What I Read: November

WILL I MAKE IT TO 200 BOOKS??  And why exactly did I want to?  I mean, I didn't want to, if you remember.  I set myself a very reasonable goal of 100 books, but then Ben harassed me about it on our podcast, and I just kept reading and reading and reading.

Anyway.  November, the best month to curl up with a good book:

13. Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough:  I read a lot of good thrillers this month, and this one did not vault to the top of the list.

12. Body Full of Stars by Molly Caro May:  Oh my goodness.  First of all, May is a beautiful writer.  I want to count this book as poetry it's so lovely.  Second OH MY GOD.  Motherhood is no joke.  Her body-- jeez Louise.

11.  A Well Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler:  YES!  This book is riveting but also a surprisingly quick read.

10.  Under My Skin by Lisa Unger:  A gripping little thriller.

9.  I Found You by Lisa Jewell:  A great mystery.  Kept me engaged and reading-- even on the elliptical.

8.  When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri:  I really liked The Assistants, and I also really liked this one-- so fast and light but ultimately really touching.  Go for it!.

7.  Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country in the World by Sarah Smarsh:  This is a nice anecdote to Hillbilly Elegy.  Smarsh is a good writer, and the book made me cry near the end.  Check this one out (like, literally).

 6. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell: LOVED this thriller and could not stop reading.

5.  The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender:  Late to the party on this one.  But yes.  Yes.  Yes.

4.  Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty:  This is not my favorite one of her books.  BUT!  Not my favorite book by one of my favorite authors is still pretty darn good, you know?  Read this one, but be warned-- it is a little bit slow.  Also, I will watch the HBO miniseries, if Reese Witherspoon could get on that (although there is no part for her in this book, I do't think.  BUT STILL).

3.  #FashionVictim by Amina Ahktar: YES YES YES YES YES.  You know I love books where the narrator is a psycho.  This is hilarious.

2.  Calypso by David Sedaris:  Yes, I have read most of these in The New Yorker, and you probably have, too.  But!  Reading them all together is even better.  I cried every time (and laughed, too, of course).  This is his best in years.

1.  Vox by Christina Dalcher:  I have a soft spot for the dystopian, you know, and this is terrifying and fast-paced.  I read it in a work out and a lunch hour, and you should too.  At your own pace, of course.