November Reading Wrap-Up

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I can hardly believe it’s December already! Christmas is right around the corner and the year is almost up and I’m not sure if I’m ready yet. How has everyone been doing on their yearly reading challenge? I made a goal of 50 books this year and thought that was a pretty hefty goal for me (especially with having my fourth head surgery and all), but I am currently at 66 books!
But seriously, people who read 20+ books a month, how on earth do you do it?? I work full-time, then am at the gym for at least an hour, then am cooking, cleaning and doing chores for another hour or so, and also spend time playing video games… Also, I never skim through books, I read a bit slower because I like to absorb every detail and my brain can’t process a story that fast if I am just reading a page in 30 seconds.

Nevertheless, I think I did okay for November. Seven books may not seem like a lot for some people, but with the holiday week, driving to Florida with a dog, and getting sick, I think it’s pretty good!

November Books Read:

Little Eve by Catriona Ward

My rating:

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

My rating:

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

My rating:

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw

My Rating:

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

My Rating:

The Summer Party by Rebecca Heath

My Rating:

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

My Rating:

Total Books Read:

Favorite Book Read:

Five Survive by Holly Jackson.
I was more than happy to pick up the latest from Holly Jackson since I enjoyed A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder so much. And while I wouldn’t say I liked Five Survive quite as much, I still enjoyed the ride.

This book starts off innocently enough, six friends traveling in an RV for spring break. But then they get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere where neither of them have cell service, and are at the mercy of a sniper who has them trapped. What does he want from them? Why are they the target? Who’s hiding something?

This was fast-paced, suspenseful, and intense. There was so much tension and conflict I found myself gritting my teeth throughout the book. The dialogue, chemistry and conflict between the characters was written well.. I was invested in the main character and frustrated with a couple other characters. The book ended up going in a direction I didn’t expect and I was satisfied with the twist and the ending. Holly Jackson does a great job writing a tense and satisfying YA thriller that kept me engaged and interested.

Least enjoyable book:

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
So I picked this book up because of Dolly Parton, of course, and the good reviews I saw. Unfortunately I just didn’t enjoy this book that much. Maybe it’s because I don’t really love country music? I mean, I think Dolly Parton is great, but I just could not connect with this book. The plot was unrealistic and had some gaps, and it just seemed a bit too unbelievable to me. Everything seemed to just come so easily for AnnieLee Keyes. While I have heard some phenomenal singers before, I just find it too unbelievable that one country music singer can make every person in a bar stop and stare like an angel of God is singing onstage. Also, don’t forget that she is gorgeous, despite being homeless and apparently not having had a shower in a few days. The book is marketed as a thriller, but was only maybe 5-7% thriller, and a tiny bit mystery. The characters keep secrets, but once they were finally revealed, I found I didn’t care, and it didn’t really do anything for the story–nothing changed, nothing is resolved. There wasn’t much character growth, and I just really didn’t like the main character. I thought she was snarky and ungrateful and made dumb decisions. I also didn’t really feel any chemistry between the characters and found the dialogue cringey. The only parts I really found interesting were snippets of Nashville’s music industry. Other than that, I just felt disappointed.