The days are growing shorter as the cold wind blows. As fall settles in, it is time to cozy up with a good book and an autumnal dessert. Here are five new books WCHS students can check out this November.
“Lost and Lassoed” by Lyla Sage – Nov. 5
Lyla Sage is a rising author who has already found her specialty: Western Romances. This book promises to be a fun and exciting enemies-to-lovers story. The author’s previous works “Done and Dusted” and “Swift and Saddled” have found success on TikTok, so readers can expect a lovely trope-y romance between the impulsive Teddy and work-focused Gus as they are forced into proximity.
“What the Chicken Knows” by Sy Montgomery – Nov. 5
Anyone can recognize a chicken. Their carcasses can be found in supermarkets, in fast food chains, in the WCHS cafeteria and a myriad other places. There are four for every person on the planet. However, people only know chickens culinarily. They are complex, intelligent individuals that are often misunderstood, but Sy Montgomery, who also wrote “Soul of an Octopus,” brings them to light.
“Vanishing Treasures” by Katherine Rundell – Nov. 12
Many of the world’s species are close to vanishing. This book of essays tells stories about 23 of them, from the story of a dancing seahorse to the freezing and thawing of a hibernating American wood frog. The book promises to be urgent but also inspiring.
Katherine Rundell is a fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Her previous works range from a variety of topics: “Impossible Creatures,” the first book in a fantasy series about an unmapped magical archipelago; “Super-Infinite,” a biography of John Donne; and “The Wolf Wilder,” a Russian girl who trains the wolves that grow up as luxury pets to return to the wild.
“Dead Girls Don’t Dream” by Nino Cipri – Nov. 12
Since Halloween is coming up, reading books from the horror genre is fitting. This young adult novel centers on the Voynich Woods. Madelyn lives deep in the woods, but her strict mother forbids her from using magic. Riley knows to stay on the trail in the woods, but she chases after her curious little sister. Riley is murdered in a mysterious ritual. However, Madelyn resurrects her. Together, they uncover the truth about the woods.
“The City and Its Uncertain Walls” by Haruki Murakami – Nov. 19
Renowned author Haruki Murakami’s new book is getting an English translation. This enigmatic novel chronicles an unnamed man who longs for a girl he once knew. They imagine a city together and part of him decides to stay there. The parallel stories of his life in the city and in his normal life unfold in a calm narration. It is an unsettling magical realism novel that carefully expands a short story Murakami had written thirty years ago.
Murakami has previously written a variety of notable titles; his “Kafka on the Shore” won the World Fantasy Award. His works take inspiration not only from Japanese tradition but also from Western and Russian literature and a variety of music.
As students are immersed into the stress of the new quarter and college applications, they can take a break by grabbing any of the sundry exciting books coming out this November.
