WHAT I READ IN NOVEMBER 2023

This is just not my season for reading! This year I was in a great rhythm of reading before falling asleep. I will admit that right now, I just want to needlepoint with a television show and then mindlessly scroll through TikTok. Not a good habit for sleep health and clearly not a good habit for getting to enjoy books. But I have a few good ones to share for last month.

BABEL by R. F. Kuang

4.5/5 Stars

After seeing reviews for this book everywhere, I finally decided to go for it. Especially because I enjoyed Kuang’s Yellowface so much. This is a book that will bring you on a ride and leave you with a book hangover. While I read the back cover and thought I had a gist of what it was about, it ended up being a totally different experience than I expected. I couldn’t put it down– Kuang writes so brilliantly. The book examines colonialism and capitalism through the lens of a magical realism novel set on the campus of Oxford University. There are so many layers to the book and it could lead to at least a hundred different discussions– from etymology to violence to friendship and then everything in between. If you’ve been curious about but intimidated by starting Babel, I say pick it up and see what it’s all about. It did get a little long in the tooth in the middle, but I still whipped through it unable to stop.

THE LAST LIST OF MABEL BEAUMONT by Laura Pearson

4.5/5 Stars

This book has been out since August, but I haven’t seen any buzz about it. It’s quite heartwarming and I really, really enjoyed it. It’s a beautiful book about love, second chances, and unexpected friendship. At the beginning, I wasn’t into the book at all. (I thought it was super predictable…) I almost quit and then…. I found myself totally immersed in the story. It was just a nice read and sometimes you just need a book that makes you feel good while reading it.

THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears

NR

I listened to Britney Spears’ memoir The Woman In Me. At first, I had no plans on reading it but curiosity got the best of me and when I saw that I could listen to it through my Spotify membership, I went for it. As you can see, I didn’t rate it…. I don’t think this is a book that can be rated? I had so many conflicting thoughts while reading it. I couldn’t tell if this was a great thing for Britney in that she was able to cathartically share her story in her own words (with the help of ghostwriters) or if it was further exploiting her when she’s still in a vulnerable state. I really don’t know.

THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters

4/5 Stars

This book is about a Mi’kmaq girl from Nova Scotia who mysteriously goes missing while her family is in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. The story is told between alternating voices, Joe the older brother of the missing girl, and Norma, a girl who grows up in Maine as the only daughter of a controlling and emotionally manipulative family. I actually liked the story, and probably more so the storytelling of the book, even though the plot is ultimately incredibly neat. Everything was just a little too tidy, but I still found myself drawn back to the book unable to put it down.

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