Top Books of November

  1. Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson
    This was a great murder mystery told in 2 different time periods- one in the “present day” and one from when the murder happened. I really enjoyed the plot and the way that we got to see so much of Stevie’s real character. It was a super interesting story and I totally recommend this series to you!
  2. The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
    This is the second book of the Truly, Devious trilogy and I enjoyed it just as much as the previous book. In this book, we can see how close Stevie is to her friends and the way that she struggles
  3. The Agathas by by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
    This was another great murder mystery! Iris and Alice never asked to be paired up, in fact the two are almost exactly opposite. But the disappearance of one of Alice’s ex-friends connects them both as they know they have to figure out who did it because the police certainly aren’t going to do anything. I really enjoyed the way that we not only got to learn about the mystery but also how
  4. Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
    I really loved this book! When Izzy contacted her dad, she wasn’t expecting to make contact with the crown prince of Japan. But when her home gets swarmed by paparazzi and bodyguards, she has to adapt to her new life in Japan. Izzy is such a sweet character and I loved seeing how she adapted to fit in a completely new world with new friends and threats. I really enjoyed this book!
  5. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
    This was such a magical book from the very beginning! Iris’ brother is on the war front and all that comforts her is writing letters to him. Letters that he’ll never get, that he’ll never read. But when someone writes her back, they open up their hearts to each other. I really enjoyed this book and the settings. I cant wait to read the next one!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September and October: click here

November’s Top Books

Here are my top books for November!

  1. The House on Hoarder Hill by Kelly Ngai and Mikki Lish
    This is a great story about 2 kids who are determined to find out the mystery behind the disappearance of their grandma, Rose. Hedy and Spencer are at their grandpa’s house while their parents are on vacation. They get a mysterious message (Find Me) setting them off on their crazy adventure with piano-playing ghosts, mischievous paintings, and a very friendly bear rug and a glorious deer head. I loved the story and the way it progressed. This is such a great book!
  2. Much Ado About Baseball by Rajani LaRocca
    This book is about friendship, but it has so many other great themes coursing through it. Trish has just moved to a new town and is finding it hard to make new friends and fit in. So she joins the baseball team, hoping to meet someone new. There, she sees Ben, who she met and beat at the Math Puzzler Championships last year. Ben doesn’t want to be on the team, but when he sees Trish, he knows that he can’t quit and be embarrassed by her again. I love what happens next and the way that Shakespeare’s works are tied in. This is a great book!
  3. Amber and Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz
    This is definitely one of my favorite books this month. It tells the story of Melisto and Rhakos, two very different children, yet very similar. The story is told in many different points of view, with different types of storytelling for each. There are also “exhibits” which show items from a long time ago. I loved how the author incorporated these items into the story. This story flows so well and I loved watching the plot move along. I definitely recommend it to you!
  4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
    This is the prequel to the Hunger Games. It follows Coriolanus Snow, the antagonist in the original series, when he is young, 18 years old. He has been assigned to mentor a tribute for this year’s Hunger Games, a tribute from District 12, the worst district. He meets Lucy Gray this way and is enthralled by her, especially her voice. I loved following the events of the story and the way the plot continued. The characters are written very well and it was great to see how the characters grew into who they are in the actual books. I love this book!
  5. The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
    This book’s storytelling style is unique, with the author keeping many things closely guarded. The two main characters, Cass and Max-Ernest go on a quest to rescue their friend when he is kidnapped by Ms. Mauvis and Dr. L. They go to the Midnight Sun, where strange things are happening. I loved their adventure and the way the story was told. It was very unique and I enjoyed it a lot. I totally recommend this book to you!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April: click here
Top Books of May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September: click here
Top Books of October: click here

NaNoWriMo 2021

If you remember, last year, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). This year, I’ll be doing it again! I’m very excited with the plot/characters that I have created and I’m so excited to have this opportunity. Before starting, I have already created a plot, a sense of how much to write in a day/week, and some of my major character that will be involved.

Because of this, I am not planning on publishing many blog posts, only one more at the end of the month (The Top Reads of November). I am so excited to go on this journey again!

Have you ever considered doing anything like NaNoWriMo before?

My 2020 NaNoWriMo Experience

This year, I decided to try something new. During November (National Novel Writing Month), I wrote a story, or at least part of a story everyday. It was hard sometimes, but I had a great time working on it.

Usually, most writers aim to write around 1,500 words a day, but I decided to do a mini experience with 300 words per day.

Here are some NaNoWriMo experiences.

Lazy Days:

Some days, I had absolutely no idea what to write about. My advice for those days is to keep pushing on, maybe you’ll get an idea burst.

Idea Bursts:

Idea Bursts are amazing. They basically are a whole cloud of ideas, so that you can write a ton of words for a while without stopping.

No Story Arc:

When I started this experience, I did not have a plan in mind. I started writing without a plot line and just built my story around my previous writing.

Writing the Ending:

One day, I had an (almost) lazy day. That’s when I decided to work on the ending. I couldn’t think of anything of write at the point I was at, so why not try to write an ending? I had a lot of fun with it, and it helped me get unstuck that day.

I have written 11,573 words in total! I am going to edit my story in December, and I will definitely share some more of my experiences then!