Reflections | November 2023

November ranked reads + a few things I loved

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

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I was prepared before last week to say that November went pretty well- reading wise and life wise. that is, until I read my most anticipated 2024 release, and then I came down with a scratchy throat last week and 2 days later I was in the midst of Covid. So, I ushered in December pretty under the weather and it continues to linger a bit this week. One of the biggest frustrations outside of just being sick was being sick and not feeling like reading. That, I wasn’t expecting. I envisioned long days and nights under a blanket with hot tea and a book, but my foggy mind could not find a story that grabbed me. Rather than sink into frustration (reading is literally my job as a podcaster), I decided to give myself a break, a reprieve from reading for a day or two and then only pick up something that really sounded interesting.

That break, that permission to not read, seemed to be just what I needed and I ended up coming across the perfect for me new release nonfiction book I’ll share with you below. But first, a few things I loved in November

Things I Loved

• Every time I used my Frywall splatter guard this month - dinners made included pan seared halibut, mahi mahi, and turkey burgers- I sent a silent thank you to the creators because it truly makes clean up much easier by keeping hot oil from getting all over my cooktop

• I ordered more of my very favorite eye balm - Cannuka’s Calming Eye Balm which is what I use on my under eyes at night. It’s a thicker balm that keeps my under eye area moisturized all night long- I have very dry skin and this is the best under eye moisturizer I’ve found. They have a fantastic holiday sale happening right now too

• My favorite binge watch of the month was Emily in Paris (Netflix)! I don’t know why I’ve never watched this show before because it was everything I love- gorgeous Paris setting with eye candy galore, a likable although often frustrating main character in Emily, and a fantastic cast of supporting characters I loved- Sylvie was my absolute favorite person on the show- oh and how can I forget the inclusion of one of my favorite tropes- a love triangle!

• I also enjoyed watching The Golden Bachelor and the finale was riveting! It was an emotional ending to what I’m hearing was one of ABC’s best shows in a long time. I’m eagerly anticipating a Golden Bachelorette someday and I’m hoping we see Sandra or Ellen given the chance - I think either lady could carry the show. I really enjoyed this interview with Katie Couric , Gerry and his chosen lady (I’m not mentioning her name in case you haven’t watched yet:)

• Author Event! - I had the best time meeting Tim Johnston, author of The Current (one of my Sept reads which I loved) and Distant Sons, a favorite November read. The event was a cosy gathering (put on by a local Indie Bookstore Gramercy Books) at an Italian restaurant here in Columbus. I went with two friends and we enjoyed plenty of book conversation, glasses of Prosecco, Italian appetizers and hearing Tim Johnston talk about his writing life. Such a delightful night and Tim was as nice as I hoped he would be

My November reading ranked in order of enjoyment

Favorite to Least Favorite - I truly enjoyed most of these books except for one

1. Beyond That, The Sea by Laura Spence Ash - Historical fiction that hooked me from the beginning. With compelling, complex characters, and a plot filled with conflict, I binged this one in a little over a day. The audio narration wasn’t my favorite due to the narrator’s tone, but I was so into the story I didn’t care. If you love stories that span decades, this could be for you

2. Distant Sons by Tim Johnston - a literary suspense involving a past storyline that centers on the disappearances of three young boys and a present day storyline involving two men who coincidentally meet and another man who may have ties to those earlier disappearances. If you love more than one mystery, literary writing combined with a faster pace, and small town communities give this a try.

3. Gratitude by Oliver Sacks - written during the last few months of his life, Sacks wrote a set of essays in which he movingly explored his feelings about completing a life and coming to terms with his own death. This is less than an hour on audio and it’s beautiful. I actually wish it was longer

4. What Really Happens in Vegas: True Stories of the People That Make Vegas Vegas by James Patterson and Mark Seal - this is the book that captured my attention last week when I was in the midst of covid. I’ve been to Vegas many times so this glimpse into the creation and history of the mega hotels, the dazzling shows, the “whales” who come to gamble and lose millions - all of it was fascinating and entertaining start to finish. If you love reading about innovation and just want to be wowed give this a try

5. Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky - another fun, entertaining nonfiction read that gives so many behind the scenes details of hotels and the people who work there. I love feeling like I’m a fly on the wall, especially at hotels, I mean who KNEW that you can watch those pay per movies and never actually have to pay for them!

6. Wellness by Nathan Hill - this mammoth book (624p) was one of TWO over 600 page books I read in November! While there were many aspects of this book I enjoyed - the present day storyline of marriage and parenthood between two “soulmates,” tangents like the placebo effect, love at first site, even algorithms- there were SO MANY tangents that I felt were way too long (prairie fires) that I just lost interest along the way. The audio narration saved the book for me, Ari Filakos deserves to get audiobook narrator of the year for his voices, pace, tone, just everything

7. Akin by Emma Donaghue - if you love stories with older protagonists who aren’t curmudgeons this could be for you. I loved getting to know 80 year old Noah who finds himself unexpectedly taking care of an eleven year old boy. Funny, touching, and with some arm chair travel to Paris, there was a lot to enjoy with this story. I listened and could’ve done without SO much swearing from the young boy.

8. What We Kept To Ourselves by Nancy Jooyoun Kim - set in the 1970s, a mother disappears leaving her family struggling to find out what happened. When a dead body is found on their property the mystery deepens. If you like family dramas with the added elements of 2 mysteries you might like this. I was compelled to find out what happened to the mother and have to say I didn’t see the ending coming

9. The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes - my most anticipated book of 2024, I couldn’t wait for the US publication date of Feb 6, so I preordered this from Blackwell’s Books in the UK where it released Nov 9. This book is 672 pages in print and I, along with many other fans of his debut book I Am Pilgrim, have been waiting YEARS to read another Terry Hayes book. Well…as you can see by my ranking this was my least favorite book of the month and truthfully it’s my biggest disappointment of the entire year. What started off as a riveting, hold your breath spy thriller for the first 220 or so pages, slowly but surely became a completely different book over the next almost 500 pages. It felt like he wrote half the book and got stuck so he put it in a drawer, and then years later when perhaps the publisher said he had to finish he decided to have some fun for himself (not the reader mind you) and throw the kitchen sink into the rest of the story. Along with mixing in a some other genre elements that made ZERO sense, the second half was a gigantic train wreck in my opinion and I wish I could get a refund. As I said in my review on Book Talk Etc this week, I found it to be very unfair to readers that there was no foreshadowing in the story to allude to what was coming later. I could go on and on but for now I’ll say, if and when you read this please some talk to me:)

How was your November? Leave a comment with any favorite things and/or books, we all love reading both

Itsbooktalk & More is entirely subscription-supported (with the exception of books linked to Bookshop.org where 100% of the proceeds will be donated to a different animal/wildlife organization each month) My first chosen organization that affiliate proceeds will go to (now through Dec 31) is Frosted Faces Organization - A nonprofit organization that delivers the promise of family and quality veterinary care for senior animals whose love and lives are in jeopardy