For day 5 of my 18 days of 2018, I wanted to share all the books I read in November and my quick thoughts on them (fifty words or less ish), even though it’s exactly halfway through December. In total, I read 14 books, which I’m really happy with.

All The Books I Read in November:

1. Bookshop Girl: Life’s A Beach by Chloe Coles

Just amazing, funny, empowering and heartwarming. Paige is one of the most accurately portrayed bookish teenagers I’ve seen recently and I see myself reflected in her so much. I can’t wait to see what she gets up to in Paris next year. Four stars.

2. Enchantée by Gita Trelease

I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a copy of this gorgeous books form my local independent bookstore and be swept up in this magical, politically charged world. Recently, I’ve been sent an ARC (my first ever one!) from the publisher, so expect a full review soon. Four stars.

3 and 4. Ascension and Distortion by Victor Dixen

Trust me, you want to go into this knowing nothing. Utterly thrilling and a total escape from reality. It really is like a more complex Love Island in space, but it’s also a devastating attack on our society’s obsession with reality TV. An amazing series that I’m sure I’ll be continuing. Four stars.

5. Songs About A Boy by Chris Russell

An adorable romance that captures the essence of the trilogy perfectly. Just so loveable, but the mystery at the heart of the trilogy is so compelling. Every character is well-developed and really grows through the stories. Four stars.

6. Vicious by V. E. Schwab

This is my first book by Schwab and now, I get the hype. This was such a dark, intense and riveting story, with amazing twists and turns that I just didn’t see coming. Her writing style is so exquisite. A great critique of our perceptions around heroes and villains. Four stars.

7. Villain by Michael Grant

Now we enter the slightly less exuberant phase of this wrap-up. I kind of enjoyed Monster (the first in this series), but unfortunately Villain just didn’t do it for me. I really enjoyed the Gone series but am questioning more and more why a return to their universe was necessary. Two stars.

8. Odd One Out by Nic Stone

Nic Stone writes amazing characters, let me just say that first. However, the love triangle just didn’t do it for me. It was just awkward. That being said, the casual diversity was excellent, but that doesn’t automatically make a book good. I much preferred Dear Martin. Two stars.

9. A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

I bought this book a long time ago and finally got round to reading it. Boy, am I glad I did. This was so thought-provoking, surprising and multi-faceted. All these different perspectives really added to the plot, with multiple narrative strands threading together to create a startling story. Four stars.

10. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I started this trilogy as part of Team BKMRK’s Shadow and Bone readalong, where you read one book per month in the countdown to the release of King of Scars.  I really have fallen in love with Bardugo’s writing and world-building, as it’s just so well crafted and beautiful. Four stars.

11. The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken

This was actually really thought-provoking and interesting to read, so it’s worth a read. That being said, I can’t remember a lot about it less than a month after reading it. Three stars.

12. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

This was incredible. I loved these dark, twisty tales with kick-ass, complex women at the heart of every story. This was just powerful and really plays with your expectations. The writing, the characterisation and the illustrations were all just gorgeous. Easily one of my favourite re-tellings of the year. Utterly sublime. Five stars.

13. Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

This was quite extreme, but I really enjoyed it. Another thought-provoking and intriguing story from one of my favourite authors and the exploration of human nature in extreme conditions was fascinating. I love the concept of father-son writing and you really couldn’t tell who wrote which part. Four stars.

Over To You:

Which books did you read in November? What did you think of them?