November has been a decent month for reading, at least based on the previous month, where I set a new personal record for how many books I read in a single month. For some reason, I expected to read just 1–2 books, considering how busy this month has been and the fact that I got back into gaming, which always ends up replacing the time I usually dedicate to reading.
Happily, that was not the case, as I managed to keep a balance between the two, which is something I'm also hoping to maintain from now on, no matter how busy a month turns out to be.
But even with just 4 books read, I still made sure to explore different genres and get a whole new, different mood with every book I opened, so here's my honest review of the 4 titles that kept me company in November.
1. The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
by Laurie Gilmore
★★★★☆
The month started softly, with another read set in Dream Harbor and its locals. All these books by Laurie Gilmore take place in the same town, where each one mainly focuses on 2-3 residents and their story, while keeping the others in the background. That's actually one thing I love about this series as I haven't really seen this approach elsewhere, and it's so cool to always have new characters in the spotlight while remembering the stories of those who played major roles in previous books.
However, this book especially felt like a lovely, cozy read. It didn't have many twists, but it was definitely the kind of book you want to have in your hands when you just want to relax. Fun fact: I've never been a big fan of pancakes, but I had a constant craving for them while reading this. Even more interesting, I actually discovered some new recipes that I plan to try out soon, lol.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
2. Birthday Girl
by Penelope Douglas
★★★★★
The 2nd book that kept me busy was one I found on BookTok, and it caught my attention right away after reading the synopsis. I knew there would be some eroticism in it, with quite a few moments of hot desire, but I was really impressed to see that this wasn't the main focus. Instead, it turned out to be a strange love story proving that age is just a number and that there doesn't always have to be a hidden interest between two lovers.
It had been a while since I last read a forbidden love story filled with drama, and this book definitely delivered plenty of that. It was a full rollercoaster of emotions, spicy at times, but entertaining enough to keep me hooked even though I took a few breaks between reading sessions. Definitely a story that will be hard to forget.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
3. Home Is Where the Bodies Are
by Jeneva Rose
★★★★★
Since thriller and crime genres can't be missing from my monthly reads, the 3rd book I picked was one I bought a while ago and even lent to my mother before I got the chance to read it myself. After getting so deep into Freida McFadden's books, I thought it would be hard to find another author who packs just as many twists into their writing, but I was wrong.
Long story short, I decided it was finally time to give some new authors a chance and appreciate their storytelling as well. And this book (which has an amazing cover design, btw) instantly won me over. I'm actually already searching for more titles by Jeneva Rose. Beyond the crime that drives the plot, the book made me both start and finish reading in tears, which isn't easy to happen, but I think that's how you know a book was truly good. Romance, drama, addiction, and family are just a few of the key elements woven into the story, and I think each of us can find something relatable in this experience packed into just over 300 pages. Honestly, I loved it.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4. Come l'arancio amaro
by Milena Palminteri
★★★☆☆
Last but not least, I ended the month with a book that, sadly, kept me busy a lot longer than expected. I usually finish a book every 3–4 days if time allows, but Come l'arancio amaro turned into a real love-hate relationship, which constantly made me consider abandoning it altogether.
This was actually a book I had high expectations for, and I even bought it blind, without reading the synopsis or a sample, because I never imagined I wouldn't enjoy it after seeing it all over BookTok. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a difficult read, very historical and quite different from what I usually gravitate toward (even though I don't stick to a specific genre). While history is essential for preserving what countries and their people have lived through, in this case, it felt more like a sad tale with too many twists, making the characters harder to connect with and turning the reading experience into a bit of a challenge. It's not a bad book, but definitely not for me.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Check out my previous monthly recaps:
- August Recap: 9 Books That Kept Me Hooked
- September Recap: What I've Read Last Month?
- October Recap: My Best Reading Month Yet
- November Recap: The Good, The Cozy, and The Unexpected
Gabriela Travels is the FOUNDER of "Festival Mania" who started this community from the passion of attending various festivals and with the purpose of encouraging more people to explore festivals all around the world and share their experiences.
At the same time, Gabriela is an independent Graphic Design Freelancer since 2019 completing over 600+ orders in this time and collaborating with various businesses and people from all over the globe.
Additionally, Gabriela has her own corner on the internet since 2017 where she writes various articles for her blog, the most popular being the travel ones (300+ articles written on this field), but also approaching other topics as well, like game and book reviews, lets plays, movie and series reviews, photography posts, cooking recipes and more, boosting the total number of articles written to 750+ blog posts.
Gabriela is also a gamer since she was 11 years old and gaming remains one of her biggest passions along with traveling, owning a YouTube channel for each of the two.
~ @GabrielaTravels ~