Hello everyone! Happy November to you! So how do you feel about November? For me, it holds my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas, but Thanksgiving is my favorite. And I never, ever, ever shop on that weekend. It's all about being thankful, family, and maybe a little football. Or maybe more than a little football. OK, at our house, football is part of Thanksgiving Day. First the Dallas Cowboys and then the University of Texas Longhorns. Neither team is having a banner year at all. Ah well. Let's see what I remembered best or loved most in Novembers of the past 20 years.
November 1995 - Rosemary Remembered by Susan Wittig Albert - I think I shared in last month's post that 1995 was a time when we were not in our native Texas, but living in Portland, Oregon. A wonderful place. However, I was a bit homesick and November's favorite was the 4th book in this author's China Bayles series, set in the fictional Texas Hill Country town of Pecan Springs. China is a former attorney and herbalist and all the titles have herbs included. There are now 24 books in the series and I have read exactly 2 of them. This one finds China investigating the murder of her accountant, Rosemary Robbins.
November 2000 - Dear Stranger, Dearest Friend by Laney Katz Becker - I've shared several times how much I like epistolary novels. This book tells the story of two women who meet online on a breast cancer support website. One is in New York and one in the Midwest. They become great friends and offer each other the encouragement and love that they need at such a scary time. A very touching book. I think perhaps that it came out of the author's own experience with cancer.
November 2005 - The Healing Quilt by Lauraine Snelling - I don't really intend to read about women with cancer in November, but this book has a breast cancer storyline as well. And I have shared that this time of year makes me thankful for so many things. Perhaps that is why books such as this one and the previous one touch my heart in a special way in November. The Healing Quilt is the story of Dot Cooper who has a project to raise money for a new mammogram machine for her town. Her Aunt Teza's test results were inconclusive and Dot wants to help out. She and her friends will make a wonderful quilt and auction it off. As they sew, they share their stories. Another sweet book about friendship and faith.
November 2010 - Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny - This is the 6th book in this author's Three Pines series starring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and it is one of my favorites (well, they are all my favorites, but this one is an extra favorite). Not everyone likes the Penny books that are not primarily set in Three Pines. This book takes us to Quebec City in winter where Gamache has gone to heal from injuries suffered in the previous book. It has a lot of history included and I loved it. Louise Penny spent a lot of time researching her story and I can remember her sharing in newsletters that she and her husband rented an apartment in Quebec City for several months while she worked. And I love the cover - the melding of fall and winter - which is November, right?
We come to the end of my November 2015 Bookish Nostalgia. I hope you enjoyed it. I certainly did. I love going back over my lists for previous years and finding which book I'd like to share with you. Join me next month to see what I was reading in Decembers over the years.
If the entire month of November could be just like yesterday, I wouldn't complain one bit. We topped off at 76 degrees with beautiful clear skies. It was so nice, we went for an hour-long walk. Unfortunately, this type of weather doesn't stick around too long once we get further into the month. Oh, well. :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if I learned about Dearest Stranger, Dear Friend from you? I read and loved it many years ago. I think it's out of print now, which is unfortunate, although I'm sure a lot of the medical treatments are now outdated. I did enjoy the epistolary format and may just have to give it a second reading now that you've reminded me of it. :)
I love this feature on your blog, Kay!
Les, I think it might be possible that you learned from me or I learned from you. We knew each other in 2000, so who knows? Glad you guys are having lovely weather. Enjoy it while it lasts, right?
DeleteWell, we hit 82 this afternoon and the 10-day forecast looks promising. I'll take it! Maybe we won't get any snow or ice until 2016!
DeleteNot sure if you have my blog in a feed, but I actually published a post tonight! :)
It's funny how trends work in reading. I'm drawn to certain types of books throughout the year without even realizing it. I've been thinking about Susan Wittig Albert lately. I haven't read any of hers in decades but my library just got a ton of them on their digital site and I'd love to revisit the series.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that funny how trends do seem to show up? Yes, I can understand wanting to revisit the SWA books. There are a couple of members of my book group who love her books. We hosted an event with her when I worked at the library. That was fun. She brought a lot of garden stuff.
DeleteBury Your Dead is my favorite in the series, too! It was when I read it, and it still is the one that I like best--and that's saying something since I love this series.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any Susan Wittig Albert in years, but enjoyed all of the books I read in the Chinal Bayle series!
What is it about Bury Your Dead that is so appealing? Maybe the setting. I need to reread the whole series, I think. I have been hoarding the newest one and am thinking about a revisit of at least the last few before reading it.
DeleteYou will never guess what kind of a reading mood, I got into... I requested 'Miss Read' books at the library! Imagine that. I am really in need of small UK town comfort, I guess. LOL.
ReplyDeleteBut of course, by the time they come, I'll have passed that stage. Also LOL>
I can understand that, Tessa. You know, I've never read the 'Miss Read' books. Maybe one day.
DeleteI just love these posts, Kay! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, too, and shopping is a big no no around here that weekend. It's all about family, food, and football!
ReplyDeleteHave never read any of these books, but I love epistolary novels and Dear Stranger, Dearest Friend sounds wonderful!
Thanks for your kind words, JoAnn! I'm not sure why I love epistolary novels so much, but I really do.
DeleteI used to love November, but then it became the month that everything seemed to go wrong--for several years in a row--and I'm always hoping the new November will be better, less stressful, less dramatic, etc. Here's hoping that's the case this month!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually excited about Thanksgiving this year. It's not my favorite holiday, I'm afraid (and I loathe football with an irrational passion). We'll be spending the day at Disneyland, just the three of us. No stressful family situations--although there will be crowds of people . . . Hopefully I will be in such a good mood I won't notice. :-)
Disneyland at Thanksgiving sounds wonderful, Wendy! My daughter and I visited Disneyworld a few years ago (a mom and daughter trip) in October and we loved the decorations. We had only gone in the summer before. Good luck with your fun day when it comes!
DeleteWe don't do Thanksgiving - so unfair! But I might have a turkey sandwich and a piece of pie in your honour... ;) I really must read the Three Pines books sometime - been on the TBR for ever. Almsot everyone who's read them seems to love them.
ReplyDeletePlease have a turkey sandwich and pie. And yes, you must read the Three Pines books. I can't recommend them enough.
DeleteI do love your nostalgic posts as you go back so far! As always you have some great looking books on this post - I too have the Three Pines books on my TBR
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't recommend the Three Pines books enough to you either, Cleo. They are lovely.
DeleteThere is no shopping for me either on Thanksgiving Weekend. I would rather stick a pencil in my ear than fight those crowds---plus just love the idea of snuggling down with a good book before the hecticness (is that a word?) of Christmas comes. I have read the first 2 of the Three Pines books, but I own at least the first 4 or 5.
ReplyDeleteGood to know that I'm not the only rebel in that regard. LOL
DeleteI really need to get back to Louise Penney's series as I really enjoyed Still Life a few years back. I have been meaning to continue on with this series every since! I love that you have been keeping track of your reads for such a long time! I wish I had done the same :)
ReplyDeleteI encourage you to continue the Penny series. It's my favorite. And yes, I've been keeping track a long time. However, I wish that I had started even earlier. Like when I was a teen.
DeleteThanksgiving is my favorite holiday, too, and I never shop that weekend either. It horrifies me to think of the crowds out there.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of your favorite November reads, but they look good. I've read a book in the Louise Penny series.
I know. The crowds make me crazy thinking about them too. Better just to stay home a read, right?
DeleteI love November, too. It starts getting cool here, for one thing. Also, Thanksgiving, a wonderful holiday that totally gets the shaft. Three of my four children were born in November, so it's party hard-y all month long :)
ReplyDeleteI just finished A RULE AGAINST MURDER, which wasn't set in Three Pines either. Hoping to get to THE BRUTAL TELLING this month. I think BURY YOUR DEAD is after that? Not sure. Anyway, I've loved all the books in this series!
Oh, you've got lots more fun to come in the Louise Penny series. Enjoy!
DeleteThanksgiving is my favorite holiday too. It was my grandfather's favorite, so maybe it's not surprising. Still only read the first Penny book and I liked it . Sheesh. I really need to find more hours in the day.
ReplyDelete