November was a month of frenzied reading. I'll be honest - seeing how behind I was on my Goodreads Challenge for the year had me reaching for all of the super short reads that were on my TBR longlist. It wasn't pretty! LOL! But it did nab me nine reads for the month, most of which happened in the latter half.

As we wind down to the final month of the year, I'm crossing my fingers that I can finish. I have 10 books I need to read in order to complete the challenge, but I honestly think I can get it done if I make a more concerted effort every day to read. Even if it's just a bit! But I definitely slacked off the past few months, and now it's time to put my nose to the grindstone and read!

Most of the books I read this past month were decent, but not great. The two standouts are below, with an honorable mention for Kealan Patrick Burke's book of creepy tales (which I was supposed to finish in October...ahem), which I also enjoyed quite a bit. I've come to love KPB and now consider him one of my favorite "spooky stuff" writers, so it was a treat to dive into a selection of his short stories. 

Anyway, here were my absolute favorites for the month of November...

Exit West - Mohsin Hamid

I absolutely loved this one! The story revolves around Saeed and Nadia, who fall in love as their country collapses into civil war. The country is unnamed, and as such it can stand in for so many countries that experience unrest. As the couple's love deepens, they make an escape via magical portals leading to the West. There's not much magical realism to the book besides the portals, and in fact I'd say that the book's tone is starkly realistic in contrast to the love that Saeed and Nadia share. It's a beautiful book about migration, the plight of refugees, and the inescapable gears of change.