November and December 2019 Book Releases

From the host of the popular podcast of the same name is a new November 2019 book release about turning your passion into a career. As a blogger, I love reading about how to make my business more profitable, so I was curious to see what tips Heller had to share.Honestly, the first half of the book was a waste of my time. The book starts with tons of generic advice about finding your passion and realizing money isn’t evil. I almost consigned this book to my DNF pile.

Luckily, I kept reading because chapters 7, 8 and 10 were chock full of actual usable information. I found myself highlighting sections left and right with concrete advice and great examples of marketing tactics. If you have a side hustle you are trying to make successful, just skip the first half and solely read the chapters on growing your tribe, expanding your influence and teaching/running a podcast. Everywhere else you’ll just find inspirational fluff.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Shortly after her 25th birthday, Libby Jones learns that she has inherited an abandoned London mansion from her biological parents. Adopted as a baby, Libby is excited to learn about her birth family. But her family history is much more than she anticipates when she finds out her parents committed suicide as part of a cult, and her siblings vanished. As scary as that is, the truth is even darker.A dark and disturbing tale, I couldn’t look away as the truth of what happened so long ago got more and more twisted. Lisa Jewell keeps you guessing and the surprises continue to the very last page. While the present segments weren’t as good, the chilly revelations of the past kept me glued to the page for my entire flight to Ohio. If you want some thrilling suspense, you don’t want to miss this November new release. Read more →

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In 1962, CIA analyst Aaron Wiley flies to Germany to visit his dying uncle, Max Weill. For years, Max has been hunting Nazis, haunted by his time in a German concentration camp. When Max spots the notorious Otto Schramm, whom everyone believes to already be dead, he makes Aaron promise to bring Schramm to justice. Aaron’s hunt leads him to Argentina, and into the arms of Schramm’s gorgeous daughter.Several of Joseph Kanon’s books are on my TBR list, but I just never got around to reading him. Thus, I was thrilled when Atria books graciously sent me an ARC of his November 2019 book release. Often spy thrillers seem to go too heavy on the action, but Kanon does an excellent job balancing action and relationships, making the book quite an enjoyable read. The ultimate theme of justice plays out nicely, though is a bit overplayed by the end. Just be warned, if you aren’t familiar with the history of Nazi-hunting, be sure to read up on both Eichmann and Mengele, two famous Nazis mentioned frequently in the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What exactly entails an artistic life? After giving up her dreams of being a professional violist, Rachel Friedman has always second-guessed her decision to quit. In search of answers, Friedman interviews other former aspiring artists who attended an elite performing arts summer camp with her as kids. How have their adult lives turned out? Are they still living an artistic life, and if not, how do they balance the potential they had with the reality they live?Having read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic earlier this year, I wanted to see how Friedman’s thoughts on the creative life compare. While Friedman expressed herself well, I had such a hard time reading the book. Most of the story is Friedman realizing that her preconceived notions of an artistic life are completely unrealistic, which I could have told her at the beginning of the book. If you’ve ever seriously excelled at something as a child (music, art, sports) and then given it up, maybe this book would resonate. Else, you’ll probably struggle not to roll your eyes at the author’s naivete. Even by the end of the book, Friedman seems to struggle with the idea that your life can be so much more than what you do for a living.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Morgenstern’s first book, The Night Circus, has been a book club favorite since its release. In November, prep your book club for her newest release – a love story set in a secret world of magic. Graduate student Zachary Rawlins stumbles upon a mysterious book full of fantastical tales, only to find himself in the narrative. From there, he follows hints to a secret library, preserved by guardians intent on protecting it. From there he finds himself swept into a magical mystical world, and, hopefully, you will be, too. Read more →Update: See my full review on my January Reading List.

Holly Black must love her fans. The second book of her The Folk of the Air series just came out in January, and now she’s already releasing the third book, months earlier than anticipated. In the first book, Black introduces us to Jude, a human girl living in the Fairie kingdom. During a political upheaval, Jude turns the cruel prince Cardan into the King of Faerie, only to face betrayal. Now exiled Jude must risk everything to save her sister, only to find herself entangled once again in political intrigue. I will admit, I cannot wait to read this November release.Update: See my full review on my January Reading List.

Ever since I studied the Titanic in elementary school, the story of the famous “unsinkable” ship has fascinated me. In his new book, Russell uses the sinking of the Titanic to reflect the end of the Edwardian era and the shift that occurs in the Western world. Using the lives of six passengers as examples, Russell notes large changes in modern society – from politics to technology to economics. A perfect Christmas gift for any history buff out there.

In her stunning first book, Tomi Adeyemi brilliantly blended Nigerian mythology and symbols of the Yoruba religion into a gorgeous young adult fantasy. After Zélie Adebola fights to bring magic back to Orïsha, she must now struggle to unite the Maji against the monarchy, hoping to place Amari on the throne. If you haven’t read Children of Blood and Bone yet, then you are completely missing out. If you have, prepare yourself for an exciting new entry into the series. Read more →Update: See my full review on my January Reading List.

In her domestic thriller releasing in December, Tarryn Fisher imagines an unusual marital situation, where three women agree to share the same husband. They’ve never met each other, and each gets one night a week with him. Then one day, the protagonist wife finds the name and number of a woman in her husband’s pant pocket. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she has to meet this Hannah, whom she’s sure is wife number two. Yet Hannah shows all the signs of having an abusive husband. If Hannah’s life is so different, what must wife number three be like? Honestly, this new thriller sounds deliciously fun.

Lastly among the intriguing December 2019 book releases is a family drama from Colleen Hoover. Morgan Grant is adamant that her daughter won’t repeat her mistakes of getting pregnant and married too young. Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old Clara is perfectly happy to be nothing like her mother. Luckily, Morgan’s husband can keep the peace between them. When he dies unexpectedly, Morgan and Clara come into even more conflict, and each finds comfort in the “wrong” person.