Pride and Prejudice (& More November Reads)
I read 6 books during the month of November, including — for my first time ever — Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Read on for my impressions of each title….
The 6 Books I Read in November
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
On our way to Branson last month, my family listened to A Christmas Carol. Dickens’ classic tale never fails to move us to tears — especially when we hear it read by our enormously talented friend, Miriam Margolyes.
When one crotchety old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, is visited by the ghost of his long-dead partner, plus three spirits of Christmas: past, present, and future, a miraculous transformation ensues.
John Hancock by Kathryn Cleven Sisson
Kathryn Cleven Sisson’s John Hancock came free with our Audible Plus membership, and since it was only a couple of hours long, we listened to it as a family on a recent day trip to Dallas.
The short biography was written for children, but nevertheless contained some surprising facts I hadn’t known before. For instance, did you know that when the Declaration of Independence was originally adopted by Congress, it was signed only by John Hancock (who was at the time serving as President of Congress) along with his secretary?
It was not until August 2, 1776, that all the members of Congress began signing the parchment copy with which we’re familiar today.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
I read Barbara Robinson’s classic, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever aloud to my kids every December. But we finished it early this year so we’d be ready to watch the new movie version when it debuted in theaters in November.
The film follows the storyline beautifully: Six delinquent siblings by the name of Herdman show up at church just in time to wreak havoc on the annual Christmas pageant, turning what had traditionally been a somber and predictable production into something completely unexpected and truly memorable for all involved.
This book never fails to make me cry, and the movie had me balling in all the same spots
How Not to Diet by Michael Greger
It took me several months to get through Michael Greger’s massive tome, How Not to Diet. He originally intended the book to be an examination and discussion of the safety and effectiveness of the most popular diet trends and weight-loss fads, but — in typical Greger fashion — it ballooned into so much more than that.
What resulted was some of the most compelling, science-based suggestions for achieving healthy and sustained weight loss you’ll ever find, including 21 cutting-edge tweaks to accelerate and multiply your weight loss in simple and easily achievable ways. He even created a free app to help you keep track of these suggestions.
Beginning in December, I am implementing them all so as to get a running start on New Year’s resolutions. Stand by for total body transformation! 😊
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My daughter and I finished reading Pride & Prejudice together last month, as the book was assigned in one of her co-op classes.
Of course, we were already familiar with the storyline, having watched the 2005 film version. But as is so often the case, the book was far richer and provided fuller descriptions of every character and scene.
I especially enjoyed the witty exchanges between Elizabeth and her father. I was more deeply appalled by the entitled prejudices of her mother and younger sister. And I found the slow and steady growth of respect, understanding, and finally love between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy heartwarmingly beautiful.
Biblical Modesty by Melissa Holmquist
In Biblical Modesty in a Post-Christian World, author Melissa Holmquist suggests modesty is less about a legalistic list of rules and more about a posture of the heart (although that heart attitude will undoubtedly be reflected in the way we speak, act, dress, and carry ourselves).
I found this slim book to be both balanced and insightful, and I love the spirit in which this book was written — one of gentle encouragement to younger women, just as Titus 2 prescribes.
Any book club enthusiasts out there? This would be a good selection for group reading, as the author kindly includes an appendix full of discussion questions for each chapter.
Do you love to read as much as we do? I’ve gathered all my best resources for bibliophiles onto this page, or you can read more of my book reviews by following this link .
PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through any of those links, we may receive a small referral fee, at no extra cost to you. Such fees help defray the cost of running this website. This, in turn, allows us to continue offering our readers a wealth of FREE printable resources. So thank you for your support!
