What I Read In November + My December TBR
The FIVE books I read in November were all amazing! I’ve questioned recently my rating system; I tend to give higher ratings to all the books I read, and the lowest I’ve ever given a book was three stars (there may be that one lone two star in there, but never one star). And honestly, it’s just the way I read books. I read the books I love. I DNF the books I don’t love. And so, here are the five books I read in November.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
The fact that I could read a thriller amongst the many romances and fantasy books I have on my TBR is astounding. I’ve read one other book by Riley Sager. I think if you’re anything like me and only love to read romances, especially contemporary and fluffy romances, but also want to dive into thrillers and have no idea where to start, Riley Sager’s books may be a good place to start. This was a cozy yet creepy mystery set in a small town. We follow an unreliable main character who sets out to determine the mystery behind the 1920s murder that took place in this house on top of a hill. She’s a new caretaker for Lenora, the only surviving family member of those murders, and everyone thinks she did it. I read this so fast and WOW. It wasn’t just one twist, but rather one twist after the other. Definitely worth picking up.
Rating: 4/5
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Wreck The Halls by Tessa Bailey
The one thing I love about all Tessa Bailey novels is that her novels are truly rom-coms—romantic comedies. Not only does she write incredibly steamy scenes, but she also makes the reader laugh (or at least me, or who will laugh at anything). I loved this holiday romance. I don’t typically like holiday romance books, as they are a tad too cheesy for me (on top of a normal cheesy romance book). The two characters didn’t do much for me; I thought their chemistry was a tad boring and their attraction felt a tad random. However, I liked the plot driving the story—of the two main characters convincing their moms to reunite for a band concert on TV. Not only the two main characters reuniting themselves, but the differences in how the two main characters were raised by their moms, two different people who were in the same band. The reality TV and “live” on Instagram was a tad too much; you’re telling me that you hired a cameraman to do an Instagram Live? Really?
Rating: 4/5
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The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
I don’t rate memoirs; celebrity memoirs are an automatic 5/5 for me for being so vulnerable and honest. (With a few exceptions.) I was never a Britney fan growing up; I didn’t listen to her music too much. Only the hits. But the second I pressed play on this audiobook, I was instantly hooked. Narrated by Michelle Williams, you could still hear Britney’s voice, figuratively, as she told her life story. She started with her childhood, including her parents and their rocky marriage, to falling in love with music, dance, and performing at an early age, through her rise to fame and continuing her love of performing, and her relationships—including her most well-known relationship with Justin Timberlake. Again, I don’t listen to his music a whole lot, but hearing some of the things Justin did and said, and how he acted towards Britney … man does he owe Britney a sincere apology. Better yet, the media owes Britney an apology for the way they treated her as well. (The way they treat female artists and actresses as a whole, tbh.) The world, too, but mostly the media—along with her family. My heart breaks for Britney, even though I don’t know her. It’s a tad weird to emphathize with someone you have never met, especially a celebrity, but my heart did break for her. And I hope she’s getting the peace and happiness that she so deserves.
Rating: 5/5
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Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter
This was my first YA book by Lynn Painter, and it did not disappoint! This has been all over BookTok and bookstagram for a while now, and I’m glad I finally picked it up because it was just that good. The female main character is a rom-com enthusiast, constantly referencing rom-coms from the 90s and 2000s, including my favorite, You’ve Got Mail. The cute tropes of “guy falls first” and fake dating and “frenemies to lovers” were delightful and adorable. I don’t want to say enemies to lovers, because the two characters, Wes and Liz, weren’t enemies, rather they just couldn’t stand each other (or so we thought). And even though they were friends, they weren’t close friends the way we see in other books with the friends to lovers trope. Honestly, frenemies to lovers make the most sense to me. Anyway, I loved the cute rom-com references and the fun dialogue.
Rating: 4/5
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Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Whew … this is known on the steamier side of BookTok, and it did not disappoint. Even if you took out the steamy parts of the book, I genuinely enjoyed this book. A lot of romance books nowadays tend to have miscommunication or no communication at all between the two characters, but this wasn’t the case for Nate and Anastasia. Their relationship progressed and their feelings suddenly didn’t appear, but gradually built for each other. I liked that the book didn’t feel rushed; the book’s actual timeline took about a school year, maybe a little under that. Before picking up this book, I just assumed it was all about ice skating and hockey. I have to admit, that’s true, but that’s only like, a subplot. Yeah sure, it’s mentioned quite a lot, but the romance outside of the ice rink is the bulk of the book. Definitely worth a read if you like steamy books!
Rating: 4.5/5
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My December TBR:
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
American Royalty by Tracey Livesay
A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas