reading her earlier books next time I’m in need of a good laugh!

7. Don’t Overthink It

I am prone to overthink everything, including my overthinking, especially in these times.

@annebogel had great practical advice on the subject and offeres many ways to streamline small decisions we make daily that can lead us to feel overwhelmed and indecisive.

I will definitely read through this book again to come up with a plan to put some of the ideas in action.

Anne narrates the audio version, which is perfect because many of us know her voice from her podcasts.

Overall I highly recommend this one if you have a tendency to overthink things and would like to save yourself that energy.

8. Apple: (Skin to the Core)

Apple (skin to the core) is a moving memoir in verse by Eric Gansworth, is “a member of Eel clan, enrolled Onondaga, born and raised at the Tuscarora Nation.”

The verse is haunting and well-crafted but for me the real beauty came in the name and structure of the book. Gansworth reclaimed a racial slur used against him and drew a number of parallels to The Beatles and their music, albums and history, which he explains at the end.

I listened to this as an audiobook and while I enjoyed hearing the author narrate, there is other content to consider as well. Gansworth is a visual artist as well as a writer, so be sure to check out the accompanying artwork which is included in the print edition.

Many thanks to Libro.fm and Dreamscape Media, LLC for the ALC.

9. Hunger

Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist stands as one of my all-time favorite nonfiction reads. With that in mind I was excited to read this book, which explores her relationship with her body and food.

This book is moving and gives a look into a life and how those with larger bodies than are socially accepted are often mistreated. As always, the writing here is concise and compelling and I’m glad I read it.

Enjoyed!!

10. The Cul-de-Sac War

First of the books I liked is this fun enemies to lovers romance with lots of pranks as these neighbors try to one-up each other.

I really enjoyed the characters and their antics, as well as how the eventually see past their misconceptions.

All the elements going on in the story really added to the experience. There was more character growth than I expected and it made for a well-rounded read.

I listened to the audiobook and thought Kate Rudd was a good choice as a narrator and I highly recommend the audio format for this book. Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advance copy.

11. We Met In December

Next up is this darling contemporary romance! This friends to lovers romance set in London is a lot of fun and just as sweet.

These housemates looking to shake up their lives found a deal renting from a friend- with the caveat that they aren’t allowed to date.

Over the course of a year they spend time together as friends- but this rule and a few other things stand in the way of making it more than that.

The book starts at Christmastime and circles back to end there too, so this is a fun light holiday read and was perfect to listen to while decorating to get into the Christmas spirit!

12. All Stirred Up

Finally, we have this Persuasion retelling!

All Stirred Up is a fun read, though not quite the light rom-com I was expecting. There was more focus on familial relationships, delicious food descriptions. But, that only made it an interesting and more complex novel- just like your favorite dish.

The audio version was great- loved the accents- and was an enjoyable way to experience this second chance romance and Austen reimagining.

Many thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

There you have it! All the books in the first group were standouts and highly recommend them!

Have you read any of the books from my November 2020 reading list?

Let me know which ones you’re excited to get your hands on, and what your favorite November 2020 read was!