For our November 2021 reading recommendations, we have memoirs and novels by Native American authors and inspiring celebrities as well as a unique thriller from Stephen King.
I’ve also included a fall romance and two cookbooks for the upcoming fall and winter holidays.
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich – This novel is based on the life of the author’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman near the Turtle Mountain Reservation and was a member of the Chippewa Council. He carried the fight against native dispossession from North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C.
Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo – Harjo is the first Native American poet laureate of the United States. In her memoir, Harjo details her journey to become a poet. Finding strength and escape in tribal myths, ancestry, music, and poetry, Harjo survived an abusive stepfather and learned to weather the difficulties of family life while discovering her own voice.
There There by Tommy Orange – Orange is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. This book follows the lives of twelve characters traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow. Orange tells the plight of Native Americans struggling to preserve their cultures and balance the complex and painful history of their ancestors with the challenges facing Indigenous peoples today.
Great Speeches by Native Americans by Bob Blaisdell – This work is a collection of 82 speeches by Indigenous Americans spanning from 1540 to modern times demonstrating the eloquence and depth of feeling of the leaders of the various tribes as they struggled against European and American colonization of their lands.
November 9 by Colleen Hoover – Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring writer in Los Angeles, the day before her big cross-country move. They spend a magical day together and agree to meet each year in Los Angeles on the same day. Fallon and Ben share the joys and difficulties of their separate lives and she tells him everything. Her exciting life makes the perfect material for Ben’s novel, but eventually Fallon begins to wonder if Ben is being honest with her or setting her up for the ultimate plot twist?
11/22/63 by Stephen King – Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Maine discovers a time portal and attempts to go back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
My American Journey by Colin Powell and Joseph E. Persico – General Colin Powell’s intimate memoir about growing up in Harlem with his immigrant parents from Jamaica and his decision to enlist in the Army which changed the course of his life forever. Powell shares his love of family and country and the importance of personal responsibility and being part of something bigger than ourselves.
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl – Grohl shares his love of music and storytelling in a memoir about growing up in Springfield, Virginia and hitting the road with his first band Scream as an impressionable eighteen-year-old to his time with Nirvana, and the Foo Fighters. He reflects on meeting some of his musical idols and collaborating with them and new artists.
The Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen – Over 550 recipes for cozy meals and holiday dishes.
Plant Based Holiday Cookbook by May Green – Perfect for people who have recently transitioned to a plant-based diet. Filled with delicious recipes and tips for preparing plant-based holiday favorites.