30 days of great books!!
This list is full of fabulous books that I loved and think you might too. I tried to go across different genres, but you know how I stay in that WWII historical fiction vein.
I have put a sticker on some of the book covers because they are my pick books of the year. My sticker is not part of the cover, just a sticker to denote that I love it and think you should buy it and you should be able to see all of the fabulous covers under my sticker.
November 1-The Glittering Hour by Iona Gray---Serena is one of the Bright Young things that will do anything to stay in the limelight; that is until she finds the man of her dreams. Will she give it all up for him? We will find that out and get a huge surprise at the end.
November 2-The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel---Eva is a Jewish girl that has to flee her home when her father is arrested. She takes her mother with her and they both assume false identities with documents Eva created. Once the underground discovers her talent they recruit her to help them make identities for Jewish children in order to save their lives.
November 3-Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson---Two children spontaneously combust at the worst of times. That's right, the children catch on fire. The children are the offsprings of a senator and a beautiful lady that hires an old school friend to watch the children so the public won't find out that the children catch on fire. This is a riot!
November 4-Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens---Jessup Missouri has lots of problems, a factory worker has disappeared, a foreman has been demoted and replaced by an outsider that is African American, a gang of white boys are trying to take over the town, and two young men form a friendship that will help them get through the hard teenaged years and a town full of prejudice.
November 5-The Luckiest Man: Life with John McCain by Mark Salter---it is no secret that I love John McCain. When I heard John's longtime writing partner was writing a book on John I just had to have it. This book shows us some of the stories we already knew, but this time we hear the backstory and the true thoughts of Senator McCain. A fantastic book was written by a man that admired his friend very much.
November 6-The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles---Odile procured a job in the American Library in Paris, a job that she longed to have but did not think she could ever obtain. Everything is perfect until the Nazis storm Paris. When that happens the Library has to be creative in order to hide the most precious books and make sure that the Jewish families they serve can still get books to read.
November 7- Hope Never Dies and Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer--- A couple of quick-paced murder mystery books where Joe Biden is your crime fighter. These are short and very fun and yes, Barack comes and hangs out with Joe along the way.
November 8-The Answer is: Reflections on my life by Alex Trebek---This book will give you little snippets of Alex's life. He sums up 79 years of experiences in a nice little package. I was going to feature this book on November 30, but I moved it up to celebrate his life. I will miss him so.
November 9-Camino Winds by John Grisham---This one is kind of like a sequel to Camino Island. I think you can read it without reading Island, but you will not understand some of the references. In this book, the island is hit by a hurricane and someone will be murdered during the hurricane. The gang from the bookstore will be on the case. I loved these two books!
November 10-The King's Justice by Susan Elia MacNeal---This is a great series that features a spy named Maggie Hope. This is number 9 in the series (if I have counted correctly), so if you have not read the first one, what are you waiting for? Get you a copy of Mr. Churchill's Secretary and start this series.
November 11- The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester---As you read this one you will be transported from a spy plane during the war to an event wearing a Dior gown. This book is set in WWII and has another timeline in modern times.
November 12- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett----This book is about twin girls that live in a rural black community ...they run away from home to fulfill their needs/dreams. One will be the prodigal daughter and return home, the other will be living her life as a white woman. She completely gives up everything to be a woman with a hidden past/story. Until......well you need to read this one to find out. I promise you it is worth your time.
November 13-Recipe for the Perfect Wife by Karma Brown--A modern-day woman who buys a house with her husband in a rural area. Buried in the basement she finds cookbooks and belongings of a 1950s woman. She immerses herself into a 1950 lifestyle because of the things she finds becoming the perfect wife. A second storyline features that woman from the 1950s and how she too might have been the perfect wife. This book went in a direction I didn't expect but LOVED!
November 14-Sex with Presidents by Eleanor Herman--Some of the stories you know already, others you will find shocking and a few of them are just jaw-dropping. While I enjoyed the read I also questioned it every time the author said "he was an attractive man", ewwwww no. I mean LBJ, handsome? This book will give you the scoop on everyone from a Treasury Secretary, to Senators, and Presidential hopefuls fall alongside the tales of Presidents from Grover Cleveland to William Jefferson Clinton.
November 15-Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano---I loved this book so much. Edward is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed all the members of his immediate family. He has to move in with his aunt and uncle and somehow come to terms with why he survived and no one else did. The book also has flashbacks to the day the plane went down and how the passengers lived their last day on earth.
November 16-Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams---
What would a pilot give up to be the first female to bring all the air flight records? Then at the peak of her career, she disappears without a trace. A reporter will try to discover what happened to her, but she uncovers lots of secrets on the path to the pilot, Irene.
November 17-The Heart of the Lion by Martin Turnbull--Martin's books are some of my favorite out there. They are all about a subject in Hollywood long ago, and this one is the king of all (IMHO). Irving Thalberg was Mr. MGM. He put an unknown actor named Gable in a few movies and created a monster star. There were many Oscars won from films that came out of the Thalberg unit, Grand Hotel, Camille, The Divorcee, Mutiny on the Bounty, China Seas, Bombshell, so many good films. It was all over so fast, Irving died at 37. This book shows what the rise and death of Irving might have looked like, including his marriage to my favorite, Norma Shearer.
November 18- The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton-- A hurricane is barrelling down on Key West, three women will make choices that will change the course of their lives right before the hurricane, but the hurricane will have the last word.
November 19-Lana's War by Anita Aribel---I love the WWII books and I read many of them, most are set in Paris, and this one starts there....but it will end up in the French Rivera. I loved the setting and the very unique storyline a spy on the French Rivera, doesn't that just sound fantastic?
November 20-The Lions of 5th Avenue by Fiona Davis---What an amazing, perfect book. Just dream of what life might be like if you could live in an apartment over the New York Public Library. What a life!! Then throw in some stolen book drama and you have a perfect scenario. You need to read this one if you love libraries or just a good read.
November 21-The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. I loved this book! It is all about a girl, Adunni that wants nothing out of life but to go. to school. However, she lives in Nigeria and she is only able to go to school until she marries and her father sold her off to a man much older than she when she was 14. I am not going to tell you what happens, but it is truly a wonderful story.
November 22- Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
Yes, I read this one again this year. It is a great book, reads like a book report, just the facts no elaboration. Today is the 57th anniversary of the assassination.
November 23- Larry Hagman day brings a nice book penned by Larry....fun fact I once wrote him and got an autographed picture from him 4 days before he died.
#imurderedjr
November 24- The Sundown Motel
I have been making everyone read this, so if you haven't you should. I loved this book so much! I thought it would be a book about a hotel in Key West when I picked it up (I judge all books by the cover) but no, it was a very unique tale set in Illinois and very difficult to put down.
November 25-Surviving Savanah
This one won't be released until 2021, but go ahead and put it on your TBR. This is about the Titanic of the South, a shipwreck from the 1800s. You will learn how it sank and what happened in the aftermath. There is a second timeline in modern-day because the shipwreck has been found!
November 26- Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel. This read is all about a mother who fakes her child's illness and uses this fake illness to pay all her bills for years until she is busted and ends up in jail. We will then see Rose Gold as an adult and this is where the twist starts. I could not put this book down!
November 27-The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book reminded me of a mix of Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Mary Miles Minter...Old Hollywood, lots of marriages for different reasons and true love.
November 28-Followers by Megan Angelo-What if all your life took place all on social media? What if you could not do anything without the followers of your social media page approving? What if you found a way to escape and live your life? I absolutely loved the plotline of this one!!!!!!!
November 29 Working on a Song by Anais Mitchell- This book is a wonderful gift to enjoy for anyone missing stage shows. This book will take you through every song in the musical...you will get all the lyrics, notes on the conception of the tunes, how the songs evolved during the workshops and Broadway stage, and little insights by Anais herself.
November 30 Mitch, please! by Matt Jones- You will get political talk in this book. I mean it is all about the reason Matt did not run for Senator, but that is not why I am thankful for this book. I am thankful for it because Matt visits ALL 120 counties in KY. He not only visits each county, but he also stops and talks with locals, goes to schools, eats at the best diners, and checks out the landmarks. I loved this part of this book. I loved that someone would take the time to talk. to people about the "best hamburger in the county" or another local specialty instead of just how does someone beat McConnell. I found this book insightful but also enduring as a Kentuckian and the very unique folks and places that live in our state.
