Let’s review the books I’ve read in November and plan my December TBR.
November reading wrap up
TBR vs. What I’ve actually read
I was planning on reading exclusively thriller and horror books. It’s been a while since I’ve read these genres, although they are my favorites.
However, it didn’t really go as planned. I’m starting to think I’m a mood reader. No matter how much I wanted to read them, I just kept feeling like it wasn’t the right time.
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Synopsis
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a coming-of-age novel following the story of two Mexican-American teenagers in 1980s El Paso: Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza and Dante Quintana as they form a life-changing relationship. Their story continues in Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World.
Review: 3.39/5 stars
I think Ari and Dante’s story worked perfectly as a standalone novel. This sequel was quite repetitive, long, and less subtle than the previous one with its constant life lessons.
God of Fury by Rina Kent
Synopsis
God of Fury follows the standalone mm romance between Nikolai Sokolov, a violent and obsessive Russian mafia heir, and Brandon King, a quiet, seemingly perfect artist and the twin brother of Nikolai's enemy. Nikolai will force Brandon to confront his trauma and repressed sexuality.
Review: 1.65/5 stars
Being super problematic aside, I was underwhelmed by the mafia plot and college setting. The « romance » was abusive, boring, and repetitive. I couldn’t root for them. However, the author depicted Brandon’s mental health perfectly.
The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead
Synopsis
A shy school librarian, Alexis Stone, is caught in a compromising situation with Logan Arthur, candidate for Texas governor, after a disastrous one-night stand. To save their reputations, they agree to fake a relationship for the duration of the campaign.
Review: 3.20/5 stars
This one was sweet, funny, and quite unrealistic. Indeed, Alexis is described as this anxious, shy girl, but she’s capable of delivering award-winning speeches, somehow. She becomes some kind of national hero against all odds. But what really annoyed me was how indecisive she was. She also had no spine and did everything she was legally told not to do. She wasn’t the most likable character, in my opinion.
Concerning the romance, this is described as a fake dating novel but, it was overshadowed by politics. Besides, we don’t get to see much of them as an actual couple, which was quite frustrating.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Synopsis
Aspiring rom-com writer Emma Wheeler is hired to co-write a bad script with cynical action screenwriter Charlie Yates. As she tries to convince the jaded Charlie of the power of love to fix the story, they find themselves falling for each other in their own real-life romantic comedy.
Review: 3.55/5 stars
I wasn’t expecting this to be this funny and moving! I really enjoyed the conversations about what makes a good romance. However, this novel relies heavily on miscommunication, which I tend to find annoying. Indeed, in most cases, they are either gatekeeping something they have no reason to or what they are keeping secret is super predictable. This was the latter.
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
Synopsis
Archaeoentomologist Sam returns to her childhood home and finds her mother's behavior strange and the house menacingly altered. Sam realizes the changes are tied to long-buried family secrets.
Review: 3.50/5 stars
The humoristic narration took me off guard several times. It was quite unique but perhaps too present to be scary. The protagonist was in denial and rationalizing everything happening for most of it, which was kind of frustrating and repetitive, coupled with the humor.
Concerning the mystery, it wasn’t that predictable but also not surprising at all, somehow.
December TBR list
My plan
I still have 9 books to read to complete my reading challenge of 100 books read in 2025. And since I did a bad job at reading my actual TBR in November, I’ll try to stick to it this time, hopefully.
Genre-wise, I still want to go back to my gem: thriller-horror books. I also added some romance to the list because I know I’m going to get scared at some point.
We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
This is probably the one I’m the most excited to read. It’s about a couple, Eve and Charlie, who move into a remote new home. Their peace is shattered when a seemingly friendly family arrives one night, insisting the house was theirs and asking to look around.
Bad Mommy by Tarryn Fisher
The story centers on Fig Coxbury, a woman who moves in next door to a seemingly perfect family, the Averys. Fig is deeply obsessed with the wife’s life, Jolene. She is convinced she deserves to have Jolene's husband and child.
The Nesting by C.J. Cooke
Lexi takes a job as a nanny in a remote house in the Norwegian woods for a widowed architect and his two daughters, following the mysterious death of their mother. The house is beautiful but isolated, and Lexi quickly senses that the family's grief masks something far darker.
Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood
Andromeda is a young, unlicensed debtera—an exorcist trained to cleanse homes of the malevolent Evil Eye. Desperate for work, she accepts a job at a crumbling, cursed, isolated mansion belonging to the handsome but eccentric young heir, Magnus Rochester.
Thank You For Listening by Julia Wheelan
Sewanee Chester, a successful but disillusioned audiobook narrator, gave up acting and romance narration after a tragic accident. To provide for her grandmother, she reluctantly accepts one last, highly lucrative job: co-narrating a steamy romance novel with the industry's most mysterious and sought-after male voice, Brock McNight.
Role Playing by Cathy Yardley
To cope with being an empty-nester, Maggie joins an online gaming guild as "Bogwitch." She quickly forms a deep, anonymous bond with the kind, supportive guild leader, Aiden ("Otter"). Due to a series of assumptions, they both believe the other is much older or younger than they truly are.
The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy
In 1955 Missouri, lonely housewife Loretta Davenport begins receiving psychic messages after a local murder, which her controlling, religious husband dismisses as demonic possession while she secretly seeks help from a parapsychologist.
Spread Me by Sarah Gailey
Kinsey, the leader of a research team at a remote desert outpost, breaks protocol by bringing a mysterious specimen they find buried in the sand into their lab.
Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente
Sophia lives a perfect life with her perfect husband in the exclusive community of Arcadia Gardens, a place where everything is flawless and safe. Despite the perfection, Sophia can't shake a growing unease about her husband's frequent absences, the suspicious rules of the community, and the strange objects she begins to find hidden in her otherwise immaculate home.
Follow my progress on Goodreads! And you, what’s your TBR for December ?
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