This has felt like a really long month in many ways, with so much going on. In terms of reading and blogging alone, it started with what turned out to be the final Witch Week, celebrating the centenary of Joan Aiken’s birth. I found it a wonderful finale to an event I started back in 2014, and I am very grateful to the hosts for the last few years, Chris Lovegrove and Lizzie Ross. I hope you’ll go back to check out some of the posts.
I was inspired to read a couple more books by Aiken this month, too, not wanting to let the magic go. And to continue with children’s books, I finished reading Momo in German, quite an accomplishment for me; it also turned out to be perfect timing for German Literature Month. And I read the last three books in the Oz series, completing the Ozathon readalong I started last December – see here for thoughts on books 11 and 12; my final post will be up next month.
In need of more light reading, I sampled some of Katherine Center’s romances (thanks Jeanne of Necromancy Never Pays for the inspiration), but also found the energy for some thoughtful nonfiction, including my last book for the Nonfiction Reader Challenge. And I completed a writing book I’ve been working through all year. Maybe that’s why the month felt so long …
Here’s what I read in November:
- The Tin Woodman of Oz, The Magic of Oz, Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum – Rereads, Ozathon
- Momo by Michael Ende – Reread, but in German, German Literature Month
- The Whispering Mountain and Midnight Is a Place by Joan Aiken – Rereads
- Good Soil by Jeff Chu
- How Sondheim Can Change Your Life by Richard Schoch
- The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison
- Happiness for Beginners, Hello Stranger, The Rom-Commers, What You Wish For by Katherine Center
- The Tears of Things by Richard Rohr
- Break the Cycle by Mariel Buque
- The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale – Nonfiction Reader, True Crime category
- One Year to a Writing Life by Susan Tiberghien
- Thursday’s Child by Noel Streatfeild – Reread
With so much reading to recap, I don’t even have the energy to go into language and life this month. I’m still here, still trying to communicate, that’s all I can say. I hope you are too.
Linked at The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, the Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Wow! Congratulations on writing a book, reading so many, and reading one in German. You are amazing! I would also be trying to communicate and maybe you are more able than you give yourself credit for, I don’t know, it’s such an experience and you are doing it!
Thank you Silvia. I still feel like such a beginner in the language and I don’t know how people become fluent more quickly. But I will keep plugging along.
German really is a difficult language — good that you accomplished this!
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks for your encouragement.
You managed to read quite a bit in November, good for you. I’ve always wondered where people go to find out what month it is… scifi month, german lit month… Is there a list somewhere?
https://getlostinlit.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-sunday-post.html
I just find out from bogs that I’m following, as we tend to have many interests in common. But there may be a master list of blogging events somewhere.
I always love that you share your graphs. I like the visual. You had a great reading month! A few of the romance books look good.
Do you feel like your writing has improved since working through One Year to a Writing Life?
I’m not sure if it’s improved, but I generated some new work that I was pretty happy with. One piece just got accepted for publication!
Congratulations on completing the Nonfiction Reader Challenge, don’t forget to add your reviews to the Linky and your name to the Completed page.
Wishing you a happy reading week
I still have to do one more review and then I’ll be officially complete! Thanks for the great challenge.
You were busy in November! I saw Momo on a list somewhere of the best books ever, but I’ve never run across a copy here in the US. I might have to buy a copy one of these days.
I just have Glinda of Oz left to read. Thank you so much for hosting this year’s Ozathon. I never would have read all these lovely books on my own. I’m so glad I did.
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed discovering the Oz books through the Ozathon. I hoped that would happen, along with rereading them in company others who’d known them in childhood.
I really like Katherine Center’s books, and think I have one unread. I am a bit behind with Ozathon but will catch up this month. Should Glinda be in Jan. 25?
That’s right!
You accomplished a lot this month, and you’re well ahead of me on the Oz reading. That’s a lot of Katherine Center, which was your favorite? I liked The Bodyguard and How to Walk Away, but haven’t read 3 of the 4 you read.
I liked them all … maybe my favorite was The Rom-Commers. It shares a character with The Bodyguard so that might be a good follow up for you.
A lovely set of reads. I read only nonfiction in November, which was fun, but I’m enjoying a novel now!
I’m looking for some good fiction reads to get me through the winter. I just enjoyed The Marble Staircase for Dean Street December, that was perfect.