Reading wrap-up + Favourites // November 2017

Hello, beautiful people!

This is it, we're in December and I couldn't be happier. I'm not a huge fan of the month of November and while this year, it was draining because of my anxiety, I still managed to enjoy as much as I could. I went on a three day trip with my family in Burgundy, attended the first ever Teen Book Club at Shakespeare & Co where we discussed Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and skyped with Becky Albertalli, and saw my friends a lot. The biggest part of the month has been full of deadlines and Netflix, but December promises to be a lot more exciting!

WHAT I READ

• Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 4/5 stars
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 3/5 stars
• Manderley Forever by Tatiana de Rosnay 3.5/5 stars
• Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 5/5 stars
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 4/5 stars
• Persuasion by Jane Austen 3.5/5 stars
• Girlhood by Cat Clarke 4/5 stars
• The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory 2/5 stars
• The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy 5/5 stars
• Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer 4/5 stars
• The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier 3/5 stars
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (reread) 5/5 stars 

Once again, I had an amazing reading month! I am really happy with what I read in November, because it reflects who I am becoming as a reader. I only read two young adult novels and one of them was a reread, which would have seemed impossible, a year ago. I'm slowly moving towards new genres and it couldn't make me happier, because I have so much more to discover. Also, switching genres help with reading slumps. I read two non-fiction books this month, one was a biography, the other about the meat industry and it makes me want to pick up more books in this genre, to learn more on every topic I'm interested in (you should see my Goodreads shelves, I keep adding more and more). I also read so many classics, I barely have any on my TBR now (but my TBR has almost been destroyed, so).

I love Marius and Cosette a little too much. I also love Eddie Redmayne a little too much but that's another story.

FAVOURITES

Les Misérables

I know, I know. I already published a blog post about it on Sunday. Nevertheless, Les Misérables made my November and that's why I had to include it anyway. I read this 1662 pages long beast in three days and I couldn't be prouder of myself. I fell in love with it even harder than when I read the abridged version all those years ago, I rewatched the musical and listened to the songs yet again. I even went on Les Misérables themed walks: to the house where Marius and Cosette lived, in front of Victor Hugo's house that I'll visit with my friend Clara later, but in the meantime, we went to the Panthéon to "visit" him and it was so much fun (as fun as visiting deceased authors can be, that is).

TV SHOW // Gilmore Girls

At the end of September, I finally started watching this show and it quickly became an addiction (I watched ten episodes in 24 hours because I was on holidays, oops). Ever since then, it has become a routine and I watched an episode during every meal (as I live on my own), when I was in the subway or in the train... You get the idea. I had never related that much to a show before, so I know it will always have a special place in my heart and I'll rewatch it at some point. There were so many similarities between Rory's life and mine, it was a little scary sometimes, but made me love the show even more. I also finished watching the revival yesterday and I really enjoyed it as well! I kinda want a second season, but I got so much more closure already, I wouldn't mind if it wasn't happening.

TEA // Jasmine Organic Tea (Marks & Spencer)

Because of Gilmore Girls, I've been drinking a lot of coffee lately (thanks, Lorelai and Rory), but tea still is my one true love and I started drinking it on a regular basis again in November. I've been drinking jasmine tea all the time, because it's an herbal tea, it's very sweet and makes me feel cosy and relaxed. My anxiety has been at its worst lately, but drinking this tea actually helped a little, it makes me feel lighter. I'm running out of it as you're reading this, so I better go to the nearest Marks and Spencer to buy some.

TV SHOW // Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

I started watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend at the beginning of the year and it totally took me by surprise. It's funny, has interesting characters, has amazing songs (because yes, they're acting, singing, dancing) and so much more. I binge-watched most of the episodes of season 3 this month and I have to say that this TV show keeps getting better and better. They did a parody of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, which means it's officially one of my favourite TV shows now. *whispers* Les Misérables is everywhere.

Fantastic Beasts

I know, I know. I'm a predictable human being and you can scream 'AGAIN' if you want. I'm obsessed with Fantastic Beasts  every two seconds anyway and even wrote a blog post about that. But, November was a Fantastic Beasts month, no one can deny this. In November, it was a year since the first movie came out and I watched it, it was a year until the next movie will be released and most of all, it was the month they revealed the title for the second movie!! Which is Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, if you missed the announcement. I rewatched the movie yet again in November, screamed a lot about it on social media, stared a lot at the illustrated version in a bookstore (it'll be mine at some point, though) and even bought Fantastic Beasts themed candles. I'm helpless.

I hope November was an amazing month for you!

Lots of love,

Lucie