November 2025 reading is a wrap! How is your reading year progressing? Did you have a favorite November read?
LIFE UPDATE: I’m slowly catching up after my October blog break. In the midst of all the estate responsibilities, I’m falling behind on reviews. I’m doing ok on the quantity of books read because reading is an escape.
November 2025 Reading Wrap Up
November Summary: I read two bleak novellas for #NovellasInNovember, two nonfiction for #NonfictionNovember, and one highly buzzed book (you might be able to predict how that went!) Out of 11 books completed, I had four 4-4.5-star reads, six 3-3..5-star reads, and one 2-star read. One DNF and not a 5-star read in sight.
Keeping in mind that reading is not a competition and enjoyment matters more than numbers, how are you doing on your 2025 reading goals as the year is winding down? I’m pleased to report that my progress is currently 158/100; however, like many others, I don’t have as many 5-star reads as I have experienced in past years (more about this in my end-of-year wrap-up).
My most enjoyable fiction read in November was Christmas at Flora’s House by Freya North with its strong sense of place and poignant themes. Most important, though, it WAS NOT BLEAK!
Delia from Beyond the Clouds was my November Captivating Character of the month. Join the Link Party for #CaptivatingCharacters25 hosted by yours truly (details in the linked post). Check it out and link up (blog post, goodreads reviews, etc.) with me!
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
ARC=Advanced Readers Copy (complimentary copy for review before pub date)
Christmas at Flora’s House by Freya North
4.5 Stars. Contemporary women’s fiction (by the author of Little Wing). Poignant themes. Strong sense of place. Not yet reviewed. Thanks for the rec Joanne @ Portobello Book Blog!
Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden (ARC)
4.5 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction (WWII) with a second-chance romance and a side of suspense.
Delia was my captivating character of the month.
The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison
4 Stars. Literary Fiction. Complicated family dynamics and marriage. Not yet reviewed.
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard
4 Stars. Narrative Nonfiction. U.S. History. Biographical. The assassination of James Garfield, the twentieth president of the U.S. My review of Destiny of the Republic here.
This American Woman by Zarna Garg
4 Stars. Nonfiction. Celebrity Memoir. Own Voices. Interesting life and personality. Not yet reviewed.
Marce Catlett by Wendell Berry
3 Stars. (novella) Historical Fiction with a slide into narrative nonfiction. Did not meet my expectations. Heavy-handed author agenda. Not yet reviewed.
Seascraper by Benjamin Wood
3 Stars. (novella) Historical Literary Fiction. Long-listed for the Booker Prize. Highly atmospheric and well written but bleak and dismal. (4 stars for writing, 2 stars for enjoyment) Not yet reviewed.
The Eights by Joanna Miller
3 Stars. Historical Women’s Fiction. Interesting in parts. Not yet reviewed.
Yours for the Season by Uzma JalaLuddin
3 Stars. Contemporary Women’s Fiction. Own voices. Not yet reviewed.
The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page
3 Stars. Contemporary Women’s Fiction. Friendship and Found Family Themes. Not reviewed.
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger
2 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Dysfunctional family. Unlikable characters. Not yet Reviewed.
DNF
This is Happiness by Niall Williams
DNF at 6%. Overwritten, so many words. I’m lacking the patience for it.
QOTD:
Did we read any of the same books?
Did you have a favorite November read?
November Blog Posts
November’s Captivating Character of the Month
The Woman They Could Not Silence Review
A New Recruit for the Resistance Girls Review
Literary Friendships
Stories with a Strong Sense of Place
The Boys in the Boat Review
My Predictions for Modern Classics
Destiny of the Republic Review
America, a Redemption Story Review
10 Books Outside of My Comfort Zone That I’ve Enjoyed
5 Christmas Novellas Reviews
The Answer Is … Review
My Year in Novellas 2025
10 Satisfying Book Series
Nonfiction November 2025
Happy Reading Book Friends!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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New Beginnings for Christmas was my favorite November read, Carol. 💖📚
I’m waiting for it here! 🤞
I hope you don’t have to wait too long!
I’m sorry you didn’t like the Sally Page book as much as I did. I enjoyed the novella sequel recently too. I didn’t enjoy The Eights as much as I expected to although I did give it four stars.
The Sally page was ok….I’m looking forward to the novella sequel but it’s not yet available in the U.S.
I think I expected more plot in The Eights. It was interesting but something was missing. I expected more about the academic experience I guess.
Looks like a fab bookish month, Carol, even though you had a few duds!
Even though I’m reading, my mood isn’t right at times! This was evident in November!
FYI, I deleted the BlueSky app from my iPad and just open in my browser. It launches shares perfectly.
Thanks! I keep my phone right by me and share from there! There are only 2 bloggers I follow who are exclusively BS…for all the others, I share to X …. BS is missing out on a lot of traffic by not fixing it.
I’ve only read one of your list—Destiny of the Republic. I was so impressed by him, the man, and equally appalled by his medical care. It was a good book! So many good men get shot down….
And I agree with you about BLEAK! Who needs it?? UGH. The only exception I might make is for Thomas Hardy’s novels. They are pretty tragic, but somehow I admire both his writing, and his “right-on” insight into the real lives of ordinary people. Which were often tragic in those days.
My November had some goodies: Especially The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman! Fun, fun, fun with the old gang of the Thursday Murder Club! And A Prayer for Owen Meany, which has GOT to have the most memorable and outstanding character EVER!
Also read Jane of Austin and Waiting for Tom Hanks, both romances and rom-com stories, which were fine, but not really my style. Fluff. ‘Tom Hanks’ was a little smarter.
A classic, The Devil Wears Prada, was as fun as the movie (you’d never catch ME in a job like that!) along with The Boy in Striped Pajamas, which I thought was VERY well written and thought-provoking.
Finally, What Happened to the McCrays? disappointed me, based on the last one of Tracey Lange’s that I read; The Rachel Incident was not my taste—too much promiscuous sex and swearing, and aimless youth. And Q: A Voyage Around the Queen by Craig Brown, I DNF’d. It wasn’t that it wasn’t good, but I got bored. Tidbits not formerly published about Queen E II, but not all that interesting.
Thanks for listening!
Wow! Thanks for sharing! I’ve read the first Thursday Murder Club but haven’t kept up with the series. I read the McCrays…it was ok but it was my first by the author so I didn’t have the pressure of comparing it. lol my #1 reason for DNFing is boredom! I always appreciate your thoughtful comments Susan!