All The Books I Read in November 2023

I read a mixture of books last month and it has taken me some time to get my thoughts together on some of them because they left a big impact on me. I always feel like I don't read enough because I have been focusing on going to the gym and doing more classes, but the books I did read, did leave a lasting impression on me.

I loved this book. It's about five women with different backgrounds and it centres around a coffee shop in Kabul, as the title would suggest. Despite the constant war and fears that a woman must go through during this hellish time, the coffee shop and the people in it give a glimmer of hope. I loved the main girls that the novel centres around and was really touched by the wedding scenes. I also loved how the book had recipes at the end which made the book give it an authentic touch. I read this at my favourite coffee shop which made the book more special. I'm glad I borrowed it from the library. Sadly, the coffee shop I reads this book out has closed its doors for good, but I can imagine this coffee shop in Kabul still has it's doors open in the fictional world.

I got diagnosed with Mixed Depressive and Anxiety Disorder. I thought this book might be of some use to me. It was a short and quick read which meant it didn't overwhelm me, but I've found better coping mechanisms outside of this book.

This was the book of the month at my book club for work. It's a doorstep novel set close to me and set in the Victorian times. They find a girl, who they believe to be dead, to be alive and well. This mysterious girl is claimed by three different families that all claim that the girl is their missing girl. Of course the girl is neither of these, which I suspected. I had a feeling that these missing girls were dead, but I was surprised that one of the missing girls were still alive. I thought this was a really clever novel and even though it had a huge cast, each character had an important role. I really loved the ending and the last paragraphs because I think it tied down the mystery and magic, and storytelling together. I do wish the dragons were explored more deeply though.

When I saw this on Blackpool, I knew I had to get it. It was really interesting. Ferguson puts so much detail into the highs and lows of his Japan trip and I really liked how the book was layed out and the maps were a nice touch. I loved the cover and the thing in the book that really stood out for me was when he made love with a woman called Marion. It was my great aunt's name. (I doubt they're the same person.)

This is another book club read. I have both the paperback and the kindle. I really enjoyed the writing and the characters. It really gave me The Colour Purple vibes. I think it did a good job exploring race. I think I will read it again so I can remember all the standout things that happened, and since it's been a while since I last read it, everything isn't that fresh to me. I think reading this again will help me get ready for the next book club discussion.

I don’t know what to make of this one. It’s about a detective who is solving a case with gruesome rituals. There were times I wanted to stop because the concepts of children being raped, killed and mutilated was strong. The orgy scene almost made me feel sick. I ended up reading on because I wanted to see if the bad guys got what was coming to them.