Books I Read in November
November never turns out like I think it will.
We had a family wedding in Florida, then Thanksgiving, and while all of that was awesome, not much reading got done.
I read/listened to three books in November.
That’s 43 down and 7 to go.
Can I read that many books in December? I guess we’ll find out…
(Yes, clean mafia romance is a thing)
What I liked:
While the author threw almost every romance and mafia trope imaginable at this book, it mostly worked. I enjoyed the characters and wasn’t as annoyed with the overbearing male lead as I thought I would be. If you like overprotective guys and slightly darker themes than you find in other clean romance books, consider this one.
What could have been improved:
The abundance of tropes did get distracting. Maybe it’s because I’m an author and use the same tropes so I noticed Every. Single. One. I actually made a list.
What I liked:
It’s been at least fifteen years since I originally read Dracula. This time around I listened to it, and because the whole thing is letters back and forth between people, it was even better than I remembered. Great suspense, interesting characters, and a certain amount of class that not many novels today express.
What could have been improved:
The pacing is a little slow compared to books today.
Note: This is so nit-picky, but the woman who did Lucy’s voice was so perky she made me want to slap someone.
What I liked:
A fun, but somewhat dark, middle-grade adventure into a world of, well, impossible creatures, magic, misunderstandings, friendship, adventure, and sacrifice. Great worldbuilding.
What could have been improved:
Most of this book felt rushed, like it should have been two or three books on its own. It had a few dark themes that may not jive with a middle-grade audience.
