November 2022 TBR | Native Heritage Month

We’re still here! All you have to do is LOOK!

Wow, I really brought the spice and a TBR post after… months? Months? MONTHS! We love to see it, yes we do! Though I am trying to desperately manifest strong reading vibes after a month worth of slumpy reading energy, not going to lie. But I digress. Not only are we in the autumnal season, but I’m on a really strong, positive reading streak right now (okay, not fully positive, there was one little hiccup) and I want to keep the ball rolling as we descend into November. Also known as, Native American Heritage Month! Yes, yes that’s where my fiery spice came from for this post. Look, I’m not going to sit here and rant, educate, etc… for the millionth time. Go check out my November 2020 TBR post for some links of Indigenous content creators, some educational links, etc… if you’re interested.

This month I’m specifically focusing on Native joy (because let’s be honest, it’s not talked about enough or given enough love) and some amazing Indigenous books that I’m super excited about getting to this month. Technically I could have read these at any given time, but as I mentioned, I spent a whole month in a bad slump and I couldn’t find the motivation to really read. The most I did was one book and then I was solely focused on gaming. That’s basically the whole story of what happened in September. ANYWAY, this month is going to be a good one, I just know it… I can feel it! I quickly want to mention (before we get into this ambitious tbr) that not all the books I want to read are on this list. My tbr for this month is massive because I’ve been essentially hoarding Native/Indigenous books just so I can put a heavy spotlight on them. Plus, books aren’t cheap, so it’s been a gradual build up to this point in time. So without my further descent into chaos, here is my stunning TBR for the month of November!

➸ Venco by Cherie Dimaline
February 7th, 2023 by William Morrow
ARC was given by William Morrow & HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
🌻 Empire of Wild ★★★★

This is kind of the book that has sparked this whole tbr and is probably what’s going to shape my tbrs up till February 2023. I really enjoyed Empire of Wild and was really captured by Cherie’s writing style. So I’m really excited that I was sent an arc for this book. If I can’t get to this arc this month, one of the upcoming months will have this on it and it’ll be the biggest priority. Plus, the synopsis sounds so good!

➸ The Star That Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson
July 12th, 2022 by Holiday House
ARC was given by Holiday House in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I’m a little late on this one, but to be fair, I didn’t receive my arc copy till end of July/early August and well, you all know what happened with September. So, I’m making this arc a high priority for this month. However, I’m a little nervous going in because I have a feeling I’m going to get really emotional about this book especially being an urban Native. So I’m prepping the tissue boxes for this one!

➸ Night of the Living Rez: Stories by Morgan Talty
July 5th, 2022 by Tin House Books
ALC was given by Libro.fm & Tin House Books in exchange for an honest review.

Another book I’m late to the party on, but thankfully this is an audiobook and I have no doubt that I won’t be able to breeze through it. Yeah, I’m back on my audiobook kick and it feels so good! However, I’m really excited to dive into this read and hopefully, maybe, convince my spouse to come along for the ride on this read with me.

➸ Making Love with the Land: Essays by Joshua Whitehead
November 15th, 2022 by Univ Of Minnesota Press
ALC was given by Libro.fm & Univ Of Minnesota Press in exchange for an honest review.

This is a newly acquired aalc for me! Which if you couldn’t tell, this book will be available this month! I’m so blessed, so privileged to have received an early copy of this book through Libro.fm and this is the other book that has kind of spurred a very massive November tbr. Between this book and Venco, the two of them have kind of kicked me into gear to make an insanely massive tbr and I’m really excited to dive into this soon! It’s also an audiobook and it has me even more excited!

➸ Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young
May 11th, 2021 by Heartdrum

Though this book released last year, I’m really excited to be getting to this book in the here and now! This book centers around Navajo mythology and so this has a little soft spot in my heart. This has been a story I have been seeing come out more and more, and it fills my heart with warmth to see it. For those who may not know, the Navajo and Apache are consider cousins to each other, and so this make me really happy to see Navajo stories being brought into the spotlight for all to read and enjoy.

➸ A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
November 23rd, 2021 by Levine Querido
🌻 Elatsoe ★★★★★

This book… THIS BOOK is the crown jewel of this whole entire tbr! As a Mescalero Apache reader, if you haven’t heard me sob, pop off in excitement, or even mention Darcie Little Badger then here it is right here. Ever since I found out there is an Apache author writing ya and middle grade books, winning awards for that literature, you have no idea how emotional it makes me and how much I want to throw my money at any work this author releases. If you would have told a young Malli that I would get to grow up to see an Apache author winning awards for their literature and brings forth Apache stories, I probably would have never believed you because I had never seen it before, ever. Until Darcie Little Badger released Elatsoe. And everything kind of changed after that. So the work Darcie does means a whole heck-a lot to me and while I need to re-read Elatsoe (I honestly might just buy another copy that I can highlight and tab the heck out of) to give a more in-depth review, I will be prioritizing this book greatly.

➸ The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst
April 25th, 2023 by Harperteen
ARC was given by NetGalley & HaperTeen in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy Read with Destiny & Ashley ♥

While this isn’t a Native/Indigenous read, this is also a priority for my reading in November! Yes, it’s true, Destiny and I are back again with a buddy read, but this time we have Ashley with us! I am so excited about this buddy read with these two lovely souls. Ashley and I have been meaning to buddy read something together for a hot minute and as fate would have it, all three of us had an arc of the same book. So it’s on! It’s so freaking on and I’ve been vibrating with excitement since we all decided to buddy read this together. I’ve really been getting into the spookier, more hauntingly atmospheric reads lately and I feel very privileged and blessed to have an arc of this book.

Whew! Okay, that was a whole lot of books, but just be glad I didn’t list… everything. We might have been here all day going through all the books I want to read for this month. I’m really excited for this month though and it feels good to be making blog posts again, sharing stories, thoughts with everyone once more. I’ve felt like I’ve been holding my breath for so long and I’m just now taking a breath of fresh air. It feels really nice and I appreciate the patience everyone has had with me as life keeps throwing surprises my way. I hope each and every one of you has a lovely November, enjoys the season (whatever season you may be in), and I hope, just maybe, that some of these books caught your eye and you’ll fall in love with more Native/Indigenous literature this year. Until next time friends, I love you! 🧡