November Reading 2: Fiction, Nonfiction, Art, and Craft

 I read a couple of nonfiction books in November. Both were excellent.

Hotbed: Bohemian New York and the Secret Club That Sparked Modern Feminism by Joanna Scutts (owned book)

This is the story of the Heterodoxy Club, which was formed in Greenwich Village in 1912. The history of the club is told through the life stories of some of the prominent members. The women who formed the club and those who joined it over the years came from all backgrounds, classes, racial categories and brought with them different interests and strengths. The club influenced society and culture. This is a fascinating read--thanks to Bill for surprising me with a copy! 😀💜I loved it.

A Brief History of the End of the F*cking World by Tom Phillips (library book)

I also loved this book and discovered that this author has several more like it on different topics. I've placed them all on my list on the library website for future requesting. In this book, Phillips is providing exactly what the title says--a brief history of people proclaiming that the end of the world is at hand. It's both fascinating and funny. Another one I can wholeheartedly recommend.

I read a couple of novels and a novella.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (read on the Serial Reader app)

It's a tradition. Every year I read or listen to this novella. I adore it. 

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton (read on the Serial Reader app)

I'm not quite sure what this is supposed to be but to me it read like a farce. I ended up enjoying it, but it was a bit weird. Some guy is recruited to go undercover, infiltrating a group of anarchists for the police. Mayhem ensues.

The Bookshop Murders by Jennifer Gladwell

This book is set in London in 1928. Lucy Darkwether has broken off her engagement to attend Oxford, where she studied ancient history. Now she owns a bookshop. A newly discovered Egyptian mummy is on tour and Lucy wants to host it, but the guy who owns the neighboring bookshop gets the prize. Things don't turn out as planned because as everyone gathers to see the mummy, a newly dead body is discovered. Is it the mummy's curse or something more ordinary? I enjoyed this book. I don't know if it's going to be a series, but if so, I'll read the next one.

And last but not least, there were a couple of arts and crafts titles in the mix for November.

Weaving Tapestry in Rural Ireland by Meghan Nuttal-Sayres (library book)

This book tells the story of the Taipeis Gael, a tapestry weaving cooperative that used to exist in County Donegal. In it, we learn how the cooperative came to be, why some of the members joined, what their successes and difficulties were and more. I found it to be a delightful book and I quite enjoyed reading about some of the people involved, especially the elders who acted as mentors.

Visible Mending by Jenny Wilding-Cardon (BorrowBox e-book)

In addition to providing ideas for how to do visible mending, the author writes about different kinds of visible mending, what method might be best for various situations, a short history of boro, a Japanese mending technique, the materials needed, and photographs of clothing given new life through visible mending. She also makes the case for why this is a good thing to do. 

And there's a quick-ish wrap-up of my November reading. I had one DNF and that was Funny Girl by Nick Hornby, the library book group selection. I read the forst 90 pages or so and had more than enough by then. December has been an excellent reading month so far for me and I hope it's the same for you. Happy reading!

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