Happy New Year, folx! Where did December go? I don’t know, but I sure am glad 2020 is gone. Last month was a blur for me; I finished my first ever semester as a PhD student and took a lot of time off for some much needed sleep—I am sure I was sleep-deprived during the semester. So here we are at 2021 and I’m doing a November wrap-up. Expect a December one in a few days and I am also drafting a 2020 wrap-up, which is probably going to be huge.
In November, I participated in not one but two blog tours for Leah Johnson’s You Should See Me in a Crown and Gloria Chao’s Rent a Boyfriend. The Rent a Boyfriend post is especially close to my heart as it is a) Taiwanese-related, b) my first ever bilingual post, and c) includes a travel section with many places I miss in Taiwan. Okay, now I just miss Taiwan where there is virtually no pandemic going on…
I also did the Sapphic Saturday readathon and planned my TBR. Here is the result:
Ever since having my first ever buddy read in October, I was fortunate enough to do a few more in November. Huge thanks to E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook, Gabriella (Goodreads), Morgan @ Morgan Is Reading Again, and Laura (IG: @lezreadalot) for reading with me!
My buddy reads in November are the best books of the month, and one of which happens to be my all-time favorite book that I cannot stop talking nor thinking about—Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis. This book is an absolute work of art; it tore my heart to pieces and yet brought me joy, too. I am very grateful to have read it with Gabriella. We first read it in November and listened to the audiobook in December. Read my paperback review here, audiobook review here, and Gabriella’s amazing review here.
Books I Read
Click on the book title for more info on Goodreads.
- No After You (Celebrities #1) by Nicole Pyland | ★★★
- A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2) by Becky Chambers | ★★★★★ [initial thoughts on Goodreads]
- buddy read with E. [her review on Goodreads]
- You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson | ★★★★ [blog tour post]
- The Holiday Treatment by Elle Spencer | ★★★★ [review]
- Always More (Sports #1) by Nicole Pyland, Amanda Dolan (narrator) | ★★★ [audiobook review on Goodreads]
- The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle #1) by Nghi Vo
- All the Love Songs (Celebrities #2) by Nicole Pyland | ★★★★ [review on Goodreads]
- Midnight Tradition (Celebrities #3) by Nicole Pyland | ★★★ [review on Goodreads]
- Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis | ★★★★★+ [review]
- buddy read with Gabriella [her review on Goodreads]
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune | ★★★★★ [review on Goodreads]
- buddy read with Morgan [their short review in wrap-up post]
- Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire | ★★★★ [review on Goodreads]
- Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb Trilogy #2) by Tamsyn Muir | ★★★★★ [review on Goodreads]
- buddy read with Laura [her review on Goodreads]
- Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen | ★★★★ [thoughts on Goodreads]
- buddy read with Gabriella
Quick Stats
- I read 13 books, two are rereads, and one is an audiobook.
- All are fiction, including 2 novellas: 7 contemporary romance (5 adult, 2 YA), 3 fantasy, 2 sci-fi, and one historical literary fiction.
- 10 are sapphic (5 adult romance, 2 YA romance, 1 adult sci-fi, 1 adult fantasy, 1 historical literary fiction), one is achillean (adult fantasy), one is ace (young adult fantasy), and another is somewhat queer (adult sci-fi).
- All are by out LGBTQ+ authors.
- 5 are self-published and one is from an indie publisher.
- My average rating is 3.85 stars.
- I finished my 164th book of year 2020.
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4 Comments
dianthaa
That’s a great month!
I’m also planning on an end-of-year wrap-up but it’s gonna be so huge I get tired just thinking of it. So glad you liked House in the Cerulean Sea, I read it last year and already wondering if it’s been long enough for me to reread.
Hsinju @ Hsinju's Lit Log
Thanks so much, Dianthaa! You did an AMAZING end-of-year wrap-up post!!! I am… still drafting my December wrap-up (yikes, I know). And a good, comfort read is definitely worth a reread no matter how recent the last read was! I’m currently rereading Cantoras, which I first read in November and reread in December… Yes, this is my third read in two months.
Morgan @ Morgan Is Reading Again
You had a really amazing reading month in November, Hsinju! I’m glad we buddy read The House in the Ceruelan Sea. 😍
Hsinju @ Hsinju's Lit Log
Thank you so much, Morgan!! I’m super happy we buddy read it, too! 😀