November’s reading has been rather hit-and-miss, with a mix of some really interesting books and others that fell rather flat. But isn’t that the way of things with the reading life, sometimes?
Some books make you wonder why they garnered such hype — is it simply based on the cover or the blurb? On paid promotions or sponsorships? Or do some books just become “trendy” because of their gorgeous covers?
In this age of BookTok and Bookstagram, I often wonder if people are actually reading the books they gush over, or if they’re simply promoting the experience of being a reader, or the aesthetics of the reading life?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing comfort reading — heck, I love cozy books and well-written fantasy series — but some of the books that gain all the hype are lazily written and poorly edited. All they have going for them are their undoubtedly gorgeous covers!
Still, if a BookTok recommendation gets you back to reading, who am I to complain? Just maybe, don’t get all your reading recommendations from the algorithm?
Reading wrap-up for November
This month, I read 5 books, including 2 for the Book Bingo challenge, as I wandered through post upper class Manhattan neighborhoods, the Medici’s Florence, the caves of the Gorgon sisters, and the streets of Cambridge and Boston.
(Click on the book covers to purchase the book on Amazon.)
Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh (Courtroom drama)
There’s something wrong with Ruby Johnson. Her grandma said so, watching her with a beady eye ever since she was a child. Ruby, who grew up in the ultra-elite Manhattan upper class, until her father’s gambling debts forced them to sell everything they had and move to a tiny, grubby apartment far away from everything Ruby once took for granted.
Now, she works as a maid and nanny in the same ultra-elite she grew up in. Her role makes her almost invisible to the people she works for, which makes her privy to all the dirty secrets hidden inside those beautifully renovated brownstones. And when she witnesses a murder, Ruby has her own wicked plans in mind that don’t involve telling the authorities the truth.
Eddie Flynn, streetwise ex con-artist-turned-defense attorney, is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases. And none is more hopeless than John Jackson’s—the gun that killed his neighbor found, with Jackson’s DNA, in his own home.
Flynn and his unconventional team will need to use every trick they know to keep an innocent man from being locked up. But to save his client’s life, Eddie must first protect his own, as the scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.
An absolute cracker of a novel that kept me hooked from the first page to the last. If you enjoy courtroom dramas, thrillers/mysteries, and are a fan of the Lincoln Lawyer, you will love this book!
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (A feminist retelling)
What if the hero of the story was really the monster? And what if the monster was the one who had a heart of gold?
That’s the question Haynes asks in this feminist retelling of Medusa’s story.
The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa is the youngest of the Gorgon sisters. Unlike her siblings, Medusa grows older, experiences change, and feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know.
When the sea god Poseidon assaults Medusa in Athene’s temple, the goddess is enraged. Furious by the violation of her sacred space, Athene takes revenge — on the young woman.
Punished for Poseidon’s actions, Medusa is forever transformed. Writhing snakes replace her hair and her gaze will turn any living creature to stone. Cursed with the power to destroy all she loves with one look, Medusa condemns herself to a life of solitude, refusing even to look upon the faces of her beloved sisters, afraid that her curse would turn them to stone.
Until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon…
Perseus, who the myths have turned into a mighty warrior, but who completed this task with the help of the gods, and with a petulant and vengeful attitude towards almost everyone he met along the way.
And the gods, oh my word, let’s speak about the gods for a moment. All myths tell us that Zeus was a philanderer and Hera was vengeful, that Athena was strategic and Hephaestus was shy. But Haynes really highlights their petty squabbles and jealousies, rendering the gods as rather uncaring, callous actors concerned only with their own comforts, quick to take offence at the slightest perceived slight.
From being originally cast as the monster, Medusa has, over the centuries, turned into a multi-dimensional symbol, transforming now into a symbol of feminist rage against toxic masculinity and sexual assault. Haynes turns our understanding of this legendary myth on its head, bringing empathy and nuance to one of the earliest stories in which a woman — injured by a powerful man — is blamed and punished for the assault. Highly recommended!
Bianca’s Cure by Gigi Berardi
Florence, 1563. Forbidden from practicing her herbal cures in Venice, the young noblewoman Bianca Capello flees to Florence, where the ruling Medici family practices alchemy. There, she wins herself an invitation to their palace, and a path to the duke regent Francesco’s bed.
The impassioned bond between Francesco de Medici and Bianca Capello is at the core of this romp through medicine, politics, love, and ultimately death in Renaissance Florence.
This was quite a fascinating book, with some problems.
Berardi gives the reader a very interesting glimpse into Medici Florence and the story of Bianca Capello and Francesco Medici, which had quite a mysterious ending in real life. I found Bianca’s passion and drive for finding a cure for malaria very interesting, though at times it was a bit tedious too. I understand just how driven scientists are with finding the answers to their questions, but I also know that they have a life outside of the laboratory, with not every waking thought consumed by their science.
This is where Berardi’s book went a little overboard. By framing absolutely everything Bianca did through the lens of finding a cure — not an easy task for a woman in those times, to be sure — she made Bianca come across as wooden, manipulative, and completely self-absorbed. This is a pity, because there was the scope and potential to make her a more well-rounded figure. Still, it was a rather interesting read.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Expected publication date: 10 February 2026
Modern Divination by Isa Agajanian
23-year-old witch Aurelia Schwartz has always had to carefully balance her human life with her secret magical one. With a place at an elite Cambridge university college, she almost has everything she could possibly want within her grasp. Just so long as she follows the rules: Make no promises. Tell no one what you are. And never stay the night.
Except Aurelia’s gift of green magic has begun to fade. Worse still, someone is hunting witches — and stealing their powers.
Reluctantly, Aurelia accepts the help of fellow witch and dreadfully arrogant classmate Theodore Ingram. Together, they seek refuge among his family in the remote corners of an already-desolate town. But as she grows closer to Theodore, the power-hungry witch-killer, too, draws nearer. And they threaten to destroy everything Aurelia holds dear.
With a name like Modern Divination, how could I pass up this book? Billed as a cross between A Discovery of Witches and The Atlas Six was also intriguing. Alas, the book had more in common with The Atlas Six — meandering prose, poor editing in places, jumps in POVs and places without any indication of a change in pacing.
Reading it was a bit of a slog, but I kept at it because I was curious to know what happens next. The premise, the story, the characters, and the world building were all pretty good, what the book really needed was a good editorial touch!
Near Death by Glenn Cooper
A brilliant neuroscientist, obsessed with death since his own childhood near death experience, resorts to drastic measures to prove the existence of the afterlife.
It is the most complex investigation that Cyrus O’Malley has ever faced. The FBI special agent looks at photos of the victims for the umpteenth time and wonders why, after being strangled, the serial killer has drilled a tiny hole through their skull. For Cyrus, the case becomes an obsession. To solve it, he will be forced to give up everything he holds dear.
England, 1988. It is the most overwhelming feeling that Alex Weller has ever had. In ecstasy, at the pivot point between life and death, the boy sees a river of light flowing in front of him and on the other side there is his father, joyfully urging him to join him. But Alex cannot move, and suddenly he is back at the site of the terrible car accident that has just killed his parents.
Since that time, Alex has had only one goal: to understand and relive that experience. Even if he is forced to kill.
Cooper brilliantly blends together several genres and themes — serial killer, crime, drug trade, life after death, cults — into a compelling narrative that will keep you hooked as you wonder what happens next.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Expected publication date: 1 December 2025
Over to you: What was on your reading list this month?
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