Once again, it’s time to chat about our favorite reads of the previous month. Here’s what our family most enjoyed in November:
JEREMY: I was surprised and delighted by how much I enjoyed Gilgamesh, which is the world’s oldest surviving written story. It’s like an ‘80’s action flick, in the best way. Joby Warrick’s Pulitzer-winning Black Flags was easily my favorite non-fic read of the month; his work is right up there with Lawrence Wright and Steve Coll when it comes to must-reads regarding the U.S. and terrorism.
JANE: Lily King’s Heart the Lover has been all over the bookish web since being published two months ago. Jane read a few good books in November and said this is the one that’ll stay with her; it combines a great story with just the right amount of literary flair.
GRAHAM (10 years old): The eldest kid has really been into mysteries this fall. His favorite in November was Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game. Graham read it in school and didn’t realize it was nearly 50 years old. Must be pretty good!
WILLA (7 years old): The Roald Dahl streak continues. I read Matilda aloud to the big kids and we all really enjoyed the unexpected story and memorable characters — twas my first time through it as well.
BO (4 years old): After mostly sitting on the shelf for a few years, I was thrilled to see Beekle make a return back into our reading rotation. Dan Santat’s whimsical story hits all the right notes for a picture book.
Your turn! What was your favorite November read?
One Day, Everyone Will Have Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad. A blistering account of the West betraying its values, particularly in regard to the Palestinian crisis.
My favorite book this month was Katabasis by R. F. Kuang. A wildly inventive journey through Hell.