November 2023 Book Roundup
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Reading Roundup for November
November was full of excitement for my family. It was also full of some really great books! One of my favorite books of the year is on this list.
Forbidden Child - Gwen Newell
Targeted age: 12+ (but not YA) Middle Grade Fiction
Spice: None 🙌 No romance at all in this book
Christian: Yes
My Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is Gwen Newell’s debut novel, and it did not disappoint. I was blessed enough to get my hands on a author-signed copy from CannonPress/CanonBall Books. It arrived late on a Friday night, and I had it finished Monday night. When I say it’s a page-turner, I really mean it. My son (13) read this book before I did in just 2 days and loved it.
The book centers around 13 year old Piper Pascal, and her life trapped aboard a prison-ship. She discovers the most dangerous thing she could possibly find; a baby. What will Piper do with this child? And will she escape this prison?
This book is a little darker, both in setting and theme. There is a bit of violence, but it’s not anything most teens can’t handle. It’s not super descriptive in that aspect, which I appreciated as a parent. This book moves fast, and there’s action happening on almost every page. I love suspenseful books like this that keep me wondering about our main character. Forbidden Child has a flavor of The Hunger Games, North Korea prison camps, and Hitler Youth all rolled into one.
The ending shocked me, too. My son loved the ending and we spent a good while talking about it together.
Highly recommend for your teens (and maybe you, too!).
The Letter Tree
Targeted age: Adult, but suitable for teens
Spice: Just kissing (no spice)
Christian: Yes
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (rounded to 4) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I took my time through this book. This was a cute romance set in the 1920’s that centered around a young couple exchanging letters in a tree. The tree is located in the zoo, which made the story even more fun. This book was a kind of Romeo and Juliet type of story, with star-crossed lovers and disapproving parents.
Completely clean novel, nothing to worry about in this story.
While this was a great story and I enjoyed it, it wasn’t my kind of book. I think I just like action/suspense, so this moved a bit slow for me. I like fast-paced novels. But, still a great book and I recommend it.
Same Sex Mirage - Douglas Wilson
Targeted age: Adult
Christian: Yes
My Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’d give it a 5 star rating just for the bit about Josh Duggar and Jeffery Epstein 🙌
I like to throw a non-fiction book in my rotation, and this one hit the spot. A shorter book, this one I listened to over 2 days on Cannon+ for free during No Quarter November. If you’re not familiar with Doug Wilson, you may not be accustomed to his witty, straight-to-the-point humor. You’ll either love him or hate him. Even if you hate him, he’s right.
In this book, he tackles the concept of same-sex “marriage” and totally dismantles the entire idea of it through the lense of Scripture.
A must read for Christians…even if you hate Doug.
Robinson Cruso - Daniel Defoe
Targeted age: middle grade and up
Spice: N/A
Christian: Yes
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I threw in a classic book that the kids were reading for school. I’m reading the Generations curriculum book with the boys. It was my first time through this adventure book.
Even as an adult woman, this story was intriguing to me. I listened to the audio book while I was working around the house and getting ready for school in the morning with the kids. It’s not my kind of book, but still a great classic.
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
Targeted age: Older teen and up
Spice: Kissing, talk of affairs, closed door.
Christian: No. Lord’s name taken in vain.
My Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rebecca is a classic book written in the 1930’s that I had never heard of until I saw the Compass Classroom reading list for teens. I went into this book almost blind, and WOW. I’m so glad I picked this up.
What I loved about this book;
-Intrigue
-Mystery
-Suspense
-Kept me guessing all the way through
What I didn’t love
-The Lord’s name was used in vain multiple times. Very light cursing.
This classic is a must read. I found myself thinking about this book when I wasn’t reading it and I even talked to my doctor about it during a visit (I brought it into the waiting room). It reminds me of a less scary Steven King novel (but I’ve never read a King novel). There are so many layers to Rebecca. You don’t even know the main character’s first name until halfway through the book! How interesting!
I can’t tell you much about this book because it’ll spoil the entire story, but this book isn’t really a love story. There’s a love story, but it’s not the main thread. The main story is about the late first wife of the main male lead, Rebecca. In a way, Rebecca is almost the main character herself. The twists and turns of her story is so mesmerizing.
This was my favorite read of the month, and one of my favorites for the entire year so far.
Happy reading!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Mandy
