Back in May I took part in Wyrd & Wonder and had such a good time! This November Sci Fi Month is back – woohoo! – and as sci-fi is a genre I want to read more of, it’s something I try to take part in every year.
This November also sees the return of Non-Fiction November, created and hosted by Olive @ A Book Olive, for the fifth year running, and non-fiction is another genre I keep meaning to read more of because I usually enjoy it when I do.
ALSO in November is Round 5 of Buzzwordathon, created and hosted by booksandlala (and running from 18th-24th November), which I’ve never taken part in before. The challenge this round, though, is to read books with numbers in the title, and there are a few I’d like to get to!
So today I’m here to talk about the books that are on my TBR for November. I probably won’t get to all of these because I started to feel a little burned out in October, but I’d like to get to as many as I can.
(Also, yes, you are very much safe in your assumption that I will be reading The Queen of Nothing this month as soon as my copy arrives!)
My #NonfictionNovember TBR
Every year Non-Fiction November has prompts that are there to encourage readers who might not know where to start with non-fiction – this year’s prompts are Design, Sport, True and Voice – and I enjoy trying to find something to fit the prompts each year.
This year, though, I’m going to try something a little different! I tried picking up some non-fiction in October and my brain just wouldn’t let me take it in, which is a little worrying when I want to try and read more non-fiction. So rather than give myself a huge non-fiction TBR, I’ve decided to pair two non-fiction books with two novels on my TBR and read them alongside one another!
A Non-Fiction November TBR wouldn’t feel complete to me without the addition of a Tudor book, and this year I’d like to finally cross Black Tudors: The Untold Story by Miranda Kaufmann off my TBR. I picked up a copy of Kate Morrison’s A Book of Secrets with a gift card I received for my birthday last month. This novel follows a black Tudor woman, Susan, who becomes involved in the Catholic resistance. It sounds so interesting and I adore the cover!
And if it’s not the Tudors, it has to be witches, right? As a Brit, I know very, very little about the Salem Witch Trials, so Stacy Schiff’s The Witches: Salem, 1692 seems like the perfect way to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. Richard Francis’s Crane Pond is a novel I’ve owned for a couple of years now, but because it’s told from the point of view of the only judge during the Salem Witch Trials to later admit a mistake had been made I’ve been putting it off until I know a little more of the history behind it.
Sci Fi Month TBR
I pre-ordered a copy of Becky Chambers’ first novella, To Be Taught, If Fortunate, so I’ve had it since it was released in August and still haven’t read it because I’ve been saving it for Sci Fi Month. Chambers is my favourite sci-fi author, so I can’t wait to get to this one and it’ll probably be the first one I reach for!
I’ve yet to see a negative review of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time, so it’s about time I finally read the review copy I was sent via NetGalley. I’m a little nervous about this one because I know spiders play a big part in it and I’m severely arachnophobic, but I really want to check it out and I’m hoping to love it as much as everyone else does!
Mira Grant is a favourite author of mine and I loved her novella, Rolling in the Deep, but still haven’t read the novel-length follow-up, Into the Drowning Deep. This novel is about killer mermaids, and it’s the November pick for the horror book club I’ve started with my friends Marisa and Elena, so I’m hoping I’ll enjoy it much more than I enjoyed our October pick!
Buzzwordathon TBR
G. L. Carriger, or Gail Carriger, is a favourite author of mine, so I’m sure it surprises no one that her new sci-fi novel went on my TBR immediately. What I love about Carriger’s work is how harmlessly silly and happy it is; she’s the author I always turn to when I need cheering up. The 5th Gender is an LGBT+ sci-fi mystery romance, and I am so here for that this Sci Fi Month, plus it’s the perfect sci-fi to reach for during Buzzwordathon!
I really, really want to cross Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo off my TBR this year. I’ve seen it praised by so many people since its release and it’s kind of ridiculous that I haven’t read it at this point. I have a feeling I’m going to love it, and this round of Buzzwordathon is the perfect excuse for me to finally pick it up.
My lovely friend Natalie @ A Sea Change proved she knows me very well when she bought me a copy of Alix E. Harrow’s debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, for my birthday in October – thank you, Nat! I’m so excited to read this book. I loved Harrow’s Hugo Award-winning short story and I love the sound of this novel. I think Nat and I are going to try and buddy read it together!
Jessticulates 
Good luck with your TBR!!! I can’t wait for Queen of Nothing either haha, even tho it doesn’t match any of your events, I’m glad you are still planning on reading it 😀
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Hallo, Hallo Jess,
Happily spending some time on your lovely blog tonight – as I am taking a walkabout through the threads and feeds for #SciFiMonth. Feels wonderful to finally become a part of the event now. Ooh daer – I was nearly going to go see if one of my libraries or Scribd had the time novel until you mentioned our seriously most mutually disagreeable creature: the spider! I barely handled the spiders in Harry Potter… clearly, I am not meant to read more fiction involving them! This from the girl who screamed so loud the dead could hear her @ 6a after sneezing (allergies, eh) and found a *frog!* landed on her foot! (no, seriously, it really did) Mind, I was busily blogging, tweeting and sorting out my reading queues — not exactly the visitor you expect at that hour in your bookish space of joy? I degated the removal of it to my Mum — a story for another time.
I’m not writing up an official note about #NonFictionNovember as each year I feel overwhelmed if I try to do too much in *November!* as honestly all the readathons & readalongs I love to join seem to pick this particular month! lol However, I’m intermixing NF into my #SciFiMonth and I have some INSPY NF I’m reading as well – so technically, its a 3x way spilt from Holiday Reads, Sci Fi & SpecLit and Non-Fiction on Jorie Loves A Story this year!! I couldn’t be happier..
Do you know if the novella is released in print or audio for Chambers? I’m catching up on our RAL this week – whilst taking the reins to develop the Qs for next weeks RAL discussion. I wouldn’t go as far to say she’s my *favourite!* SF novelist as that title goes to Julie E. Czerneda who gave me The Clan Chronicles (trust me, its a lot to read through if you ever travel through my Story Vault to get to the reviews for the entire series)…. but I am appreciating my journey with Wayfarers because it is such a strong step away from what I would regularly read myself. In that, I enjoy the RAL for that main reason. Its a ready challenge and one I enjoy.
I’m thinking of moving my #WitchyReads into December… like you said – sometimes you have to pick/choose what you can handle and what you can do – I’m still reading my Norse Mythology novel and delving into King Arthur after canons as well — I have a very well-rounded reading queue right now! lol
I look forward to your visit if you want to see what I’m currently up too – part of the TBR was shared most directly on my #WWWeds post but I re-shared in on my 10 #BookishNotBookish Thoughts whilst my #HoHoHoRAT post delivers which Christmas Reads I am currently in the mood to be reading for the next 9 days!
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Into the Drowning Deep was great. Not too terrifying and interesting. I am currently reading Children of Time.
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I need to read To Be Taught, If Fortunate as well. I love Chambers’ stuff!
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Fellow arachnophobic over here also planning to read Children of Time this month – if you need some moral support, yell at me on Twitter!
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Trust me, I will definitely be yelling at you for moral support!
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…I’m not procrastinating at all, honestly …okay, maybe a little?
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Those look like some very interesting fiction/non fiction pairings and i’m Very Much looking forward to our buddy read!
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😉
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This looks like a fantastic reading month! I’m also participating in SciFiMonth and now I wish I could squeeze in Children of Time because it’s one I’m anxious to read.
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I’m looking forward to crossing as much as I can off my TBR and hopefully having a wonderful reading month. 😀 I hope you enjoy all of your sci-fi reads!
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I like pairing up fiction and nonfiction books! I’m participating in a different Nonfiction November, I’ll have to check out that Salem Witch Trials book!
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It’s something I haven’t done before, but something I should definitely try doing more often!
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