November 2025 Book Reviews!
- Christine
- 2 minutes ago
- 12 min read
The holiday season is squarely upon us! I know that we've had a house full of guests over Thanksgiving, which we've loved having, but definitely makes it harder to find those quiet times to just sit and read. But, I try to prioritize reading as much as possible, as I find it's a great way to calm my mind when I know I have so much to do.
Amongst all the hustle and bustle of November, I had time to read some really good books and I'm sharing those with you in this post. I hope you find a few you would like to read, or maybe a book that's perfect for someone on your holiday gift list.
As always, remember that you can follow me and the books I'm reading in real time on either Goodreads or The Story Graph. Send me a request and let's follow each other!
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The Zen Lobbyist: A Mindful Approach To Transforming Healthcare by Gary Jacobs
I know this seems like a radical idea, but the author professes in this book that our politicians can set their "politics" aside and come up with a solution for healthcare and insurance that works for everyone. In this book, the author lays out his ideas and plans for healthcare in this country, including a holistic, preventative approach rather than a reactive approach based on individual symptoms.
He also addresses the issues on the side of the medical providers. The fact that there are not enough doctors that go into the field of primary care. The fact that medical professionals are burned out. And the fact that doctors and other medical professionals spend more time on administrative tasks and figuring out how to bill for something than the do on the care of the patient.
The author has great experience in the healthcare industry - both in the public and private sector. He also has extensive experience working on both sides of the aisle in D.C. The book does get a little in the weeds at times on the technicalities of different approaches to healthcare. But overall, this book is a great read for anyone that is concerned about our healthcare system and health insurance, and is interested in learning more.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
Retirement? Nailed It!: A Humorous Guide For The Golden Years by Casey Einstein
As someone who is getting ready to retire (and retire early in life) in about a year, I thought I would be the target audience for this book and get some good tips. Unfortunately, the pieces of actual useful information I took away were minimal. I know the author is trying to inject humor into the book, but it almost came across as painting a picture that all retirees are pretty incapable of doing hard and important things, so you might as well just do ridiculous things to bide your time and keep yourself busy.
Some of the activities the author suggested came across as really juvenile. And while I agree that retirement should be about not taking yourself as seriously as you did when you were working, retirees can make substantive contributions, while still having fun.
I hoped for practical tips as I start thinking about my transition to retirement. I really didn't get those, but got more of a primer on how to be silly in life.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Two out of five stars.
I Want To Be Here: Conquering Anxiety At Its Source To Live With Presence And Peace At Work And Home by Joe Coleman
Right from the beginning of the book when the author described his personal experience having a panic attack and it sounded so much like mine, I knew I was going to get something from this book.
The author does a great job of talking about anxiety and what causes it, without getting overly technical. He also gives a lot of good and practical advice for how to deal with anxiety. And while he does talk about therapy and medication at the end of the book, the primary focus here is on how to change your mindset as well as lifestyle changes you can make to combat your anxiety. As I have really worked hard to manage my anxiety the same way, I definitely appreciated his approach.
While some of things he talked about in the book were things I already do, I definitely got some good ideas and really felt like the angle he takes on anxiety was helpful. I recommend this for anyone that struggles with anxiety.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
Voices From The Kitchen: Personal Narratives From New York's Immigrant Restaurant Workers Edited by Marc Meyer
"Restaurants as we know them in the United States would not exist without immigrant labor. We would not be able to build them, staff them, or produce the food we serve without the people who have come to this country from other nations." Those are the first two sentences of this very enlightening book that tells the story of 27 different people who immigrated to the U.S. and ended up working in restaurants in New York City at some point in their life.
The editor - Marc Meyer - is a longtime NYC chef and co-owner of the Bowery Group of restaurants, so he knows what it takes to work in a restaurant. He also knows that his own restaurants would not run without these people who come to the U.S. looking for a better life, work hard (often working multiple jobs at a time), pay taxes and contribute to their communities, while at the same time help support their families back home.
Each chapter is another story taken entirely from interviews conducted by the author with each person. It's their story in their own words - what their life was like growing up in their home country, why they felt they had to leave, what the journey was like coming to the U.S., how their life has been since being here, how they ended up working in the restaurant industry, and what their plans are for the future.
What I really loved was that not only did these stories show the real side of these people, but he shared the stories from immigrants from all over - everywhere from South America to Egypt to Africa to Ireland.
I always believe that one of the best ways to learn more and expand your horizons is to better understand people that are different than you. This book does an excellent job of letting you do that.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
The Usual Suspect (Tony Valenti, Book 9) by Neil Turner
When Van Booker's husband and daughter are found brutally murdered on Easter morning, Van finds herself the primary suspect and arrested for the crimes. Her cousin is convinced of her innocence and hires Tony Valenti's law firm to defend Booker. Valenti finds himself clashing with Booker at their first meeting, but agrees to sit second chair to his partner. But after his partner suffers his own tragedy, Valenti soon finds himself sitting first chair and fighting to save Booker from jail.
I thought this was a great legal thriller and would have rated it higher, but felt like it fell apart at the end. There were so many threads that were laid out through the story, but they didn't all get pulled together at the end like they could have. The ending felt a bit rushed and just unfinished. I know this is a series, so maybe the author plans to continue with Booker's story in future books, but her story definitely didn't feel complete here.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Three out of five stars.
10:04 by Ben Lerner
This is one of those books that when you finish reading it, you have to ask yourself... what was the point of that?
The premise of the book is that the narrator is a writer who lives in New York. His first book was unexpectedly successful and he's been given a big advance to write a second book. In the midst of this, his best friend has asked him to help her conceive a child, he's been diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart condition, and New York City has had two hurricanes target it over the span of a couple of months.
But the problem is that the story never really goes anywhere. The characters really aren't very likeable, so you have nothing keeping you interested in the story. The writing itself is very good, but is also written in a way that makes you feel like the author is showing off their vocabulary rather than putting together a good story.
For a book that has been critically acclaimed, I definitely didn't get the hype. This book is #62 on the New York Times list of "The Best 100 Books of the 21st Century". Three out of five stars.
Furlough by Jacob Moon
This is a great crime novel that will take readers on an action-packed ride!
Eddie Grassle has just been released from jail after having served a 5 year sentence when he took the fall for his lifelong friend, Jules, over a drug charge. Knowing that with the priors Jules had he would go to jail for a very long time, Eddie decided to take the blame even knowing that his girlfriend was pregnant with their son. When Eddie is finally released, he's determined to turn over a new leaf. He contacts his ex-girlfriend, Clarissa, and asks to meet his son, Liam. Clarissa agrees but only if Eddie promises to have nothing to do with Jules again.
On the night before he's scheduled to meet Liam, Eddie agrees to meet up with Jules one last time for old time's sake. Unfortunately, that one last time will have a lifelong impact on Eddie, as the meeting doesn't go as planned.
When Eddie finds himself in trouble again due to Jules, the only person who believes his story is Officer Riggins, who is just a few months away from retiring from the force. Will Officer Riggins be able to set things right for Eddie?
I loved this overall story and thought the author did a great job of putting together all the details. I thought the story had some unique aspects to it that most crime novels don't. I also loved the fact that you really got to know Eddie's character and he was someone that it was easy to like and cheer for. My only criticism of the book is that it is very long, so it felt like the pace was a bit slow. I think with some editing and elimination of some of the details - for example, I didn't need a full page on how a certain fingerprinting technique worked - the pace would have been much faster and made the book better.
Great writing and would definitely seek out other books from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
Where The Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe
This historical fiction book is the first in a set of two that tells the story of Eliza Rivers and her family. The story takes place in the ACE Basin in South Carolina, which is just south of Charleston in Beaufort County. As someone who actually lives just south of the area, I was interested in picking up a book about the area.
The story is told from the perspective of Eliza in dual timelines. In the "present day" timeline, which is set in 1988, Eliza is turning 88 years old and is trying to preserve her family home in Mayfield and the surrounding land as well as retain control of her company until she is ready to retire on her terms. Her son, Arthur, is intent on taking over the company and preventing her from protecting Mayfield so that it can be sold to developers. After a confrontation at a shareholder's meeting, Eliza takes her granddaughter and grand-niece with her to her home in Mayfield.
The second timeline begins in the early 1900's as Eliza is a young girl. "Present day" Eliza is sharing the stories of her youth growing up to help her granddaughter and grand-niece appreciate how special Mayfield is and its importance to the family. The story follows Eliza all the way up through her marriage.
While I found the book good, I wasn't captivated by it enough that I have a strong desire to read part 2, which will cover Eliza's life after she is married through present time. While I'd read it if I came across it, I won't be waiting in line for it.
I found the writing very good. It definitely captured the feeling of the area and the time period. Most of the characters felt a bit shallow to me, however, and I just never felt completely involved in their stories. No complaints about the book, but not one I would tell people is a must read. Three out of five stars.
The Fourth Daughter by Lyn Liao Butler
When Liv discovers that her grandmother has a fourth daughter (Liv's aunt) that she never knew about, Liv decides to fly to Taiwan to help her grandmother find her. As Liv begins to learn more about the life her grandmother lived during a time in Taiwan where women had no rights and her grandmother was forced to live as her husband wished, she becomes more determined to help her grandmother find the daughter her husband gave away.
At the same time, Liv is dealing with her own trauma after having been shot at the restaurant she worked at in NYC months before. When Liv meets Simon at the airport when she arrives in Taiwan, it turns out that they have more connection than either of them knew.
I really loved the underlying story in this book. I also found the characters to be very likeable. The writing was a bit off for me, however, and some of the story just seemed a bit disjointed. Definitely an enjoyable read, but nothing super compelling.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Three out of five stars.
Marching Through The Fire (The Walker and Stone, Book 2) by Lawrence J. Epstein
This is a historical fiction mystery that takes place in London during the beginnings of WWII. As the Germans are beginning their bombing on London, Walker and Stone of Scotland Yard try to sabotage a plan to steal and share London's top secret plans with the Germans.
The plot of this book had good potential and the mystery portion of it kept you guessing until the end. But I just couldn't get over the writing to make me like this book. I don't know how else to describe it other than it felt very mechanical. The dialogue was very unrealistic and basic. The characters were never developed. There was a side story about Stone and his family, who had taken in a young German Jewish boy, but it was never fully explained or developed.
Good potential but just not good execution in my opinion.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Two out of five stars.
Salt, Sweat & Steam: The Fiery Education Of An Accidental Chef by Brigid Washington
In this memoir, the author shares her experience attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Washington had been living in Raleigh, NC and trying to find her way in the world after finishing college, when she takes a job working in the kitchen in a local fine dining restaurant. After a difficult break up, Washington decides to pack up and move to New York to attend CIA.
The book is an inside look at what happens at the CIA - the different classes, the chefs who teach there, how the program is structured, etc. Throughout the book, Washington also shares her personal story as she is looking to figure out what she really wants in her life - both personally and professionally.
If you are into cooking and interested in a behind the scenes look at the restaurant business, this would be a great book for you. I found it interesting, but a little choppy in the writing from time to time and probably a bit too much "cooking talk" for me personally.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book will be published April 26, 2026. Three out of five stars.
That's a wrap for November of 2025! I'm wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season, and hope you get all of the books on your wish list!
What books do you recommend I read next? Let me know! Did you check out any of these books? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or e-mail me at tips2livebywriter@gmail.com.
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