Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in November 2023. I shared what I read in the first half of the month here. I shared my five star reads here. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: Quiet
Author: Susan Cain
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group, 1/24/12
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
As an introvert, I had this book on my tbr for quite awhile. Having my own copy led me to read it for this Non Fiction November. And I finished my A-Z book challenge with this one! Quiet is about the way the world seems to prefer the talkative and the outgoing while those who prefer listening are sidelined. Even in the research the author did, it seemed that the successful introverts she profiled knew how to act like they are outgoing.
“At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society. In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, impeccably researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.”
This book seemed more focused on the business person than the individual, which reminded me of when I took my communication classes in college and I wanted to focus on individuals rather than on businesses!
Title: A Promised Land
Author: Barack Obama
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Random House Audio, 11/17/20
Source: Libary Audio / Print from Publisher
Why I Read It: Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
This has been waiting on my shelf since 2020 and I finally listened to it this month for Non Fiction November. This is a long book and it only covers Obama’s first term!
“In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil. Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office. Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.”
Some of the information from the earlier days of his path to the presidency overlapped with Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming. The book proceeds to describe much of Obama’s accomplishments, from inspiring young people to vote through the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. Other policy topics described included the financial crisis, Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Arab Spring. The section about Israel was rather interesting considering what is happening today. This book was like reading a history of the 2010s!
Title: This Is So Awkward
Author: Cara Natterson MD & Vanessa Knoll Bennett
Genre: Non Fiction / Parenting
Publisher: Rodale Books, 10/10/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book is about puberty in modern times and was perfect for Non Fiction November. In this book, various aspects of puberty and the tween / teen years are explained. Each section addresses the science, the changes over the past decades, how to talk about it, and the voices of those who have recently gone through it.
“Almost everything about puberty has changed since today’s adults went through it. It starts, on average, two years earlier and stretches through high school . . . and for some, beyond. Gens Z and Alpha are also contending with a whole host of thorny issues that parents didn’t experience in their own youth but nonetheless need to understand: everything from social media and easy-access pornography to gender identities and new or newly-potent drugs. Talking about any of this is like puberty itself: Awkward! But it’s also critical for the health, happiness, and safety of today’s kids. Bewildered adults have begged for reliable and relatable information about the modern adolescent experience. This Is So Awkward answers their call. Written by a pediatrician and a puberty educator—together the hosts of a lively and popular podcast on puberty, and moms to six teens between them—this is the handbook everyone has been searching for, and includes:
• Pointed advice about how to talk to kids about almost anything: acne, body odor, growth spurts, eating disorders, mood swings, sexuality, and more.
• Science-based explanations for all of puberty’s physical, emotional, and social changes, including the many ways hormones affect kids both above and below the neck.
• What adults needs to know about today’s teen culture: their mental health drivers, the un-gendering of body image issues, the ways they think about sexual orientation, and more.
• Invaluable commentary straight from young adults just out the other side of adolescence that highlights what they wish the adults in their lives had known or done differently.”
Topics include body development, periods, hair, acne, BO, growing, sleep, mood, mental health, eating disorders, sports, hookup culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. I found the book quite interesting. I did think it was missing a conclusion!
Title: The Borrow a Boyfriend Club
Author: Page Powars
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: Delacorte, 9/12/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was a cute and quick read about trans teen Noah, who wants to join a club to help him prove he is one of the guys. The club that Noah wants to join is supposedly an Italian club, but it actually allows people to rent out dates with club members. The club needs funds and Noah agrees to help the members prepare for a talent show contest. He also agrees to date the club president, Asher, to prove that he is boyfriend material. When the two fall for each other, it’s a problem because the club rules forbid members from having actual relationships.
“Noah Byrd is the perfect boy. At least, that’s what he needs to convince his new classmates of to prove his gender. His plan? Join the school’s illustrious (and secret) Borrow a Boyfriend Club, whose members rent themselves out for dates. Once he’s accepted among the bros, the ‘slip-ups’ end. But Noah’s interview is a flop. Desperate, he strikes a deal with the club’s prickly but attractive president, Asher. Noah will help them win an annual talent show—and in return, he’ll get a second shot to demonstrate his boyfriend skills in a series of tests that include romancing Asher himself. If Noah can’t bring home the win, his best chance to prove that he’s man enough is gone. Yet even if he succeeds, he still loses . . . because the most important rule of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club is simple: no real boyfriends (or girlfriends) allowed. And as long as the club remains standing as high as Asher’s man bun, Noah and Asher can never explore their growing feelings for one another.”
I’m not sure I fully bought Noah and Asher as a couple, but I enjoyed the friend group in the story. I also liked how Noah was eventually able to talk to his parents about their struggle with calling him Noah.
There you have it, the rest of my November reading! This post included 4 of the books I read in November. Of these books, 3 were print and 1 was an audio book. Genres included non fiction and rom com. 1 was YA and 3 were adult reads.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?