A mix of books from a variety of genres I enjoy coming out this month.
November 1
Goodreads Synopsis:
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell, Matthew Perry takes readers onto the soundstage of the most successful sitcom of all time while opening up about his private struggles with addiction. Candid, self-aware, and told with his trademark humor, Perry vividly details his lifelong battle with the disease and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that shares the most intimate details of the love Perry lost, his darkest days, and his greatest friends.
Unflinchingly honest, moving, and hilarious: this is the book fans have been waiting for.
Chandler was always my favorite Friend.
November 3
Goodreads Synopsis:
Medieval queens were seen as mere dynastic trophies, yet many of the Plantagenet queens of the high middle ages dramatically broke away from the restrictions imposed on their sex.
Marguerite of France, married at twenty to the formidable sixty-year-old Edward I, became politically active and sought to topple Edward II’s favourite, Piers Gaveston. Edward II’s queen, Isabella of France, ended his disastrous reign by invading England and deposing him. Her rule with her lover Roger Mortimer was in turn overthrown by her son Edward III as soon as he came of age. Edward III’s long, happy and fruitful marriage to Philippa of Hainault came closest to the medieval ideal, and truly exemplified the Age of Chivalry. Anne of Bohemia was one of the most sophisticated and cosmopolitan queens ever to grace the English throne and Richard II loved her to distraction, but she may have dabbled in heresy and she died young. Afterwards Richard took a child bride, Isabella of Valois, who, despite her youth, remained fiercely loyal to him as he grew ever more tyrannical, and was active in the conflicts that led to his deposition.
The turbulent, brutal Age of Chivalry witnessed the Black Death, the Peasants’ Revolt, the Hundred Years’ War against France and savage baronial wars against the monarchy in which these queens were passionately involved. Using personal letters and wonderfully vivid sources, Alison Weir evokes the lives of five remarkable queens and brilliantly recreates this truly dramatic period of history.
Alison Weir’s nonfiction reads like a narrative. I don’t know a lot about any of these queens and am interested in learning more.
November 8
Goodreads Synopsis:
Adalheid Castle is in chaos.
Following a shocking turn of events, Serilda finds herself ensnared in a deadly game of make-believe with the Erlking, who is determined to propel her deeper into the castle’s lies. Meanwhile, Serilda is determined to work with Gild to help him solve the mystery of his forgotten name and past.
But soon it becomes clear that the Erlking doesn’t only want to use Serilda to bring back his one true love. He also seeks vengeance against the seven gods who have long trapped the Dark Ones behind the veil. If the Erlking succeeds, it could change the mortal realm forever.
Can Serilda find a way to use her storytelling gifts for good—once and for all? And can Serilda and Gild break the spells that tether their spirits to the castle before the Endless Moon finds them truly cursed?
I haven’t read Gilded, book one in this series, but I have loved everything I’ve ever read by Marissa Meyer.
November 15
Goodreads Synopsis:
After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day.
Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.
How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?
I haven’t read anything by Lynn Painter, but this description caught my attention. The Groundhog Day meets rom-com premise sounds like a lot of fun.
Goodreads Synopsis:
After winning her mother’s freedom from the Celestial Emperor, Xingyin thrives in the enchanting tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the
emperor tightens his grip on power. While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation.
Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would. As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation–to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love… even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my favorite reads of September. I’m so excited that I didn’t have to wait long for the sequel.
