Hi all. Is everyone ready for November? Wow two months left of 2022. What is November known for … endless leaf raking? I know the U.S. has a midterm election coming up that seems to be dividing the country even further. Good grief things seem crazy. (I’m glad to have voted absentee in the state of Virginia, where I once lived.) Then comes Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, when I’m going to go to California to visit with relatives. My husband is busy here so he won’t be going. We usually don’t travel for Thanksgiving, but I decided to meet up with family then, so we’ll be staying home at Christmas. Brrr. Get out the warm clothes. We had nice fall temps return for awhile but more snowflakes are forecasted for today.
And now let’s check out what’s new releasing this month.
If you’re participating in Nonfiction November, you might see there’s new nonfiction books coming out by Michelle Obama, historian Douglas Brinkley, the singer Bono (wow), and our friend Lesley over at the blog Coastal Horizons — her husband Rod has his new book out on Nov. 1 called Sailing by Starlight: The Remarkable Voyage of Globe Star. Woohoo, congrats to them. It has a beautiful cover and looks to be a great read and epic adventure story. I’ll be getting my copy soon and I *might* even let my husband — a sailing enthusiast — read it.
As for fiction, three novels stick out to me. First, Irish author Claire Keegan’s novel Foster, which came out in 2010, is now available Nov. 1 for the first time in North America as a standalone. If you liked her 2021 Booker Prize shortlisted novel Small Things Like These, like I did, I’m sure this will be a winner for you as well.
The novel is about a child sent to stay with relatives for the summer. It’s said to be “concise and gut-wrenching” and could be called a novella since the book is just 128 pages. Let’s hope her next title doesn’t take another 11 years to come out because she seems to be the real deal and an author of great talent.
Speaking of Ireland, the novel Trespasses by Louise Kennedy (due out Nov. 1) is set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and is about a young woman caught between allegiance to community and a dangerous affair she gets involved in.
It looks pretty dark but readers are saying it captures the times and society very accurately. It’s also said to be a “heartbreaking story of forbidden love” by a debut novelist who grew up near Belfast and was a chef for almost 30 years before becoming a writer. Though there’s been several novels and films about the Troubles in the past few years, I think this one sounds quite authentic and good.
Next up is Kevin Wilson’s new novel Now Is Not the Time to Panic (due out Nov. 8) about “two teenage misfits who spectacularly collide one fateful summer, and the art they make that changes their lives forever.” It’s said to be a coming-of-age story about young love, identity, secrets, and the power of art.
Like many others, I enjoyed Wilson’s last novel Nothing to See Here in 2019, so I think this new novel seems appealing too. Wilson has a warm humor about his writing that made his last novel a winner. And from what I’m seeing, readers are liking his new one too. Most of his stories take place in the South and he lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, where he teaches at the University of the South.
In screen releases this month, one of the big ones coming is Season 5 of The Crown (starting on Netflix Nov. 9). The new season follows the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy into the 1990s. Actress Imelda Staunton takes over as the Queen … as well as actor Dominic West as Prince Charles, and actress Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, among others. This cast should be juicy.
The show has long been successful but the upcoming season has sparked a lot of controversy with former British prime minister John Major and actress Judi Dench slamming the series as “inaccurate and a hurtful account of history.” Though star Jonathan Pryce (who plays Prince Philip) is defending the show saying it’s not disrespectful. Still Netflix added a disclaimer to Season 5 reminding viewers that it’s a “fictional dramatization, inspired by real-life events.”
I’m also curious to see the new TV series Fleishman Is in Trouble based on the novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, which starts Nov. 17 on Hulu. It’s about a recently divorced man named Toby who’s very into his new dating app and life when his ex-wife disappears, leaving him with his kids and to ponder what really happened to his marriage.
Toby is quite the flawed protagonist. And it’s more of a comedy-drama — at least that’s what I recall from the novel, which I liked and thought was quite amusing, sort of a spoof. Jesse Eisenberg as Toby and Claire Danes as his ex-wife Rachel will be excellent. The only “trouble” is that we don’t have Hulu up here — so I need to check how to get the show.
There’s also two big movies to see. First, She Said is due out Nov. 18, based on the book by New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey, who exposed the story about Harvey Weinstein’s history of abuse against women, which ignited the #MeToo movement. The book is quite shattering — and it details how they pieced together all the evidence and testimonies.
In the movie, Carey Mulligan stars as Megan Twohey and Zoe Kazan plays Jodi Kantor. It seems the moviemakers do a good job making the story look suspenseful even though we already know what happens. Even now it’s still shockingly awful what Weinstein did and how his crimes continued for such a long time.
Lastly in movies is the Steven Spielberg directed and co-written movie called The Fabelmans (due out Nov. 23), which is apparently loosely based on Spielberg’s early life growing up in Arizona. It’s a coming-of-age story that follows a young man who learns a secret about his family and explores the power of filmmaking.
It seems to have received wide acclaim and stars Michelle Williams and Paul Dano as the parents of the young protagonist played by Gabriel LaBelle, whom I haven’t seen before. The film is dedicated to the memories of Spielberg’s parents. I couldn’t make too much sense of it from the trailer, but I look forward to actually seeing this film in the theater. It’s supposed to be an Oscar favorite.
And finally in music for November, I don’t see a lot of new releases other than a new Bruce Springsteen album.Wait wha?? Wow that’s surprising, but this one called Only the Strong Survive is a cover album that features Bruce singing soul and R&B songs from the ’60s and ’70s. It seems a bit rare he would do this, but I guess he wanted to highlight some of his favorites.
That’s all for now. What about you — which new releases are you most looking forward to? Happy November.
October was pretty mild here (well, the last week anyway) and it’s nice today but I imagine the cold weather will be here soon (we’re in Michigan so it won’t be long). I’m really curious about the Sailing book since I have a relative who sails and they blog about their journeys- they’ve turned it into a full time thing.
Happy Nov!!
Hi Greg, it was nice to have found your blog. I was thinking some of those Tarzan covers look a little influenced by William Blake art. Hmm. Or maybe not. ha.
Yeah I agree the Sailing book looks good … I hope to get a copy soon.
We just got hit by a snowstorm in Alberta …. do you have snow yet?!
Cheers.
Thank you! I enjoyed finding your blog as well! 🙂 Most of the Tarzan art is by a guy named Neal adams- he was an influential comic and cover artist back in the 70’s. He definitely had a distinctive style!
No snow here yet- it’s in the 60’s, we’re getting a bit of a reprieve from the chilly weather we had earlier on October- but the weather here can change quick- I hope your snowstorm isn’t too bad, stay warm! 🙂
Thanks Greg. I will add yours to my blogs which I regularly visit. Thanks for the name of the comics artist … I was checking out more about him & his long career, wow.
We got clobbered with snow here yesterday! I think November could be a big snow month here — judging by the forecast.It’s surprising Michigan is still in the 60s. balmy, ha. Stay well.
Wow! Thanks so much for the shout-out about Rod’s book, Susan! We really appreciate you helping get the word out. Hope you and your husband enjoy the book.
Ah, one of the benefits of living in a forest is that we don’t have to rake leaves. We do clear off the driveway and deck, but pretty much ignore the leaves until spring.
I have the new Kevin Wilson book on audio and am eager to start listening! I loved Nothing To See Here.
Thanks for the heads-up about The Crown. I’ll watch it, but am torn about the fictionalized account of the events that lead up to Princess Di’s death.
I saw a preview for The Fabelmans, which looks like a winner. I also saw an ad about a second season of Slow Horses (December 2nd), which should be wonderful. We’ve been watching Hinterland (on Acorn), which is outstanding. Highly recommend.
Hmmm, a Springsteen album of covers, eh? Might be worth a listen.
Thanks for all the preview info, and again, for the shout-out about Rod’s book!
Hi Lesley — yeah I started to think about Nonfiction November and then I thought it was perfect timing for Rod’s book. So why not display it. I hope it does well and it seems a good Christmas gift too.
You’ll have to let us know about the new Kevin Wilson book. I hope it’s entertaining. And that’s good news about Slow Horses Season 2. Wow that was fast. We liked the show. We are now watching The Capture Season 2 though it’s a tad complicated. Did you see Season 1 of that? I’ll have to check out what Hinterland is and see if we can get it. Thanks for the tip! Have a great month in the Cove.
Lots of interesting new books and television series coming out in November. And on top of that a new Springsteen album! My cup runneth over.
Ha Dorothy, Yeah there’s quite a bit to read & watch & listen to. I’m a bit all over the place. I hope you have a great month of good reads. & gardening still. I noticed the Astros are in a battle now. Good luck.
I wasn’t all that enamoured with Fleishman in Trouble but I’ll probably watch the movie at some point to compare.
I haven’t watched the crown but the drama over the addition of the disclaimer was ridiculous, the show could hardly be mistaken for a documentary!
I hope you and your husband both enjoy Sailing by Starlight, it might be a bit awkward if you don’t.
Ha. Shelleyrae …. I think we will enjoy the Sailing book. It sounds like an epic crazy adventure, which I usually like. but if not – we will be tactful. ha.
It looks like Fleishman is a TV miniseries with 8 episodes coming to Hulu. Perhaps it will be entertaining. We will see. Actually I don’t think we get it here – so I’m not sure I’ll be able to see it. Hmm. And we’ll likely have to get back Netflix just so we can watch The Crown Season 5. It sounds like people are Not happy about it — so that means we should see it more — ha! Have a great week.
It’s been nice here in my part of California. Cool mornings, 80 degree days. Today I woke up to rain. We are supposed to get a couple of days of rain. If it happens it will be great.
You highlighted some good books. So excited for Rod and Lesley on the book release!
I’ve not been feeling great lately and can’t figure out if it’s long covid or what. I didn’t have symptoms when I had COVID. Just spine pain but now I cannot make it through the day and my in office days are brutal. I did go to the doc and they said my BP was very high but my oxygen levels were perfect. I think a big dietary switch is needed.
Oh no Ti — so sorry, you’re not feeling well. How long ago was it that you had Covid? I might have missed that. And you think this new episode is related??
I can’t believe you got Rain. That’s a rarity. Wouldn’t it be nice if the area got out of drought this winter …. like some miracle.
Have a great trip to see your daughter. & I hope you’re feeling better then. take care.
I have really enjoyed watching the Crown and read about the controversy surrounding this new season. I am glad they put a disclaimer on it.
Yeah Helen. I think people tend to believe much of what they see on the show even if it’s a dramatization. So perhaps a disclaimer is good. This new season has been the most controversial of all.
Fall is a miss here along the Texas Gulf Coast. Few fall leaves. Little cool weather. Just a softening of summer, really. But it’s what I’m used to, and the weeks after a cool front blows in…they are amazing, with bright skies and nippy weather.
I hope to read Les’ husband’s book, too. It sounds like a fascinating adventure. Both Foster and Now is Not the Time for Panic are promising, too.
I envy you, Susan, for being far away from the insanity that is current American politics.
Yeah Deb, it’s often nice to be in another country now, which is weird to say but with all the guns and the crazy politics & threats to democracy & elections it’s nice to be farther away but it’s also heartbreaking & alarming to see as well. I’m a bit worried about election day & deniers once again.
I heard there is a group in Texas called Mothers Against Greg Abbott – which is one way to spin the acronym MAGA … Enjoy your balmy weather along the Gulf. & Happy reading this month!
I miss California. We missed going two years during the pandemic. Have fun.
Thanks Harvee: it should be a good family gathering out there. I always love it when I go as well. I hope you can go next year.
Spring is finally making an appearance here in SA and I couldn’t be happier!!
Such awesome new books and TV Shows/Movies you are showcasing. I am eager to browse a bit deeper. Looking forward to the next season of The Crown for sure!
Elza Reads
Hi Mareli, Happy spring! How nice for you to have spring now. It feels like winter here. The Crown should be good. Hope you have a great November!
Endless leaf raking this time of year is so true! I wish my neighbors made an attempt to rake of some of their trees’ leaves before they all blew into my yard…but oh, well. Hope you enjoy your trip to California! 😀
Thanks Lark. I’m looking forward to California. Here, I raked many bags of leaves and then it snowed but there was more raking to do! I understand about the neighbors’ leaves. Hope you are well.
I hope you’re having a good November! I voted. And I think I’m going to ignore my fall leaves for now because who wants to rake? 🙂 I’ll be interested to know what you think of Now Is Not the Time to Panic. The synopsis sounds great, but I read one of the author’s other books and felt “meh” about it.
Yeah AJ: I think it might be hard for Kevin Wilson to live up to his previous novel but we will see. I’m not sure when I’ll get to his new novel. It’s been so busy lately.
I’m glad Colorado stayed Blue in the Senate Race. Nice! As for leaves, I only was able to rake 50% before a snowstorm covered everything. So they’re buried!
Happy November.
Never mind November, I can’t believe we are approaching December now! Time really does seem to fly.
I saw the new book from Michelle Obama, but haven’t decided whether to pick it up. Since I was in minority by not loving Small Things Like These, I might give Foster a miss. Trespassing, on the other hand, sounds interesting.
Finally, I have a vague notion that I’ve read Fleishman Is in Trouble, but I honestly don’t remember much about it. That’s got to be a bad sign, either for the book or for my memory! Anyway, wish you a great November with lots of good books.
Hi Stargazer, November is indeed a blip to me so far. Been Busy & it seems for you as well. I’m not really even sure what Michelle Obama’s new book is about. But I read her first memoir & liked it.
I thought the Fleishman novel started off strong (& was funny) but later it lost me towards the end. I think the TV series looks good! But I can’t get Hulu here so not sure if I will get to see it. Jessie Eisenberg seems pretty good for the role of the dufus Toby. Would like to see it. Happy reading to you there. What do you think of your new PM?? Cheers.
Oh gosh, our PM… I suppose he might have been the best solution in a rather messy situation…
Yeah I hope he’ll work out. I haven’t gotten to read much yet about what he’s doing or proposing — but one British friend is returning soon from there and will fill me in as well. I hope the country will rebound and that inflation goes down for us all.