After a slow September and October, I picked things up for the last two months of the year. I wanted to make sure I reached my goal of 52 books in 2021! These will only be the books I read in November. I will do a separate post for December.
Hannibal by Thomas Harris
⭐⭐/5
I started this in October. It was a long, slow read. It is the third in the Hannibal Lecter series and honestly the worst. Harris spent far too much time building the story, mostly with unnecessary details. The ending was maddening. If I had been reading an actual book I would have thrown it lacrosse the room. I didn’t want to break my kindle though, so I slowly closed the cover and went WTF. Do not recommend. Read Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs and call it a day.
The Endurance Diet by Matt Fitzgerald
⭐⭐⭐/5
Usually, I love Matt Fitzgerald’s books. This is an exception. It is well written but it just didn’t capture my attention. If you enjoy reading, in detail, what elite athletes eat then this book might be for you. I wouldn’t mind if it was here’s an example and here’s how you can eat similarly but it felt like here’s a general rule and now here are eight pages about what this one cyclist eats. It fell short for me.
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D Richards
⭐⭐⭐/5
Everyone is trying to get home for Christmas but the weather is canceling all flights. Five young adults decide to rent a car and drive. But things aren’t that easy. Someone is up to no good.
This was an easy, fast-paced book. I think it was fairly predictable. I could see the twist coming. If you like thrillers and mysteries this isn’t a bad read.
The Bone Box by Gregg Olsen
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The Bone Box is a short story in the Waterman and Stark series. It focuses on an old case in Waterman’s family. Detective Stark wasn’t in this book. I thought this was an excellent short story in the series and wished it was longer. Waterman is one of my favorite characters in the series and I loved this focus on her. This could work as a stand alone but I would recommend it if you enjoyed the other Waterman and Stark books.
Rise & Run by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Yes, I read cookbooks from beginning to end when I first get them. I really liked that they included more than just recipes in this book. They put together a training plan for readers. Plus all of the recipes look delicious! I can’t wait to start making some yummy foods! I would recommend this if you have their other books or are a runner interested in fueling yourself.
The Lost Soul of the City by Dean Koontz
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The Lost Soul is book one in season two of the Nameless short story series. I read all of season one last year and really enjoyed them. I felt The Lost Soul wasn’t quite to the same level as the stories in season one. The writing felt different, rushed. I will still read the other stories in season two as I like the Nameless character and this could be a fluke.
The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
A light-hearted teen romance book. Bookworm Becca doesn’t believe in love since her parent’s divorce. One day, by sheer accident, football star Brett steps in and says they are dating. They start hanging out to keep up the charade but hijinks ensue.
I adored this book. It was a cute story. I would recommend if you like young adult romance.
When I Was You by Minka Kent
⭐⭐⭐/5
Brienne survives a brutal attack only to find someone seems to have stolen her identity. The writing was decent and was a fairly easy read. It moved a bit slow for my taste. I also thought the concept seemed a bit farfetched especially with how quickly it wrapped up. I’d have preferred the first half of the book to move faster and take a little more time with the ending.
I previously read Stillwater Girls by the same author. I would tell you to read that one instead. When I was You isn’t bad but Stillwater Girls is so much better.
I know these reviews were short and sweet. I read a lot of books in November and decided to write shorter reviews so as not to overwhelm you! Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments which one and your thoughts on it!
