What I read in November 2021

After several months of reading fewer and fewer books, this month I read ten, which is more like me. All hail a successful pharmaceutical intervention after a year of less successful ones… let’s hope it lasts.

27 November was the launch of the Colchester WriteNight Anthology! If you’re looking for Christmas present inspiration, it’s a cracking collection of short stories by fab writers as well as myself. And now I can say I’m a published author.

And now, on with the round-up…

The Haunting Season, by various authors - 4*

Psychopaths Anonymous, by Will Carver - 4.5*

Nothing Important Happened Today, by Will Carver - 3.5*

Call of the Penguins, by Hazel Prior - 4*

The Quiet People, by Paul Cleave - new favourite author alert! 5*

The Book Collector, by Alice Thompson - my pick for November’s Book Shelf Raiders. 3.5*

Whatever It Takes, by Paul Cleave - see above. 4.5*

Conjure Women, by Afia Atakora - 4*

Untamed, by Glennon Doyle - 4*

Driftnet, by Lin Anderson - 3.5*

Looking ahead…

Getting back on my reading game in November has got me fired up for reading all sorts in December. A new Robert Bryndza book is always a treat, so I’m looking forward to Darkness Falls arriving on my Kindle. I’m also excited to continue my journey into Paul Cleave’s backlist with The Cleaner.

Syd Moore is a great writer and all-round good egg, and of course The Twelve Even Stranger Days of Christmas is very appropriate reading this month anyway! Big Girl Small Town by Michelle Gallen is my Book Shelf Raiders pick for December, interpreting the theme of ‘a big book’.

I’ve been a fan of Andrew McMahon’s music for more than half my life, which is kind of a scary thought, so I’m interested to learn more about his life and songs in Three Pianos.