Everything I Read in November 2024
This month, my reading was dominated by two series: the All Souls series by Deborah Harkness and the Celtic Rebels series by Melanie Karsak. Both series include some seriously lengthy books, so it felt like I read a greater number of books than I actually did. Bookended by a light rom-com kind of read and an Italian mystery, I am glad I finally tackled Deborah Harkness’ series after keeping it on my TBR for so long. There is one more book in that series for me to read (I’m listening to the audiobook right now), and I’ll report back on that one next month!
Of the 9 books I read this month, here are my top favorites:
- The Love of my Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
- A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, & The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
- Queen of Oak & Queen of Stone by Melanie Karsak
Table of Contents:
November 2024 In Books
The Love of my Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
5/5 Stars
I’ve been eyeing this book for a while and finally downloaded the audiobook when I was looking for something light at the beginning of the month. With a delightful mix of rom-com, magical realism, and dry humor, this is a great read for anyone who theoretically likes cozy love stories but can’t handle anything overly-saccharine. The audiobook was great, and the narrator did a great job really hitting the sarcasm and humor throughout, as the excessively-introverted protagonist attempts to navigate a second chance at life after making a deal to get out of her excessively embarrassing accidental death. That’s a pretty convoluted sentence, but it’ll make sense when you read the book. Just pick it up; you won’t regret it!
The Love of my Afterlife is available from Amazon here.
The All Souls Series by Deborah Harkness
4.5/5 Stars (overall)
Includes: A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, and Time’s Convert
Originally, from what I can tell, this series was supposed to be a trilogy, so books 1 through 3 really go together and book 4 feels more like a spin-off. Still, I’m reviewing them together because I listened to the audiobooks back to back and read like one long book, more or less.
Having watched the TV series when it came out, I was interested in seeing more detail and depth to the storyline in the books, and they certainly did not disappoint. The All Souls series is incredibly well researched and reads like a magical history book in the best way possible. Following protagonist Diana Bishop as she develops her dormant magic skills alongside a 1500+ year-old vampire love interest, the reader is taken on a wild ride through history and lore. As much as I enjoyed the storylines, I think I loved the books for all the historical detail they had even more!
The All Souls series is available from Amazon here.
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The Celtic Rebels Series by Melanie Karsak
4/5 Stars (overall)
Includes: Queen of Oak, Queen of Stone, and Queen of Ash and Iron
This is a 3-book series following the life of the Celtic warrior Boudica, known for her (ultimately failed) attempts to expel Rome and establish independence for the early British tribes. I picked up this series after I read Melanie Karsak’s Celtic Blood Series last month, which hinted at characters from this series. Book 1 establishes Boudica’s character and motives, while book 2 follows her rise to power. Book 3 is where the majority of the action happens, but it really could have used some editing. Overall, the series seems well-researched and the characters are intriguing. It definitely made me more interested in this time in British history!
The Celtic Rebels series is available from Amazon here (and is currently on Kindle Unlimited).
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
5/5 Stars
Described by The New York Times as “a journey to the boot of Italy with murder, romance and ricotta,” The Sicilian Inheritance is a winding family mystery spanning two generations. After the death of her beloved great-aunt, protagonist Sara is sent on a quest to discover a family secret buried in the picturesque Italian countryside. All in all, this multigenerational mystery kept my interest, particularly with all the detail and description of the Italian landscape!
The Sicilian Inheritance is available from Amazon here.
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What have you been reading lately?
Share your favorites in the comments so I can add them to my TBR pile!
Still searching for your next favorite read?
Check out my October reading journal for more great titles for your TBR!
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*Some of the novels featured here were gifted to me as part of various book review programs that Cats & Coffee is a part of.
