December 2025
I read eight books in November.
Let's talk about them.
I'm feeling a little downcast about this month's reading, and it's influencing how I feel about my entire reading year. Does that ever happen to you? One thing makes a whole slew of things true? So here's your reminder that you're allowed to have seasons of reading (or life) that are slow or disappointing, and that doesn't have to color the rest of it. It's a season, and that's okay.
November was Class V whitewater, and I just let the waves take me through. Reading was less of a reliable resting place than usual, probably because I've been enjoying old and new seasons of GBBO, and I discovered The Diplomat. (That show is so good!)
I always get a solid reset over Christmas break, where I read a book a day, and I'm so looking forward to it. It might be a book over three days because I just got The Strength of the Few, and SHE BIG. I'm pumped to really sink into it, though.
Without further ado, here are the books I read in November 2025.
This Month’s Books
Book Reviews
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Narrated by Amy Tan
Content warnings: none
Casting: None, unless you want to imagine celebrities' faces on birds
Book words: Quiet, thoughtful, funny, calming, easily readable
This was the first book I finished in November, and it was perfectly timed. Y'all know I love birds, but even I don't love birds as much as Amy Tan does. Her voice was soothing and lovely. Her thoughtful descriptions about the birds in her yard made me feel like I am not crazy for knowing and naming and loving my own yard birds.
I think even bird skeptics would enjoy this book, especially the audio. It's a diary of life, centered around the birds, and it's simply lovely.
The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Content warnings: open door sexy time, domestic abuse
Casting: I couldn't get a young bearded Robert Redford out of my head for Sam. No others.
Book words: Historical fiction ghost story romance. Light, easily readable, atmospheric, lots of banter.
A social pariah named Alva Webster is trying to earn her way, despite being a widow in 1800s London, by restoring an abandoned estate... which turns out to be haunted. Work crews won't stay there, and she's on a deadline. So she reluctantly hires the brilliant (and hot) Professor Samuel Moore to find out if there are ghosts (he's into ghosts, apparently) and how to get rid of them.
Story points include domestic abuse, blackmail, a quirky family of scientists, interior design, and broken relationships with parents. And of course the ghosts. There's a lot happening, and I found it a little muddy. The banter between Alva and Sam was top-notch, though. If the dialogue had stayed and the story been tighter, I would have personally enjoyed it more. That said, it's an entertaining book.
The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Content warnings: none
Casting: Weirdly none which is why I don't remember its details as clearly
Book words: Adventure, action-packed, mysterious, band of unlikely heroes, dark magic
This started a little slow for me, and then just took off like a rocket.
Magda, a young mystery novelist, is one of four members of The Society of Unknowable Objects, a group in London that finds and protects magical items in a world that doesn't believe in magic. Action has been slow for years until Magda is sent to Hong Kong to retrieve a newly found magical object. When a man tries to murder her and take the object, everything gets crazy.
What's funny is that the story didn't start picking up for me until I met the assassin. I found his characterization fascinating and wanted to know more about him and follow his movements. I eventually warmed to Magda, but it took a while.
This is full of magic, adventure, gasps, weirdness, and it's a genuinely great time.
How to Write Clearly by Tom Albrighton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content warnings: none, unless you're triggered by memories of English class
I read this because writing is my main job, and I want to always improve. This was the best book on writing I've ever read.
If writing is in your job description, this is essential reading. It's startlingly good and will absolutely make you a better writer.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by a full cast
Content warnings: none
Casting: You'll marry the movie cast and some of the book voices in your head. Riz Ahmed is Snape, so that was fun. (James McAvoy will eventually show up as Mad Eye Mooney, and I am very excited about this.)
Book words: Fun, adventurous, magical, classic
I've read the entire Harry Potter series numerous times, but I'm always happy to go back. Audible is slowly releasing a full cast audio recording of the entire series, and the first book released last month.
It's no Jim Dale, but it's really good. I don't listen to many highly produced audiobooks with background noise and such, and at first, I found a lot of it distracting. Sometimes I struggled to hear the main dialogue because of water or train sounds. Ultimately, it was excellent, and I'll listen to all that follow.
But for me, it will never beat Jim Dale.
The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts by Alison Sherlock 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Narrated by Helen Keeley
Content warnings: none at all
Casting: None, just generic mildly hot white people
Book words: Cozy, comforting, predictable, won't change your life, but sometimes you don't want a book to do that
This is a Hallmark Christmas movie in a book. Cozy, simple, predictable, and maybe exactly what you need right now.
Amber, a London transplant, has lost her job in New York and stops over in her old English village to visit her mom's best friend before continuing on to her adventurous parents in New Zealand. Of course the family general store is in trouble. Of course the store is run by the hot disgruntled son. Of course Amber has experience as a window dresser and tries to bring the store back to life. Of course everyone else running the store eventually leaves so she's forced to do it with the hot son. You will see every beat, but sometimes that's nice. Plus, the British narration is comforting.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by Scarlett Johansson
Content warnings: none
Casting: None (although I did picture the made-for-television movie version I watched as a kid that had a ton of 1970s and 80s celebrities in it)
Book words: Classic, weird, fun, adventurous
When I'm in a reading rut (which happened several times in November), I sometimes reach for a classic for an easy win. This time it was Scarlett's narration of Alice. I will forever be spoiled by Thandiwe Newton's narration of Jane Eyre which was just spectacular, but this was still great. I always forget how cuckoopants this story is. Lewis Carroll had one wild imagination. If you're looking for an easy entry into a classic, this is a good one. Scarlett does a great job.
The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Narrated by Scarlett Johansson
Content warnings: murder but the Agatha Christie kind
Casting: None
Book words: Classic mystery
I went hard on the full cast recordings with sound effects this month, and I'm still not sure if I like it. You can't go wrong with Agatha Christie, but I didn't love this. I liked it fine. Peter Dinklage was a great Poirot, but I found the production of this too fiddly for me. Some of the voice acting felt too earnest, and I was once again distracted by all the sounds of trains and rain and babies crying in the background.
This is a nice background companion when you're doing stuff around the house, and since it's an Audible original, it's free for anyone with a subscription (at least I think). Worth listening to since it's short and easy to follow, but I wasn't blown away.