November 2019 Book Reviews

Another month another book review! (Side note: how is it already December!? Where was the year gone?)

You may remember that last month I declared I wanted to try jumping in to reading a book without reading the book jacket, and thats just what I did this month. I really enjoyed all three books I read, and I do think some of that had to do with the surprise factor of not exactly knowing what I was about to read about. I think Im going to keep this up!

The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth L. Cline

The fashion industry creates more carbon dioxide annually than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. (p. 117-118) This book was full of information regarding the way fashion impacts our world. It was fascinating to me to read about where our clothing comes from, how its made, what its made of, and how all our decisions regarding clothing has lasting impacts. Some of it was downright shocking did you know up to 2,168 gallons of water is used to grow the cotton to make a single t-shirt? What I love about this book is that the author isnt trying to stop us from buying clothing or make us feel guilty for loving trendy clothes. She herself loves clothing and enjoys having a variety of clothes in her closet. But she is incredibly persuasive about being more conscious in our fashion choices. She gives great examples of ways to extend the life of clothes through resale, renting, shopping secondhand (this can extend the live of a garment by an average of 2.2 years!) or if you want to buy new, things to look for on the label or in the company youre supporting. She also gives tips on how to make the clothing you do have last longer. It was super informative but digestible and not boring. Id recommend it if youre interested in making even the smallest of changes towards a more sustainable, conscious closet.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

My sister read this young adult novel and kept telling me that I would love it so I checked it out and it did not disappoint! This novel follows four of high school students and their perspectives and experiences after all ending up in detention together one day. I feel like a lot of books lately have had a warm up period where I have to read 50 or so pages before I get hooked but with this novel, I was hooked right away and couldnt put it down. The characters are interesting, the plot is intriguing, and the pace is just right. I found myself quickly becoming heavily invested in the mystery surrounding what really happened in that detention and it honestly kept me guessing until the end. I loved it and highly recommend checking it out even if youre well beyond your young adult years! (If youre a parent of a teen, I would warn that there is some language use that you might not want a young teen to read).

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

This book was WOW! You all know my love of historical fiction, particularly when it comes to events and people I hadnt previously known about. I had never heard of the Pack Horse Library Project in 1930s Kentucky and was absolutely fascinated by this take on it. It gave me the same vibes asWhere the Crawdads Sing but I enjoyed the story so much more. I loved the strong female lead characters, each with different but complementary personalities. I felt like I knew them all and enjoyed seeing their individual growth throughout the story. There were also a couple very endearing supportive male characters I got so invested in the mini storylines and relationships. I thought it was spellbinding and I couldnt put it down! My only complaints are it got a little long in places (I did skim read a bit when the story started to stall at one point) and there was one character storyline I wasnt quite satisfied with how it wrapped up, as it seemed too abrupt. Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend it!

Im so excited for December reading something about reading by a Christmas tree, snuggling under a blanket, is just the coziest thing ever!