NOVEMBER 2025 READING LIST

The beauty of November is the invitation to read deeply and to attempt a moodier, more melancholy story. Contemplation and reflection also rise to the surface during a month of dwindling sunlight and cooler evenings. I continued to read about the historical significance of Mary, Queen of Scots's female bloodline, ventured off my usual beaten path with an academic book, and pursued knowledge and understanding in the realm of literature and writing. 

Here are the books I read in November:

DAUGHTER OF THE WINTER QUEEN: FOUR REMARKABLE SISTERS, THE CROWN OF BOHEMIA, AND THE ENDURING LEGACY OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS BY NANCY GOLDSTONE

Upon her father’s ascension to the illustrious throne of England, Elizabeth Stuart was suddenly thrust from the poverty of unruly Scotland into the fairytale existence of a princess of great wealth and splendor. When she was married at sixteen to a German count far below her rank, it was with the understanding that her father would help her husband achieve the kingship of Bohemia. The terrible betrayal of this commitment would ruin “the Winter Queen,” as Elizabeth would forever be known, imperil the lives of those she loved, and launch a war that would last for thirty years.

Forced into exile, the Winter Queen and her family found refuge in Holland, where the glorious art and culture of the Dutch Golden Age indelibly shaped her daughters’ lives. Her eldest, Princess Elizabeth, became a scholar who earned the respect and friendship of the philosopher René Descartes. Louisa was a gifted painter whose engaging manner and appealing looks provoked heartache and scandal. Beautiful Henrietta Maria would be the only sister to marry into royalty, although at great cost. But it was the youngest, Sophia, a heroine in the tradition of a Jane Austen novel, whose ready wit and good-natured common sense masked immense strength of character, who fulfilled the promise of her great-grandmother Mary and reshaped the British monarchy, a legacy that endures to this day.  —Hachette Book Group

Another brilliant book where Goldstone makes women prominent figures in the annals of history. Little-known women who have not been given enough credit for their influence or brilliant matchmaking come to life, and I understand more about the history of different countries. What is also remarkable is the lasting legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots. Brutally beheaded because she posed as a challenge to the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it is her line, her blood, that has had a more lasting effect on the English monarchy.

What caught my eye in this Goldstone book was the relationships among the women and the legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary was a powerful figure despite a life of constant peril and her inevitable reliance on the decisions of others. Even so, after what happened between Elizabeth I, the illegitimate child of Henry VIII, and Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen of France, it would be the Stuart line, and not the Tudors, that would continue their reign in England. And from the youngest daughter, Sophia, who married the Elector from Hanover, we get the current royal line of the British Monarchy. It is through the bloodline of women that Mary, Queen of Scots, endures even into the twenty-first century. 

I was glad to find the witty footnotes that Goldstone uses so well, back in this book. Those little notes give a modern impression of how much history from hundreds of years ago affects us today. Along with learning about Elizabeth Stuart, granddaughter of the legendary Mary, I gained insight into the bustling parlor rooms and royal court of the Holland. Not yet the free Netherlands; we know today Holland was an epicenter of art, innovation, and academia. It was fascinating to read about the brilliance of Princess Elizabeth and her academic relationship with René Descartes. I found out that my husband was familiar with the Cartesian Method and some other ideas by Descartes, which only reinforced the value of reading history and understanding how the world we live in came to be. Then there was Louisa, the painter, who also possessed a brilliant mind and a ready wit. Both she and her elder sister became nuns. However, Louisa’s conversion from Protestant to Catholicism at a time when whole countries went to war over religion was not the only scandal she had to endure. 

I don’t think there was anything about the book I disliked. The pacing was balanced, and Goldstone provided an outstanding balance among the different sisters and their respective histories. As much as I was glad to complete the book, I wanted it to continue. I have held a strong interest in Mary, Queen of Scots, for many years, and so to read a different take on their influence on history was gratifying. All I can say is that I cannot wait to start the next Goldstone book!

4.5/5 Stars 

STONER BY JOHN WILLIAMS (AUDIO)

William Stoner is born at the end of the 19th century into a dirt-poor Missouri farming family. Sent to the state university to study agronomy, he instead falls in love with English literature and embraces a scholar's life, far different from the hardscrabble existence he has known. And yet as the years pass, Stoner encounters a succession of disappointments: marriage into a "proper" family estranges him from his parents; his career is stymied; his wife and daughter turn coldly away from him; a transforming experience of new love ends under threat of scandal. Driven ever deeper within himself, Stoner rediscovers the stoic silence of his forebears and confronts an essential solitude. - Goodreads

Stoner can often be seen on beautiful Instagram feeds depicting a dark academia aesthetic. I read reviews of John Williams's masterful work, which shed light on the world of academia and the complexities of life decisions and relationships. The story began with a distinct image of a young man recognizing his separation from his family and the agricultural occupation that he wishes to leave behind. I found the section about Stoner’s introduction to literature to be a lovely image of someone finding their purpose. 

I listened to the book, and the narrator, Robin Field, beautifully captured the pace, the setting, and the slow process of enlightenment in each character. At times, the slowness was distracting. It was painful to listen to the interactions between Stoner and his wife. My heart ached as the relationship between Stoner and his daughter changed. It was excruciating to hear as Stoner's expertise and worth were challenged within the walls of the University. If anyone is looking for a tragic, forlorn, melancholic tale of passive acceptance, then this is the book. The love of literature shines through, as does the need to know oneself and not be bogged down by the insufficiencies of others. I enjoyed the moments of genuine relationship connections, the love of learning, and the few moments of defiance. 

There was a constant struggle with the protagonist's passivity. My mind was screaming for Stoner to speak up or challenge the dark forces against him. Perhaps Williams is showing how a passive character can be rooted for, but I found his unquestioning acceptance of incidents and decisions demoralizing and disappointing. As I learn to give the protagonist in my own book strength, Stoner was a good reminder that passivity in a main character is a delicate balance and not always terribly interesting. 

2.75/5 Stars

LIVING BY FICTION BY ANNIE DILLARD

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard's classic work of literary criticism

Living by Fiction is written for—and dedicated to—people who love literature. Dealing with writers such as Nabokov, Barth, Coover, Pynchon, Borges, García Márquez, Beckett, and Calvino, Annie Dillard shows how contemporary fiction works and why traditional fiction will always move us. Like Joyce Cary's Art and Reality, this is a book by a writer on the issues raised by the art of literature. Readers of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and Holy the Firm will recognize Dillard's vivid writing, her humor, and the lively way she tackles the urgent questions of meaning in experience itself. - HarperCollins

The Writing Life, was a powerful book, witty and enlightening for any writer. I struggled with Teaching a Stone to Talk as I had difficulty connecting with Dillard’s personal meditations, although the book was a lovely depiction of interaction with the natural world. With Living By Fiction, I delved into literary criticism and found myself a little lost in the midst of Dillard’s thoughtful analysis. 

What struck me most were Dillard's thoughts on what has meaning and where we draw the line between sanity and insanity. She discusses how some individuals are locked away in an asylum because they find meaning in a doodle. Yet we consider it acceptable to count how many times Shakespeare used the word “murder.” Why do we find astronomy sane but astrology insane? Where do we normalize insanity and discount valid eccentricity? There is a difference between what has human meaning and what exists in the natural world. 

I was glad to have at least read something by José Luis Borges to gain any sense of Dillard's comments on literature. Even then, I struggled with her commentary and assessment. What I did learn was the importance of literature, especially the works that teach us something, and the value of a healthy diet of books that provide meaning and inspiration. 

3.75/5 Stars