The Books I Read in November

 Oh my goodness, this year just flew by! I can not believe we are nearly through December already.  Of course I am spending many of those moments reading so that might explain some of the speed with which time seems to pass.  I had another wonderful month of reading and am dreading finishing up my favorite book post for later this month because it's been one of those years where I feel like nearly all of them are my favorites. 

1. Smells Like Tween Spirit by Laurie Gelman-- I finished up the last book (as of now anyway) in the class mom series and loved it as much as the other 3.  In this latest book Jen is juggling her aging father, Max's new interest in wrestling, and her daughter's teaming up to launch their own business. Never having experience team sports before Alec joined track in high school, I was quite entertained by the all the moms and their competitive attitude about middle school sports. 

2. The Love Wager by Lynn Painter-- An adorable little romcom that I devoured in no time!  When Hallie and Jack first meet they hit it off for all the wrong reasons but as they gradually start to build a friendship they place a friendly wager on who will find true love first. They end up doing the whole "fake dating" trope to Hallie's sister's wedding and realize that they have real feelings for one another; yet neither wants to be the one to break their friendship apart. 

3. The Blue by Lucy Clarke-- Lana is shocked when she hears that the sailing yacht The Blue has sunk and immediately starts to wonder about her friends.  Not that long ago, Lana herself was a crewmember on the boat enjoying an idyllic time with her best friend Kitty and all their new friends and crewmembers.  Told in alternating timelines of "then" and "now" it was a pretty fun and twisty tale. It took me far longer to read than it should have since it was a well told story but it took me a bit longer than usual to get into it. But I did finish up the second half of the book quite quickly. 

4. Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum #30)-- I always love this series and tend to read these books in just a day or two. In this latest book, Stephanie Plum is searching for 2 people wanted in connection to a jewelry store robbery.  With her boyfriend out of town, Stephanie is left to take care of his dog that eats everything in his path.  Her mother, grandmother, and Lula try to help but more often than not dumb luck is involved in solving the mystery.

5. The Darlings by Hannah McKinnon-- The Darling family is meeting for their annual family vacation at the summer house on Cape Cod and everyone is extra excited this year since the youngest Darling member is getting married.  Then on their first night on Cape the grandmother stops by and purposely reveals a huge family secret that leave all 3 kids reeling.  Told in alternating voices between Tish (the grandmother), Cora (the mother) and Andi (the oldest daughter) it was a story about love and forgiveness and family secrets. 

6. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Cookbook by Lucy Beale and Joan Clark -Warner-- An easy to read cookbook filled with yummy and healthy sounding recipes.  I enjoyed so many of the recipes I decided to buy it so I could mark up all the ones I want to try and not have to worry about when it was due back at the library. 

7. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center-- This was another super cute rom-com that I enjoyed and read rather quickly. Hannah looks more like a kindergarten teacher but actually works as a private security agent, AKA bodyguard. When the company she works for is hired to protect Jack Stapleton; Hollywood's dream guy Hannah isn't so sure. She gets talked into acting as Jack's girlfriend while he's home visiting his sick mother, against her better judgement.  Of course before she really realizes it the lines start getting blurred and Hannah can not tell what is real and what is acting. 

8. Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan-- Sam is taking her husband- to- be, Jack, home to her parents summer house on Long Island. Sam is nervous since she hasn't stepped foot back on the island since the summer she turned 17 and fell in love with her next door neighbor Wyatt. When Wyatt broke her heart Sam built up new defenses and carved a life out for herself unlike she could have ever imagined as a teenager. Now Sam is hoping to spend just a couple of days on the island and get her family off her back about her upcoming wedding when she discovers that Wyatt is also back on the island. 

9. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides-- I finally listened to this book on the Libby app; I've been hearing wonderful reviews about it for years but had not gotten around to reading it.  I really enjoyed this twisty story that ended nothing at all like I had guessed!  Alicia Berenson was found standing near her husband's body more than 4 years ago and hasn't spoken a single word since.  Theo, a physiotherapist, is anxious to work with Alicia, believing that he has the key to open her up and get her to start talking again.  He takes a job at the facility where she lives and is determined to get through to Alicia and find out her story. 

10. I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella-- I listened to this cute story on the Libby app.  Fixy works so hard to fix everything-- keeping her family business going with the help of her mom after her father died, solving her boyfriend's job crisis, trying to help best friend and husband save their marriage.  So when Fixy saves a man's laptop from certain ruin at a coffee shop and he gives her an IOU she had no plans to ever use it. Before she really knows what happens Fixy and Seb are passing the IOU back and forth.  I did get annoyed with Fixy from time to time as she tends to be a bit of a doormat but it was fun to see her come into her own. 

11. All You Have to Do Is Call by Kerri Maher-- I wanted to love this book and in many ways I did but I found I had to keep putting it down and taking breaks since at the same time I was getting so angry knowing that we're going to be right back here with the overturn of Roe V Wade.  Once I really got into the story though I found I just could not put it down. Based on the true story of the Jane Collective that worked in Chicago in the late 1960's & early '70's, this book is about a group of women helping women empower themselves with access to birth control, education about women's health and reproductive health, and even access to safe but illegal abortions. 

12. June, Reimagined by Rebekah Crane-- In the aftermath of her brother's funeral, June takes off one day with his urn of ashes and gets on a plane to the Scottish Highlands.  With no real plan in place, June is dismayed to find that nothing goes quite as planned. Finally landing a job of sorts and getting a place to live, June soon finds that she likes all the quirky characters in the village and puts off going back home more and more.  She knows she should head back to college before her scholarship is revoked but June is reluctant to return to her old life.  

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