We’ve only got one month in the year, and I have a lot of books on my TBR that I’d love to get to before the start of the new year. Between books I’m dying to read and books that have been on my TBR forever, it seems like I’m going to be doing a lot of reading this month! Additionally, I’m four books behind on my Goodreads reading challenge – and while I definitely don’t want to rush through books in an attempt to complete that, I’m wondering if there’s a possibility that I could still reasonably complete my challenge! (And next year, I’m taking my goal down a bit for sure!) But here’s what I have lined up for this month:
Siege and Storm (Grishaverse #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Alina and Mal have been on the run and in hiding. Not only are they hiding from the past, but Alina must also hide her identity as a Sun Summoner. But while they’re on the run, The Darkling returns, with growing power and a dangerous plan. Alina must learn to control her powers and return home to fight the the growing forces against Ravka, but she will not be able to do so without making difficult choices, and deciding what matters most.
I read the first book in this trilogy over a year ago, and, being the habitual series un-finisher that I am, never finished reading this trilogy! But lately I’ve been wanting to finish the trilogy (especially so that I can start reading Six of Crows), so I took out a library hold for this one. I’m almost halfway through the book, and so far, so good! I’m definitely enjoying this one more than the first and have already placed a hold on Ruin and Rising, the final book in the trilogy.
The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan
Over the years, the definitions for mental illness have been varied, as were their treatment methods, and admittance requirements to psychiatric wards. In the 1970’s, Stanford psychologish David Rosenhan and seven others admitted themselves to psychatric facilities as a study. They were forced to keep themsleves in these institutions until they were proven “sane,” and the short and long-term impacts on these participants are troubling. In this book, Cahalan reveals what really happened during this experiment, and whether it had great impact on how we view mental illness today.
This is my Book of the Month pick for November that I sadly never got to. I don’t always order a BOTM, but when I do it’s because I’ve discovered something on there that I want to read right away (and if it weren’t for my hectic November, I probably would have done so!). Reading about the state of facilities like these, as well as learning about them more in other mediums like podcasts had me interested in what these facilities were like then vs. today. As someone that’s also going through treatment with medication, I’ve wondered where I would be if I were born before today with how easily people were admitted to these facilities. That being said, I’d like to learn more about them, and this book seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) by Sylvain Neuvel
As a child, Rose made a landmark discovery – a gigantic robotic hand, exposed from a massive hole in the Earth. Since then, she’s been working in her career to uncover more of the discovery she’s made so many years ago. That is, until a second robot, alarmingly larger than the first, appears and lashes out. In a race to save the Earth, Rose and her team must rush to learn everything they can and acquire what they need to stop this deadly force.
After reading The Illuminae Files I wanted to find something similar, and after hearing about The Themis Files, I decided to pick it up. I enjoyed reading the first book over the summer and decided to continue, but didn’t get a copy of the next book right away. Now that I have a copy of the second book, I’d like to get to reading this one (and eventually the last book in the trilogy!).
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Considered to be a modern classic, Wide Sargasso Sea is an addition to the classic Jane Eyre. Told from Mr. Rochester’s ex-wife, otherwise known as the madwoman in the attic, Wide Sargasso Sea tells the story of how Antoinette Cosway was sold into marriage – and what really happened before Mr. Rochester re-married.
I’ve had my eyes on this book for a while, and since I’ve read Jane Eyre within the last year now is a more oppurtune time than ever to read this. I’ve heard some mixed opinions on this book, but when I bought in October, the bookseller there said it was one of her favorites, so I’m curious to see how this one turns out!
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Originally published in 1866, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde follows a lawyer that is investigating the interactions between his friend Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde.
This probably would have been a better fit for my October TBR, but I’m still looking forward to reading this classic nonetheless! Despite all of the references made to the characters today, I’m afraid that I still don’t know the story. I’m thinking I will pick this one up over one of the weekends this month.
Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
Marie Forleo’s book is for those who are ambitious, yet fall short in her tracks. She describes the one idea that will help drive difficult times or projects to completion, and how people can start to implement this concept in their everyday lives.
This book was a birthday gift to me from my mom (thanks, mom!), but she also partially bought it because she wants to read it, too! We saw it in an article somewhere and were talking about it, but other than the synopsis, I’m not quite sure what to expect. But I do love a good self-help book this time of year, so we’ll see how it goes!
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
All the Light We Cannot See follows two perspectives. There is Marie, a French girl who had to flee from her home with her family at the age of twelve when the Nazis invaded Paris. With them they carried a jewel that was equally precious as it was dangerous. Then there is Werner, a German orphan who learns how to fix radios, and uses this newfound skill to track down surrounding activity. The story follows what happens when their paths cross.
I’ve had this book on my TBR for over a year! Somehow, despite all of the rave reviews, I still haven’t read this one. Part of me wanted to just read historical fiction around this time of year, but I’d like to break that habit and not isolate myself to one genre (or a select few) during certain months. And I guess I ended up doing that here anyway, but after that, no more!
The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King
The Good Neighbor is the first full biography on Fred Rogers. It includes a compilation of interviews, archives, and other recollections that piece together his full story. It includes accounts of not only his time creating Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, but also covers his personal life.
While I recall seeing Mr. Rogers Neighborhood on TV as a kid, my most prominent memories of him were more recent, at my school. Mr. Rogers attended my college in the early fiftes, and since then, the community continues to celebrate his life and legacy. I’ve taken part in many community engagement and volunteer positions during my time at school, much of which was inspired by Mr. Rogers himself and my college’s mission to help the community grow and thrive. That being said, I wanted to read about his life in more detail, and this more recent biography seemed to be the perfect opportunity to do so.
Fractures (Ledgers of A Dark Mage #1) by N.K. Leem
In a world where dark magic is considered worthy of execution, Thaelon discovers that he is a dark mage after an attack on his village. With nothing left but the help of strangers, he is whisked away to Allesdale, where young mages are trained. But Thaelon must keep this side of him a secret, or else he will risk his life. Dawyn is captured and sent to a new isle that is conquered by magic-wielders. Suddenly he is thrown into dark magic and its wielders with full force, and is doing everything in his power to avoid it before it takes over.
I have many sci-fi and fantasy books on my TBR that I’d like to read in the coming months. (And I know I said I’m trying not to designate genres for certain months, but the winter months really just put me in the mood for them!) The author reached out to me to give me an ARC in exchange for a review, and I’m looking forward to starting a new fantasy series. I feel like I haven’t given fantasy (especially high fantasy) enough love this year, so it’s time to turn that around this month.
And that’s everything I’m planning on reading for December! I honestly plan to read books other than what’s on my TBR (hopefully some Christmas-themed ones!) and make this month a pretty big reading month. No better way to end 2019 with lots of books, right?
Are there any books listed here that you loved? What are you reading this month? Let me know!
-Julie Anna
