About: Explore my November TBR with nine anticipated reads, including Cassandra Clare’s adult fantasy debut and two holiday romances!
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October was a great reading month – I almost read 40 books! However, I was abysmal at reading the books on my October TBR (I read only three of nine). Therefore, I made an effort to pick books that I knew I was going to read for my November. This is especially important given how busy November will be – I’m juggling lots of group projects right now, which means time management is my number one concern.
With school seemingly racing towards finals, I’ve become exceedingly aware that there are only two months left in 2023. As a result, I drafted a list of all the books I wanted to read (from reading challenges, old TBRs, and other lists) this year that are still unread and it totalled to 75 books (impossible, I know)! But having this list has helped me prioritize the books I want to read before the end of the year, and a few have ended up on my November TBR.
Having read one nonfiction book in October, I’m hoping that I can reach my goal of two this month! I think this is a strong possibility since on my choices, For the Love of Men by Liz Plank, is written more conversationally, which will allow me to (hopefully) read it faster. Also, Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare is a guaranteed read, so it just makes sense to include it as one of my 500+ page books. It’s actually inspired me to update my monthly goals to allow new releases for 2024. I know it’s going to be a good reading month when the books I select get me excited about reading!
Monthly Goal #1: two books longer than 500 pages
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare ❃ Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
I bought this book last month when it came out, but the size definitely put me off. Only recently has the average length of the books I read reached 350 pages. I’m hoping that my reading week will allow me time to just sit and plow through these bigger books. That being said, I’m also super excited to read Cassandra Clare’s debut adult fantasy. I’m curious how she’ll transition into this genre as an established YA fantasy writer.
Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.
Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.
After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces.
As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?
November TBR: Book One
The Will of the Many by James Islington ❃ Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
This book is another adult fantasy that I’ve been putting off because it’s chunky (for me). I love how the premise twists the chosen one trope on its head – it kind of reminds me of the realism of Katniss Everdeen’s “chosen one” status (she was an icon manipulated and used to the benefit of adult politicians on both sides of the rebellion/revolution). While the spy sent to infiltrate an enemy camp – or, in this case, a school – has definitely been explored in YA, I’m hoping that James Islington delivers on all the potential for character development, betrayal and suspense that most YA books have failed to execute.
The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.
I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.
But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.
And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.
To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.
And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.
November TBR: Book Two
Monthly Goal #2: two non-fiction books
Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson ❃ Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
I’m so excited to finally read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson! After reading The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein on de jure segregation, I’m looking forward to continuing my education on the caste system that has shaped the US. The author has identified an eight-pillar caste system that has been implemented in many countries across time. I’m particularly interested in how Isabel Wilkerson grounds her academic research with anecdotes from historical figures, herself and others to demonstrate the material impacts of these caste systems. I’m sure it’ll be a powerful read – it’s definitely a 5-star prediction.
“As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.”
In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.
Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.
November TBR: Book Three
For the Love of Men by Liz Plank ❃ Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
Originally, I wasn’t planning to read this book, but after finishing Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Olou, I’m curious about what could be possible solutions to patriarchy and toxic masculinity internalized by men. I’m unsure whether this piece of nonfiction is supposed to be a guide to people who want to know what to do after being made aware of the problem or if it serves to educate people that there is a problem (i.e., toxic masculinity hurts all genders). I’m looking forward to what this book contributes to the discussion. Although, it’s kinda wild I bought this three years ago!
In 2019, traditional masculinity is both rewarded and sanctioned. Men grow up being told that boys don’t cry and dolls are for girls. They learn they must hide their feelings and anxieties, that their masculinity must constantly be proven. They must be the breadwinners. They must be the romantic pursuers. This hasn’t been good for the culture at large: 99% of school shooters are male; men in fraternities are 300% more likely to rape; a woman serving in uniform has a higher likelihood of being assaulted by a fellow soldier than to be killed by enemy fire.
In For the Love of Men, author Liz Plank offers a smart, insightful, and deeply researched guide for what we’re all going to do about toxic masculinity. For both women looking to guide the men in their lives and men who want to do better and just don’t know how, For the Love of Men will lead the conversation on men’s issues in a society where so much is changing but gender roles have remained strangely stagnant.
What are we going to do about men? Plank has the answer–and it has the possibility to change the world for men and women alike.
November TBR: Book Four
TBR Knockout Challenge
So This Is Christmas by Jenny Holiday ❃ Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
The second prompt for this challenge is to “read a book that will make me feel good,” and another romance fits the bill! So This Is Christmas is the third book in the Christmas in Eldovia series by Jenny Holiday, which very much gives cheesy Netflix Christmas movie vibes. This romance is between two grumpy people who are very good at their respective jobs, which – of course – causes them to clash. I’m also hoping there will be cameos of the first couple in the series!
Cara Delaney is in Eldovia to help clean up the king’s financial affairs, but soon finds herself at odds with the very proper Mr. Benz. As intrigued by his good looks as she is annoyed by his dedication to tradition for its own sake, she slowly begins to see the real man behind the royal throne.
As they work together to return Eldovia to its former glory during the country’s magical Christmas season, Matteo discovers he is falling hopelessly in love with the unconventional American. But a man who has devoted his life to tradition doesn’t change easily. Can he become the man Cara needs, or will their love be another sacrifice to the crown
November TBR: Book Five
All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox ❃ Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
The prompts for the TBR Knockout Challenge in November are so straightforward that they could be fulfilled by most of my mood reading. However, I always try to use these challenges to read books on my backlist, which is why I have two Christmas romances on my November TBR. Since I’ve heard not-so-great reviews for All I Want for Christmas, I’ve chosen this romance to fulfill the “read an easy or relaxing book” prompt. What originally drew me to this romance was the fake dating scheme between two rival American Idol-esque contestants. The network demands they pretend to date for marketing purposes after their duet creates a trending sensation.
When Sadie and Max are selected as contestants on the famed reality singing show Starmaker, each thinks they’ve finally gotten their big Nashville break. But then they’re paired up for duet week and stun the world with their romantic onstage chemistry. With fans going wild for #Saxie the network demands that they remain a duo on and offstage, or exit the competition. Faking a relationship until their final performance in the Starmaker holiday special shouldn’t be too hard, except for one small problem–Sadie and Max can’t stand each other.
But with their dreams just within reach, they agree to the ruse. Will their fake relationship be exposed before they can win? Or will an unexpected trip to Banff spark real feelings by the Christmas finale?
November TBR: Book Six
Buzzword Challenge
As Good As Dead by Holly Black
I’m so excited to read the finale for the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series! Once I learned that the Buzzread Challenge prompt for November was to read a book with “good” in the title, I knew that this book would be perfect – it just meant pushing it off for 11 months. I’ve heard quite a few mixed reviews about As Good As Dead, with a lot of reviewers remarking on how unrealistic they found the plot. But I’m hoping with these expectations in mind, I can just let myself enjoy the ride.
Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?
Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.
Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle… and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears…
November TBR: Book Seven
Other Books Calling My Name…
12 Books by African Authors
Nervous Condition by Tsitsi Dangarembga
It’s also one of the 12 books I’ve selected for the #12BooksByAfricanAuthors challenge, fulfilling one of my two reader’s choice prompts. Nervous Condition is marketed as a modern classic in the African literary canon and caught my attention for its promised discussion on decolonization and women’s rights. Reviewers say that this is a coming-of-age novel that explores the education of girls and women in a patriarchal society but specifically interrogates how that impacts their position within their families. It’s a very short book (just over 200 pages), so I’m looking forward to what the author is able to do in such a small number of pages!
November TBR: Book Eight
StoryGraph Reads the World
The Return of Faraz Ali by Aamina Ahmad
This book is a mystery thriller that explores themes of gender and class in Pakistan. The premise has the titular character, Faraz, returning to to his brithplace – the notorious red-light district – to cover up a murder of a courteasan. But it’s there that he’s finally forced to confront his past and what it reveals about his present. In addition to the social commentary themes, I’m intrigued whether the author will critically explore policing and the role it often plays to uphold oppressive systems. The Return of Faraz Ali fulfils the StoryGraph Reads the World prompt to read a book set in Pakistan and #OwnVoices.
Not since childhood has Faraz returned to the Mohalla, in Lahore’s walled inner city, where women continue to pass down the art of courtesan from mother to daughter. But he still remembers the day he was abducted from the home he shared with his mother and sister there, at the direction of his powerful father, who wanted to give him a chance at a respectable life. Now Wajid, once more dictating his fate from afar, has sent Faraz back to Lahore, installing him as head of the Mohalla police station and charging him with a mission: to cover up the violent death of a young girl.
It should be a simple assignment to carry out in a marginalized community, but for the first time in his career, Faraz finds himself unable to follow orders. As the city assails him with a jumble of memories, he cannot stop asking questions or winding through the walled city’s labyrinthine alleyways chasing the secrets–his family’s and his own–that risk shattering his precariously constructed existence.
Profoundly intimate and propulsive, The Return of Faraz Ali is a spellbindingly assured first novel that poses a timeless question: Whom do we choose to protect, and at what price?
November TBR: Book Nine
What are you reading this month?
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