November Reading Round Up
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In November, I got better at limiting the number of books I started through Kindle Unlimited, Libby, Borrow Box, and Net Galley, although I had quite a few ARCs to read and review. There are so many fantastic books being released over the next few months, and it’s difficult not to hit that ‘Request’ button.
I finished six books in November, which were three and four stars, with one five-star.
The House at Watch Hill, Written By Karen Marie Moning - 70% Finished
Karen has become one of my favourite authors in recent times. I was introduced to her by a woman who loves the same types of books as me, and I will thank her forever for telling me about this author. She has a fantastic way of showing you the world her characters inhabit in her books, making it so easy and fun to follow along in your mind so you can almost see the place it takes place in and the different characters.
This is the first book in a trilogy known as the Watch Hill Trilogy, and I am so excited that this is not going to be a standalone.
In this first book, we are introduced to Zo Grey, a young woman desperately seeking employment to help her care for her gravely ill Mother, Joanna. When her Mother unexpectedly dies, Zo is trying to deal with her grief when she is told that she has inherited a large home and fortune in a place called Divinity in Louisiana from a family member named Juniper Cameron. Zo and her mother have always lived on the bread line, and often under it, so when she hears about the inheritance of a home and a lot of money, she is cautious but intrigued. She doesn’t have anything to lose, so she decides to head to Divinity to see what it’s all about.
She meets Juniper’s lawyer, Mr Balfour, who tells her that there are rules to her inheritance, including her staying in the house alone for three years to get the whole inheritance, which amounts to millions of dollars, and the humongous house on Watch Hill.
But the house is hiding a lot of secrets. As her stay in the house continues, she discovers the truth about not only Divinity and its people but also her family.
The Marlow Murder Club, Written By Robert Thorogood - 87% Finished
I started this book in October. I love books like the Thursday Murder Club written by Richard Osman, so since this sounded like the same type of book I decided to jump in, and I’m so glad I did.
In this book we are introduced to Judith, an older lady who lived by the Thames in London. She loves nothing more than a good crossword puzzle and a wee dram of whiskey. When she sees the man across the way from her being murdered she immediately calls the police. But the police don’t believe it was murder. They think he ended his own life. Judith is determined to prove them wrong, and find out who murdered her neighbour.
With the help of a local dog walker called Suzie and the vicar’s wife Becks, she starts to put the pieces together. The three of them form the Marlow Murder Club.
I am loving this book, and am going to finish it soon. This book is the first in a series of books, and I can’t wait to dive into the rest of them.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜
Even though Halloween is over, I still love a good spooky/horror story. I got the ARC for this book, and cold winter nights are the perfect time for a book like this.
This book showcases sixteen spooky short stories written in the 1800s, 1900s and the last one in the 2000s. Some stories are shorter than others, but each story is a perfect standalone for anyone who loves to read scary stories. They are perfect for reading around a bonfire, or sitting on the couch wrapped up with a cosy blanket.
The book features stories about local folklore, and features tales from well-known authors like William Croft Dickinson and Shirley Jackson. At the start of each chapter is a beautiful illustration.
If you love delving into the spooky and supernatural then I highly recommend this book.
Dreamfever, Written by Karen Marie Moning - 58% Finished
This is the fourth book in the Fever series of books that introduced me to Karen. I have totally dropped the ball on this series. I was flying through them, and then I discovered Libby, Borrow Box and Net Galley, and this has been left to the side. There are eleven books in the series, and one of my reading goals for 2025 is to finish this series. It’s really an excellent supernatural series, and deserves a lot more time than I am currently giving it.
The Wedding Party, Written By Rebecca Heath - Published on 7th January 2025
My Rating:- 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜
I was lucky enough to get my hands on the ARC for this book.
This book is a fantastic read and a real page-turner. I didn't want to put it down. I read it within a week as I just had to find out what happened to all of the characters.
Our cast of characters meets at a place they all used to visit regularly for Adele and Jason's wedding. When they were kids, Adele was dating a young man named Ollie, and when he died tragically young by falling off the nearby jetty, everyone was devastated at the loss, especially his mother and sister. A few years later, Adele and Jason reconnect and are now bringing everyone together again to celebrate their upcoming wedding. But this wedding is bringing back a lot of feelings and memories that many had tried to squash and forget.
Nothing is as it seems with the wedding party. There is love, loss, betrayal, suspicion, doubt, unrequited love and old memories that will never be forgotten.
This book is a whirlwind. It starts off slowly, allowing us to get to know the characters in the days before the wedding. Does Adele really want to marry Jason? Is Jason really the man he portrays himself to be? Is someone trying to stop the wedding from happening? And what really happened to Ollie all those years ago?
I can't recommend this book enough. It is one of the best page-turners I have read this year, and I can't wait to read more from this author.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜
This book is very unusual but very enjoyable.
It’s a memoir of the author, Rupert Callender, and details why he decided to become an undertaker. He describes his philosophy on the undertaking business and how he would like the Undertaker's role to change and be viewed. He believes that Undertakers should take more of a less traditional role with the loved ones of the person who has died as they navigate the initial days after the person has passed. He would like Undertakers to help the loved ones left behind by spending more time with them and helping them navigate through the loss and grief.
Rupert takes the reader through his life, from the loss of his parents, being sent to a boarding school as a young boy, to his thoughts and experiences of death, from being the one who has lost loved ones to the time he has spent with others who are grieving. He beautifully sets out why we should all rethink our own feelings and fears about life, death, and the experience of the end of life.
Although it is written about a very sad event that we all must go through, this beautiful book is also thought-provoking, sad, inspiring and sometimes funny.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜
Detective Heather Vintner has been handed a challenging murder case in Ivyville and the neighbouring town of Upper Gorsetown in the beautiful English countryside. Heather has to work through the case slowly and methodically, and you are along for the ride.
I love murder mysteries, and with this book, you follow the clues and puzzles given in each section until you discover the murderer. As you go through the book, you are introduced to the suspects and work out clues to who did it.
Some of the puzzles are quick to figure out, and some take a lot more thinking and working out. Every puzzle is well explained and laid out, but if you get stuck the answers to each puzzle are at the back of the book.
This is a brilliant book to dive into when you have some free time. You can solve one puzzle in a sitting or five, it’s totally up to you. There are one hundred puzzles altogether to dive into and enjoy.
This is the perfect book for anyone who loves a good murder mystery and adores puzzles. It has all these things in one book, and so much more.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜
This is a dark and sometimes unsettling book about a young woman named Jemma and her boyfriend Rory. They buy their first home together in the Black Country in the Midlands, England. The Victorian home needs a lot of work, and Jemma is not a fan of it. Rory is keen to invest in the house and make it a home.
Their relationship is fairly new, and they are still learning things about one another, including Rory’s previous relationship with Sophie. He was with Sophie when he met Jemma, which brings up many issues for them.
When they move in, they discover that the house is hiding many secrets, and when something happens to the next-door neighbours, they begin to doubt and rethink everything.
Although the dark and spooky atmosphere is a good read, the style of writing made it very difficult for me to get into. The ‘Jemma will say this’ and ‘Jemma will tell how’ writing throughout the book is an unusual way of writing, and it took me out of the story more than encouraged me to continue reading.
If you don’t mind this type of writing, then this is a good, spooky read.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜
This is a gloriously written and beautifully detailed book that will make you smile and break your heart.
In this book, we meet Elena, a young woman living in Renaissance Italy. After the deaths of her parents, she has been living in a home for orphans where she can continue learning the skills her Father had started to teach her in sewing garments. She becomes extremely skilled as a seamstress, but when told that she will be married off to a man she barely knows, she runs away. She is able to find employment as a helper to a renowned garment maker, but she is determined to become a seamstress. This is no easy task in a world where women are not often given the opportunity to work as a seamstress.
During her time there, she encounters some devastating reminders of her difficult and, at times, abusive childhood at the home for orphans, especially when she encounters the man who not only was abusive to her and others but is the man who caused the death of her best friend. She is determined to seek justice for them all, especially her friend.
This book is written in such a way that you can imagine seeing everything through Elena’s eyes. Some parts can be difficult to read because you quickly fall in love with Elena and want the best for her. She is so beautifully written that it shows her flaws but also her bravery and her love for her family and friends.
If you love a book that will take you on a journey of emotions, then this book is for you.