November Wrap-Up

November Snapshots

These photos were actually taken in October, but I didn't post them online until November, so I'm counting them as November photos.

If you want to know what this looks like in November, imagine it with no leaves and covered in a foot of snow.

This scene doesn't look colorful anymore. Everything is snow now.

1. Well, that’s disconcerting. November started with me looking at photos of tornadoes on Pinterest. Why was I looking at tornadoes? Honestly, I’m not sure. I think I fell down an Internet rabbit hole that started with something completely unrelated to tornadoes. Anyway, I was looking at tornadoes, and I found this photo.

When I scrolled to the caption, I discovered that the photo was taken in the town where I live! The moral of the story: If you’re thinking about moving to Colorado, probably don’t.

2. Three-second rule. I cooked a turkey for the first time ever. It took a whole morning to make, but it was yummy. It was a maple-bacon turkey. You can find the recipe here, if you want to attempt it. Preparing the turkey went pretty well. Then, my mom started to put it in the oven, and . . . she dropped it. She dropped the turkey! Just rinse it off and re-season. Nobody will know.

It's a bacon mummy!

Other than the turkey drop, Thanksgiving went okay. I learned that it’s impolite to call stuffing “butt bread.” Also, “Jonestown” was added to The List Of Things I’m Not Allowed To Talk About While People Are Eating. Good times.

3. Nonfiction success! I unofficially participated in Nonfiction November. “Unofficially” because I didn’t have time to write extra blog posts. I did spend the whole month reading nonfiction. I didn’t get as many books finished as I’d hoped, but I’m considering the month a success. 

Wayward Googlers

Here are a few amusing Google searches that led people to Read All The Things! last month. I’m sorry to the unfortunate souls who ended up here instead of finding what they were Googling for.

“The fun starts here book haul.” If the blog ever needs a new name, this is going to be it. 

 “Le binge watch discussion.” Ah, yes, le binge watch. It sounds a lot fancier when you say it like that. Normal binge watching involves me eating cake in my pajamas. It’s far from glamorous. 

 “Antique book haul.” This search isn’t strange, but the Googlers really love book hauls. I just want to let them know that I occasionally write posts that aren’t hauls. It would be good for my self-esteem if they looked at other posts once in a while.

Books I Read

In November, I read 7 books. So . . . not great. If I want to reach my Goodreads goal, I need to read 11 books in December. That’s unlikely, but not impossible. “Not impossible” is my favorite kind of challenge.

The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson

Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood

Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright

Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington

Opening Skinner’s Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century by Lauren Slater

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn

A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean by Tori Murden McClure

(Why do nonfiction books have such long titles? How am I supposed to remember these things?)

I also made progress on my reading challenges. Click here to see how I’m doing.

Best Books Of November

1. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn

2. Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright

3. A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean by Tori Murden McClure

Most-Viewed November Reviews

1. The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky || The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

2. The Great Alone || An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

3. Vengeful

Most-Viewed November Non-Reviews

1. Book Haul: It Was An Accident, I Swear

2. I’d Love To Read About: Ancient Bad Decisions

3. Top Ten Tuesday: What I’m Reading For Nonfiction November

All The Things!

Number of unread books on my TBR shelf = 51 books

I’m currently reading = A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

What did you do in November?