Is your reading a bit obsessive this year? Um, same. If you’re like me and just can’t stop adding to your already too long TBR, here are six more suggestions for what to read in November 2020.
What to Read in November 2020-Book Club Faves
Several are buddy reads for my favorite Bookstagram buddy read group-the Chick Lit Book Club. We typically buddy read a book over about ten days, doing daily chats and Zoom-ing with the author on the final day! It’s been so fun so far. It’s truly a welcome distraction from the craziness of the world.
I read Transcendent Kingdom as a buddy read with another group of ladies from the Bookish Ladies Club.
If you’re looking for some good thriller or suspense reads, I read and reviewed 10 of my most recent books in this post.
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The House at Firefly Beach
This setting might not quite be the same as a sunset on Firefly beach, but nonetheless a fall sunset in West Virginia makes quite a pretty backdrop.
Synopsis: The House on Firefly beach is a second-chance romance featuring Sydney and Nate. Nate inexplicably left Sydney a decade ago and goes on to become a huge country star. Now, he’s desperate to reconnect. Will Sydney give him a chance to explain? 🤔
Author chat: This is the second book I have read as a buddy read with the @Chicklitbookclub. This is the first book I have read by author Jenny Hale, and it was absolutely adorable. If you are a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, then this is the author for you. In fact, two of her holiday books have actually been made into Hallmark Christmas movies. She typically writes two books a year—a summer romance and a holiday romance.
Jenny was absolutely delightful in our Zoom chat. I feel a special kinda kinship with someone else who speaks with a southern twang 😉. She graciously answered all of our questions in detail, filling us in on setting and character inspiration and (my favorite)—food inspiration in her books. A butter pecan latte? So much 🤤🤤🤤.
It was neat to “pick the brain” of someone who writes these types of best-selling books. Interestingly enough, this career is kind of a second act for Hale, who spent nearly two decades in an elementary school classroom setting. If that weren’t enough, she’s launching her own digital publishing company and will release the first title in 2021. 🥰
I will definitely be adding one of her holiday romance book to my tbr this season! 💕
The Last Charm
Get out the tissues for this one. Aaaand keep them out. 😭😭😭 The Last Charm by Ella Albright is the most recent read for thechicklitbookclub.
We follow the story of Jake and Leila over the course of about 15 years. They meet when Leila is 11. Oh, this story. It will make you feel all the feels. 🥰😭🤧 You know, it really did feel good to read something that pulled out so many emotions.
For me, while it’s hard to read books that make you break out tissues multiple times, it’s also a bit cathartic. It comforts me to know I’m not a robot. 🤖😏
Author Chat
We did a Zoom chat with authorbythesea this weekend and she was SO FUN! She stayed up into the wee hours (across the pond) answering all of our burning questions about love, grief, and many things in between.
She told us her theme for the book was, love, loss, and hope. Mission accomplished! ✔️
Jake-I’m pretty sure we were all head over heels for Jake. His backstory is heartbreaking but he worked through that adversity and had you rooting for him the whole way.
Leila
There were mixed feelings about Leila. She’s a teenager for a good portion of the book, so some of her behavior is “typical” teenage-related stuff. I felt myself relating to Leila in some of her poor partner choices a bit later on… but I feel like those choices helped me fully grasp and appreciate my now husband for who he is (and isn’t!). I think Leila went through some of those same emotions. I personally liked seeing the ways in which her character grows and matures throughout the book.
Charms
I loved the charms aspect of the book. It was neat seeing which events would warrant charms and how Leila responded to them. My mother-in-law actually bought me a bracelet with a birthstone charm on it a few years back, and I would love to add some charms to it eventually!
I love talking about all things bookish (and some not-so-bookish) with this group! It’s exactly what I need for some “me” time and I’m so grateful for this community!
The Tourist Attraction
The Tourist Attraction is the first book in a three-book (hopefully more!) series set in Moose Springs, Alaska. Graham is a bar/restaurant owner who despises the tourists who
Zoey is on what she hopes will be the trip of a lifetime (on a tight budget) with her best friend Lana. Lana is a jet-setting business executive who has vacationed in Moose Springs for years. She’s a longtime friend of Graham, and is the exception to Graham’s tourist loathing. She sees instant sparks between Graham and Zoey, and
Mistletoe and Mr. Right
This is another Bookstagram made me do it. I had seen Tourist Attraction on several feeds, so it was on my radar, but I got a little push thanks to Marian and thechicklitbookclub. I devoured it so I could catch up and read Mistletoe and Mr. Right as a buddy read in October. (I will catch up on a review for the Tourist Attraction soon.)
Mistletoe and Mr. Right is set in the idyllic town of Moose Springs, Alaska. Lana, a wealthy business investor whose family owns HUNDREDS of commercial properties around the globe, has been escaping to Moose Springs for as long as she can remember. She’s mostly a loner who travels too much to make true connections (aside from her best friend and recent Moose Springs transplant–Zoey).
Lana is the perfect female lead, in my opinion. She may be super-duper rich, but she also is extremely generous and KIND. While she IS kind, she can also put you in your place when she needs to. She’s strong and independent but also vulnerable.
Rick, now one of her tenants, is a divorcee who owns a no-tourists-allowed bar and has taken in his younger (ex) nephew Diego, Roger the Cat, and Darla the hedgehog. Though Rick has resigned himself to a quiet life alone, he can’t deny the attraction to Lana. The biggest problem-the town does NOT want her help revive them. They’re determined to stop Lana’s plans before she makes progress.
Lana’s grand plan? To catch the mythical “Santa Moose” on the loose, apparently determined to darken the Christmas spirit. Lana hopes to win over the town’s approval when she stops the moose’s destructive path.
Another Author Chat
Sarah chatted with about 30 of us via Zoom Friday night and we had so much fun with her! She is so down-to-earth and kind. She patiently answered questions about setting, writing process, character inspiration, animal fashion choices, etc. etc. Because those are things we NEED to know.
If you’re looking for a cozy holiday read, or a rom-com read that will actually make you LAUGH out loud, this is it! The characters are likeable, the chemistry is fun, the banter is cute, and the setting is unique! There’s drama, but not too much. There’s COMMUNICATION. Closed-door steam, which definitely works. If you loved the Tourist Attraction, there are plenty of appearances by all of your faves from that book!
Of course, this book doesn’t HAVE to be read around the holidays. It’s perfectly acceptable to read the week of Halloween (like me!) or add it to your TBR for what to read in November 2020!
P.S. The THIRD book in the Moose Spring series, Enjoy the View, comes out in January! We’re already scheming to get more 🙂
Transcendent Kingdom
I loved the audiobook! Bahni Turpin does the BEST job of bringing words to life. I agree that the themes were woven together flawlessly. To me, it felt like we were inside Gifty’s head as she struggled with these issues and heartbreaks. I live in an area (southern WV) that has been obliterated by the opioid epidemic. It gutted me to see what happened to Nana (and its effects on the family).
I loved that she went into neuroscience. It was so interesting to see how hard she worked to really understand the science but also appreciated that sometimes… there just aren’t answers (yet). I was really rooting for Hahn (not sure of spelling since I was listening)! I wasn’t expecting a HEA, but I felt like it was a solid ending that was exactly what I needed from this book.
Final Thoughts on What To Read in November 2020
Those are the remainder of my October reads, and suggestions for what to read in November 2020. You can check out the ten THRILLER/SUSPENSE books I read last month here.
Have you read any of these? What was your favorite? Do you belong to any book clubs? Are they IRL or virtual right now? I’d love to continue conversations over on Bookstagram! You can find me @checkyourshelves.
You can also pin this to your Pinterest TBR boards :). Thanks friends!
