This month was all about Witch Week for me, so do please check out the wrap-up post to see if you missed anything. I’m so grateful to everyone who participated, and looking forward already to next year.
I was excited to announce a new challenge I’m hosting for 2016: Reading New England. I hope you’ll consider joining, even if you only read one book. There are so many wonderful books and authors from this region out there, that shouldn’t be a hardship for anyone. The official signup post will go up on December 1.
Other events were German Literature Month, Nonfiction November, and The 1924 Club, all of which I managed to wedge in somehow.
I’m letting two books share the Book of the Month honors this time, both concerned with young people growing up in a culture of violence, and with the power of education. I’m still thinking about both of them and wondering how we can make a better world for our children, one in which no one has to be afraid to go to school.
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Books of the Month
Reviews
- The Constant Nymph by Margaret Kennedy – My pick for the 1924 Club, and it was a good one.
- The Folio Book of Ghost Stories – I was delighted to get to do a giveaway for this beautifully produced volume of spooky classics. Congratulations to the winner, Raven J.!
- Why Do Only White People Get Abducted By Aliens? Teaching Lessons from the Bronx by Ilana Garon – A teaching memoir that brought great warmth and humor to a difficult subject.
- In Brief: Fabulous Fall Releases – Short reviews of various recent releases I enjoyed: The Wolf Wilder, Sorcerer to the Crown, The Secret Chord, and A Celtic Temperament.
- Country Boy by Richard Hillyer – An eloquent and moving memoir about life in a poor English farming family a century ago.
- The Fairy Tales of Hermann Hesse – A selection of Hesse’s short fiction that shares some elements of the fairy tale tradition but is also very much of its time.
- Krabat and the Sorcerer’s Mill by Otfried Preussler – Another book with roots in German folklore, this was a compelling story of a sorcerer’s apprentice who seeks to escape his master.
Other Books Read
- I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb – For the Nonfiction November readalong
- A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching reread
- Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching reread
- I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching reread
- The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown – for Nonfiction November
- The Gipsy in the Parlour by Margery Sharp – Review to come
- Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed – for Nonfiction November
Other Features and Events
- I posted a list of ten of my favorite Halloween books.
- I had fun pairing up some of my fiction and nonfiction reads from this year for Nonfiction November.
- My monthly discussion question was Do I need a niche? Most readers seem to find that maintaining a consistent and engaging writing style and personality is more important than keeping to a particular genre. What do you think?
Shared in the Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The Emerald City Book Review Archive 
Great post! I’ll have to get into doing reading challenges again. The books you reviewed sound incredibly interesting– I think I might go give the Margaret Kennedy novel a shot. Have a great week. 🙂
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Margaret Kennedy is such an interesting writer that I had never heard of before I started reading blogs. I wish her books were easier to find!
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I’m going to check out that New England challenge! Also, definitely going to go read your discussion post. I’m interested because when I was first starting a blog and doing research one of the most popular pieces of advice was PICK A NICHE. So I’m going to go read that and let you know what I think 🙂
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Hope you’ll consider joining the challenge, Molly!
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Once again I am in awe over the number of books that you have finished this month. Many of them I want to read myself.
In particular I really want top read I am Malala.
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Do read it, Brian, it’s such a moving and harrowing story.
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Fantastic wrap-up for the month! You had a great month!
Happy December!
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Thanks Freda, I hope you had a good month too.
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Thanks for the roundup. A friend of mine listened to the audio of I Am Malala. I really hope to read it soon! I also want to see her documentary.
-Lauren
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I would love to see Malala speaking in person.
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Argh, I always get book envy when I read your posts! You seem so thoughtful in your book choices. I’m starting to think that I’m not organized enough for challenges, but the ones you participate in always sound interesting.
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I feel the challenges and other blog events have helped me be more thoughtful in my reading choices — I used to just go to the library and grab whatever looked good off the new and interesting shelf, or else rely on series. But it does take some organization to keep up with them.
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I can’t believe you participate in so many challenges… I’m yet to do any this year. Maybe next year!
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I can’t quite believe I managed all those events this month either! But they helped me get to some books I really wanted to read, so it was worth it.
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Looks like you have had a great month – what with Witch Week and Non-Fiction November – and how wonderful that you fitted in so much Pratchett reading too? I am looking forward to reading the Tiffany Aching books.
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I really enjoyed revisiting those, and am looking forward to The Shepherd’s Crown.
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Hi, This is my first monthly wrap-up, which as a newbie, was fun to see what I had accomplished and also now I can keep track for December. I have seen so many terrific reviews on blogs and book-related articles about I Am Malala, so that’s on my definitely must read list(which keeps growing, lol). I am definitely interested in the Challenge, will look into it!!
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Great, Joann, thanks for visiting!
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Wow, I’m impressed by how many events you were table to join in on! Thanks for making time for Nonfiction November 🙂
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I was impressed too! Thanks for hosting Nonfiction November, it makes for a very interesting month.
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