Meredith's Recommended Books: November

My picks for the November Recommended Books are here & they’re Christmas themed! Well, both of the fiction books are.

Yes, there are 2 fiction books. Since y’all are reading this in December, I thought choosing books that had a Christmas setting would be a good idea. I wanted a cute, fun, romance style Christmas-y book. Then it was brought to my attention that that’s not everyone’s thing–even at the holidays. So I made an adjustment: 2 books. 1 cute and fun, 1 murder mystery. (I totally just typed ‘murdery’ and that honestly is totally true too. Haha!) There’s something for everyone here!

I went in a totally different direction for my non-fiction recommended book. It’s actually a memoir. I tend not to read memoirs often but my mom told me how good this one was so I knew I had to read it. It was so good & so sweet. Jenna evoked so many emotions in her writing that I knew I had to recommend this one to y’all. As someone who absolutely loves her grandparents, it was really great to read stories from someone else who does too and to be able to feel the love through her writing.

Onto the November Recommended Books!

November Recommended Book #1:

Everything Beautiful in Its Time by Jenna Bush Hager

Here’s the synopsis:

Jenna pays homage to her grandparents in this collection of heartwarming, intimate personal essays. Filled with love, laugher, and unforgettable stories, Everything Beautiful in Its Time, captures the joyous and bittersweet nature of life itself. Jenna reflects on the single year in which she and her family lost Barbara Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Jenna Welch. With the light, self-deprecating charm of the bestselling Sisters First—cowritten with her twin sister, Barbara—Jenna reveals how they navigated this difficult period with grace, faith, and nostalgic humor, uplifted by their grandparents’ sage advice and incomparable spirits.

In this moving book, Jenna remembers the past, cherishes the present, and prepares for the future—providing a wealth of anecdotes and lessons for her own children and all of us. Poignant and humorous, intimate and sincere, Everything Beautiful in Its Time is a warm and wonderful celebration of the enduring power of family and an explanation of the things that truly matter most.

My Thoughts:

What a sweet, sweet book. I read this one with tears in my eyes the whole time. (So be prepared: you’re gonna cry or at least be on the verge.) To read stories about Jenna’s grandparents, her childhood and her adulthood with them made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I felt like I got to know all of them better and got an up-close look at their family and her time with them. It was truly just a sweet, warm, and inviting book. Reading it made me miss my grandparents that I’ve lost and appreciate the one I still have (hey Grammy!). Everything Beautiful in It’s Time made me look back on the times I’ve spent with them and how special those times were.

This book is a gem and how lucky I felt as a reader getting a peek into Jenna’s relationships with her grandparents and allowing it to evoke all the emotions and memories in me. Everything Beautiful in It’s Time is perfect for this time of year. It’s an easy read so curl up with a cozy blanket and dive into this beautiful book about grandparents, love, and loss.

November Recommended Book #2:

The 19th Christmas by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Here’s the summary:

As the holidays approach, Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends in the Women’s Murder Club have much to celebrate. Crime is down. The medical examiner’s office is quiet. Even the courts are showing some Christmas spirit. And the news cycle is so slow that journalist Cindy Thomas is on assignment to tell a story about the true meaning of the season for San Francisco.

Then a fearsome criminal known only as “Loman” seizes control of the headlines. He is planning a deadly surprise for Christmas morning. And he has commissioned dozens of criminal colleagues to take actions that will mask his plans. Al that Lindsay and the SFPD can figure out is that Loman’s greed—for riches, for bloodshed, for attention—is limitless.

Solving crimes never happens on schedule, but as this criminal mastermind unleashes credible threats by the hour, the month of December is upended for the Women’s Murder Club. Avoiding tragedy is the only holiday miracle they seek.

My Thoughts:

I’ve never read one of James Patterson’s books before. I’ve always heard that they were scary & I didn’t like scary books so I avoided them. Until now. Let me dive into it…

My Warnings To You:

This book is #19 in a series called, The Women’s Murder Club. I was concerned that I would be lost and have no idea what was going on but that wasn’t the case so don’t worry about that. The first few chapters I had to get my bearings but once I did, I was fine.

I should also warn you & say that there are a lot of characters & they’re all interconnected. Sometimes it would take me a minute, mainly at the beginning to keep them straight. After the first several chapters, I had it figured out and a relationship chart made up in my head that I could refer to.

The Good Stuff:

The chapters are really short, usually anywhere between 2-6 pages. I love shorter chapters because it makes me feel like I’m getting somewhere faster (even though I know that’s not actually true). But I also love them because I can sit and read for a short amount of time and be able to put the book down when the chapter is over. I don’t have to end in the middle of the chapter if I only have 15 minutes to read. I think this is the perfect style for the holiday season when you don’t always have a big chunk of time to sit and read but you still want to read a book.

The 19^th Christmas is set at Christmas but it’s not over-board with the Christmas theme. Décor, how they’re celebrating the holiday is mentioned and the dates are in the book but that’s about as far as Christmas goes. Sometimes one of the characters would say something and I’d think “Oh! It’s Christmastime.” If you’re worried about Christmas being shoved down your throat, don’t, because it isn’t.

Honestly, this book wasn’t scary but it was FULL of twists & turns. As soon as you thought you had it figured out or that the characters did, wam-bam-thank-you-ma’am, there was another plot twist. It kept you on your toes and kept you turning the pages up until the very last page. The 19^th Christmas is a classic crime solving mystery book. I highly recommend this one if you need some depth, twists & turns during the holiday season.

November Recommended Book #3:

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

Here’s the summary:

When it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say “Bah, humbug.” The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn’t exactly brimming with prospects, and anyway, Kate’s found fulfillment in her career as a designer and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt’s neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor…right?

Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before—and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures—Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it’s least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it’s been right within her reach all along….

My Thoughts:

This book is a classic Christmas love story book. I would say that if you like Hallmark movies, then you’ll like this book but I also think that I wouldn’t enjoy Hallmark movies in book form. The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a little bit deeper and has more substance than a Hallmark movie (no judgement towards Hallmark movies, I watch them 24/7!). There’s also a few curse words so it definitely couldn’t be a Hallmark movie. Haha!

Compared to The 19^th Christmas you knew that this was a book set at Christmas time. The décor & traditions of Christmas for the character and Christmas in general is talked about often. I loved it. The entire book felt Christmasy to me which I enjoyed. I curled up on the couch with a warm blanket with the Christmas tree in front of me and devoured this book. It’s an easy read and perfect for the holidays.

I should also warn you: the chapters are long. Each chapter is about one of her twelve dates so it makes sense that the chapters would be long but just a heads up that I didn’t find it to be a book that you can read 10-15 minutes here and there. There are breaks in the chapters however for stopping points. But once I got into the book, I just kept reading and reading. This book really and truly plays out like a movie in your head.

It’s also set in England so their English is slightly different. Nothing wrong with that, it was just an adjustment to me at times. And I also had to draw my own conclusions/definitions about some of the things they said because I didn’t know the words or names of things.

Too long didn’t read?

If you’re looking for a cute Christmas love story, this is the book for you!

Photo of both fiction books for November's Recommended Books

There you have it! 3 books for the November Recommended Books & I think all of them fit the bill for the holiday season. Comment below & tell me which of these you’re gonna read. If you’ve read any of these, comment below & tell me what you thought.

Merry Christmas & Happy Reading!

Love,