6 Books I Read in November
6 Books I Read in November
By: Brittany Shields
We are coming out of Thanksgiving, hopefully having had lots of good food and time with family, and are hitting the Christmas season hard! Well at least the Shields clan is— bring on the Christmas tree, lights, and music!
I feel like the holiday season is a hard time to get too invested with books because there are so many other activities happening, parties to get to, traditions to continue.
I totally get it, but if you have a few minutes here and there, maybe one of these books will catch your interest.
Whether you’re looking to learn or looking to escape, there is something for you! Check out my six books from this month or browse my other review/recommendations by genre.
Spotlight of the Month
I was going to spotlight Eve in Exile in conjunction with Radical Womanhood this month because they are both about biblical womanhood and feminism and there is much discussion to be had about that right now, buuuuut I’m pivoting a bit!
This month I read two very different books on racism and social justice: How to Fight Racism and Fault Lines. I’ve read much on this topic and my reviews of these books contain that list.
Critical Race Theory is a hot button topic these days. Many are accusing people of teaching it and thus fighting against those who espouse it, some people are actively promoting it, and some are wondering what the heck it even is and would just like to never hear that phrase again.
I don’t know where you fall on that spectrum but I urge you to read more about it. It is influencing us more than we realize and the trajectory of aligning with the CRT narrative has dangerous implications, especially for Christians.
Thanks for stopping by, I wish you and yours lots of Christmas cheer this month!
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han
Genre: YA/Romance
“If love is like a possession, maybe my letters are like my exorcisms. My letters set me free. Or at least they’re supposed to.”
I’d heard the movie was good so, naturally, I had to read the book first.
Lara Jean writes love letters that serve as good-bye letters when she’s ready for a crush to be over. Somehow these letters got mailed and now she must face her deepest confessions to all the boys she has loved before.
What YA book is complete without a love triangle, am I right?
Actually that’s not my favorite, and the high school mind is somewhat of an enigma, but I actually kinda liked reading this book and appreciated their emphasis on family.
Check out my full review to get a book vs movie comparison!
2. On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity by Daniel Bowman Jr.
Genre: Memoir/ #OwnVoices
“When you read an autistic memoir, you’re not just getting an account of one life or gaining specialized knowledge about a tiny subsection of the population. You’re learning about what it means to be human. You’re learning about 1 in 45 people.”
This is a collection of essays written by Daniel Bowman Jr., Christian, autistic professor at Taylor University in Indiana. Inspired to share his experience as a creative autistic, this is a vulnerable and enlightening read.
I learned a lot about autism and neurodiversity and became aware of some things we can do to better welcome and serve autistics in our communities, and specifically in our churches.
Read my full review to get a better description of neurodiversity, see a helpful diagram, read more highlights, and hear my caveats!
3. Eve in Exile and the Restoration of Femininity by Rebekah Merkle
Genre: Nonfiction/Christian Living
“If God designed women for a specific purpose, if there are fixed limits on the feminine nature, then surely it would follow that when we are living in accordance with those limits and purpose we will be in our sweet spot. That’s where we’ll shine. Where we’ll excel. And where we will find the most fulfillment. If your hackles are already going up at that, then it’s probably because you’re afraid that in the end, what God designed for you is unexciting, unfulfilling, demeaning, and generally dull.”
Similar to Radical Womanhood in that it discusses historic feminists and their influence on the world and how we interact with this information as believers, but different in that Merkle has a bolder, no-nonsense tone in her writing.
This is a great book that elevates the importance of the home, affirms women who have not chosen careers, and reminds us how integral all women are to the Creation Mandate (subdue, fill, help, glorify) and its expansion— the Great Commission (spread the gospel to all the world).
Best read in a group to hear many women’s experiences and perspectives.
There are really comforting truths in this book if we have to ears to hear and don’t let her somewhat brash tone cause us to miss her heart.
Check out my full review to get the best and the worst parts of this book!
4. How to Fight Racism Young Reader’s Edition: A Guide to Stand Up for Racial Justice by Jemar Tisby
Genre: Nonfiction/Cultural
“God’s plan has always been diversity. Every tribe, tongue, and nation are part of his family and the Bible does not differentiate people based on race.”
Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise, has written a simplified version of his book How to Fight Racism that is geared toward kids ages 8-12.
This book is hard to write a review on. There are strengths in this book in terms of emphasizing God’s plan for diversity and the ways Tisby encourages kids to treat others well, but it’s clear that a large portion of his writing aligns with the Critical Race Theory narrative in terms of white guilt and systemic racism, among others.
I explain this further in my full review and discuss whether this is the right book for your kids to learn about racism.
5. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
Genre: Historical Fiction
“Libraries are lungs. Books the fresh air breathed in to keep the heart beating, to keep the brain imagining, to keep hope alive.”
“Words are worth fighting for, they are worth the risk.”
This is your classic historical fiction that jumps back and forth from past (1940s) and the present (1980s). It follows the life of Odile Souchet in Paris as a young librarian at The American Library, and then as an older woman living in rural Montana, befriending the teenager girl next door, Lily.
Almost all the characters (not Odile or Lily) are based on real life people working at this library in Paris during the Nazi occupation in WWII.
Book lovers, especially those familiar with classic literature, will enjoy this book.
Having read a lot of historical fiction, this one didn’t rank high up on my list for that genre and my full review explains why!
6. Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe by Voddie T. Baucham Jr.
Genre: Nonfiction/Christian Living/Cultural
“Love your brothers and sisters enough to contend with them and for them.”
You may have recently voiced this sentiment or heard it at your local school board meeting- “Why are people so up in arms and claiming we’re teaching/preaching/perpetuating Critical Race Theory?! We don’t even know what it is! We just want all people to feel loved and accepted and to fight for justice!”
Voddie Baucham, black pastor and professor, has written this book to expose the fault line that exists in the world today that is sure to widen and do damage to our society and our churches.
This particular fault line is the ideology of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Intersectionality (I). Fault Lines exposes how prevalent and subliminal this ideology is in our culture and how we operate out of it, a lot of times without even knowing.
This is in my top four books on understanding social justice, CRT/I, and the interaction it has with society at large as well as the church specifically.
I basically highlighted this entire book.
But there is much to be read on this topic. Check out my review for my other 3 top books and a list of further reading.
See what other books I’ve read in these categories!