November Plans

November is the month of two huge memes – Novellas in November (#NovNov25) hosted by Rebecca and Cathy, and Nonfiction November with five hosts! Add to that German Literature Month XV hosted by Caroline and Tony this year. Naturally, I’m hoping to take part in ALL of them, so I’ve not signed up to any blog tours for November.

Novellas in November

I’m going to start with a novella from my main shelves – The Sound of My Voice by Ron Butlin – I remember Kim loving it, so I can’t wait to read it. I’ll also join in with the month’s buddy read Seascraper by Benjamin Wood too.

Then I shall turn to my two novella piles, which are a constant feature of my personal library, not in the main alphabetised shelves. There’s a real mixture including some short NF. I have to give myself enough choice in between scheduled reads to prevent readers’ block!

Which would you recommend?

I also have a shelf full of Simenon’s, a mix of Maigrets and the Romans durs.

Nonfiction November

Each of the five weeks has a different theme with a different host – and I hope to join in several. My non-fiction reading though will centre around three new memoirs which I’m dying to read – but which first? The perennial question, given that I probably won’t have time to read all three in November.

Kathy Burke’s memoir sounds gritty, shocking and full of insightful resilience (she was interviewed about it in last Saturday’s Times by Caitlin Moran); Mary Portas is just brilliant, witty and so cool; Tim Curry has the voice that melts you!

German Literature Month

I haven’t really thought about what I’ll read to join in, but I do have several of Simone Buchholz’s early Chastity Riley novels on the shelves.

Last year Dolce Bellezza hosted Norway in November too, but I shall save some Nordic reading for the new year. I think all the above is enough to be going on with!