I can’t believe it is time to write my November reading wrap up already, where has this year gone? I’m happy with the four books I managed to read this month and I enjoyed all of them. If I had to choose a book that stood out this month it would have to be Wonder by R. J. Palacio, the book is beautifully and powerfully written and I would highly recommend if you haven’t read it!
I’ve managed to read 3 books out of the 8 I want to get round to by the end of the year, you can find that blog post here if you’re interested! I’ve also started The Book Thief this month too which I’m excited to finish! So let’s get stuck into my wrap up…
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Simply put, Animal Farm is a story about a farm that is overthrown by the animals who form a rebellion. But when you read between the lines it is so much more than that.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”
I’ve always wanted to read Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and I thought that picking up Animal Farm would be a great way to introduce the rich Orwellian language into my reading. This was a relatively enjoyable read; I liked the satire and irony in this novella. This is a clever piece of work, and the allegory is very strong. Orwell shows how socialist ideals can be corrupted by power hungry people. If you haven’t read this, I would recommend!
Rating –★★★★
Fine by AmyLea Murphy
Six years ago, Anna Williams was a straight-A student, cheerleader, and golden child, but all that changed when she vanished. Since then, her younger sister Katie has drifted and never been able to put both feet on the ground. When she decides to look into the investigation, she finds that not all questions have a clear answer.
“It’s easier to pretend that everything is fine than to admit that life isn’t all that great sometimes”
I loved the use of mixed media in this one! The story is told from police memos, interviews, diary entries and they all piece together to uncover Anna’s life before she disappeared. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t really an emphasis on the ‘mystery’ aspect of the book. I would describe it as a YA contemporary book that looks at society, the way you view yourself, and trying to find your way. I did find this to be an enjoyable read, there are some amazing and relatable quotes in it too.
Thank you to Net Galley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
Rating –★★★★
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet on Thursday’s in the jigsaw room. They discuss unsolved crimes and call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. But when a local developer is found dead, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron find themselves in the middle of a live case.
“The sun is up, the skies are blue and murder is in the air”
I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! The quartet are full of surprises and their personalities are all individual which definitely makes them stand out from each other. It is witty, relatively fast paced, and multi-layered. I loved reading a book with older characters as I’ve never read anything like that before, and the retirement village is a great backdrop for this style of book. I can definitely see this as a tv show and I can’t wait for the next in the series!
Rating –★★★★
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that has prevented him from going to a mainstream school, but that has all changed. When August starts his fifth grade at Beecher Prep he wants nothing more than to be ordinary, but you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.
“When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind”
I absolutely LOVED Wonder and I think it is just one of those books that you just have to read! This is a special and meaningful read, and I don’t usually read middle grade, but I knew I had to pick this one up and I am really glad I did. This is truly a story about being kind and accepting our differences. This book if full of beautiful quotes and I could literally do a blog post full of them! As Auggie’s mum says, ”You don’t need your eyes to love, right? You just feel it inside you”. If you haven’t read this one, please pick it up!
Rating –★★★★.5
I’m excited to get reading in December and I’ll hopefully squeeze in a Christmassy read or two! What are you hoping to read in December? Let me know in the comments!
Books and Baking 