Nonfiction November 2025: New to My TBR

 

It's the last week of Nonfiction November and it's hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.  This last week is all about the new books we've found out about this month and what we've added to our TBRs!  Life got away from me this month and unfortunately I wasn't able to blog hop as much as I wanted to.  However, I did manage to find three new books for my TBR!  Thank you to the following bloggers:

Ice Ghosts - Read All The Things!

Uncredited - Book'dOut

Shakespeare, The Man Who Pays The Rent - What? Me Read? (I actually saw this book on many blogs, so I apologize for not mentioning them all!)

Nonfiction Quick Reviews

Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum (2024)

I think many of us would probably say that reality tv is our guilty pleasure, but how did this revolutionary genre of television first come to be?  Emily Nussbaum explores the roots of reality tv, from its beginnings in radio, of all places, to the earliest iterations on television, to the lasting legacy of some of the most famous reality shows.  I love reality tv - the Housewives, cooking competitions, and The Amazing Race are all things I've enjoyed over the years, so this was a truly fascinating read for me.  Through research and interviews with many of the people who created or worked on such shows, Nussbaum gives a comprehensive chronological look at the growth of reality tv.  She devotes in-depth chapters to shows like Survivor and even The Apprentice.  Definitely a must-read for reality tv fans!  4 stars

The Hidden History of the White House by Corey Mead (2024)

The White House, one of the most famous buildings in the United States, has seen a lot over its history.  In this book, Corey Mead has compiled a series of the most interesting, dramatic, and scandalous events that have taken place there.  President Obama's watching of the raid on bin Laden's compound, Winston Churchill's visit with FDR during WWII, and the trashing of the White House during Andrew Jackson's inauguration are just some of the stories told in this collection.  I enjoyed Mead's writing style - it's clear and very easy to read, although in terms of research, I wasn't crazy about the fact that he says up front that some information, such as dialogue, has been "invested or embellished."  Some of the stories I'd read about before, but some were new to me, so I thought it was a good mix and also represented a wide variety of time periods.  An interesting read for fans of American history and also those interested in architecture!  4 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Mating Game

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

The Mating Game

Lana Ferguson

Expected publication date: December 2, 2025

Two wolf shifters reluctant to love discover there’s no fighting the call of the wild in this steamy romance by USA Today bestselling author Lana Ferguson.

Contractor Tess Covington has spent her entire life as a regular non-shifter human, so after she lands in the Denver ER with flu-like symptoms, it comes as a complete shock to be told that, no, she’s not sick—she’s actually a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. With her family in dire financial straits and a contract for her own television show on the line, she can’t afford not to complete the renovation job she came for. And given that her newly emerged wolf is in danger of going into heat, she’ll just have to do her best to follow the doctor’s advice to keep away from alpha shifters.

Alpha wolf Hunter Barrett has spent most of his adult life living by a routine, and a big part of that involves staying clear of omegas after having one stomp on his heart. So when the tiny contractor shows up at his place smelling like the one thing he’s determined to avoid, he thinks it must be some sort of cosmic joke. But with his lodge on the verge of failing and this sweet-smelling omega his only hope to turn things around . . . he’s left with few other options than to grin and bear it.

Set on avoiding each other as much as possible, they find things unexpectedly starting to heat up between them enough to thaw even the frostiest of hearts. Though even with the pair going head over paws for each other, there’s no changing that their fling has an expiration date. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they’re playing a dangerous game—one where the only thing on the line is their hearts. - from Goodreads

Michele's Monday Picks #83

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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Seeing Other People

By Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Expected Publication: December 9, 2025

From Goodreads:

Two people haunted by their exes find that love isn’t dead in this heartfelt romance from the beloved authors of The Roughest Draft.

Morgan is being ghosted by her ex. No, really. It’s sad Zach died and became a ghost. But Morgan and Zach only ever went on the one date, and now she’s being haunted by him. Zach has no desire to spend eternity with Morgan, but he can’t recall his past and doesn’t know how to move on.

At a support group for humans and their haunters, Morgan and Zach run into Sawyer, whose fiancée-turned-ghost has started to fade. Unlike Morgan, Sawyer isn’t ready to part ways with his ghost. Although they face opposite issues, Morgan and Sawyer decide to work together to solve their problems.

As Morgan and Sawyer try to solve their paranormal conundrums together, they find something even more surprising—a tender, growing affection between them that threatens any unfinished business they’re seeking to close. The ghosts of their past might be there in spirit, but the connection between Morgan and Sawyer is as alive as anything they’ve ever felt.

I have really enjoyed this duo’s previous books and this one sounded so unique! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Nonfiction Recent Reads

Vanderbilt by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe (2022)

In Vanderbilt, Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe explore another of America's most famous families - this time, his own mother's family.  For those who don't know, Anderson Cooper's mother was Gloria Vanderbilt, so this gives him unique knowledge and perspective in writing about the rise and fall of the Vanderbilt dynasty.  From "the Commodore's" ruthless beginnings to marrying into British aristocracy to the mansions of Newport, the Vanderbilt family had quite an interesting run, with both professional and personal wins and devastating losses.  As with this duo's other nonfiction book, Astor, I enjoyed learning about the family - some things I already knew, but other stories were new to me, and it was a quick and easy read.  4 stars

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen (2024)

Besides a cataclysmic natural event, what else could bring about the end of the world as we know it?  The answer is nuclear war.  In Nuclear War, Annie Jacobsen imagines (through the use of extensive interviews and documents) what would happen from the moment a nuclear missile is launched at the United States to a devastating conclusion, which would probably happen a lot faster than you would think.  I was fascinated by the idea of this book the minute I heard about it but put off reading it for awhile - I wanted to know but also, I didn't want to know, at the same time.  It scared me, but also felt like information I needed to know.  Jacobsen gives a minute-by-minute account of what is likely happening, in both America and abroad, from just a few seconds after North Korea (hypothetically but also inexplicably) launches a nuclear missile at Washington, D.C.  It was both fascinating and terrifying to learn about the decisions that have to be made (and how quickly), the chain of command that has to be in place, and our various retaliatory measures, while ultimately knowing that this one missile will cause complete destruction, chaos, and devastation the world over through a chain of events that, once started, can't be stopped.  This is definitely not light reading - while it is informative (teaching us about the history of "the Football," for example), it is also brutal and gory.  4 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Charmed & Bound Prologue Event

 Over the summer, I heard about a new bookstore opening soon near me - a romance-focused bookstore that would be the first of its kind in the area.  Charmed & Bound has been operating as an online bookstore for awhile, offering books, merch, events, and subscription boxes, but the ultimate goal of the co-owners was to open a brick and mortar store.  They've been working on a space in Flemington, NJ, but when their original location became a bust, their opening plans were pushed back.  While their new space is not quite ready yet, they held a "prologue" event on November 1 to introduce themselves to the community.  The event offered books and merch for sale, author signings, and other vendors such as a bouquet bar and coffee truck.

The whole event took place outside, but how cute is this going to be when they open?  I love this historic building.  They had a table with some gorgeous special edition books and other bookcases offering paperback and hardcover books.  Candles, bookmarks, and stickers were also on sale.

I ended up buying a "Blind Date" book and was very surprised at what it ended up being! (No spoilers here!)  I was there browsing and on the checkout line for probably half an hour and there were quite a few people there!  Everyone seemed really excited about the new store.

The two owners, Kelsey and Stefanie, were welcoming and accommodating to all the shoppers, and from what I've read about them and their business, they truly seem to love books and reading and making it a magical experience.  Romance is one of my favorite genres, so I'm really looking forward to coming back when they officially open and giving you a tour of the finished bookstore!

Nonfiction November 2025: Book Pairings

 

Week 3 of Nonfiction November is hosted by Liz at Adventures in reading, running and working from home.  This week is Book Pairings of fiction and nonfiction books - one of my favorite weeks of the event!  I love pairing fiction and nonfiction books, and here are the pairings I've done this year!

 

The Museum Edition

 

The Heiress Edition

 

The Astor Edition

 

The Out of This World Edition

Have you read any of these pairings?