Throughout November I read fewer books than I did in both September and October, however many of the books I did read were longer and certainly more thought-provoking. As you might notice, a few of my choices were inspired by the release of the Between The Covers book picks and I enjoyed them all.
Here’s the full list of the books I read in November 2021.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Ove appears to be the grumpiest man in the world. He dislikes most things and believes himself to be surrounded by idiots. His neighbours are a particular source of annoyance for him, especially the perpetrators of the coup d’etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents’ Association. He still persists in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets to ensure everything is as it should be.
Ove finds that life itself has become tiresome. When his new neighbours arrive, Ove, most reluctantly, finds himself thrust into their lives whether he likes it or not. His routines are thrown into chaos by Parvaneh and her family and she becomes determined to get to know this lonely old man.
I found it to be really sad and touching in places, yet also hopeful and uplifting in others.
Click here to read my full review of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
The book tells the story of four friends who met in college and moved to New York. JB is an aspiring artist, Malcolm an architect, Willem an actor and Jude, a lawyer. Jude is a pivotal member of the friendship group and the narrative mainly follows him. We follow them over several decades as they navigate life and all its challenges. As they grow older, their friendship deepens as they realise their greatest challenge is trying to help Jude. Jude’s life has been marred by abuse and disability and despite being an incredibly talented lawyer, he remains a broken man. Jude’s unhappiness impacts them all as they desperately try to offer him the support he doesn’t seem willing to accept.
A Little Life is a brilliant, thought-provoking read that will stay with me forever. I always feel that a truly good book should leave a lasting impression and A Little Life certainly delivered that. Having said that it’s so harrowing and so upsetting that it’s definitely not a book I would like to read again!
Click here to read my full review of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe
William is a young, newly qualified embalmer who answers the call for volunteers to travel to Aberfan to help those who have died. He’s not sure what to expect when he arrives but the devastation of the tragedy soon hits him when he arrives. As part of his role as an embalmer, he helps grieving parents identify the remains of their children. William is a kind and gentle soul and despite being advised to keep his heart hard, the things he sees leave a lasting impact.
The novel goes back in time to William’s youth and time spent in Cambridge as a chorister. We learn more about his family and friendships and his difficult childhood that shaped his life. We learn that William was already troubled, even before Aberfan, and we follow him as he struggles to come to terms with it all and tries to live a happy life.
A deeply emotive and well-researched book that I would definitely recommend.
Click here to read my full review of A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
After fleeing England for a new start, Jess calls her brother Ben asking for a place to stay. He agrees to let her stay with him at his Parisian apartment and leaves her a voicemail with directions, which is suddenly cut short. Jess arrives at the apartment but Ben is nowhere to be found and the fellow residents of the building are less than welcoming. Jess feels she is being watched every turn she takes as her unusual neighbours seem reluctant to help. However, Jess knows she must find out what happened to her brother, whatever the cost.
This book had me gripped from the opening page. The change of perspectives had me questioning everyone’s motives. The chapters flipped from one character to the next which made it so easy to just think “just one more chapter”. I absolutely flew through this book!
Click here to read my full review of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley.
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
After ‘a bomb’ goes off inside her head when she was seventeen, Martha has struggled throughout her adult life. She is a talented writer and she has been loved by her husband Patrick for as long as he has known her. And yet as she turns 40, she realises she is friendless, losing her husband and facing career uncertainty. She suffers from bouts of depression and suspects there is something ‘wrong’ with her, despite numerous doctors and therapists being unable to properly diagnose her. As she reaches this crossroads in her life she realises she has to face her troubles, acknowledge her mental health and attempt to fix the life that seems to be falling apart around her.
Although this is a story about mental health, it’s also a story of love, redemption and family. I loved it.
Click here to read my full review of Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason.
The Coward by Jarred by McGinnis
The Coward is part memoir, part fiction and follows Jarred, a man who has recently been in a car crash and is now adjusting to life as a wheelchair user. With nowhere else to go, Jarred is forced to return home to his father who he hasn’t seen for over ten years. With his life now irrevocably changed, he is forced to confront his past as well as face a future that now looks very different to the one he had hoped for.
This is a gritty and painfully honest read with some difficult subjects covered, such as alcoholism, grief and physical disability. As you would expect this makes it quite a sombre read at times, and yet it somehow manages not to feel depressing. I ultimately found it to be uplifting and hopeful which you probably wouldn’t expect in a book with such difficult themes. It’s a book that’s full of wisdom and shows how people can change if they try hard enough. I really enjoyed it.
Click here to read my full review of The Coward by Jarred by McGinnis.
Still Life by Sarah Winman
In a ruined Tuscan wine cellar in 1944, Ulysses Temper, a young British soldier, meets Evelyn Skinner, a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy. Evelyn has returned to Italy to help salvage the paintings from the effects of war, and relive her memories of her youth, where she met EM Forster and a maid who captured her heart. Evelyn’s outlook on life and her talk of beauty and truth has such a profound effect on Ulysses that, despite the fact they’re unlikely to meet again, their conversations shape the outlook of his whole life.
The book takes us from wartime Italy to the smog of London’s East End and back to the Tuscan Hills and piazzas of Florence as it spans four decades of Ulysses’ life.
Still Life is full of wisdom and charm and I absolutely adored it. It was a joy to read – the sort of book you just don’t want to end.
Click here to read my full review of Still Life by Sarah Winman.
Some of these books were sent from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You may also be interested in reading the books I read in October 2021 and my other previous monthly reads.