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November 2020 Reading Recap

Thank you, 2020.

If nothing else, it’s been a great year to READ!

When people ask me why I read so much I tell them it’s good therapy. No matter what is going on in the world around me, I can jump into a book and learn something, escape, laugh, cry - essentially lose myself for a bit.

Looking back, since May of this year I’ve been able to diversify and expand my reading selections.

I got a bit distracted in November - reading more fiction than I would normally like, but I think I have a few good suggestions for you anyway!

November 2020 Reading Recap at Homegrown Learners

Best Books of November

Hands down, Memorial Drive was my favorite this month.

This is a memoir - telling the story of a young woman whose mother was killed in 1985 on Memorial Drive in Atlanta. (especially significant for me because my first job interview in Atlanta was on Memorial Drive, for a teaching position in the school system where this author attended school). My husband also grew up in Atlanta.

Even without an Atlanta connection, however, I think you will find this book poignant, eye-opening, challenging, and thought-provoking.

The author, Natasha Trethewey, is a former Poet Laureate of the United States. Her writing is simply beautiful. From the very first page I was drawn in by her writing style - and I didn’t put the book down until I finished it three hours later.

A Book That Surprised Me

Our in-person book club chose Dracula in October. I must admit, I was less than thrilled, but thought I would give it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised! I learned quite a lot and found that it made great companion reading for Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice (which are part of my son’s curriculum this year).

I love it when a book provides insight into cultural references we have now, and there were many of those in Dracula. When I finished the book I felt as if I had really accomplished something!

Put this book on your TBR because I think you’ll enjoy it very much.

Love That Historical Fiction

Before The Crown was also a great read (listen) for me this month.

If you are a fan of Queen Elizabeth, definitely check this one out. It chronicles the relationship of Elizabeth and Philipp before they are married - very interesting!

I think coupling this with The Gown would be much fun.

You Can Skip This Book

I had heard so much about this book, and the premise was intriguing to me.

This was an audiobook, and usually, a good narrator can somewhat redeem a bad story, but not in this case.

The Midnight Library fell flat for me. I was put off by the main character’s suicide attempt in the beginning, and her searching for the “perfect life” throughout the book felt self-indulgent and petty.

A Reading Observation

Increasingly I am finding that books on the “bestseller list” or ones that are recommended by large mainstream media outlets just don’t appeal to me. And, as I was posting about this on my Bookstagram account I found that I wasn’t alone.

Last month (November) it struck me that many of the books I had read did not align with my worldview. This has never bothered me quite as much in the past, but as I feel more assaulted by media in 2020 I don’t want to feel assaulted by my books, too.

One of the books I read - The Love Story of Missy Carmichael - was a sweet book that I was tempted to fall in love with, but then one of the main characters chose to have an abortion and it was so normalized in the storyline. This is disappointing to me.

I appreciate authors like Carla Laureano - the author of a book I read this month and loved - The Solid Grounds Coffee Company - because she is a Christian author who writes lovely romances, but the characters are making choices consistent with my values.


If you’d like to see more detailed reviews of all of these, come visit my Bookstagram - I usually write a couple of paragraphs about each book.



Do you have a favorite book to recommend to me?

I’d love to hear what you’re reading, too!