Hey, internet people! I’ve decided that I’m going to start doing monthly recaps of my month in reading. Since I don’t review every book a read, this is a great way for me to check in with you all every month and showcase what I’ve read. Plus, I never really count my books-per-month total, but it’ll be interesting to start that in prep for the new year!

I’m thinking I’ll list them off and then give a couple sentences of reaction for each, as well as link to the reviews if I’ve written one of that specific book.

Sound good? Let’s go!

November’s Books:

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

Format: Audiobook CD

This audiobook was my driving companion on the trip back to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun to get to know Anna by listening to her narration of this book–I was surprised by how different she seemed from how I imagined her based on the roles I’d seen her in.

Goodreads rating: 3/5

Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson

Format: Digital audiobook

I wasn’t a huge Matilda fan growing up, but after meeting Mara Wilson at Book Riot Live I knew I wanted to read this book. I love celeb memoirs, but this one was especially great because it was also just a legitimately well written collection of essays that goes way beyond the surface level reportage of what it was like to be famous as a kid. It shouldn’t be surprising either to note that this voice actress is a great audiobook narrator.

Goodreads rating: 4/5

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

Format: Paperback

Reread this one for my Readings in Creative Nonfiction course and wrote a paper on it (first 15-20 page paper of my academic career). The first time I did it on audio, so it was lovely to slow down and really relish the prose.

Goodreads rating: 5/5.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Format: Very well-worn paperback

Another reread for the CNF paper. Analyzing this book in relation to H is for Hawk was really interesting. As with every time I come back to this one, found more to be inspired by.

Goodreads rating: 4/5 (up from 3/5 from the first time I read it)

Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Anderson

Format: Paperback (signed :D)

Got this one at Book Riot Live, where I also got to meet Sarah Anderson and have her sign it! Since it’s a book of comics, it was a delightfully quick read. Her comics are so, so relatable. I’m very excited for her next book to come out.

Goodreads rating: 5/5

Illiterate America by Jonathan Kozul

Format: Paperback

This was my pick for a teaching demo in my pedagogy course. It is not a happy book, nor is it a recent one, but it was a very enlightening and important read.

Goodreads rating: 3/5

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate

Format: Paperback

I strongly do not recommend reading this at the same time as Illiterate America because you will go into a defeatist spiral about how broken the world is. Read this for Readings in Creative Nonfiction and thought it was a very powerful, thoughtful, and informative look at addiction.

Goodreads rating: 4/5

Animal, Mineral, Radical: Essays on Wildlife, Family, and Food by BK Loren

Format: Paperback

This book was assigned in my Craft of Creative Nonfiction course. It’s a series of essays that fit into each of the three categories above–animal, mineral (which is an examination of a fragmented family), and radical (as in roots). I learned a lot by reading this collection and through the Skype conversation we had with her in class.

Goodreads rating: 3/5

That’s all, folks! In total, 8 books this month. Hit me up in the comments if you’ve read any of these books and want to talk about them!