Books I read in November 2025
November was a really good reading month, the sort where I kept finding 'just one more chapter' had quietly turned into an extra hour on the sofa. As the days got shorter and busier, books once again gave me a mix of escape, reflection, and the gentle reminder that other people’s stories can help us make sense of our own. You can read longer reviews for each book in my November Book Reads Blog (Amazon Affiliate Links)
We dipped into Chapter 3 this month. This chapter really gets to the heart of the book’s title - the idea that no matter what you do, not everyone is going to like you, and that trying to please everyone is an impossible (and exhausting) task.
Instead, the authors invite us to choose the freedom of living a life that feels right for us, rather than constantly performing the version other people might prefer.
Kristin Hannah has become one of my standout discoveries of the year, and The Great Alone only cemented that.
Set in the wild, beautiful, and deeply unforgiving landscape of Alaska, it follows a family trying to build a new life in circumstances that are anything but simple. The characters are so well drawn - flawed, believable, and at times heartbreaking, and the setting is so vivid you can almost feel the cold and hear the crunch of snow.
I started the month back in Beartown with Us Against You, the sequel to Beartown. Unlike the first book, which I struggled with at times, I absolutely loved this one. I’m not sure if it’s because I already knew the town, the people, and the weight of everything that happened before, or because Backman seems to be trying to do slightly less and therefore goes deeper. Either way, I was completely immersed.
Somehow, I’m one of the people who didn’t study To Kill a Mockingbird at school, so I came to it with fresh eyes as an adult. In some ways, I’m glad I didn’t first encounter it as an assigned text. Instead, I could just experience the story and let it unfold, rather than worrying about essays and exam questions. I flew through it.
Quite a few people had recommended Weyward to me, so when I saw it pop up on my Kindle I decided it was time. It turned out to be one of my favourite reads of the month. Told across three timelines, we follow Violet, Altha, and Kate - women whose lives, power, and trauma are intertwined across the centuries. The story has a quietly magical, spellbinding quality to it, I found myself racing through it over two days, staying up far too late because I couldn’t put it down.
This one doubled as both personal reading and background for my Masters dissertation on kindness in leadership. In A Different Kind of Power, Jacinda Ardern reflects on her childhood, political journey, and time as Prime Minister, including the key crises she faced in office. What stood out most for me was her articulation of empathy and kindness not as soft add-ons, but as deliberate, powerful leadership choices.
A few years ago I read The Keeper of Stories and absolutely loved it, so I was keen to try The Secrets of Flowers. I’d also read The Book of Beginnings, which sadly didn’t land as well for me, so I went into this one hopeful but cautious. Overall, I found this book okay rather than outstanding, engaging enough to finish, but not one that completely swept me away.
This one was a total impulse buy based purely on the title, so I went in with zero expectations and came out completely gripped. The End of the World Running Club is essentially an action-packed end-of-the-world story where running (quite literally) becomes a lifeline. It felt like watching an action film in book form, full of tension, movement, and high stakes, but with enough emotional depth to make you care what happens to the characters.
David Holmes was Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the Harry Potter films and was paralysed while rehearsing a stunt for one of the later films. His book gives a fascinating glimpse into the world of stunt performers - the risks, the camaraderie, the creativity, and the sheer physical demands. It also offers a different perspective on the Potter franchise, including reflections on his relationships with cast members and moments from the set that fans may not know about.
This was a re-scan rather than a full re-read for my book club. I’d first read this about a year ago and kept hold of my copy in case it came up as a book club choice, and it did. If I’m honest, I didn’t enjoy it either time. The one thing I did find interesting was the glimpse into the publishing world, the pressures on authors, the role of agents, and the sometimes fraught dynamics around promotion and success. But overall, I found it a deeply unlikeable book.
I picked this up at a local event on publication day and have a lovely signed copy, which makes it feel extra special. It’s a beautiful little book, written and illustrated by Sam Warburton. It gave me strong The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse vibes - gentle storytelling paired with thoughtful, encouraging reflections. It’s the kind of book you can read in one sitting, then dip back into whenever you need a little comfort, perspective, or a reminder to pause.
Everything, Everything was one of those books I inhaled in big gulps. It’s engaging, heartbreaking, and tense in equal measure, and even though I guessed the twist ahead of time, it didn’t take away from the experience.
It’s a cleverly structured, compulsively readable story that explores risk, safety, freedom, and what it means to really live. I’m also curious now to watch the film adaptation and see how it translates to the screen.
Normal People has been sitting on my 'to read' pile for far too long, and I’m glad I finally picked it up.
I found the characters incredibly believable, the kind that quietly draw you into their intertwining story and stay with you after you’ve finished. The book felt raw, honest, and very human, with all the missed opportunities, unspoken feelings, and mis-matched timing that so often shape real relationships.
To kick off December, I’ve already picked up What It Takes by Sarina Wiegman, and I’m looking forward to spending some time with that over the coming weeks.
I’ll also be continuing my Kristin Hannah obsession with The Nightingale. I’ve heard so many good things about it that I’m quietly wondering whether I’ve accidentally saved one of my top reads of the year for the final month…
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