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Well, I’ve actually had this ready since early December, but I did not post it until now. My bad. On another note, what comes as no surprise, my December recap will be delayed. My goal for 2024 is to have these monthly recaps ready to be published by the 1st, no later than the 5th!
I’ll share this one now and work on the December post to share within the next few days.
Skip to the other good parts:
Daily Life
November 1: I placed a Walmart order and picked it up. First, I went to Land of a Thousand Coffee to try the fall drink, Caramel Apple Pie Latte.
This is only my second time getting coffee from here, and I think it’s good, but it’s not the best I’ve had.
November 3: I got a free smoothie with the purchase of a food item from Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and it was delicious! I ordered the Pomegranate Plunge smoothie and the Thai Chicken Salad.
November 4: My little velcro dog. Seriously, what do I gotta do to get some privacy!?
He was being super attached and cuddly today. He looked absolutely precious on the couch.
I went to the library to pick up some books, and Dunkin’ had some seasonal drinks! The Brown Sugar Cookie Iced Latte tastes super similar to Starbucks’s Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, only cheaper and better tasting! The guy made it perfectly!
November 5: Kroger had some Harry Potter house Squishmallows on sale for $6! We got one for Darby.
He’s mainly tried to take the tag off of it. He has laid his head on it a few times, but he’s warming up to it still.
November 8: I had a morning dentist appointment (no cavities, yay!), then I went to Boots to do some work. I tried their new drink, Fall Leaves, and it was good! Initially, it was super sweet, but I should’ve stirred it up more. It was good, and I’d order it again!
November 11: Kylie invited us to hike with her at the Hidden Lake trail near her and Zach’s house. Zach unfortunately had to work all weekend. Spud led us to an actual hidden lake off the normal trail! I had to pick Darby up because he wasn’t able to. The poor guy was jumping, but his little legs didn’t get him very far.
We also got to visit their place for the first time! Hopefully Darb will get his yard one day.
November 17: It was our anniversary! I bought Stephen a bundtlet and a calendar puzzle.
First, I stopped by dose to try their coffee for the first time.
We ate at a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. We’ve tried it once, and this time we split the pork bah mi sandwich, which we highly recommend is a must for each meal!
November 18: There was a corgi meetup at Fair Park Dog Park, and Darbs had the best time! A corgi pawrent bought his camera and took a handful of photos. He managed to get a couple with Darby in them!
Darby kind of ignored Birdy because he was obsessed with his new friend, Theo! The top corgi is Mochi, whose owner took these photos, and the bottom is Wilson, I think.
Darby also took a great photo with another corgi named Elton!
A photo of us before the meetup.
He was tired and rested in his crate. I don’t know why he puts his paw up like that, but maybe it’s more comfortable?
November 19: Darby just being handsome and enjoying the leaves!
Stephen and I met up with Kylie and Zach to watch the new Hunger Games movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Stephen managed to finish the audiobook, so that was more exciting.
Beforehand, we ate at Bar Louie for dinner.
The waitress got some of our meals wrong, but it was still good! My meal was supposed to be tots, but the fries worked, too.
I didn’t even expect it, but the theater got more of the Taylor Swift merch in! Stephen tried ordering the popcorn tin when buying our tickets online, but they must have ran out within the two days of ordering the tickets because we ended up with the plastic bucket instead.
He left the restaurant early to pick up the bucket, and he didn’t get me the matching cup! He just bought a normal cup, which I gave to Kylie and hopped back in line for it!
November 21: The Well dropped new seasonal drinks, so I scurried and checked them out! I ordered the Havana Sunset [cuban with orange and cinnamon], which tasted similar to the orange mocha drink a few seasons ago. I liked it!
They also have an apple cider with oatmilk. It sounds intriguing, but I don’t know if I’d rather get that than coffee the next time I go.
Also, the Tico blend is my favorite, so I was excited about them being in cans! I’ll need to bring one for my dad whenever I go back at Christmastime.
Books
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
- Synopsis: In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men.
As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart. - Genres: historical fiction, Chinese literature and culture, female strength and friendship
- rating: 4.5
- I wasn’t in the mood to read when I first started reading this book, but as I got more into the story, I couldn’t put it down! I really enjoyed this story, though it seems as if Lily, the FMC, is somewhat of the “villain” in her own story, which made an interesting point of view.
- Like so many Chinese girls, Lily was told about her place in society and being considered a worthless branch in the family tree due to being born a girl, but Lily was too blinded by these views that she couldn’t show empathy or compassion toward her laotong, Snow Flower.
- Snow Flower was brought up in a more proper household, and therefore more educated and knowledgeable than Lily. Despite their different social statuses, Lily and Snow Flower shared the deepest and closest friendship.
- The misunderstanding is Lily’s fault, and her pride and hurt causes her to rashly severe her relationship with Snow Flower.
- The lost years between Lily and Snow Flower made me tear up while I was reading it because their absence in each other’s life caused them to lose so many years together.
- I’ve only read one Lisa See book, and, while I enjoyed that story, I connected more with this one.
- Synopsis: In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men.
I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve reached my book challenge goal or I’ve been busy, but I didn’t start the next book until a third of the way into the month.
- Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin
- Synopsis: As a sixteen-year-old, Tessa Cartwright was found in a Texas field, barely alive amid a scattering of bones, with only fragments of memory as to how she got there. Ever since, the press has pursued her as the lone surviving “Black-Eyed Susan,” the nickname given to the murder victims because of the yellow carpet of wildflowers that flourished above their shared grave. Tessa’s testimony about those tragic hours put a man on death row.
Now, almost two decades later, Tessa is an artist and single mother. In the desolate cold of February, she is shocked to discover a freshly planted patch of black-eyed susans—a summertime bloom—just outside her bedroom window. Terrified at the implications—that she sent the wrong man to prison and the real killer remains at large—Tessa turns to the lawyers working to exonerate the man awaiting execution. But the flowers alone are not proof enough, and the forensic investigation of the still-unidentified bones is progressing too slowly. An innocent life hangs in the balance. The legal team appeals to Tessa to undergo hypnosis to retrieve lost memories—and to share the drawings she produced as part of an experimental therapy shortly after her rescue.
What they don’t know is that Tessa and the scared, fragile girl she was have built a fortress of secrets. As the clock ticks toward the execution, Tessa fears for her sanity, but even more for the safety of her teenaged daughter. Is a serial killer still roaming free, taunting Tessa with a trail of clues? She has no choice but to confront old ghosts and lingering nightmares to finally discover what really happened that night.
Shocking, intense, and utterly original, Black-Eyed Susans is a dazzling psychological thriller, seamlessly weaving past and present in a searing tale of a young woman whose harrowing memories remain in a field of flowers—as a killer makes a chilling return to his garden. - Genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, crime, psychological thriller
- Rating: 3
- As a reminder, these ratings are based on my enjoyment of the book. This book was unfortunately a miss for me. I just could not get into it. It was a book I could put down and not pick it back up. I learned a few fun facts in this book, specifically how the place we grew up can be detected by our bones, which bumps up the story’s rating to 3 stars.
- The story felt pretty solid and I kept reading to find out who the killer was, so it still held some of my attention.
- This was a well-researched book, but the story was a bit of a snooze for me.
- Synopsis: As a sixteen-year-old, Tessa Cartwright was found in a Texas field, barely alive amid a scattering of bones, with only fragments of memory as to how she got there. Ever since, the press has pursued her as the lone surviving “Black-Eyed Susan,” the nickname given to the murder victims because of the yellow carpet of wildflowers that flourished above their shared grave. Tessa’s testimony about those tragic hours put a man on death row.
- The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok
- Synopsis: Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth—another female casualty of China’s controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she’s forced to make increasingly desperate decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.
Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. She’s even hired a Chinese nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca’s job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.
The Leftover Woman finds these two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. Twisting and suspenseful and surprisingly poignant, it’s a profound exploration of identity and belonging, motherhood and family. It is a story of two women in a divided city—separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child. - Genres: mystery, thriller, historical fiction, adoption, Asian literature, Chinese adoptee
- Content warning: racism
- Rating: 4
- Jasmine and Rebecca are struggling women but in different ways. I had so much sympathy for Jasmine. Rebecca was more unlikable than likable to me.
- I could tell that Rebecca loved her adopted daughter, Fiona/Fifi, but the way she was portrayed, she wasn’t really involved in Fiona’s life and used her almost like a pawn. One example is pushing Fifi to do ballet when she didn’t like it to get close to a publisher and author.
- Jasmine’s story was the one I rooted for more. She was fleeing her abusive husband who was like 12 years older than her and she was his child bride (ew), then she finds out she has a daughter somewhere when she was told that she had died shortly after giving birth.
- The twist was a big reveal for me, and I loved that part.
- The end was a little rushed, and I wish we would’ve gotten more of Fi’s older POV.
- Jasmine and Rebecca are struggling women but in different ways. I had so much sympathy for Jasmine. Rebecca was more unlikable than likable to me.
- Synopsis: Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth—another female casualty of China’s controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she’s forced to make increasingly desperate decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.
- Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
- Synopsis: Will and Rosie meet as teenagers.
They’re opposites in every way. She overthinks everything; he is her twin brother’s wild and unpredictable friend. But over secret walks home and late-night phone calls, they become closer—destined to be one another’s great love story.
Until, one day, tragedy strikes, and their future together is shattered.
But as the years roll on, Will and Rosie can’t help but find their way back to each other. Time and again, they come close to rekindling what might have been.
What do you do when the one person you should forget is the one you just can’t let go? - Genres: romance, contemporary, chick lit
- Rating: 4.5
- There aren’t any quotation marks used in this book, which threw me off at times, but the story was beautiful and I loved it. It did drag on a tad bit, but there was a lot of growing and maturity in this novel.
- This book reminds me of Love, Rosie (what a funny coincidence!) by Cecelia Ahern, though this Rosie gets a better storyline, kind of. Still thinking about that one since the tragedy was unexpected and heartbreaking.
- Will is the bad boy, while Rosie is the golden girl. What’s different is Will was the one willing to commit.
Hallelujah, it didn’t take a lifetime of going back and forth! - I’m usually not a fan of the medical diagnosis in plots, but this one had a justifiable reason, and it added to the character dynamics.
- Synopsis: Will and Rosie meet as teenagers.
I thought I would get one more book in for the month, but that certainly did not happen.
TV Shows/Movies
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — 2023
I really enjoyed the book, and the movie was pretty good! It stayed true to the book. Coriolanus Snow was quite the character.
Unlike the trilogy movies, I’m glad the people of District 12 had an accent. I always wondered why the original movies didn’t, but maybe that’s for the better since I can’t imagine Jennifer Lawrence or Liam Hemsworth speaking with one.
It’s interesting to see how different the Hunger Games were done in the prequel and trilogy. Tributes were treated like animals in the prequel since they were still figuring things out, and no one was watching the games like they were in the trilogy, which is explained in the prequel.
I definitely recommend reading the book! You get more depth and Coriolanus’s thoughts. His character was well done.
Music
I don’t remember any new music for this month. I’m still jamming to 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and LANY’s a beautiful blur album.
Orders
November 9: I ordered a different type of matcha from Breakaway Matcha, and it is the one I’ve been looking for to make matcha lattes!
November 10: My Chinook Seedery order arrived! I bought two 12 packs to get the free shipping. Darby insisted on being in the photo.
November 17: My succulents arrived!
- Echeveria Blue Heart
- Echeveria Keralean
- Echeveria White Field (gifted)
November 30: I ordered a Speak Now cardigan from someone on Facebook Marketplace close to the original price, and it arrived with some bracelets!! I wasn’t into buying any cardigans whenever they dropped, so I am incredibly lucky to have found this kind Swiftie!
I hope everyone has had a wonderful December!
