One more month of reading done and a few good ones to share.

Here’s what I read in November.

• The Woman in Cabin 10 (Ruth Ware) – If you’re looking for a thriller, this is a good one. I did not fully anticipate the ending and it kept me guessing. I will say, however, that I am tired of the heroine in these recent bestsellers always being a drunk and an unreliable witness. Where’s Nancy Drew when you need her?
• None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different From Us (And Why That’s a Good Thing) – Jen Wilkin – this is my #1 for the month. Wilkin is one of my favorite Bible teachers – she calls on us to love God with our MINDS and her books reflect this. This is a short book and I felt the need to underline almost every word.
• Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (Atul Gawande) – Gawande is a surgeon, so this book is similar to When Breath Becomes Air, although Gawande was not dying when he wrote his book. He examines the advances of modern medicine and how they’ve impacted both how we live and how we die…and what should be different.
• One in a Million Boy (Monica Wood) – a sweet story with a lot of heart. It tells of the relationship between a young Boy Scout and an 104 year old woman.
• Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of a Violent Faith (Jon Krakauer) – I’m not sure why, but this is the first time I’ve been bored while reading one of Krakauer’s books.  This one is about Mormon Fundamentalists, especially those who practice polygamy – and I usually find this fascinating. I even wrote a research paper on the topic for one of my sociology classes. Maybe that’s why I was bored – I already knew most of it? Anyway, not my favorite.
• She Reads Truth: Holding Tight to Permanent in a World That’s Passing Away (Raechel Myers & Amanda Williams) – I really liked this book. In some ways it is similar to the popular Christian women memoirs that have come out lately (many of which I read and found to be either lacking in depth or intellect). However, this one points Truth over any emotion or popular trend and I respect that. Raechel and Amanda are the founders of the She Reads Truth Bible Study program and I have done many of their studies.
• My Story (Elizabeth Smart) – major trigger warning with this one. Elizabeth Smart’s story in her own words. She chronicles her months in captivity and how she recovered. Painful but hope-filled. A hard, but hard to put down, read.

This brings my reading total for the year to 91. I’ve got my work cut out for me if I am going to make it to 100. Fingers crossed!