November Reads

I did it!

Not only did I manage to complete NaNoWriMo 2023 (with one day to spare, writing on average around 1700 words each day of the month). I read eleven freaking books this month while doing so! While not even close to a record, after the dry spell I had late-summer/early fall, this is amazing!

While I clearly read a diverse selection of titles this month, I have very little to say about them.

Like many others, I devoured Iron Flame the day it was released. Unlike Fourth Wing, I did not forsee the ending and was devasted --- not for Violet, but over the fact that I now have to wait, lord knows how long, to discover her and Xaden's fate.

I was unable to resist the urge to start some holiday reads a bit early. While not marketed as such, I will argue that 10 Things That Never Happened is a Christmas story. My Book BFF DNFed this one at around 40% feeling there was no chemistry between the characters. While I agree that Sam and Jonathan are cookie-cutter versions of Luc and Oliver from Boyfriend Material, I still ended up enjoying their story. As I told Book BFF, if read as a comedy instead of a romance, it's highly entertaining.

The end of the year is nearing, which means I need to begin thinking of my Top 10 Reads for the year. I hadn't really considered it until I read The Seven Year Slip. Spoiler Alert, it will definitely make the list. Ashley Poston has delivered two amazing stories with this and last year's The Dead Romantics. In doing so, she has skyrocketed to the top of my must-read author list.

While I may have rediscovered my passion for reading, I'm still nine books shy of my goal of 100 books for the year. December, as we know, can be quite hectic. Plus, I may have completed NaNo, but Maggie and Malcolm's story still needs finishing. Fingers crossed I find some engaging and quick reads.

Cheers,

C.J.