The month that was… November 2025

November is my birthday month, and that will never not be exciting to me. I spent the weekend in Hay-on-Wye, which long time readers will know is one of my favourite places to pass a few hours / days. Bookshops were explored, books purchased, and there may have been a drink or two consumed, hydration being extremely important as I’m sure you all appreciate. 🍷

I’d like to say that things are starting to wind down as we approach the end of the year, but I’d be lying. If anything, things look increasingly busy between now and Christmas, so much so that I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I have two full weeks off work over Christmas though, and I’m already counting down the days!

At least there will be books! I’ve signed up for Doorstoppers in December, where I’m planning to tackle some of the larger tomes on my TBR pile (you can see my sign up post here). I’ve also acquired a book advent calendar. 12 books to be opened on the even numbered days in the run up to Christmas. I’m very excited. Hardly anyone ever buys me books, so this is my antidote to that.

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My favourite books this month

• An Inconvenience of Penguins by Jamie Lafferty
• Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
• Darker Days by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, translated by Lia Belt

I also read / reviewed:

• The Life Experiment by Jess Kitching
• Le Fay by Sophie Keetch
• The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
• Freezing Point by Anders Bodelsen, translated by Joan Tate
• The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

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Books acquired

My purchases this month. Margaret Atwood’s Book of Lives also qualifies as a doorstopper, so I now have another option for that challenge!

And the books I picked up in Hay! Would you believe that I’ve never read anything by Gillian Flynn?!

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TBR Watch

That I’ve cleared my backlist is the only positive thing I have to say about this!

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And that’s my bookish month! Happy reading! 🩷