🦃 November Reviews 🍂
November 1st-30th
2025 has been one of my best years for reading, especially with how many new favorites I have found.
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Book 165: The House Saphir
By Marissa Meyer
Read November 1st-3rd
Pages: 432
Release Year: 2025
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"Bluebeard" is one of my absolute favorite fairy tales to see retold, so I was highly looking forward to this book. The synopsis intrigued me and I did enjoy the first quarter of the story. Ghost stories where one of the characters can see them and nobody else can, always draw me in. This helps bring some needed humor to the story. I started The House Saphir believing it would be a new favorite fairy tale retelling but am sad to say that changed as the story went on.
The middle of this book was too slow and the plot was quite predictable. I wouldn't mind a slow plot at all if I was drawn into the story or the characters. The romance fell flat for me. I did not really like Mallory's character and the chemistry between her and Armand felt forced. His character was fine but I did not enjoy their dynamic. Though, I will say their banter did get me chuckling a couple of times. The best characters in this story were the side characters, especially the ghosts of the wives of Monsieur Le Bleu. They were great.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
The middle of this book was too slow and the plot was quite predictable. I wouldn't mind a slow plot at all if I was drawn into the story or the characters. The romance fell flat for me. I did not really like Mallory's character and the chemistry between her and Armand felt forced. His character was fine but I did not enjoy their dynamic. Though, I will say their banter did get me chuckling a couple of times. The best characters in this story were the side characters, especially the ghosts of the wives of Monsieur Le Bleu. They were great.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 166: Hollow (Hollow #1)
By Shannon Watters
Read November 4th-5th
Pages: 176
Release Year: 2022
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Book 167: Dracula Daily: Reading Bram Stoker's Dracula in Real Time with Commentary by the Internet
By Bram Stoker and edited by Matt Kirkland
Read May 3rd-November 6th
Pages: 304
Release Year: 2023
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I have had an incredible time reading Dracula Daily over the last six months. Dracula is classic I have had fond memories of reading in one of my college classes and I enjoyed this experience even more. It was so much fun reading this as if it were happening in real-time with the commentary and illustrations from various people. I know I will always remember this reading experience and will definitely do it again in a couple of years.
Book 168: Medea
By Blandine Le Callet
Read November 5th-6th
Pages: 320
Release Year: 2021
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I enjoyed the way Blandine Le Callet had an older Medea telling her story for the reader. It was such an interesting framing device. The way this was illustrated really stood out, I loved the style. It is both beautiful and quite dark in scenes. I went into this story knowing a good amount of Medea's story, but there were aspects I did not know. Definitely, a great retelling. I would love to see other Greek Myths done in this style. It fits so well for the time period.
Book 169: Tamia and the Memories of the Dragon Vol. 1
By David Braña
Read November 7th
Pages: 96
Release Year: 2026
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Tamia and the Memories of the Dragon is a portal fantasy for young readers that was full of heart. It follows young Tamia who has just lost her mother. She and her father go to a town called Damar during summer vacation. While there, Tamia meets a dragon named Sosoot. She later finds a portal to a fantasy world in the house they are staying in. Tamia and Sosoot go on an adventure there to find a book he lost.
One of the major topics of the story is grief. Tamia, her father, and her new friend Sosoot are all dealing with the grief of losing a loved one. I like how we get to see different perspectives and how different people deal with grief. Definitely, an important topic for children to read about and this story does it in a delicate way. The parts of this book that dealt with Tamia's father's writer's block and how he was dealing with losing his wife were beautiful. I love the idea of the magic book.
This was a fun little adventure that I believe young readers will love. I will definitely check out further adventures with Tamia in the world of Damar.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
One of the major topics of the story is grief. Tamia, her father, and her new friend Sosoot are all dealing with the grief of losing a loved one. I like how we get to see different perspectives and how different people deal with grief. Definitely, an important topic for children to read about and this story does it in a delicate way. The parts of this book that dealt with Tamia's father's writer's block and how he was dealing with losing his wife were beautiful. I love the idea of the magic book.
This was a fun little adventure that I believe young readers will love. I will definitely check out further adventures with Tamia in the world of Damar.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 170: Anne of Green Gables
(Anne of Green Gables #1)
By L. M. Montgomery
Read November 9th
Pages: 335
Release Year: 1908
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A delightful novel and one of the best coming of age stories I have ever read. I adored Anne as a character. She is utterly charming and I could not get enough of reading about her. This book had me laughing out loud many times, grinning, and crying. Not only do I love Anne, but I also love Marilla, Matthew, Diana, Mrs. Lynde, Gilbert, and the many other characters. It was just as much a joy seeing how Marilla and Matthew's lives changed with Anne as it was to see Anne grow up.
This was such a cozy novel which I know I will revisit many times in the years to come. I cannot recommend it enough and I look forward to reading the other books in the series. There are so many wonderful quotes that I marked while reading. Anne of Green Gables is a perfect book and I'm glad I finally picked it up. 
I decided to reread this wonderful novel right after seeing the movie version and before seeing Wicked: For Good. This will always be an all-time favorite book of mine. It's absolutely perfect.
Review from my reread on October 2nd, 2022:
I have been wanting to reread this novel ever since I finished the rest of the Oz series (at least the ones that L. Frank Baum wrote himself). This time around, I listened to the audiobook read by Titus Burgess, and it was phenomenal! He does such a wonderful job creating voices for each of the characters. I especially enjoyed his “Queen of the Field Mice.” Over the years since I first read this novel, I have fallen in love with the world of Oz even more from Baum’s books. This book hit even more this time around because of the other books. It is my second favorite in the series right below Ozma of Oz.
Review from April 8th, 2017:
Before I read this novel, I only knew the story from the 1939 movie and the many television shows I have seen based on the novel. The story is similar to the movie. A little girl named Dorothy is swept up in a tornado because she is not able to get out of the house in time. She lands in the house on a witch in the Land of Oz. There she finds out from the Witch of the North (one of the differences between the movie and the novel) that she should go to the Wizard of Oz, and he may help her get home. On the way to the Wizard, she meets three characters: the Scarecrow, The Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion. Each has a reason to go and meet Oz.
One of the differences that I was surprised about was the Wicked Witch of the West, who was one of my favorite characters in the movie. She is not in the novel that much and really is in the novel as a comedic device. I did think that the witch was funny, but this is one of the reasons that I did not love the novel. The Wicked Witch of the West has become one of the biggest and most known villains of all time, and I kind of wish that she had more of a story in the novel. I loved her in the movie, but I only liked her in the book.
This novel was one that I have been wanting to read for a long time, and I am glad that I read it. If you like the movie, I believe that you will enjoy the novel. It is interesting and a great piece of children's literature. 
A beautifully powerful collection of poetry that focuses on introspection, learning about oneself, and emotion. The poems use the poet's life, literature, and oftentimes Greek Mythology to help the messages resonate with the reader. There were many different poems which stood out to me. I highly enjoyed this collection and would love to read more of Stefania Lucchetti's poetry in the future. It was great that this is a bilingual collection with both English and Italian used side-by-side. The illustrations by Gianluca Biscalchin went along perfectly with the poems.
- "Aphrodite"- I particularly love the last verse of this poem.
"But know, dear mortal, you cannot possess me
for I am wild, bold, and freedom obsessive.
I’ll vanish when your heart ceases to sing
with the authenticity true creation brings."
- "Second Class Ticket"- An absolutely beautiful poem and one of the best.
- "Coffee Stains On My Books"- The poem that the collection is named after is definitely one of my favorites. It's funny how much a stain on something so precious can tell a whole story. One that will make the owner remember something from the past.
- "Ariadne's Yarn"- Probably my favorite of the Greek Mythology poems. I love Ariadne's story from mythology and this was such a great poem.
- "Hades"- This is one of the most interesting pieces from the collection. Greek Mythology will always draw me into a story or poem. I like how she draws upon the mythology in all of these poems to write her lines of verse. Stunning!
- "Athena"- This has so many powerful lines. I love the last 6 lines of the final verse.
"Will they love the woman inside me,
or will I remain
a fallen goddess
watching my armour,
now useless,
rusting away in a corner?"
- "Penelope's Web"- Penelope is one of my favorite characters in Greek Mythology and I enjoyed this poem.
- "Blue Notebook"- I love how the last poem in the collection used the notebook she talked about at the beginning. Such a beautiful way to end this collection. As a poet/writer myself, I have many notebooks from my past that hold such significance to me.
*Thank you to Stefania Lucchetti for my ARC of this collection. All opinions are my own.* 
A charmingly cozy fantasy that I fell in love with in the second half of the book. It took me a bit to get into this one, but once I did, I didn't want it to end. Bella's bond with her family and friends was beautiful. I particularly loved one of the scenes near the end of the book during her lessons.
The best parts of this book were after her trial when she is working with Arty to help improve her magic. He was my favorite character in the book. Also, there is a sweet slow-burn romance between Bella and her watchman, Rune. I will definitely be picking up the other books in this series.
This was such a cozy novel which I know I will revisit many times in the years to come. I cannot recommend it enough and I look forward to reading the other books in the series. There are so many wonderful quotes that I marked while reading. Anne of Green Gables is a perfect book and I'm glad I finally picked it up.
Book 171: Snake-Eater
By T. Kingfisher
Read November 8th-12th
Pages: 271
Release Year: 2025
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Snake-Eater, as T. Kingfisher even says herself, is a weird book and I loved ever minute of it. For the most part, it is a cozy novel with some creepy moments. It follows a woman named Selena who has moved to a new town. Found family is one of my favorite elements in a story and I loved how the "found family" in this story was the entire town of Quartz Creek.
Selena has fled a terrible relationship and is dealing with heavy anxiety. She is constantly over-thinking everything she says because she does not want to come off the wrong way. Her original plan is to come stay with her aunt Amelia, who has invited her in the past. When she gets to the town though, she realizes that Aunt Amelia is dead. She is told she can have Amelia's house and she decides to stay for a bit until she can get back on her feet.
The town of Quartz Creek welcome Selena and her dog Copper instantly. I love how they were a quirky group and seeing how welcoming they were to Selena from the very beginning. My favorite characters were definitely Grandma Billy, a wise-cracking older woman, Father Aguirre, a Catholic priest who keeps surprising Selena, and Selena's dog Copper. Grandma Billy is one of the best characters I have ever read. Almost everything she said in the book made me smile and oftentimes chuckle to myself. She is a joy to read. I love the entire dynamic of the town but especially between Grandma, Father Aguirre, and Selena.
This book has many creepy elements that T. Kingfisher balances so well with her signature humor and the coziness. Her characters are fantastic as always. Snake-Eater was a wonderful book that has me thinking I'll never look at a road-runner the same again.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Selena has fled a terrible relationship and is dealing with heavy anxiety. She is constantly over-thinking everything she says because she does not want to come off the wrong way. Her original plan is to come stay with her aunt Amelia, who has invited her in the past. When she gets to the town though, she realizes that Aunt Amelia is dead. She is told she can have Amelia's house and she decides to stay for a bit until she can get back on her feet.
The town of Quartz Creek welcome Selena and her dog Copper instantly. I love how they were a quirky group and seeing how welcoming they were to Selena from the very beginning. My favorite characters were definitely Grandma Billy, a wise-cracking older woman, Father Aguirre, a Catholic priest who keeps surprising Selena, and Selena's dog Copper. Grandma Billy is one of the best characters I have ever read. Almost everything she said in the book made me smile and oftentimes chuckle to myself. She is a joy to read. I love the entire dynamic of the town but especially between Grandma, Father Aguirre, and Selena.
This book has many creepy elements that T. Kingfisher balances so well with her signature humor and the coziness. Her characters are fantastic as always. Snake-Eater was a wonderful book that has me thinking I'll never look at a road-runner the same again.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 172: A Psalm for the Wild-Built
(Monk & Robot #1)
By Becky Chambers
Read November 14th-15th
Pages: 160
Release Year: 2021
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I love a cozy book that feels like a warm hug. This was a beautiful science fiction book about a tea-monk and a robot who ponder life, identity, and purpose while going on an adventure together.
Book 173: Shubeik Lubeik
By Deena Mohamed
Read November 15th-17th
Pages: 528
Release Year: 2022
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I enjoyed how this book was divided into three shorter stories that all have a connection. The illustration style was stunning along with such powerful tales. My favorite was probably the final one but each was incredibly done. I like how it shows the problems that could happen in our world if people were able to wish for anything they wanted.
Book 174: The Nanny's Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes
(The Parasol Academy #1)
By Amy Rose Bennett
Read November 16th-18th
Pages: 401
Release Year: 2025
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A cozy historical fantasy novel with found family, a sweet romance, humor, mystery, and the charm of Victorian England. The Nanny's Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes had everything I could want in this type of novel. I adored Emmeline and Xavier's relationship and seeing the bond they had with his wards. Seeing this family form, was one of the best parts of the novel.
It also had great neurodivergent representation with both Xavier and one of his wards, Harry. I enjoyed the scenes where he bonded with her over science and clock making. I'm glad the children were an important part of the story and that they were in it a good amount. Also, Xavier's raven, Horatio was another wonderful addition. He brought so much humor in all his scenes.
I look forward to the future books in this series and I hope we see more of these characters. Definitely, recommend the audiobook version. Chloe Campbell did a great job narrating both Emmeline and Xavier's perspectives.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
It also had great neurodivergent representation with both Xavier and one of his wards, Harry. I enjoyed the scenes where he bonded with her over science and clock making. I'm glad the children were an important part of the story and that they were in it a good amount. Also, Xavier's raven, Horatio was another wonderful addition. He brought so much humor in all his scenes.
I look forward to the future books in this series and I hope we see more of these characters. Definitely, recommend the audiobook version. Chloe Campbell did a great job narrating both Emmeline and Xavier's perspectives.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 175: Always Never
By Jordi Lafebre
Read November 19th
Pages: 152
Release Year: 2020
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One of the most unique romances I have ever read. It is a story told in reverse where you get the twentieth chapter first and it goes until the first chapter. I highly enjoyed following along with Ana and Zeno's story in such an intriguing way. You know what is going to happen at the end from the very beginning, but it was fun to see how they got there. Brilliantly done with stunning artwork.
Book 176: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
By L. Frank Baum
Read November 21st
Pages: 256
Release Year: 1900
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Reread from November 21st, 2025:
I decided to reread this wonderful novel right after seeing the movie version and before seeing Wicked: For Good. This will always be an all-time favorite book of mine. It's absolutely perfect.
Review from my reread on October 2nd, 2022:
I have been wanting to reread this novel ever since I finished the rest of the Oz series (at least the ones that L. Frank Baum wrote himself). This time around, I listened to the audiobook read by Titus Burgess, and it was phenomenal! He does such a wonderful job creating voices for each of the characters. I especially enjoyed his “Queen of the Field Mice.” Over the years since I first read this novel, I have fallen in love with the world of Oz even more from Baum’s books. This book hit even more this time around because of the other books. It is my second favorite in the series right below Ozma of Oz.
Review from April 8th, 2017:
Before I read this novel, I only knew the story from the 1939 movie and the many television shows I have seen based on the novel. The story is similar to the movie. A little girl named Dorothy is swept up in a tornado because she is not able to get out of the house in time. She lands in the house on a witch in the Land of Oz. There she finds out from the Witch of the North (one of the differences between the movie and the novel) that she should go to the Wizard of Oz, and he may help her get home. On the way to the Wizard, she meets three characters: the Scarecrow, The Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion. Each has a reason to go and meet Oz.
One of the differences that I was surprised about was the Wicked Witch of the West, who was one of my favorite characters in the movie. She is not in the novel that much and really is in the novel as a comedic device. I did think that the witch was funny, but this is one of the reasons that I did not love the novel. The Wicked Witch of the West has become one of the biggest and most known villains of all time, and I kind of wish that she had more of a story in the novel. I loved her in the movie, but I only liked her in the book.
This novel was one that I have been wanting to read for a long time, and I am glad that I read it. If you like the movie, I believe that you will enjoy the novel. It is interesting and a great piece of children's literature.
Book 177: The Pinhoe Egg
(Chrestomanci #6)
By Diana Wynne Jones
Read November 23rd-24th
Pages: 416
Release Year: 2006
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Another wonderful book in the Chrestomanci series. I love the setup of this one with the grandmother and could not believe how dark it got by the end. Diana Wynne Jones created such an intriguing series. It was always interesting to see the new ways the characters were able to do magic. I'm going to miss this world, especially Christopher.
Book 178: Jane Austen's Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels
By Molly Williams and illustrated by Jessica Roux
Read November 25th-26th
Pages: 208
Release Year: 2025
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A perfect book for Jane Austen and gardening fans. There is so much information about gardens and plants from the Regency era, along with the ways Jane used flowers, plants, and landscaping in her books. Molly Williams also has how-to guides on how to create many of the projects discussed in the book for those who would be interested. Along with all of the information there are wonderful illustrations by Jessica Roux, which enhances the overall experience.
Book 179: Coffee Stains on My Books
By Stefania Lucchetti
Read November 26th
Pages: 190
Release Year: 2024
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My favorites were:
- "Aphrodite"- I particularly love the last verse of this poem.
"But know, dear mortal, you cannot possess me
for I am wild, bold, and freedom obsessive.
I’ll vanish when your heart ceases to sing
with the authenticity true creation brings."
- "Second Class Ticket"- An absolutely beautiful poem and one of the best.
- "Coffee Stains On My Books"- The poem that the collection is named after is definitely one of my favorites. It's funny how much a stain on something so precious can tell a whole story. One that will make the owner remember something from the past.
- "Ariadne's Yarn"- Probably my favorite of the Greek Mythology poems. I love Ariadne's story from mythology and this was such a great poem.
- "Hades"- This is one of the most interesting pieces from the collection. Greek Mythology will always draw me into a story or poem. I like how she draws upon the mythology in all of these poems to write her lines of verse. Stunning!
- "Athena"- This has so many powerful lines. I love the last 6 lines of the final verse.
"Will they love the woman inside me,
or will I remain
a fallen goddess
watching my armour,
now useless,
rusting away in a corner?"
- "Penelope's Web"- Penelope is one of my favorite characters in Greek Mythology and I enjoyed this poem.
- "Blue Notebook"- I love how the last poem in the collection used the notebook she talked about at the beginning. Such a beautiful way to end this collection. As a poet/writer myself, I have many notebooks from my past that hold such significance to me.
This is a collection that I know I will read from in years to come and I highly recommend it.
*Thank you to Stefania Lucchetti for my ARC of this collection. All opinions are my own.*
Book 180: Rewitched (Rewitched #1)
By Lucy Jane Wood
Read November 28th- 30th
Pages: 384
Release Year: 2024
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