Alison’s November Reads
My reading goal for November was simple: finish all other books so that I could spend December with my nose tucked into Christmas romance novels, my true favorite genre. At the beginning of November I got quite a few books from the library, and of course, they had to be read since I brought them home! Additionally there was the book club read, and with all the food prep for multiple Thanksgiving celebrations I had the chance to listen to audiobooks too, which is not typical for me, but I’m finding winter is more of an opportunity for me to do so! All in all, I ended up reading a lot of books in November - back to my “regular” number from seasons past!
Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein (4 stars). This book had been on my TBR for awhile and when I found myself unsure of what to read, I requested it from the library. This book was centered around the relationship of two sisters who didn’t know they shared a father. When he passed away, the two girls were connected over their father’s lake house in Maine. I enjoyed the dynamics of the characters and the “finding yourself” theme, but if I’m honest, the characters on their own were kind of hard to like.
The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden (3.5 stars). This was a second-chance romance time travel type of book. Time travel isn’t really my favorite, so keep that in mind when you see my rating. The book is about a girl named Lolly who put her dreams on pause when her mother died and she needed to care for sister and father and run her mother’s restaurant. There was a lot of good to the storyline, but I also felt like some of it was a bit whiny in tone. If you’re looking for a quick, fluffy read, however, this one can definitely itch that scratch!
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore (3 stars). While cooking my Thanksgiving dishes I decided I was ready to jump into the holiday spirit and found the first Christmas book on Hoopla I saw! This was your typical Christmas tree farm storyline - an out of towner bought a tree farm and fell in love with a once local boy who was visiting his family. I’m sure you can guess how it ends… Beware, this book has some spice!
Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte (4 stars). This was a family read aloud that we started in September and took us way too long to finish. I really loved this book, but my kids wouldn’t give it the same review, hence why it took us so long to get through. This is a historical fiction novel that is jam packed with stuff to discuss, but honestly, there may have been too many dynamics at play. The main character is deaf and lives in a village that is densely populated with deaf people. In the village, there are European settlers, Wampanoag natives, and African slaves. The plot is centered around a scientist coming into the village to discover the reason for the deaf "infirmity". Overall, I really enjoyed it, but it may have been more suitable for older readers.
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (3.5 stars). This book was chosen by a member of my book club, and is definitely not my typical genre to read. A couple of things: I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more had I been in a different mood, and the start of it did not draw me in super well. Nevertheless, I was determined not to DNF another book club read, and in the end I can say I kind of enjoyed it. The banter between Evie and the Villain is fun (but how is this for young adults?!?! Hello, sexual tension!), and I won’t lie, I didn’t guess the traitor (and I’m typically really great at figuring books out). Will I be reading the rest of the books in the series? Perhaps, but not any time soon.
Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh (3 stars). Another book I listened to while cooking, folding laundry, and painting my nails. This was a clean cutesy Christmas read, but was much longer than it needed to be. Also, there was no ending! Seriously, it just abruptly ended without any real closure. I thought I had missed a chapter entirely, but nope - there wasn’t an epilogue either. That really ruined the whole book for me.
Check back next month for ALLLLLL the Christmas romance reads! I’m ready with my hot cocoa and blanket!