I feel like I say this every month, but wow, I can’t believe how fast November flew. Feels like it was just yesterday that we were carving pumpkins for Halloween and somehow now we’re heading straight into Christmas.

I’ve had a lot of local travel this month, which sounds easier than big trips but can often be twice as exhausting. Luckily, I’ve been able to squeeze in a lot of time with friends and family in the various places I’ve needed to be, and I even managed to sneak in a couple of bookstores and libraries too. I love it when I can squeeze hobbies into work and obligations, so that was a highlight of the month for me. 

November was a super fun month for reading as well, particularly as one of my most anticipated books of the year not only released but also exceeded my expectations. I’m so ready to gush about all the books that I read this month that I’m just going to dive straight into it now.

Books Read in November 2023

This month I spanned more genres and formats than I normally do, and it completely paid off with some outrageously good stories. In November I read:

1. Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot: what a freaking adorable book. It had me smiling and kicking my feet and was a fun way to enjoy the spooky season without anything scary. I rated it 4 stars and you can read my full review here. 
2. All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir: this book hit me like a gut punch I wasn’t expecting. It was gorgeous and devastating, with a story I won’t soon forget. I rated it 5 stars and you can read my full review here.
3. Red Rising by Pierce Brown: I’m still kicking myself for not picking up this series sooner. A completely absorbing sci-fi/dystopian-style novel with a thrilling competition premise that I literally couldn’t put down. This was a 5-star read for me and you can read my full review here.
4. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros: I am OBSESSED with this series and feel like this was an absolute stunner of a sequel. It was fantasy-heavy, but that’s my jam, so I loved it even more than Fourth Wing. I rated this one 5 stars (and it’s a contender for my favourite book of the year) and you can find my full review here.
5. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas: re-reading this novella in the winter as the holiday season approaches was perfect timing. This isn’t my favourite book in the ACOTAR series, but it’s still endlessly solid. I rated this one 4 stars and I’ll have a full review posted next week.
6. The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater: this was an ARC kindly given to me and I loved it. The Victorian-esque fantasy, the slow-burn, low-key romance, and the wit of the main character made for a super fun time. I rated this one 4.5 stars and you can find my full review here.
7. Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan: this book made me want to create an actual grimoire for my non-existent children. It was surprisingly touching to me and super enjoyable, with bits of practical tips for aspiring witches sprinkled in. I rated this book 4 stars and will have a review posted in the coming days.
8. A Soul of Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout: I enjoyed this one, but it’s written more for the Blood and Ash super fans, of which I do not currently count myself. I would have enjoyed this more if it was novella-length, but it was still fun to revisit the original story, so it was a 3.5-star read with a full review coming next week.
9. Graceling by Kristin Cashore: an epic fantasy with a more formal tone than I usually read, but very entertaining, well written, and with some great world-building. I rated this one 3.5 stars and I’ll have a full review up next week.
10. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins: I regret putting off reading this for so long because it immediately threw me right back into Panem in the best possible way. I absolutely loved this book and am so impressed at Collin’s ability to craft a character I simultaneously loathed and loved. I rated this one 5 stars and will have a full review posted later next week. 

TBR Lists

I get actual anxiety at the fact that there are so many books out there that I want to read and only so much time in the day to do so, and this month just made that stress worse, because I added even more to my TBR that I’m SO keen to get to. Some of the ones I’m most excited about include:

• The Good Part by Sophie Cousens: a girl uses a wishing machine to literally skip to the good part of her life and past all the struggle. I feel like I’m headed into a romance phase after Enchanted to Meet You and Love on the Brain, and with this one looking highly recommended, I feel like it’s a perfect segue into the genre.
• War Hour by Lauren Loscig: I saw this described as The Hunger Games meets Red Queen and I didn’t need to see anything else to know I needed to add it to my TBR.
• The Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole: two powerful enemies must work together to save the realm in this fantasy I’ve seen recommended by a bunch of bookstagram. 

What I’m Loving Right Now

I feel like while things are really busy for me right now, they’re also really good. I have a lot of fun stuff on the go, I’m really happy with my reading life, and there are some super exciting developments happening with my family right now that I can’t yet talk about but am over the moon to be a part of. Combine this with the fact that we’re headed into the holiday season, which happens to be my favourite time of the year, and it makes for a very happy Sarah. 

Some of the real stand-out things from the last month that are giving me joy include:

A Quick Getaway 

My husband and I decided to take a quick getaway to Halifax, Nova Scotia this year for our anniversary and it was divine. We stayed at the gorgeous Muir Hotel right on the waterfront, had a phenomenal meal at Café Lunnette, and spent some quality time relaxing and exploring the city. It was just the escape from reality we needed and I came back feeling so refreshed.

Starting Up Our Holiday Traditions

While it’s early for many, November marks the start of the holiday season in our house. We have had our tree and decorations up for weeks, and we’re nearly finished all of our Christmas shopping, which took a concerted effort given the growing family we have on both sides. I love this time of year though, and every single aspect of it brings me joy. You can catch me reading next to my tree until January!

Extra Family Time

In the last couple of months, we’ve managed to spend more time with family than we have in the past three years, and it’s been wonderful. We got to go to a toddler dance class, my nephew learned the “Chicken Butt” joke (iykyk), and we even squeezed in a chaotic, loud, wonderfully messy lunch with my whole side of the fam. 

Outside of reading, family is what fills my cup the most, so I’m feeling super grateful to have had so much time with them, with much more planned throughout December as well.

With all that said, November was a great month for a whole lot of reasons, including some great books! What’s the best book that you read last month?