Welcome to my November 2025 Favorite Books post! This monthly post is where I share the 5 star books I’ve read so far each month. You can see the first half of my November reading here and I will share the rest of my November reads next week. I am writing this a bit early, so if I have further 5 star reads, they will be shared in that post as well. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: Words Apart
Author: Aimee Lucido
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Versify, 10/7/25
Source: Storygram Book Tours
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
This middle grade book is written in both verse format and in graphic novel format, with sisters Olive and Mattie’s alternating viewpoints. Olive excels at school and loves words, including vocabulary and making crossword puzzles. Her sister Mattie struggles with reading and schoolwork, but excels at drawing and expressing herself through comics.
“Olive collects words. Rare words, common words, fancy words, funny words. She expresses herself by writing poetry, making crossword puzzles, and creating dictionary definitions for what she refers to as ‘neologisms. Her sister, Mattie, could not be more different. Mattie struggles with words and so instead prefers pictures, expressing herself through cartoons and sketches. Despite their differences, the two girls are inseparable. Or at least, they were. After their dad moves away and Olive develops her first crush, the sisters’ dynamic changes. Olive wants to spend more time with people who aren’t related to her, but Mattie doesn’t want anything to change. When their dad starts acting suspiciously and Mattie’s grades begin to fall, the sisters’ relationship fractures. Olive and Mattie must discover that love isn’t always how we envision it.”
While the sisters navigate difficult family dynamics at home, plus learning differences and new friendships at school, I loved seeing their stories unfold through each of their modes of expression. This would be an excellent choice for a middle grade aged reader as well as those who are reluctant to read by choice.
Title: Hostage
Author: Eli Sharabi
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Harper Influence, 10/7/25
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Taken captive on 10/7/23, Eli Sharabi was held hostage for 491 days. At first, he was held in a home and later he was moved into the tunnels. He was held with other captives and they supported one another. Sharabi believed he was staying alive for his family, who he did not know had been murdered.
“On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Be’eri, shattering the peaceful life Eli Sharabi had built with his British wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel. Dragged barefoot out his front door while his family watched in horror, Sharabi was plunged deep into the suffocating darkness of Gaza’s tunnels. As war raged above him, he endured a grueling 491 days in captivity, all the while holding onto the hope that he would one day be reunited with his loved ones. Eli Sharabi’s story is one of hunger and heartache, of physical pain, longing, loneliness and a helplessness that threatens to destroy the soul. But it is also a story of strength, of resilience, and of the human spirit’s refusal to surrender. It is about the camaraderie forged in captivity, the quiet power of faith, and one man’s unrelenting decision to choose life, time and time again. In the first memoir by a released Israeli hostage, and the fastest-selling book in Israel’s history, Sharabi offers a searing firsthand account of survival under unimaginable conditions—starvation, isolation, physical beatings, and psychological abuse at the hands of his captors.”
It was inspiring that Sharabi was able to see humanity in his captors, even while knowing who they truly were. I was also touched that he and his fellow captives connected to their Judaism as a way to have faith and continue to survive. While first hand accounts can be difficult, I read this book and I watched the show Red Alert, which depicts the ways normal, every day people became heroes as they struggled to survive after being attacked. We all should bear witness to what occurred on that day and beyond.
Title: An Introvert’s Guide to Life and Love
Author: Lauren Appelbaum
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Forever, 9/16/25
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I read Lauren Appelbaum’s previous book and enjoyed it, but loved this one so much more! This is about Mallory, who works remotely and loves it. When her grandmother passes away, she leaves Mallory her cottage in Florida and includes the request that she take care of her grandfather. Trying to work remotely from Florida doesn’t go quite as well as from home, and Mallory finds herself ignoring her job in favor of being with actual people – her grandfather, but also her property manager Daniel. And then she’s told she has to return to work in person.
“Mallory Rosen loves working from home—minimum contact with others suits her just fine. Nothing could make her leave her comfortable Seattle apartment. Until she inherits her late grandmother’s seaside cottage . . . with strings attached: Take care of your grandfather. Fine. She can quickly check on Gramps, rent out the cottage, and return to her life. Yet when she arrives at the independent living community, the WiFi keeps dropping, Gramps interrupts her meetings, and the cottage needs renovating—according to the handsome, extroverted property manager. So much for grand plans. Soon Mal finds herself caught up in senior citizen aerobics, new friendships, nightly chats with Gramps—and in the sparks flying with her charming property manager. Then, just when her new life and chance at love feel worth leaving her safety net behind, she gets the worst notice ever: All employees must return to the office.”
I loved that Mallory felt more like herself in Florida, and that she felt needed there. There were a lot of funny parts to this book. I really enjoyed Mallory and wanted her to quit her job and become an interior designer! I also appreciated the Jewish representation in this one.
Title: The Tortoise’s Tale
Author: Kendra Coulter
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 11/4/25
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Who can resist a book that is said to be for people who loved Remarkably Bright Creatures? Not me! At first I was thinking no, this isn’t like Remarkably Bright Creatures, but I definitely understand the comparison! The main character here is a giant tortoise living on the grounds of a large home and garden. She is able to bond with people and she becomes attached to a young girl named Lucy. The story continues as Lucy comes and goes from the estate and along with the tortoise she calls Magic, we watch her grow. Meanwhile, other people and animals also come and go. At the same time, the history of America is seen through Magic’s eyes, including wars, covid, homophobia, racism, and climate change.
“Snatched from her ancestral lands, a giant tortoise finds herself in an exclusive estate in southern California where she becomes an astute observer of societal change. Her journey is one of discovery, as she learns to embrace the music of jazz and the warmth of human connection. The tortoise’s story is enriched by her bond with Takeo, the estate’s gardener, who sees her as a being with thoughts and feelings, not just a creature to be observed. The tortoise’s mind and heart are further expanded by Lucy, a young girl who names the tortoise Magic and shares a friendship that transcends species. Together, they witness the estate’s transformation into a haven for industry titans, politicians, and rock stars, each leaving their mark on the world and on Magic’s heart. The tortoise embraces her role as a muse with gusto and witnesses how diverse human harmonies and the mighty winds of social change both uplift people and tear them apart. Over the course of her lifetime, the estate changes ownership, bringing raucous Hollywood parties, and animals both familiar and unexpected. There are also threats, as the estate’s idyll is not immune to the ravages of a damaged planet. Through each era, the tortoise remains a refreshingly honest and endearing narrator whose unique vantage point illuminates the transcendent power of compassion, the unexpected connections that shape how we see ourselves and each other, and the wide-reaching effects of choice—or the lack thereof.”
This was a beautifully told story and my only complaint is that it was too short for the amount of time that it covered!
Title: How About Now
Author: Kate Baer
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: Harper Perennial, 11/4/25
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I have loved each of Kate Baer’s books. This one contains poems about being a mom to growing kids and entering middle age. It included a few of her erasure poems, where she creates a poem from within a text. Some of the poems felt sad.
“Renowned poet Kate Baer returns with a bold and compassionate collection that confronts the march of time in a shifting world. With her trademark candor and curiosity, Baer explores what it means to grow older, to release children into the wildness of their own lives, and to reclaim the ever-evolving self. Raw, luminous, and urgent, this collection channels Baer’s own journey to middle age into poems that are profoundly intimate yet resound universally, identifying the beauty, resilience, and fragility that arrive in every stage of life.”
A line that I loved: “I love my life, except for the noise of it.”
Title: Confessions From The Group Chat
Author: Jodi Meadows
Genre: Middle Grade Rom Com
Publisher: Holiday House, 10/21/25
Source: PR for Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
This was a very cute middle grade book about mean kids and the problems social media can cause. It is about Virginia, who is friends with a group of popular girls. Virginia is scared to share her true self with them, including her crush on an “unpopular” boy. After an argument, the girls post Virginia’s private messages about other kids to social media, causing everyone to be upset with her. Virginia texts her “text door neighbor” – the person with the phone number one digit apart from hers – and a You’ve Got Mail type trope emerges.
“Virginia Vaughn just wants to fit in with her super-popular friend group. That means she doesn’t let them know how much she loves the library, she never speaks a word about her massive crush on tragically unpopular Grayson, and she says nasty things she doesn’t actually mean. But only in the group chat, so it’s harmless, right? But when she has a blowout fight with her clique—specifically, with the Queen Bee herself—her mean texts are posted online for the entire school to see! And, suddenly, Virginia has no one but her cat to talk to. Cue ‘Knight Errant,’ a mystery boy at school who texts Virginia by accident—and who quickly becomes her closest confidante. Though they send messages back and forth for hours every night, Virginia doesn’t want him to know which classmate she is (because then he’ll connect her to the mean texts ALL OVER THE INTERNET). She likes him, but she really likes Grayson, too. Can she find the strength to tell Knight who she really is? And will Grayson—who has become her only ally at school—give up on her when the awful things she’s said about him are finally posted?”
I really liked the cute and innocent romance in this, both in person and over text messages. I also liked that Virginia’s older sister was a supportive role model, and how the book focused on finding real friends. There were a lot of funny parts as well!
Come back next week for the rest of my November reads!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?
