November 2018 Wrap Up

November was a great reading month. I read many books which were on my TBR for quite sometime. I read a total of 8 books, out of which one was a graphical novel. November was also sci-fi month so I read a couple of science fiction books too.

The books I read are:

1. The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers: 4.5 stars

I read this book as part of the sci-fi month readalong hosted by Jorie, Lisa and Imyril. I loved this book and have a detailed review for the book here. I also joined 2 of the 3 twitter sprints and had loads of fun chatting with others about the book.

2. Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-Garcia : 4 stars

I loved Signal to Noise by this author so much that I immediately picked another book by her. I have turned into a fan of this author now. She writes stories which touch my heart. It’s about Amelia who dreams of going to Mars and that’s the only sci-fi element in this story. She is unable to as she does not have enough money and does not have a job. She works as a friend for hire to earn her living expenses. Rest is about Amelia and her family, her ex boyfriend who suddenly comes back in her life. What I loved the most was what Amelia did for her mother. It was a heart warming story. While Signal to Noise was all about Mexican music, this book talks about movie industry and feminism. I read this book for sci-fi month even though it was not part of my TBR, mostly because it was a novella and can be read quickly. I read it in a single sitting and I loved it.

3. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney : 5 stars

This is book #13 from this series. I have been reading the books from this as and when they are released from last 10 years or so. Every year, a book from this series gets released and I preorder and finish it on the day it is released. It was hilarious as always. This volume focused more on Greg’s classmates and neighborhood kids mostly and focused on winter and snow as the title suggests. Rowley was there for most part of the book which made it better than some other volumes. But I missed Greg’s brother Rodrick and family as they were there for very few panels. Still my favorite.

4. In Calabria by Peter S Beagle: 4 stars

Beautiful story. Another author that I heard talking in a panel at Worldcon this year. I knew I had to read something by him after listening to him speak and I found a signed copy of this book there. It is about a farmer who suddenly finds a unicorn in his farm and how this changes his life. It was a sweet uplifting story full of hope. I am definitely going to try his other books.

5. The Crimes of Grindelwald by J K Rowling: 5 stars

I saw the movie and then read the screenplay. I have a detailed spoiler review where I discuss everything that happens in this book here.

6. Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E Fiest: 5 stars

I listened to this book on audiobook and finished it after listening to it for more a month. I don’t think it’s possible to give this book anything less than 5 stars. What a ride it has been! I listened to the author’s preferred edition which has some extra content and absolutely loved it. The narrator of the book did a great job and gave a unique voice to each and every character. No other author has reminded me of JRR Tolkien (in a good way) as much as this author has. I love classic fantasy and this was classic fantasy at its best. The characters were all appealing and well crafted. Pug and Tomas reminded me of Frodo and Sam sometimes. It has goblins, elves and dwarves, along with men. The initial journey that they undertake in this book reminded me so much of Fellowship of the ring. I cannot wait to dig into the next book in this series. I feel like kicking myself for not having read this author before.

7. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T Kiyosaki: 4 stars

After having this book on my shelf for so many years, I finally decided to read it. The book suffered from the same flaws that self help books suffer from – they get repetitive and there are just few points which the author keeps elaborating on. This was my first book on personal finance and I found it helpful. The author made me realize why assets are useful and liabilities are not. My dad kept trying to tell me why I shouldn’t spend money on liabilities but I never understood that. This book helped me understand how people get rich and why some people end up poor.

8. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – 4 stars

Great book on saving and getting out of debt. There were some nice tips too. I expected this book to give more concrete advice but the author was very vague with investment ideas, which is what I was looking for. Half of the book is filled with testimonials which were little boring to read. Still it’s the best book on finance I have read so far. Again, the author mentioned some points which my father has been reiterating for sometime already.

Let me know if you have read better books on money and finance.

So what did you read in November? I wanted to post this before november ended but couldn’t because of other personal commitments like travel.