What I Read in November and December 2022

November and December were both reading slump months for me. Even though the conditions and ambience were ideal for cosy evenings spent reading, I found it hard to focus on a book for long and it felt like I kept picking up books that weren’t perfect for that moment. Instead of beating myself up about it, I leaned into the slump and just slowly chipped away at the books I did pick up and picked up other hobbies and wintry activities instead. (Pokémon Violet and present-wrapping have both taken up plenty of my free time!)

Nevertheless, I wanted to finish up this mini book review series for the year, so here are my thoughts on everything that I read in November and December. For quick-fire star ratings, feel free to befriend me over on Goodreads, where I track all of my reads!

The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues & Signs by Tristan Gooley

Rating: ★★★/5

After completely LOVING The Secret Network of Nature in October, I was thoroughly excited to pick up this walker’s guide. And I think this is really where my reading slump started: it’s a very quick-fire read that ruminates at the same time. Strangely, Gooley doesn’t go into huge amounts of detail in his outdoor interpretations, but he does cover a LOT. It wasn’t for me.

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

Rating: ★★/5

I borrowed The Black Tides of Heaven from a friend, despite them saying they didn’t enjoy it, and – lo and behold – neither did I. Mokoya and Akeha are twin children of the Protector, sold to the Grand Monastery as children. While close as youngsters, the twins slowly distance and grow apart as one sees visions of the future and the other sees actions. Unwilling to become part of their mother’s ‘Protectorate’, Akeha leaves their world behind, joining the rebellion.

This novella is beautiful in its own way, however it never quite peaked for me. It’s one of a pair of introductory novellas, which could explain this, but I felt lost and bored several times. There’s some fun world-building and intricate details that I simply want to know more about! I love the representation of gender as a concept, and really wanted Yang to deepen this theme. Overall, I wish this could’ve been a full-length novel in its own right.

Love Looks Pretty on You by Lang Leav

Rating: ★★★★★/5

Usually I’m not huge on poetry collections, but I’ve heard so much about Lang Leav that I had to discover her work. And what a way to do so! I completed this book in just one day, absorbing its beauty across two commutes. Leav’s collection of prose and poetry focuses on love in all of its forms, making for a compelling, heart-enriching read. I borrowed a copy from a friend, but I now must pick up my own to keep on my desk.

Manifesting for Beginners by Victoria Jackson

Rating: ★★★★/5

When Victoria shared her book announcement a few months ago, I was completely thrilled for her! Last month, she sent me an advanced copy of her debut, Manifesting for Beginners, and I gobbled it up in a handful of evenings. I first got into manifestation and the law of attraction through Victoria, so I knew I’d enjoy this read. She shares her personal journey, backs it with experts and even shares exercises and prompts so you can begin your own manifestation journey. A great read for those curious of the concept.

Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan

Rating: ★★★★.5/5

After becoming completely besotted with Daughter of the Moon Goddess in February, I was delighted that its sequel was due to be released before the end of the year. Heart of the Sun Warrior picks up Xingyin’s story as she battles a new threat to the realm. Still rooted in my favourite Chinese folklore tale, Xingyin discovers a strange magic on the moon and notices changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor becomes more and more power-obsessed.

This second part of the duology is flawlessly imagined in the same enchanting style as the first; a story belied with magic, love, honour, betrayal, loss and sacrifice. Tan’s descriptive ability is truly second to none – you’ll be conjured up to the clouds in no time. Plus, there are dragons.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Rating: ★★★.8/5

I picked White Teeth up the week before Christmas, not expecting to finish it anytime soon – it’s a beast at 560 pages! – and ended up flying through it in days. Now I see why this is such a beloved book and debut. White Teeth is, at heart, a searingly real and naïve portrait of London in the 70s. (FYI there’s a big trigger warning for su*cide ideation at the start.)

The novel is character-led, which I have always loved, and feels like a widened family saga, following multiple generations in three families. While I picked it up during a huge reading slump, it kept me gripped with its unflinching depiction of friendship, culture, immigrant life, love and London living. I did find the middle of the book a little lost and meandering, but thankfully it picked itself back up.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Rating: ★★★★/5

There’s something really magical, calm and curiosity-piquing about the Before the Coffee Gets Cold world, and I’m glad I read the second in the series before Christmas. Set at the café Funiculi Funicula, a place where you can travel back in time, it transports us to four stories. We meet a man seeking his best friend whose daughter he raised as his own, a son who didn’t return home for his mother’s funeral, a man who travels to see the girl he couldn’t marry, and an ageing, woeful detective who couldn’t save his own wife. There’s a real warmth to this otherwise-morbid story