I’m so happy that I was able to get back into buying and reading books. While my TBR list is still huge, I just can’t help getting new books that are recommended by friends and family. Especially since I had such a quiet January!
Let’s jump right into it. Here are the books that I managed to pick up this month!
Recently I went out to a local Barnes & Noble with a few friends to get a drink at the cafe and browse for new reading material. I should have known that I wouldn’t be able to just look. After about an hour and a half in the store I walked out with more than a few books that I am excited to read.
So, let’s get this book haul started and share what I picked up!
This book is translated by Heather Cleary for you English enjoyment. Ikigai is a Japanese philosophy and way of life. I admire many aspects of Japanese culture and really think this book looks interesting and I hope to take away tips on how to continue living happily into the future.
The Rules of Magic is the prequel to Practical Magic, which I have heard many good things about. This story follows three siblings in a coming of age tale filled with magic and historical references. I can’t wait to do a book review on this pick!
I Almost Forgot About You is a story about change and becoming the person you want to be. It is an inspiring motivational story and I am excited to see if it makes me want to change something about my life.
This adorable story is about a weighed down college student with way too much on his plate. After failing a test he seeks out a tutor and gets back more than what he signed up for.
Gravemaidens is a story about sacrifice, deceit, and danger within a city-state called Alu. A sisters dedication is strongest when her sister’s life is in danger.
Bloom is coming of age story for a boy named Ari. He has recently graduated from high school and Ari wants to quit his family business and move to the big city with his band, but this summer may have other plans for him.
Richard is a graduate student struggling to write and in danger of loosing his funding. In comes Anne, a smart and accepting classmate that has the lifestyle of Richards dreams. After a one night stand with a successful lawyer, he finds himself unable to step away from Anne’s addictive life.
These gems are going to be really great reads and I can’t wait to get started! November’s Good Reads may be a little longer than Octobers with all of these books being read.
I thought it would be fun to start sharing the books that I’ve read each month and would actually recommend to friends and family. Reading has always been a huge part of my life and has continued to help me through troubled times. I am constantly reading whether it is an escape from reality, a feel-good read, or just learning about a new interest.
I read through a lot of genres, so there will be books ranging from Young Adult to Romance.
In the reviews I’ll give a summary of the plot (no spoilers), what I thought about it and why I’m recommending these books. So, let’s jump in!
The Wife Between Us
This is a truly wild ride co-written by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. This book is the best Psychological Thriller I have ever read! I thought I had it all figured out, a typical story about a psycho ex-wife who is stalking the ‘new woman’. Oh boy was I wrong.
We are first introduced to Vanessa who has been divorced for about a year and working at Saks while living with her aunt. Her ex-husband, Richard, is a successful hedge fund manager and is currently engaged to a woman named Nellie.
The book begins with Vanessa watching Nellie and that is where I automatically thought it was going to be a simple to follow jealousy plot. See, that’s where I messed up, I assumed I knew what was going to happen next. The best advice I can give to someone reading this masterpiece is to not assume you know what is happening.
This story has so many twists and turns that I was honestly mislead many times. The further I read, the more things made sense. By the time I had finished the story it had taken the understanding I thought I had and tossed it out the window. This books ending was much better than anything I could have anticipated.
While the story is amazing, I wasn’t able to connect with any of the characters. There was not much within the story that I have experienced in my own life. If a reader could find common ground with any of the characters, combined with the utter intensity I’ll bet this will make their top five reads. I recommend this book to anyone just looking for an exciting read with an even better ending.
Red, White & Royal Blue
Our author, Casey McQuiston, does a great job of combining things I do not have a passion for, like Politics and History, and somehow use them to highlight a great romance.
In this book we follow Alex Claremont-Diaz, the U.S. President’s son and aspiring politician himself. During a long-standing rivalry with Prince Henry of Wales and after an altercation at a royal event, they are forced to appear as friends and allies.
It’s quickly realized that they’ve gotten off on the wrong foot and begin to find common ground. The characters are admirable with their abilities to overcome problems with society throughout their clashes. Family is a huge factor in this story and really helps to mold the two young men. In spite of Alex’s pride and Henry’s royal maternal ‘apron strings’, we can’t help falling in love with our boys by the end.
I read this Young Adult romance novel earlier this month when I honestly just needed to smile about something. The story was able to make me smile, laugh, and cry throughout my read. I would really recommend this book to both adults and young adults for its wit and humor. This book was on an end-cap at my local Bookstore and I’m happy I decided to give it a try.
Behind Her Eyes
Behind Her Eyes is another Psychological Thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. Sarah Pinborough does an amazing job with this story and is able to keep you reading for hours on end.
This story seems like your typical romance plot when Louise, a single mom at a bar connects with a stranger. When she goes in to work Monday morning the ‘mystery man’ turns out to be her new boss, David. To make things worse, David has a picture-perfect wife named Adele who is everything that Louise isn’t.
Louise befriends Adele one day in town and they start to share secrets and hang-out often. The closer Louise gets to Adele, the more we find wrong with her marriage.
This is an emotional roller-coaster and I LOVED it. It was easy to get in to plus the story did a great job with character development. Adele’s backstory had me hooked and shocked once I got to the later chapters. So, if you’re looking for a quick read that isn’t predictable this will definitely throw you for a loop and have you wanting more!
There we have it!
These were great books that I read this month. I would love to keep this going and read some of your favorites as well. Comment down below if you have a book you would like me to read this November. Until then, Happy Reading!
Mindy Erxleben 