Hello snowflakes!❄️
Halloween is over and it is officially November 1st as I sit here typing this. The minute the clock turned to 12:00 am, I immediately got into Christmas/winter mode. So, with that said, this month I will be participating in the HoHoHo readathon hosted by Kimberly over at The Caffeinated Reviewer. You can check out her signup post here if you are looking to participate.
This will be my first year participating in this readathon so bear with me here. The dates for the HoHoHo readathon take place from the 9th to the 18th of November. My main goal is to complete at least three holiday/winter books. I’m a slow reader so this is the most realistic goal for me.
I am going to have two sections in this post. The first will just be my general November TBR and the second will include the books I want to get to for the readathon.
Anyways, without further ado, let’s get started!
GENERAL NOVEMBER TBR
1. The Dollmaker of Krakow
by: R.M. Romero
The Dollmaker of Krakow is a middle grade historical fiction novel that takes place during the second world war. In it, we follow a living doll named Karolina who is spirited away from the land of dolls and into the hands of a dollmaker in Krakow, Poland. Karolina is brought to life right before the dollmaker’s eyes, and before he even knows it he is smiling and laughing–something the dollmaker never does–all at the same time.
Unforunately, this newfound happiness is quickly dashed when the Nazi soldiers begin to invade Poland. Karolina and the dollmaker soon realize that their Jewish friends are in serious danger and decide they must help save them no matter what happens.
I have heard many great things about this book but the one detail that sticks out to me the most is the advice not to read this in public. Why? Because this book is heartbreaking and will make you cry. I’m not really one for sad books but I am excited to read this nonetheless. Plus, it had gorgeous illustrations throughout.
2. Little Women
by: Louisa May Alcott
Little Women is a classic children’s book that I think most of us have heard of by now. The narrative follows four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy during the American Civil War era. We watch as they go through their day to day lives doing things from putting on a Christmas play, all the way to forming a secret society. We also follow the sisters as they grow up and go from little girls to little women all while their father is away fighting on the war front.
I have had this puffin in bloom edition ever since I started blogging. I kept telling myself each holiday season that I would pick it up but never did due to the hefty size and length of 777 pages. I actually already started reading this and am on page 40 something. If I don’t complete it by the end of November I won’t be too worried because I know it’s long and my goal is to just finish it before 2019.
HOHOHO READATHON TBR
1. A Christmas Carol
by: Charles Dickens
I think we all know what A Christmas Carol is about by now so I won’t trouble you with a synopsis. I got this gorgeous Wordsworth Collector’s edition in the mail a few days ago and absolutely love it. I think this will be the perfect book to pick up for the HoHoHo readathon due to the fact that it is only 144 pages in length.
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
by: C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a children’s classic that follows three siblings as they stumble through a wardrobe and discover the land of Narnia. There are mythical beings, a talking lion and magic galore.
This will be my first time reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or any of the Narnia books for that matter. I’ve heard that it is recommended to start with The Magician’s Nephew, but I honestly just wanted this gorgeous pocket edition, so I really don’t care.
3. Winter Story
by: Jill Barklem
Winter Story is the fourth and final book in the seasonal Brambley Hedge series. Each book is named after and takes place in a different season. So, it starts with Spring Story and ends with Winter Story.
In this narrative we follow the mice as they prepare for a huge snow day as well as a snow ball. When I say snow ball what I mean is the event with dancing, food and festivities–not the kind you build and throw at other individuals.
This is yet another quick read full of illustrations that I should be able to finish in one sitting, making it perfect for a readathon.
4. Whichwood
by: Tahereh Mafi
Whichwood is a middle grade fantasy novel and the sequel to Furthermore. In Whichwood we follow a girl named Laylee who is fated to wash the bodies of the dead and prepare them for the afterlife. She is stuck in a loneliness right after the death of her mother and is basically just going through the motions when one day two familiar faces appear and change everything.
I chose this final book for the HoHoHo readathon because I believe it takes place in a winter-y setting. The first line is even as follows, “Our story begins on a frosty night…”. I honestly can’t wait to dive into this perfectly atmospheric read.
Those are all of the books I plan on reading in November!
I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post!
Until next time,
The Garden of Read-En 