November 2022 Reads
Happy Holiday szn, my friends!
Does anyone else feel like we went from Halloween to Thanksgiving in 2.5 seconds? I mean I saw each day of November pass me by, but I don’t think I registered how quickly it was going lol. Which seems to be a theme to my months this fall. Especially now that it’s getting dark at like 4:30pm :’)
As a surprise to probably everyone - including myself - I somehow maintained enough self control during Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals to avoid buying any books. My goal for December and January is to not buy nor borrow any books, so that I can solely focus on reading the plethora of books I already own. This does not include audiobooks I will continue to borrow from Libby though.
Speaking of which, I actually did my own Libby Wrapped because my Spotify Wrapped was less than satisfactory for me this year. I didn’t really listen to a ton of music in my free time, but that’s because ya girl always has an audiobook going in my ear. So, I manually went through my reading log in Libby and added up the total number of hours and minutes I’ve spent listening to audiobooks as of November 30th…
Between February and November, I listened to 45 audiobooks (at various speeds) for a total of 22,164 minutes or 369.4 hours. 🙂
We still have one month left though, so I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the final number at the end of December.
Okie doke. I suppose that’s it for this intro. Let’s get into everything I read in November!
*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in - both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her own dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother’s hockey team. After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover. But the deceptions - and deaths - keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known?
My Thoughts: Why I allowed this book to spend so much time in my TBR pile, I literally cannot tell you. It took me a little longer to read compared to my usual pace, but I’m so glad I savored my time with the story, because it was phenomenal. It was a slower burn in the sense that the author not only sets up the plot and characters for you, but really dives into the geographical and cultural context for a better glimpse of the bigger picture. Especially since it takes place in Sault Ste Marie, I appreciated that she detailed the beauty of the Upper Peninsula. Daunis was the perfect main character for this book. She was strong, stubborn, insanely intelligent, fiercely loyal and truly loved with all of her heart. Honestly, all of the women in her closest circle were amazing and really added another layer to understanding how Daunis became the woman she is at present. Additionally, the Native American cultural references including language, clothing, ceremonies, traditions, storytelling and more, really pulled me deeper into the dynamics of her community. I was absolutely HOOKED by the mystery element of the plot and was constantly on edge from the dangers it posed for Daunis. Not to mention, the constant red herrings kept leading me astray. Personally, I adored the small subplot about the developing relationship between Daunis and Jamie, and absolutely LOVED how it played out in the end. If you haven’t picked up this book already, I can’t say enough good things about it.
The Roommate by Rosie Danan
THE ROOMMATE by Rosie Danan
Rating: 2/5 stars
Summary: House Rules: Do your own dishes. Knock before entering the bathroom. Never look up your roommate online. The Wheatons are infamous among the east coast elite for their lack of impulse control, except for their daughter Clara. She’s the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. But every Wheaton has their weakness. When Clara’s childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too much to resist. Unfortunately, it’s also too good to be true. After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger. Josh might be a bit too perceptive - not to mention handsome - for comfort, but there’s a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn’t looked him up on the Internet… Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realizes living with him might make her the Wheaton’s most scandalous story yet. His professional prowess inspires her to take tackling the stigma against female desire into her own hands. They may not agree on much, but Josh and Clara both believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they’re lucky, they’ll help everyone else get lucky too.
My Thoughts: Mmm. Okay so this book wasn’t terrible, but it’s one of those “the sum of its parts fell extremely short” type of thing. I’ll start with everything I appreciated in this book. The premise was great and I absolutely loved the sex positivity message throughout. It touches on the topic of giving people the confidence to communicate what they need from their partners in their intimate relationships. I also liked the message about treating people in every industry with respect, even if it’s an industry that has a tendency to be seen as taboo. Now onto the things that left me mildly disappointed with this book: Clara is a sweet main character, but she fell incredibly flat to me. There really wasn’t any depth to her, so any emotions she experienced were hard to empathize with because I couldn’t connect with her. Josh was also, at surface level, a nice main character. However, I honestly didn’t fully buy into him either due to the lack of layers. At one point, he basically says he’s falling for Clara, but we really don’t know why since we mainly only witnessed physical attraction up to that point lol. When it came to the spicier scenes in this book, I just didn’t care because I didn’t buy into the chemistry between those two. On top of that, I felt like the writing was pretty inconsistent throughout the book, so I never sank into a comfortable rhythm with it. Overall, I just plainly didn’t like it. I didn’t hate it, but I know a lot of people rate this one pretty highly, so by the time I finished it, I was pretty disappointed.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: In a corporate-dominated, space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid - a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own government module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.
My Thoughts: So I listened to this on audiobook and really wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s a quick read (only 144 pages or about 3 hours of listening), and the author really does just toss you right into the thick of it. This is such a fun sci-fi read and Murderbot is the ultimate main character. It’s hacked its own government module and is basically trying to stick it to “the man” with its own subtle protests. Also loved that at the end of the day, Murderbot just wanted to be left alone to binge watch its favorite shows. Relatable much? The plot quickly thickens when the research team Murderbot is protecting on this mission realizes someone is out here trying to kill exploratory teams. The ending left me with a cliffhanger, so of course I’m going to continue onto the next book in this series. If you’re looking for something quick and a little different, I highly recommend looking into All Systems Red.
The Locker Room by Meghan Quinn
THE LOCKER ROOM by Meghan Quinn
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Summary: Have you heard the rumor around campus about the locker room? If you haven’t, let me enlighten you: legend has it if you bring a girl into the sacred after-game domain of the baseball locker room, it will end with a walk down the aisle. One rowdy naked encounter against the lockers with a girl of your dreams will make her your wife. Translation: baseball players are stupidly superstitious and believe the locker room has magical powers. But not all baseball players are superstitious, me included. So when the girl I’ve fallen for brushes me off, I start to question if I need to switch my way of thinking. Maybe it’s time I finally hand out a coveted invitation to the locker room. The only question is, will she accept?
My Thoughts: Meghan Quinn really does know how to write a sports romance. I’ve read a few books by her throughout this year, and the ones I find myself inhaling are the ones involving baseball players lol. Listen, this was the sweetest cliche storyline I could’ve asked for. Emory Ealson just transferred to Brentwood in Illinois from CalTech in California after she found her boyfriend of six years cheating on her. Luckily, her two best friends welcome her to their three-person dorm room with open arms and she’s off to a fresh start in her junior year, focusing on herself. Knox Gentry is the all-star shortstop at Brentwood and is expected to be drafted to the Major Leagues no problem. He’s also one of the hottest guys on campus who has never had a girlfriend before. So when Emory and Knox find themselves bumping into each other all over campus, it ends up being the slow start of an incredibly fun friendship. The chemistry between these main characters was so sweet and endearing. I loved their banter, the shameless flirting, and the easiness of their platonic relationship. Knox immediately starts falling for Emory, but because she just got out of a serious relationship, he respects her boundaries and takes things extremely slow. Emory obviously can’t deny the romantic connection brewing between them, and although they eventually make the perfect couple, there’s an unexpected obstacle that ultimately tears them apart. But that’s not the end of it lol. The plot actually surprised me a lot and I loved how the storyline progressed, but I will say the eight-year gap towards the end was a little far-fetched to me. It obviously didn’t affect how I felt about the book overall though. Honestly, if you’re looking for a sports romance and haven’t tried Meghan Quinn yet, I highly recommend picking this one up!
The Dugout by Meghan Quinn
THE DUGOUT by Meghan Quinn
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Summary: Let me ask you a question: If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose? Word around campus is… it was no accident. That injury cost me everything; my starting position, my junior year - and the draft. Now, I’m a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into a nervous, fidgety girl with freckles in the dining hall. They call Milly Potter The Baseball Whisperer, The Diamond Wizard, and The Epitome of All Knowledge. She believes in baseball. She breathes it. She’s the queen of an infamous dynasty, but no one actually knows who she really is, and she plans to keep it that way. One mishap in the panini line, one miscommunication in the weight room, and many failed attempts at an apology equal up to one solid truth - Milly Potter never wants to speak to me again – no matter how good my forearms look. Little do we both know, she’s about to become more than just my fairy ball mother.
My Thoughts: This book was super cute! We met Carson in The Locker Room, and he was a great supporting character with comedic relief. However, this book takes place a year later after he’s suffered an injury inflicted by a fellow teammate that left his plans for the MLB in shambles. So, he’s not a pleasant guy to be around for the most part. Milly is a very sweet kinesiology major who has become an absolute expert in the mechanics of body movement/form of baseball players. I liked that the first few times they met were less than ideal and usually left one of them insanely confused or embarrassed. It made the eventual relationship they formed even more heartwarming because they got off to such a rocky start. I also loved how supportive they were of each other’s dreams - Carson going pro and Milly starting her own baseball mechanics program within her brothers’ existing sports training facility. Buying into the emotional and sexual chemistry between the two was so easy because it was clear how much they were invested in each other. The last part of the book took a turn I did not expect, and though the reconciliation timeline was a lot more realistic than the last book, I wasn’t confident they should get back together. I won’t lie to you, I’m writing the second half of this review a couple of weeks after I finished the book and although I don’t remember specifically why I didn’t love this book, I do know I ended up liking it just fine lol. If you started this series, I’d say continue onto this second book if you liked the first one, but I don’t think it’s a big deal if you don’t.
Us Against You by Fredrick Backman.
US AGAINST YOU by Fredrik Backman
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown’s new hockey coach. Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute. As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.
My Thoughts: Fredrik Backman wrecks me again, y’all. I read Beartown last year and loved it, but because it was pretty dark, I’d been putting off picking up this second book in the series. As I’ve mentioned before in my blog, I discovered this year that audiobooks are my new favorite way to consume Fredrik Backman books. So, I decided to give this one a go and by golly it still sucker punched me right in the feels. He has such a gift of taking every bit of vulnerability in each character and exposing it to the world. Somehow, it makes the less appealing parts of humankind a lot more endearing. The residents of Beartown are picking up the pieces of what was left in the aftermath of last year’s trauma and tragedy. They’re not sure they’ll have a hockey program anymore, which is the heart of the town, and everyone is trying to figure out how to keep moving forward. Benji is still and probably will continue to be my favorite character of this series. He is just so misunderstood and still manages to be a kind human being. I also loved that he’s still looking out of Maya whether he realizes he’s doing it or not. There’s a couple of characters we met in the first book, but got to know so much better in this one, and I was obsessed. Especially with how they each played into the dynamics of this recovering community. Honestly, y’all, I laughed. I cried. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: Anastsia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. A competitive figure skater since she was five years old, a full college scholarship thanks to her place on the Maple Hills skating team, and a schedule that would make even the most driven person weep, Stassie comes to win. No exceptions. Nathan Hawkins has never had a problem he couldn’t solve. As captain of the Maple Hills Titans, he knows the responsibility of keeping the hockey team on the ice rests on his shoulders. When a misunderstanding results in the two teams sharing a rink, and Anastasia’s partner gets hurt in the aftermath, Nate finds himself swapping his stick for tights, and one scary coach for an even scarier one. The pair finds themselves stuck together in more ways than one, but it’s fine, because Anastasia doesn’t even like hockey players… right?
My Thoughts: Okay y’all. I was NOT expecting to love this book as much as I did. I wasn’t convinced about the characters at first, but they quickly sold me on why I needed to love them. Anastasia is an insanely driven figure skater with a goal of going to the Olympics within the next few years. Nathan is a hot-shot hockey player, but underneath that title, he’s the sweetest guy you could ever ask for. The circumstances that throw these two into each other’s paths are less than ideal, but the results are everything I wanted from this book. The banter was great, the friendship layer of their relationship was addicting, and the sexual tension was THICC. I don’t know how realistic some of the living situation is, but it was necessary to the story, so I fully bought into it. Also, we MUST appreciate that Anastasia is a therapized queen and so self aware of her emotions. It was refreshing to see that part of her character bleed into Nathan’s and eliminated any petty misunderstandings. I don’t know if I’m selling y’all on this book yet lol, but all I have to say is, if you love some sweet and spicy sports romance storylines, you gotta try this one immediately.
A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
A VERY MERRY BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: Country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t about to be the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity. It’s hard for immigration attorney Gretchen not to feel a little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whisky brand. No big deal… Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas past to build a future together.
My Thoughts: I read most of the Bromance Book Club series last year and remembered a little bit about Colton, but it took me a minute to get my footing with this book as I relearned who he is to this series. I appreciated, though, that the author gave us a lot more back story not only to Colton and Gretchen, but what their relationship dynamics are up until this point. Gretchen’s family is the absolute WORST and has led her to loathe the money she comes from. Colton is the sweetest southern gent who is currently struggling with his music career until he and Gretchen rekindle a little something they had a year prior. I was obsessed with all of their dates and his mission to convert her to a holiday lover. It was also so swoon-worthy how quickly he would switch from being the nicest guy in the room to the protective guard of Gretchen when her family would start to talk down to her. I do think the last bit of this book was a little messier storyline-wise than the previous books, but I appreciated the ending nonetheless. If you’ve read and enjoyed the other books in the Bromance Book Club series, I highly recommend picking this one up for the holidays!
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
PART OF YOUR WORLD by Abby Jimenez
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Mongomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come - the complete opposite of the sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people. Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?
My Thoughts: Y’ALL. Okay, so I was hesitant about this book even though I’ve heard nothing BUT good things about it simply because I didn't love her other book, The Friend Zone. Whereas, that book also has received endless praise. I’m pleased to report though, Part of Your World has sold me on Abby Jimenez’s writing. This book was addicting and I could not put it down. Starting with the dynamics between the main characters, Alexis and Daniel. Though I do not love an age-gap trope, this one was done RIGHT. I think that’s mainly because Alexis is the older of the two (37) and Daniel is 28. As expected, the 9-year age gap made Alexis apprehensive about the seriousness or legitimacy of their relationship. Additionally, they just came from such different worlds (per the title lol). She’s an ER doctor working at a hospital where she’s expected to continue her family’s medical legacy. He’s a carpenter and bed and breakfast owner in a small town a couple hours away. However, she cannot deny the chemistry between them and realizes anytime she wants to quiet her mind for a while, she’s on her way to see Daniel. Speaking of his small town, I was obsessed with how welcoming and warm that community was to Alexis and how well she fit in with them. It starts becoming more of a home to her than her literal home is. The whole experience of this book was phenomenal and I loved that at the end of all of it, Alexis wasn’t forced to choose between one or the other. I won’t say more to prevent giving anything away, but this is definitely a romance novel you need to dive into ASAP.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Summary: France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
My Thoughts: This book was so freaking clever. I know some people say it’s confusing, but I think that’s because the author managed to weave so many layers together that you end up doing a double take to figure out how she did it so seamlessly. The format of jumping between the present and Addie’s life leading up to 2014 was entrancing. We not only learn how Addie fell into making a deal with Darkness, but also saw the struggles she went through as she navigated this new immortal life where no one remembers her. She’s a nomad with no place to put roots, she can’t even leave a direct mark on the world, like a footprint in fresh snow, before it’s erased, and the loneliness of having no one remember her - although she is free - is a pain she learns to live with. I was obsessed with her character development, not only across centuries, but also with every visit she encounters from Darkness on their “anniversary.” Even Darkness, the epitome of an antagonist, had some really addicting growth that actually left me not hating the relationship he develops with Addie over the years. On the other side of that coin, Henry was an absolute sweetheart and I literally wanted to cry at the connection he and Addie shared. After they both have suffered such loneliness, they finally found someone who made them feel alive and *enough.* There are so many one liners throughout this book that really make you reflect on your life and how people see themselves in the world. I will say, the ending fell just a TOUCH flat for me, but I completely understand why the author did it. This is a highly hyped book and I support the push for people to read it lol.
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
ARTIFICIAL CONDITION by Martha Wells
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: It has a dark past - one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot.” But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue. What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks.
My Thoughts: This is the second novella in the Murderbot Diaries series and I am still hooked on this semi-robot human. In this book, we learn more about why Murderbot didn’t stay with the research team it accompanied on a dangerous mission in the first book, and where it’s heading next to find answers. I was obsessed with the friendship Murderbot developed with ART - a research transport vessel it stowed away on. All of the robots in this series have such charming personalities, it’s hard not to love them. This book dives deeper into the life of Murderbot before it hacked its government system as it returns to the place where, allegedly, it brutally murdered everyone on a mission it accompanied a few years prior. There’s a mystery element that leaves us hanging at the end, and I for sure will be continuing onto the next novella in this sci-fi series.
What If You & Me by Roni Loren
WHAT IF YOU AND ME by Roni Loren
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: The world can be a scary place. At least, that’s what Andi Lockley’s anxiety wants her to believe. It doesn’t help that she narrowly escaped a dangerous man years ago, or that every relationship since has been colored with that lingering fear. But things are better now- she’s channeling everything into her career as a horror novelist and true crime podcaster, and her next book may be the breakthrough she needs. If only her grumpy new neighbor would stop stomping around at all hours of the night. Former firefighter Hill Dawson can’t sleep. After losing part of his leg in a rescue gone wrong, he’s now stuck in limbo. He needs to figure out what he’s supposed to do with his life, and he can’t let himself get distracted by the pretty redhead next door. But when someone breaks into Andi’s place, Hill can’t stop himself from rushing in to play hero. Soon, a tentative bond forms between the unlikely pair. But what starts out as a neighborly exchange quickly turns into the chance for so much more… if Andi can learn to put aside her fear and trust in herself - and love - again.
My Thoughts: This was such a unique premise and I’ve never read anything like it. This is a romance novel that I think all of you true crime lovers would appreciate because it’s almost like a love letter to that audience. Andi is hypervigilant about the dangers of being a woman in this world and, through her true crime podcast, she shares her knowledge and tools women can use to stay safe - especially in relation to men. She’s also a mystery/thriller novelist who has published multiple books under an anonymous pen name. Although it’s clear this is how Andi is processing her trauma from years before, I appreciate that she’s self aware of who she is and the measures she takes to control the beast that is her anxiety. Hill is a gruff, retired firefighter who is trying to figure out who he is now that he’s no longer a part of the immediate responder community. He loves cooking and his friend has been pushing him to write a cookbook, but he’s not confident people would even care what he’d have to share. I LOVED that although these two characters could not be more opposite, they fit together perfectly and filled a space in the other’s life. They’re respectful of each other’s pain points and help one another through tough situations they don’t want to face alone. Though the overall ending is kind of predictable, I really really liked this book and definitely recommend reading it.
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
GREENLIGHTS by Matthew McConaughey
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: I’ve been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me. Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges - how to get relative with the inevitable - you can enjoy a state of success I call “catching greelights.” So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops. Hopefully it’s medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot’s license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears. It’s a love letter. To life. It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights - and to realizing that the yellow and reds eventually turn green too.
My Thoughts: This book…this book WAS WILD. Not that I knew what to expect going into this book, but I could have NEVER guessed what was about to happen. I listened to Greenlights on audiobook and having Matthew McConaughey in my ear telling me stories from his life for a few days was an experience in itself. This is not your typical memoir, people. This is a fucking adventure. And, don’t get me wrong, I know most of the shit he was able to experience is because he had the disposable income to do it, but that didn’t make me any less GOBSMACKED by some of the stories he told. Starting with stories from growing up in Uvalde, Texas. His dad, in my opinion, was just a TOUCH unhinged. Studying abroad in Australia for a year when he was 18 and having to stay with a family that pales in comparison to the word strange. The path his career took and how introspective this guy is was incredibly unexpected. The several life epiphanies he experienced via freaking weird wet dreams added a whole other layer to this book lol. Also, I was not expecting Matthew McConaughey to drop multiple nuggets of wisdom that actually made complete sense and really stuck with me days after finishing it. I just… I just think everyone should read this because why the hell not and I feel like you won’t regret it in the slightest.
All right, all right, all right. That’s it for everything I read in November!
Here’s to hoping for another solid reading month in December to round out 2022. I’m going to try to do a couple of separate blog posts about my favorite audiobooks, Kindle Unlimited books, books in general, etc. from this year within the next few weeks, but don’t hold me to it lol.
2022 Book Count: 181
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YOUR TURN! What has been your favorite book that you’ve read this year?