November 2023 - Monthly Wrap-up

Hi, everyone!

Wow, November was a busy and fun month. December will be even busier, but what a wonderful problem to have!

November was another great month for books with some outstanding books! It was a unique month with only ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) and audiobooks from the Los Angeles Public Library!

 

BEST BOOK OF 2023

There are now THIRTEEN books vying for MY Best Book of 2023.

• The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende (May)
• Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See (June)
• How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair (July)
• A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power (August)
• The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman (August)
• Evergreen (Japantown Mystery #2) by Naomi Hirahara (August)
• The Women by Kristin Hannah (September)
• After Annie by Anna Quindlen (September)
• Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki (October)
• The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok (October)
• Making It So by Patrick Stewart (October) audiobook
• Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner (November)
• Being Henry by Henry Winkler (November) audiobook

It will be so fascinating to determine which book I decide on as MY Best Book of 2023! Of these thirteen books, FOUR are vying in the final round for Goodreads Best Books of 2023. It will be exciting to see how the end-of-the-year decision plays out!

Another audiobook got a 5.0-star review from me. It was well written, beautifully narrated, and just lovely – Being Henry by Henry Winkler.

I hope the quality of books in December continues to be good for me with at least ONE 5.0-star in December to keep my streak of outstanding books running.

 

GOODREADS READING GOAL:

My Goodreads reading goal kept increasing in 2023! In May, it increased from 50 to 60 books; in September, it increased from 60 to 80 books; and in October, it was finally increased from 80 to 100 books! This may be a bit of a stretch goal, but I will try my best to meet it!

Currently, 90 books out of 100 books GOAL. 10 books to go by December 31, 2023. 

For next year, I think I will just set 100 as my goal and avoid the goal updates!!

 

STATISTICS:

9 total books

5 e-books; 4 audiobooks

5 books were an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

4 books were library books (0 ebooks; 4 audiobooks)

0 books were purchased ebooks

0 books were an Amazon First Reads

0 books were a gifted physical book

Audio listening time in November: 31 hours, 6 minutes

Pages read in November: 1,752 pages

 

BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS:

5.0-star books (2) 

Being Henry by Henry Winkler (REVIEW LINK)

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner (REVIEW LINK) 

4.5-star books

Paris, The Memoir by Paris Hilton (REVIEW LINK)

The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes (REVIEW LINK)

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (REVIEW LINK)

 

4.0-star books (1)

Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton, Robert K. Oermann (REVIEW LINK)

 

3.5-star book (3)

Good Taste by Caroline Scott (REVIEW LINK)

The Philadelphia Heiress by Anita Abriel (REVIEW LINK)

If You Had Told Me by John Stamos (REVIEW LINK)

 

3.0-star books (0)

  

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review links for each ebook or audiobook below the picture of the book. You click on REVIEW LINK to get to that specific book review!! 

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

P.S. For more information about my book ratings, you can find out more here: BOOK RATINGS LINK. 

Also, for a glossary of the common book blog terminology, check out: GLOSSARY LINK.