Monthly Wrap-Up by A Book Wanderer

November 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up

Hello Readers! November was quite the whirlwind for me. I got my Covid booster and I participated in Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) as a ‘rebel’, working on a previous project instead of creating something new. Which means I spent more time editing than writing, and it was a bit of a struggle. The editing process is not my favorite—which is why I have so many unfinished Nano projects. Ha! But I did still manage to read quite a bit. I read several short stories, which were just the right kind of quick distractions I needed. I ended up reading five novels, one anthology, one novella, and five short stories, for a total of 2,198 pages! When I looked back at My November TBR, I was happy to see I’d read 5 of the 8 books I had planned, plus several more I hadn’t planned on reading.

Let’s see what I managed to read in November!

Be sure to check out The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction!

November Wrap-Up

(Link to synopsis on Goodreads through the book title.)

I was super excited to be invited to read four holiday short stories from Amazon Originals. They were just what I needed to start the month off while I was starting Nanowrimo. Rowell’s and Baker’s were my favorites. I enjoyed Baker’s so much, I read it twice!

Model Home by J. Courtney Sullivan ⭐⭐⭐.50
If the Fates Allow by Rainbow Rowell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Marriage Test by Suzanne Redfearn ⭐⭐⭐.50
Oh. What. Fun. by Chandler Baker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Review
Blog Tour with Excerpts and Giveaway coming soon!

I’m a seasonal reader, especially around holidays, so I was excited to finally pick up Maple Sugar Crush (An Autumnboro Sweet Romance, #2) by Beth Labonte. I haven’t read the previous book, but each one of these can be read as standalones. I enjoyed this romance, and while it’s mostly set at Thanksgiving, there is a touch of Christmas, as well.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐.50

Next, I picked up my Owlcrate anniversary edition of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. It’d been almost 10 years since I read this book for the first time, and the second read was just as good. Such a beautifully written fantasy, perfect for teens OR adults, and it’s an especially good one to start with if you’ve never read Stiefvater before.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Owlcrate Unboxing

Ever since I first saw the autumnal cover of Meet Me on Love Lane by Nina Bocci, I’ve wanted to read it in the fall. I finally picked up a copy a few months ago, and I was excited to get to it. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it’s actually set in the summer! What!? This cover could have easily been done with flowers. The main character is even a florist! BUT, I did still enjoy it. I spent the day after getting my Covid booster curled up reading this one.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐.50

I was excited to be approved for an advanced copy of the YA anthology, Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes, Transformed Edited by Marissa Meyer. Not only was the trope theme unique, I discovered some new authors, as well.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Available 1/4/22

When I came across The Certainty of Chance by Jacquelyn Middleton on Netgalley, I was happy to see it was still available for request even though the publishing date had already passed by. I took a chance and requested it, happy to be approved quickly. I enjoyed this one so much! I’m thrilled to have found another romance author to add to my auto-read list.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
My Review
Available 10/14/21

My Classic Club Spin result was Rumble Fish by S. E. Hinton. I ended up listening to this novella through Libby. While The Outsiders is still my favorite of Hinton’s, I was impressed with how serious this book about brothers became.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐.5

My biggest surprise of the month was getting invited to read The Bodyguard by Katherine Center on the day the cover was revealed! I knew she was writing a new one, I just didn’t know review copies would be available so soon. When she mentioned in her newsletter that it was set around Thanksgiving, I knew I wanted to read it immediately. I absolutely ADORED this book! It will definitely end up among my favorite books for the year.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Available 7/19/22

I’m not sure how I missed this one, but A Christmas Bun for Ulysses by Sarah Morgenthaler is a 10 page short story that comes after the second book in the Moose Springs, Alaska series. It features Graham, Zoey, Easton, and Ash, and it’s a must-read for fans! Read it here!

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In case you missed it…

Highlights from elsewhere…

What I’ve been watching…

  • Only Murders in the Building on Hulu – Staring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. I finally finished this series and I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I thought the acting was phenomenal. I was excited to hear a second season is in the works, as well!
  • What We Do in the Shadows on FX and Hulu – It took me a few episodes to get into, but I ended up loving this crazy show about vampires my husband insisted we watch. We laughed so much. We’ve seen and enjoyed the film adaptation, as well. Now the wait for new episodes begins.
  • Reservation Dogs on Hulu – This show about four indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma is hilarious. Created by Taika Waititi (who also created What We Do in the Shadows), it’s unlike anything else out right now. It kind of reminds us of Napoleon Dynamite but with magical realism.

How was your reading month? Have you read any of these books? Did you add any of them to your TBR? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!

9 thoughts on “November 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up”

  1. You read a nice variety of books in November! All while participating in Nanowrimo – that is impressive.

    Sometimes a short story is just right. I don’t often take time to read them.

    It has been years since I read Rumble Fish, but I remember not liking it as much as The Outsiders.

    Have a blessed December!

    Reply

    1. I’m the same way! I tend to not pick up short stories unless I’m needing something quick for reading challenge prompt, but I wish I would read them more often! Happy reading. <3

      Reply

  2. I have yet to read any Rainbow Rowell books. A good friend of mine has recommended a number of them highly. I just recently joined The Classics Club and look forward to whenever there is another Classics Spin. I’m still figuring out how all the extras like for The Classics Club work. 😉 Only Murders in the Building is on my list of things to watch. Glad to hear it’s good!

    Reply

  4. I loved The Scorpio Races and have a keeper copy of the original–this Owlcrate cover is so pretty! The Body Guard looks really good and I’m headed to put it on my TBR after this post. Happy holidays!

    Reply

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