100 books like November of the Heart

While I am a tremendous fan of Daphne DuMaurier’s uncanny short stories, in particular, The Birds and Don’t Look Now, I reserve my greatest love and admiration for her modern Gothic masterpiece Rebecca.

While Alfred Hitchcock’s film version is justifiably a classic, it cannot capture the richness of DuMaurier’s prose nor the powerful first-person perspective of the narrator, the unnamed newlywed of a wealthy widower who finds herself cursed to always be in the shadow of his first wife, the eponymous Rebecca. It also can’t quite evoke the oppressive atmosphere of Manderley, silent and secretive, ancient and beautiful, the gilded cage of a mansion ruled over by a domineering housekeeper, the unforgettable Mrs. Danvers. 

I have about five different editions of this amazing book. Heathcliff, Cathy, Thrushcross Grange…it’s all so bleak, gothic, and full of exclamation marks that you have to love its drama and tragedy set within the Yorkshire Moors.

At the heart of it, I love that Heathcliff (although exhibiting questionable behavior by today’s standards) is a foundling-done-good. I love a story where the discarded underdog ends up in a massive house on the moors with loads of money. Nevertheless, it is a tricky read, switching between narratives, but who hasn’t burst into song ‘a la Kate Bush’ upon hearing that title?

A secret identity, a strong female lead, and a smart, handsome, heroic aristocrat pretending to be a bondslave were all it took for me to pick up this circa 70s romance.

I’ve always loved a rich plot and detailed descriptions of an era and its settings. In every chapter, the late Ms. Woodiwiss proves how brilliantly she researched pre-colonial America, the Caribbean rum trade, pirates, 1700s clothing, and tall ships. And that’s not to say she littered the plot with unnecessary exposition. She took me to a place I could see, feel, and taste. Her writing is visceral.

I journey along with Shanna and Ruark Deverell Beachamp at least once a year. The love scenes alone are enough to keep me coming back to this book. 

I am a great fan of 20th-century fiction and family sagas, so I was immediately drawn to this book. I love a story in which the author masters the art of what drives characters—success, failure, determination, and resignation.

This book is the most perfect example of a story that digs deep into the attributes as well as the flaws of the Jordache siblings and their parents. It has a Cinderella story, rags to riches, and fall-from-grace elements that never feel formulaic.

I love a book that draws the reader so far into the mindset of the characters that you have no choice but to root for them. And when an author wraps a story in such beautiful prose, I never want it to end. 

This story is a good mystery, but more importantly, it makes me laugh (in a good way). I think it would be a great date-night movie. Brand-new private investigator Alex O’Hara inherits her father’s PI agency and (oh, joy!) snags her first paying client. Thus begins the fun. With sharp writing, a crafty plot, a light romance, and fun and relatable characters (including a heroine who is a bit of a klutz—a woman after my own heart), the author leads the reader on a fun and engaging search for a missing man. 

The simplicity of this book is breathtaking—there’s just one central idea: life should feel easy.

And yet we all instinctively answer, “No, it’s not. It never will be.” And that’s Hamrick’s genius: she asks you to live, for a moment, in a world that lacks any resistance to your dreams or goals. A world where life fully and effectively supports you.

And then she unravels all your own resistance to this idea. 

I would not normally be drawn to a title about being financially capable as I like to think I am already (whether that is true or not)!

It starts with statements about how difficult it is for people to talk about money, and how wary people are of asking questions about managing their finances. A great starting point asks the reader to remember their first memory about money, then discusses how this impacts dealings in later life.

It is well written, easy to follow, with question-and-answer sections at the end of each chapter. While he includes eight key areas of wellbeing, the focus is on managing and improving, if necessary, your own financial position. So yes, I did find it interesting and considered all the points raised to check my own situation. 

I adored this captivating, spellbinding tale of the only woman to sail with Francis Drake on the Golden Hind.

It’s based on the compelling true story of a slave called Macaia, a woman who was literally written out of the history books as her ordeal was deemed an inconvenient truth. Nikki Marmery not only vividly and authentically brings to light this courageous woman's story, but she sets Macaia front and centre.

I learned so much about this period of human history, about what life was like aboard a 16th Century sailing ship, and about how world exploration has never been solely a male endeavour. Macaia is an ordinary woman, who showed extraordinary bravery and endurance, and I found her story fascinating, moving, and life-affirming.

This book inspires the reader to connect their mind with movement. The author has filled the days of the year with practice prompts, ideas to help boost self-awareness and push past adversity, and wisdom from artists and scholars as well. Sole to Soul motivated me to connect with nature, my own stillness, and with others. A great daily devotional. And a great gift especially during these tough times.

This is the book that convinced me to dive into romantic suspense after writing only contemporary romance for many years. I’d always been tempted to branch into this genre, but I wanted to delve more into psychological suspense and character development, ala Hitchcock. Yet most of what I saw on the market took the constant-action thriller approach to storytelling, often at the expense of character development. Then I read this book. The characters were complex, the plot was compelling but left breathing space in between the action for character development, and the romance was a slow burn. So I took the plunge into suspense—and have never looked back.