My Reading Life: November 2025
This update comes to you via the brain fog of a winter cold. There is precious little sign of it being “the season to be merry” in the BookerTalk household right now with both of us competing to win the coughing and sniffling heats.
Fortunately for you there are no sound effects to accompany this update on my reading life in November.
It was a good month with two books read for #NovNov.
Cities without Palms by Tarek Eltayer. This one helped me tick of another country in my Adventures in African Literature project. It follows a young man who leaves the Sudan in the hope of finding work that can protect his family from the effects of famine and disease.
Near Distance by Hanna Stoltenberg An interesting study about the gulf in understanding between a mother and daughter.
i also read two books read from my Classics Club, taking my total so far to 19. Only 31 more to go…..
No Highway by Nevil Shute Set in the post war era when passenger air travel began to take off (excuse the pun), Shute uses his expertise in aviation engineering to imagine a terrifying scenario. The safety of a newly launched transatlantic plane is called into question by a man that no one in the British establishment treats seriously. If Mr Honey can’t persuade them his tests are valid, many lives could be lost.
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (review to follow soonish) was surprisingly entertaining. Surprising because when I read it more than 10 years ago I thought it insubstantial. A series of sketches about some spinsters in a village, following the minutiae of their lives. On further reading though I found it had more to say about the predicament of women in the 19th century who are in precarious financial and social circumstances.
I also caught up with the latest episode in the Louse Penny series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec Sûreté. The Black Wolf is a follow up to last year’s The Grey Wolf with a plotline that delves into the world of political intrigue. It’s highly improbable unfortunately so will be my last encounter with this series.
By TBR went down fractionally. For the second month in a row I didn’t buy anything new but I did succumb to temptations on the library shelves. Oh well….
Future Plans??
My library reservation of Seascraper by Benjamin Wood has finally materialised. Too late sadly for me to join the readalong as part of #NovNov but I’ll still enjoy it. After that I’m leaning towards The Dream by Emile Zola and the second title in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet Chronicles. But you all know how fickle I am so I could end up going in an entirely different direction.
This Reading Life
Hope you both feel better soon so you can enjoy the festive season.
Cathy746books
I’m in the same situation Karen, on week three of a cough and cold and no sign of it abating. Hope you geel better soon x
BookerTalk
I’m in week two and was hoping I’d see the back of it by now. So tiring….
Jane
I do sympathise, but having the Cazalet’s to snuggle up with is pretty fantastic! Hope you both feel better soon
BookerTalk
Aiming to start with the Cazalets tommorrow
Elle
Sending much sympathy and hoping you’ll feel better soon! Cranford is really great – there’s lots to it, and I’m keen to read your full review and see what you made of it.
BookerTalk
The final few chapters were excellent. I loved the way these ladies wait for a queue from their Queen Bee on how they should react to a wedding or a social invitation.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Hope the sniffles go away soon! It’s a good time of year to snuggle down with books and just get well!
BookerTalk
Well I also had the misfortune of a puncture so was without a vehicle for three days to add to the woe.
kaggsysbookishramblings
😲😲
margaret21
You stay right where you are and read until you feel better!
BookerTalk
Yes ma’am….She who must be obeyed
margaret21
👍
A Life in Books
I hope you both recover soon. Not much reason to leave the house today, for sure.
BookerTalk
Definitely not a day for going anywhere unless absolutely necessary
Lisa Hill
I hope you feel better soon!
BookerTalk
It’s so boring!!!
Lisa Hill
Try to see it as an opportunity to loaf indoors with a book?
Carol
I keep saying I’m done with the Penny books but then FOMO! I have stopped spending money on them by getting them from the library instead of buying them on release day.
Carol
Oh…and I’m sorry you’re 🤧
BookerTalk
The last few have come from the library in my case also. I might look at the next one just of of curiosity but I really am not interested if its yet another political scenario. I think her head was turned by her collab with Hilary Clintom
castlebooks
Wales not doing too well in the flu / coughs & colds department, not the only ones and hoping it will run through before Christmas (when a new batch will arrive, just visiting!), gwella yn fuan. Interested to see what you say about Seascraper and if you are looking for a short high quality read, I picked up on The Most by Jessica Anthony from This Reading Life. My concern is how to get started on my Doorstopper when there is so much distraction.
BookerTalk
So many of my friends have succumbed also – those that haven’t are keeping all fingers crossed it doesn’t hit them the week before Xmas.
Thanks for that recommendation of The Most. It’s not in our library system yet sadly but I’ll keep hoping