My November Reads 2025

Hello! It’s December! How exciting is that? I don’t know about you but November seemed to go on forever as far as I was concerned. When I was looking back at the books I’d read during the month it seemed as if I’d read the earliest ones months ago!

This list includes some really cracking reads, and you should see my to-read list for December! I don’t know if I’ll get round to reading them all - I’ve made a note of twenty so I might be being a teensy bit optimistic there… But I did read twelve books in November (although one of them was actually a short story), and that was while finishing my fourth Ghosts of Rowan Vale book, so you never know.

The Read Christie Challenge book for November was Cat Among the Pigeons, and I ticked off another book in my 2025 Book Bingo challenge, although it’s looking unlikely that I’ll complete the challenge. I still have two books of the sixteen left to read and none of the ones on my to-be-read list for December fit either category. Still, it’s not the end of the world if I don’t manage it. It was purely to motivate me into reading, and I haven’t actually needed much motivating this year!

You can watch a trailer for all these books on my YouTube channel here.

So without further ado, let’s get to it…

Night of the Wilding by TJ Green

(Cosy/urban fantasy)

It takes a hunter to track a hunter.
When Maverick Hale, alpha of the Storm Moon Pack, is ambushed during a routine hunt, the impossible happens.
His wolf is stolen.
He's not the only victim. Shifters and witches across the territory are falling prey to a mysterious assailant who they suspect is amassing supernatural power for an unknown purpose.
Detective Inspector Maggie Milne, the Storm Moon Pack, and the Moonfell Witches have to find the thief quickly, or the consequences will be catastrophic.
Maverick will lose his pack forever, and the paranormal world will descend into war.
The hunt begins. Will you join it?

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

November’s official choice for Read Christie 2025

(Cosy Mystery)

Could a murder at an English school be Hercule Poirot’s toughest assignment? Can he find the ‘cat’ before this most feline of killers strikes again? This brand new Special Edition hardback is a book no cat-loving Agatha Christie fan will want to miss.

Schooldays can be tough. Who will learn the fatal lesson?

Late one night, two teachers investigate a mysterious flashing light while the rest of the school sleeps. In the sports pavilion, among the lacrosse sticks, they stumble upon the body of the unpopular games mistress – shot through the heart from point-blank range.

The school is thrown into chaos when the ‘cat’ strikes again. Unfortunately, schoolgirl Julia Upjohn knows too much. In particular, she knows that without Hercule Poirot’s help, she will be the next victim…

The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves

(Police Procedural)

For the first time since the beloved Shetland series, Detective Jimmy Perez is back. He's traded the stark beauty of Shetland for the wild isolation of Orkney, but the darkness of human nature follows him everywhere.
When a ferocious storm rages across the islands, it leaves behind more than just damage: it uncovers the body of Archie Stout, a popular, larger-than-life member of the community.
The murder weapon? A Neolithic stone, bearing cryptic, ancient inscriptions.
Now living in Orkney with his partner, Willow, and their young son, Perez is drawn into a case that is chillingly personal – Archie was a friend from his own childhood. And the island is full of familiar faces, all of whom are potential suspects in the killing.
Perez must immerse himself in the lives of the islanders, separating truth from local legend before a desperate killer can strike again . . . and threaten the new life he's desperately trying to build.

Let the Bells Ring Out by Milly Johnson

(Contemporary romance with a fantasy twist)

Seven people, four days and a snowy Christmas on board a luxury sleeper train. This festive season getting away from it all takes on a new meaning…

‘Escaping into Milly’s world is always a joy and Let The Bells Ring Out is Christmas perfection!’ JILL MANSELL

The Yorkshire Belle is a glamorous steam train all decked out for an escapist festive getaway. It is not supposed to be where a group of people, all trying to get to their destinations for the holidays, will spend their Christmas.

Seven people, each with their own hopes and dreams, secrets and sorrows, board the train as strangers, but as the snow keeps falling and they realise they are going nowhere fast, they are forced to slow down and embrace the present.

This Christmas on board the Yorkshire Belle, will the friendships they make change their lives forever?

Cunk on Everything by Philomena Cunk, Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris

(TV Tie-In, Humour)

‘This book is great because it covers everything in existence apart from the 95% of stuff not worth bothering with' - Philomena Cunk, star of Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe, Moments of Wonder and Cunk on Britain

Once in a blue moon, a book comes along that changes the world. The Origin of Species. War and Peace. 1984. The World According to Danny Dyer. And now, Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena, by Philomena Cunk.

Philomena Cunk is one of the greatest thinkers of the 21st century, and in Cunk on Everything she turns her attention to our biggest issue: why are there so many books? Wouldn't it be better if there was just one? This is that book - an encyclopedia of ALL HUMAN KNOWLEDGE, from sausages to Henry of Eight to Brush Strokes to vegetarian sausages.

Read it, and you'll never have to read another book again.

'This is a book' Philomena Cunk

'Never contact me again' Professor Rupert Delgado, MBE

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

(Gothic literary fiction)

This short story is regarded as an important early work of American feminist literature, illustrating attitudes in the 19th century toward women's health, both physical and mental. Presented in the first person, the story is a collection of journal entries written by a woman whose physician husband (John) has rented an old mansion for the summer. Forgoing other rooms in the house, the couple moves into the upstairs nursery. As a form of treatment, the unnamed woman is forbidden from working, and is encouraged to eat well and get plenty of exercise and air, so she can recuperate from what he calls a "temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency", a diagnosis common to women in that period. Gilman used her writing to explore the role of women in America at the time. She explored issues such as the lack of a life outside the home and the oppressive forces of the patriarchal society. Through her work Gilman paved the way for writers such as Alice Walker and Sylvia Plath.

Experimental Magic by Iris Beaglehole

(Cosy fantasy)

It’s the Spring Equinox in Myrtlewood, complete with strange disappearances, a quest to uncover heritage and a journey beyond the veil…

Rosemary and Athena are just settling into their new life in the unapologetically magical village of Myrtlewood.

After so many years in financial turmoil, things are looking up, and Rosemary even nabs the perfect part-time job while waiting on a certain handsome vampire lawyer to process her inheritance. Life is surprisingly peaceful until strange disappearances throw everything into chaos leading up to the Spring Equinox.

Meanwhile, Athena is newly enrolled at Myrtlewood Academy but feels woefully unprepared for magical education. She has enough on her mind with the enigmatic Finnigan and his aloof behaviour, not to mention the disappearance of her father, Dain.

If you’re ready for more mystery, witches, paranormal women’s fiction with a midlife main character, and a big dose of humour, you’re going to love Myrtlewood Mysteries Book 2.

Christmas with the Princes by Hannah Langdon

(Contemporary romance)

A swoon-worthy tale of second chances and Christmas magic that will have you believing in holiday miracles!

When Laura Wilde arrives at the snow-dusted English estate of Lyonscroft for Christmas, she's fleeing her sister's wedding chaos and seeking refuge in her job as a private nurse. But this enchanting manor holds secrets – not least why the devastatingly handsome heir, Nick Prince, seems determined to keep everyone at arm's length...

Nick wants nothing more than to escape Christmas and sell the family estate, but Laura's arrival changes everything. As she cares for his beloved grandmother, the spirited Princess Marilise, Laura finds herself caught between two worlds: the warmth and wisdom of an extraordinary woman with stories to tell, and the guarded heart of a man with a past he doesn’t want to talk about.

But when Laura transforms the cold, unwelcoming house into a magical Christmas wonderland, something shifts. Between unexpected dog rescues and stolen moments under the mistletoe, Laura must decide: will she play it safe and stick to her carefully ordered life, or risk everything for a love that could heal them both?

Plenty of Ponies by Josephine Pullein-Thompson

(Children’s classic pony book)

The Esmond children have everything they ever wanted. They have a pony each, a lovely house, boats ... but has it done them any good?

They were nicer people when they didn't have much money, thinks Lewis, the oldest of the family. Even the commissioner of the Pony Club doesn't think much of them. Can they change? Ride their ponies better? Stop quarellling? At first it seems that nothing they do will work.

(Please note: This is one of Josephine Pullein-Thompson's earliest novels. It was printed in 1949, when hunting was legal.)

Murder After Christmas by Rupert Latimer

(Golden Age crime)

The fourteenth square on my 2025 Book Bingo - a book that’s older than you

“A war’s on and a murder has been committed – and we sit here talking nonsense about almond whirls and mince pies!”

Good old Uncle Willie – rich, truculent and seemingly propped up by his fierce willpower alone – has come to stay with the Redpaths for the holidays. It is just their luck for him to be found dead in the snow on Boxing Day morning, dressed in his Santa Claus costume and seemingly poisoned by something in the Christmas confectionery. As the police flock to the house, Willie’s descendants, past lovers and distant relatives are drawn into a perplexing investigation to find out how the old man met his fate, and who stands to gain by such an unseasonable crime.

First published in 1944, Murder After Christmas is a lively riot of murder, mince pies and misdirection, cleverly twisting the tropes of Golden Age detective fiction to create a pacey, light-hearted package admirably suited for the holiday season.

Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin

(Contemporary romance)

A honeymoon for one on the most romantic train journey in the world… what could possibly go wrong?

When Aubrey’s fiancé dumps her – literally at the altar – just days before Christmas, her first thought is for the honeymoon. A luxury snow train, winding through Europe’s most beautiful Christmas markets, stopping in places like Paris and Stockholm, before ending in Lapland, to stay in igloos under the Northern Lights.

It was meant to be the most romantic ten days of her life. And now she has to go it alone. But arriving on the train – where, not wanting to be known as someone who was jilted, she might have accidentally implied her new husband died in a horrible accident – she finds she’s not the only singleton on board.

The group of single passengers quickly nickname themselves ‘The Unlucky in Love Travel Club’… But – as the train gathers pace – so do Aubrey’s feelings for absurdly handsome travel journalist, Jasper.

And she starts to wonder – as fireworks explode over the snow – whether her magical Christmas honeymoon-for-one might be just what she needs. And if she might not be as unlucky in love as she’d thought…

A Twelfth Night Miracle by Callie Langridge

(Timeslip romance)

When grief threatens to steal her Christmas spirit forever, baker Freya Harris discovers that some houses hold more than just memories – they hold miracles.

After losing her beloved grandmother, Freya faces her first Christmas alone in their family home. So when a last-minute pastry commission takes her to the enchanting Hill House country estate, she expects nothing more than a few days of baking Regency-themed treats for a Twelfth Night ball the aristocratic owners are planning.

But Hill House has other plans. Between mysterious dreams of another time, a charming estate manager named Callum who makes her breath catch, and a scruffy terrier with an uncanny ability to appear at just the right moment, Freya finds herself caught between past and present in the most magical way. As snow falls outside and candles flicker in the grand ballroom, Freya discovers that sometimes, when we need it most, the past reaches out to guide us toward our future.

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you’ve found something there that appeals to you. Now to crack on with some seriously fabulous books with a definite festive feel.

Happy reading!