What I've Been Reading - November 2017

Welcome to What I've Been Reading, where I share my (quick and personal) thoughts on what I've been reading this past month. For specifics (plot summary, etc.) about each book, click on the provided links.

I had hoped to read a little deeper this month (in comparison to last month) and I absolutely did. It was a great month for books.

Maisie Dobbsby Jacqueline Winspear (4 stars)

I am still reeling over this book. What a surprise! I'd had Maisie Dobbs on my TBR list for a long time, but was waiting for the right time to read it. I was waiting for the time I needed a fun, snappy mystery. Now was the time, but this was no fun, snappy mystery. What a deceiving cover! This book may not be fun or snappy, but it is pretty darn perfect. Maisie Dobbs is part mystery, part historical fiction, part jaunt into the world of psychological. It is a story-within-a-story, sensitive and full of wisdom, introducing a character so self-reliant, yet so vulnerable. I particularly loved the setting (pre and post WWI England) and the backstory. The ending was probably my favorite part of all, but I won't give it away! Let's just say, I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.

A Study In Scarlet Women (The Lady Sherlock Series)by Sherry Thomas (3.5 stars)

I had seen A Study in Scarlet all over Bookstagram and had to check it out. I am so glad I did. It was a lot of fun and so well done. How Sherry Thomas flips the sex of Sherlock Holmes is clever. Even more clever is how she weaves all the other Sherlock characters into her book. It's so good. I must admit, the beginning was a little rough for me. I am glad I pushed through though, because the beginning ended up being no indicator of what the rest of the book was like. Now, I can't wait to read the next in this series.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cakeby Amy E. Reichert (3.5 stars)

This book completely reminded me of You've Got Mail, but instead of a bookstore, a restaurant was involved. Since I adore You've Got Mail, I was sure to love The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. I did. It was a lot of fun. It was the perfect fluffy read. And the cover is delightful!

Angle of Reposeby Wallace Stegner (4 stars)

Wallace Stegner has decidedly become a favorite author of mine. In September, I read his book, Crossing to Safety, and loved it. This month I read his Pulitzer Prize winning book, Angle of Repose. I didn't love Angle of Repose quite as much as I loved Crossing to Safety. The writing was just as beautiful and the sense of place, storyline and characters were just as well developed. I believe where it fell short for me was in its actual characters. They were not very likeable. I don't have to have likeable characters, but I really like to. Anyway, I can't wait to get my hands on more Wallace Stegner. I may try Wendell Berry first though. I've been told I will love him if I love Wallace Stegner.

Little Fires Everywhereby Celeste Ng (4 stars)

It seems like everyone is talking about Little Fires Everywhere, so I knew I had to get my hands on it. I am glad I did. It was a great read. I can't say I loved it as everyone else has seemed to, but I really enjoyed it. It was a fast read that kept me turning the pages, trying to find out where the story was going. This was my first Celeste Ng novel. I am looking forward to going back and reading her debut novel and to seeing what she will write next.

Emily of New Moon (The Emily Books, Book 1)by L.M. Montgomery (5 stars)

How have I made it all these years without reading Emily of New Moon? I adore Anne of Green Gables and have read it countless times. Why I didn't think to see what else L.M. Montgomery had written is beyond me. Emily of New Moon was beautiful and funny and so relatable. It is the first in a series of three books. I've already started book two, Emily Climbs. I need to know what happens to Emily! The big question is...Emily or Anne? I think its too early to say, but I've loved Anne since I was a young child. She is going to be pretty hard to beat out.

A few things I'm loving these days

I follow quite a few bloggers that periodically share things they are loving, things that are making them happy. I love these types of lists. Does anyone else? I love that they give me a peek into some of my favorite blogger's personal lives and I almost always find something new to love myself. So, today, I'm sharing a few things I'm loving these days.

MY NEW BOOTIES

I have finally found the perfect pair of booties. I had been looking for two years! Yes, two years! I knew exactly what I wanted, but couldn't seem to find them. I wanted something classic, on trend, but not too trendy, that was real leather, so they would stand the test of time. I also wanted something that didn't have much of a heel, so I could wear them comfortably all day. Well, I finally found them and I couldn't be happier with them. (I sized up a half size which was perfect for my wider, high-arched feet.) 

ESSIE NAIL POLISH

This is my current favorite color.  I've been wearing it since September 1st. It is the perfect Fall/Winter color. I've got my eye on this color right now and might just have to pick it up today. I've never been a huge nail polish kind of girl. Mainly because it always seemed to go on terribly and then look terrible. On a whim one day, I picked up Essie nail polish because its specific color caught my eye. I quickly fell in love. It went on smoothly and looked great. Essie isn't terribly expensive, but compared to the $1 bottles of nail polish I usually bought, it felt like a splurge. It turned out to be a great splurge. Perhaps I just needed to buy a better quality nail polish all along! I'm sure there are other great brands out there, but for now, I'm all about Essie.

MY NEW WATER BOTTLE

I finally found the perfect water bottle. It took buying one too many imperfect water bottles to finally decide what I really wanted in one. I wanted a water bottle that would keep my water cold, wouldn't sweat, would fit in my car's cup holder and was dishwasher safe. This one has it all and isn't bad looking either.

MY LIBRARY

I have always loved my library, but this past week my love grew even more. It now has a shelf called "Too Hot To Hold". This is a shelf dedicated solely to books that are in high demand and have long wait lists. I've heard these types of shelves most often called "Lucky Day" shelves, because you may be #111 on a wait list for a specific book, yet one day you could walk into the library and find it sitting on the "Lucky Day" shelf, truly making it your lucky day. By the way, #111 is not a random number. That is my number on the wait list for a certain book at my library right now. I am hoping to have a lucky day here soon!

GOODREADS

I have been using Goodreads for a long time, but it hasn't been until this past year that I have really felt like I've been using it to its fullest potential. I use it to track what I've read, but where I really use it most is to track what I want to read next. I'm going to be sharing exactly how here on the blog soon, because I'm loving it so much!

2017 MMD Reading Challenge - November edition

I'm participating in MMD's Reading Challenge this year. (If you don't know what that is, click here and here.) Below are my November picks. (Book images are linked!)

READING FOR GROWTH: Stretch yourself in 2017

a book nominated for an award in 2017

My pick

READING FOR FUN: Put the oomph back in your reading life

a book you were excited to buy or borrow but haven't read yet

My pick