My Top Recommended Books to Read in November

Today I am excited to share my Top Recommended Books to Read in November! Lately, I have been in a historical fiction mode reading books in the early 1900s and World War II eras. Society saw some dramatic social changes during this time with a departure from the upper-class system which had ruled society for so long to a system with more equality, and additionally, fighting against racism towards Jews. All three books are historical fiction but based on true events and characters who were active in these social changes. The stories are rich and exciting with lots of detail which made me interested in learning more about the eras as well as the characters involved. Each of the three featured authors have each created worthy stories to entertain us with. I love each book and absolutely give them all 5 stars for a great story and great writing.

my top recommended books to read in november

The Romanov Empress by C.W. Gortner.

This rich book covers a niche era of history I didn’t know anything about, except maybe from certain episodes of Downton Abbey. A poor Danish princess, Maria Feodorovna, falls in love with a Russian prince who is equally in love with her- a rarity for royal matches at this time. Shortly before their marriage he tragically dies, but asks Maria to marry his brother, Sasha, in his place. She ends up coming to Russia to marry Sasha. Maria eventually becomes a strong and popular Empress alongside her husband. The book chronicles her long and happy marriage and the eventual fall of the Russian aristocracy under her son’s weak rule. She struggles to persuade him to transform the government to one that truly represents the voice of the people. This book is lavishly detailed and made me want to learn more about this period.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan.

This book is the story of an Italian teenager, Pino Lella, and his role during the last half of WWII. Sent off to seek refuge in an informal camp for boys run by a priest, this extraordinarily brave young man secretly leads groups of Jews through a dangerous mountain pass out of Italy into Switzerland. This is cut short when his 18th birthday arrives, and he is forced into joining the Nazi army in Italy. However, he uses the opportunity to spy for the resistance. Eventually, he catches the eye of a top ranking general and becomes his personal driver. Spying on one of Hitler’s top-ranking officials is no easy task and the threat of execution is very real. Pino shows amazing wit and bravery throughout all the horror he witnessed firsthand. The ending has a twist as well which haunts Pino for years to come.

A Well Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler.

With her once upper-class family on the threshold of poverty Alva Vanderbilt makes a hard choice and marries a man she doesn’t love. The marriage is one of convenience for both as they need each other to get ahead. Through sheer determination, Alva steers their family up the top social ladder in New York. This is no easy thing in New York during the Edwardian Era with its cutthroat upper class. Alva is on her own terms though as she redefines what is means to be a woman as well as an upper-class citizen as she successfully takes on those at the very top. Alva again shows her resilience and survival skills when she decides to divorce her husband for carrying on with her best friend for years. She eventually becomes involved in the women’s suffrage movement and remarries.

Are you enjoying November so far? I hope you are and you enjoy my Top Recommended Books to Read in November. These books are all well-worth the time to read, and I hope you enjoy the as much as I did!

Best, Anna