What I Read in November

Sunday, December 1, 2019


I didn't read much in November, but I still finished four books - including two of my favorite reads of the year, which I'd say makes for a successful reading month.

Up next? I'm about to finish She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement - just in time to hear author & Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jodi Kantor speak at my work conference later this month!

As December begins, I know I won't come anywhere near my goal of reading 80 books by the end of the year - but hey, sometimes life gets in the way. It's been a good reading year, regardless of the numbers - & I hope to finish a few great ones to round out the year. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, here's what I finished in November:

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
Five coworkers (with varying degrees of friendship) have all had their own experiences & run-ins with the man who may soon take over their company. What will happen those experiences & run-ins start to bubble to the surface? And whose death is it that is being discussed in the trial transcripts that appear between each chapter? I stayed up late to finish this one, & I'm still thinking about it. ★★★★★

Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner
I received an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems, & it took me a very long time to finish it. There was a lot going on here: evangelical snake charmers, abusive foster families, a Native American reservation, a period of self-imposed silence, a chatty psychologist, a stabbing... it was a lot to follow & keep track of. I was torn: It was compelling enough that I wanted to know where it was going & how it ended, but it was a long, winding, & ultimately unsatisfactory road to get there. ★★★☆☆

Color Me In by Natasha Diaz
When Nevaeh's parents divorce, she & her mom move in with their Black, Christian relatives; meanwhile, her white, Jewish dad pushes her to have a belated bat mitzvah, leaving Nevaeh to balance familial expectations, & racial tensions. It had potential, & I appreciated the ending, but there were a lot of smaller storylines that jumbled the overall effect. It could've been pared way down for a more impactful story. ★★★★☆

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Oh, this book is so beautiful. It's written in verse - not quote poetry, maybe, but almost like a written version of spoken-word? OK, I guess that is poetry. This is a memoir of the author's childhood growing up in Ohio, in the South, in Brooklyn - her complex relationships with her grandparents, her mother, her siblings. I highlighted so many passages in my Kindle that I may just need to buy a physical copy of the book. ★★★★★

Tell me what you're reading, then add me on Goodreads to keep in touch & see what I've read in months past. You can also follow my bookstagram account!

My "What I Read in..." posts include Amazon affiliate links to the titles I discuss. If you buy a book using one of these links, I will receive a small percentage of commission. Please don't feel any obligation to use these links, but if you do, it will help me buy more books.

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