November Reading Recap
November Reading Recap: 4 Books I Read this Month
By: Brittany Shields
This is probably my lowest month of reading in quite a long time! I was doing a lot of work preparing for the Shelf Reflection 2026 Reading Challenge and creating all the graphics for that.
And then I had to go and get inspired to create a Candy Reading Challenge and make all the printables for that!
Throw in a bunch of appointments and the Thanksgiving holiday and it’s kinda a miracle I read any books this month!
Even though I didn’t read many books, I did make these four books count:
Two of them helped me FINALLY finish the 2024 Reading Challenge (yeah.. I know… pretty behind on that one)
The other two got me closer to finishing the Shelf Reflection’s 2025 Reading Challenge— only two more to go on this one!
And one of them even came from the Most Anticipated Books of 2025 list.
Now we’re heading into the busy month of December with more holiday gatherings and activities. I have a few books I’m planning to read and am hoping to squeeze in a Christmas book if I can, but I am not anticipating a long list of reads for next month.
Plus, I’m working on all my year-end lists including a year in review wrap-up about all the books I read this year and deciding what the Most Anticipated Books of 2026 are going to be!
Stay tuned for all the info!
And don’t forget to follow my Facebook page for more reviews, recommendations, and book-lover fun!
1. How to Solve Your Own Murder (Castle Knoll Files #1) by Kristen Perrin
Genre: Mystery
[Fulfilled ‘A book with a title that begins ‘How to’’ prompt as part of Shelf Reflection’s 2024 Reading Challenge]
[Nominee for ‘Best Mystery/Thriller’ category of the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards Reading Challenge]
“‘My favorite chess saying is very simple: you can play without a plan, but you’ll probably lose.’”
I enjoyed this dual time period mystery novel! I think it’s fitting for Goodreads to advertise this to fans of Knives Out. Definitely similar vibes.
I thought the author wove the mystery together nicely. I didn’t have it figured out— I’m not sure if we were necessarily given enough of the clues early enough to have tried— and am satisfied with how it was all resolved.
The book begins in the past with three friends (Rose, Emily, and Frances) at a booth where Frances gets her fortune read. It predicts things about betrayal and bones; ‘All signs point to your murder.’
A friend’s disappearance and her fortune looming large, Frances becomes obsessed with figuring out who would murder her.
Then we jump ahead to present day to our main character, twenty-five-year old Annie Adams whose presence has been requested at Castle Knoll as the new sole beneficiary in her Aunt Frances’ recently revised will.
But the meeting never happens because Frances is found murdered. Unsurprisingly, her will states that to actually receive the benefits of the will, Annie or Frances’s nephew Saxon must solve her murder.
Read my full review to get more plot details, a character chart I made to keep it all straight, my thoughts on some of the negative reviews, and a content advisory.
2. A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Legal Thriller/ Crime
[Fulfilled ‘A book set during Prohibition’ prompt as part of Shelf Reflection’s 2025 Reading Challenge]
[On my list of Most Anticipated Books of 2025]
I have read over ten books by Robert Dugoni. I like his work. And A Killing on the Hill fit the pattern!
This was a fun read because it took place during Prohibition. It had all the theatrical Great Gatsby vibes. The fedoras. The cigars. The speakeasies. The ear trumpets. Everything costs five cents. What an era!
It’s set in Seattle and is inspired by some true events that occurred during that time. Apparently Seattle was basically the Gotham City of the 30s.
If Seattle is Gotham City, then our main character, William ‘Shoe’ Shumacher, is a naive and eager Joseph Gordan-Levitt (that’s how I picture him) encountering the city for the first time. He’s a reporter trying to make his way during the Depression.
Shoe gets a tip and gets his first big break. The story: Did gangster George Miller (Moore if you want to Google the real story), murder Frankie in cold blood or was it self-defense?
Read my full review for some comments on the role of the media and the public’s perception of it, get some more information on what ‘hill’ this all happened on, and see what I thought was the strongest part of the book was. You’ll also find my ultimate recommendation and a content advisory note.
3. The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games #1) by Jennifer Lynne Barnes
Genre: YA
[Fulfilled ‘A book with a competition’ prompt as part of Shelf Reflection’s 2025 Reading Challenge]
“‘Everything’s a game, Avery Grambs. The only thing we get to decide in this life is if we play to win.’”
As someone who loves puzzles, riddles, and secret passageways, this was a fun read for me!
It’s your classic: someone randomly and unexpectedly inherits a bunch of money but there’s a mysterious catch about actually getting the money and let’s race to find out kind of story.
The main characters are all teenagers so it definitely feels like the YA genre it is written in.
Recently orphaned Avery Grambs is a (somewhat) normal high schooler until she is told she is the sole inheritor of an estate worth billions and she’s never even met the (now dead) man.
After the man’s four grandsons (also teenagers) find clues in the letters they received after his death, Avery finds herself involved in a scavenger hunt to see what the puzzle leads to and if she will get any answers for why she’s even there.
You will find a cast of characters in my full review, plus you’ll get more plot details, find out who my favorite character is, and see what my hesitations with this book are.
4. James by Percival Everett
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Fiction
[Fulfilled ‘A book from Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club nominees’ prompt as part of Shelf Reflection’s 2025 Reading Challenge]
[Nominee for ‘Best Historical Fiction’ and ‘Best Audiobook’ categories of the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards Reading Challenge]
“‘Belief has nothing to do with truth.’”
James was a hard, but compelling read. It is a new take on Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huck Finn told from the POV of Jim, the runaway slave, set in the 1860s.
It has elements of satire and humor in one breath and then in the next, severe injustice and heartbreak. You become highly invested in the life of James and his journey to freedom. Even though we do get a potentially ‘good’ ending, we can’t help but be sobered that in reality, so many slaves were unable to realize the same life that James was able to.
I had never read Twain’s book so my experience reading this book did not include comparing it to what was already written. I did, however, look at the Sparknotes of Huck Finn after the fact and I share some of my findings in my full review. I also discuss some of the main themes in the book regarding identity, language, and humanity.
It’s one of those books that is not commonly given negative reviews, but there have been some and I address those in my full review as well.
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