📚✨Your November Reading Letter Is Here (with a Special Guest!)

Hey bookish friends!

Welcome to the very first edition of Asheritah’s Bookshelf! Think of this as our cozy corner to chat about the books we’re loving and delight in the wonder of story.

I want this to feel like a fireside chat where we can share the books that are keeping us up way too late at night—because let’s be honest, that “just one more chapter” feeling is real! In this issue, I’m going to share a few books I’ve been loving this month and share a few things that have been inspiring me.

Plus, I want to invite you to share your own bookshelves! There’s a little spot at the end of this newsletter where you can send in pictures of the books on your shelf, so keep reading.

All right, without further ado, let’s dive in.

Imagine we’re sitting beside my fireplace, flanked by bookshelves, warm drinks in hand. I’d probably ask: “So… what good books have you read lately?”

It’s one of my favorite ways to start a conversation. And truly, I want to hear from you!

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Let me introduce you to a few books that have been keeping me company lately...

Protector by Megan Schaulis
I wasn’t sure what to expect from a sci-fi, dystopian retelling of Esther, but Protector surprised me in the best way. About 25 pages in, I found myself completely drawn into Novalise’s world—an Esther-like heroine competing to become the king’s bodyguard (such a fun twist!). The familiar beats of the biblical story are there, but the setting and stakes make it feel fresh and gripping.

Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian by Michelle Lee-Barnewall
This one came recommended by my friend Juli Slattery while we were discussing the Evangelical gender debate at a house party this summer. (I’m such a fun party guest, y’all.) Juli told me I’d love it, and she was right. It leans more academic, but in a deeply thoughtful way. Instead of rehashing the usual egalitarian vs. complementarian debate, Barnewall reframes the whole conversation through the lens of Kingdom priorities like love, unity, sacrifice, and reversal. It’s less about picking sides and more about asking better questions. I didn’t agree with everything (I rarely do), I found it thoughtful, timely, and full of insight I’m eager to explore in my own research. A few quotes:

“The ethic of Jesus ‘spells an end to self-assertiveness and self-glorifying and the beginning of self-forgetfulness that already submits to God’s sovereignty and serves the neighbor.’”1

“Jesus’s actions and words are a significant statement about the acceptance of women in the kingdom of God. […] Not only were women accepted and presented as exemplary disciples, but in a surprising reversal, they are even portrayed as being more faithful than the Twelve….”2

An Unhurried Life: Following Jesus’ Rhythms of Work and Rest by Alan Fadling
I’ve had this book on my shelf for years, but this year of Jubilee felt like it was finally the right time to pick it up, and I’ve been slowly working my way through it. It reads a bit like the older cousin of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry—gentle, thoughtful, and full of holy nudges. The theme is simple: love is unhurried. When I’m rushed or stressed about my work, convinced “there’s just not enough time to get it all done,” I often miss opportunities to love the people right in front of me. I want to learn to walk at the pace of Jesus. Slow down my busyness. Do only the good work God has actually prepared for me today.

There are—seriously—so many good quotes I’ve underlined. Here are just a few of them:

“Jesus intends to transform us dramatically. He wants us to come to reflect the beauty, goodness and rootedness of an oak tree. He’s planted us. He will tend us. He will do what it takes to deepen and strengthen our roots in him.”3

“Am I following Jesus in my own way of working? Is all the work I’m doing in keeping with what the Father is doing and how he is doing it? Do I know what the Father is doing in the lives of people around me who are affected by my work? Am I working in concert with the Father or, perhaps unaware, in conflict with him? Might I find myself overdoing something God may later have to undo?”4

“I keep thinking that ‘real’ life is all the tasks and emails and bills and projects and other things that fill my schedule. But Jesus himself is real life. And real life in Jesus is eternal and spacious, not condensed, compressed, compacted. Real life is huge and unhurried.”5

“I hurry, in part, because I labor under the false belief that I don’t have enough time for what is good and necessary for me. …Holy leisure is a way of recognizing that everything God has given me to do can be done without anxious hurry.”6

A Not So Fictional Fall by Savannah Scott
This novel popped up on my Instagram radar when I was craving a light, autumn read—and it totally delivered. Imagine a sweet romance where a bookstagrammer meets her favorite romance author… and surprise, he’s not at all who she expected. Cue a marriage-of-convenience storyline (to save him from being sent back to France), lots of playful antics, and a tale that’s simply fun. It’s a clean, heartwarming escape before you swap out the pumpkins for Christmas lights.

In the Flo by Alisa Vitti
When I was in a burnout stage a few years back, I learned (the hard way) that I need to honor the limitations of this physical body God gave me. This book explains women’s hormones and how each phase of our monthly cycle affects not just our fertility but also our productivity, wellness, relationships, and overall perspective. Vitti gets a little woo-woo in places, so read with discernment, but her core idea—that women thrive when we honor the way God designed our 28-day rhythm—is brilliant.7

“Women have a second biological clock, and it is equally as valuable as the 24-hour clock. The 28-day clock can be measured; it is predictable; and it demands the same respect, attention, and priority as the 24-hour clock.”8

Untitled (by Yours Truly)—For our family read-aloud, we’re reading a special little story… one that I’m writing every day. I share more about this in the Writer’s Corner below. :)

Confession time: I cannot seem to read just one nonfiction book at a time. I start with great intentions… then another shiny title calls my name, and suddenly I’m in the middle of eight books with leaning towers of TBR all over the house.

So my November goal? Finish what I started and head into 2026 with a clean slate (and plenty of room for your recommendations). Be honest—how many books are you in the middle of right now?

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Now for a little magic: our first-ever Bookshelf Chat. Each month, I’ll invite a bookish friend to join me for a cozy conversation—short, warm, and full of story wonder.

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Sara Ella, whose newest YA fantasy novel Glass Across the Sea just released! Her heart for storytelling shines so brightly, and I think you’ll love hearing about the faith, fairy tales, and real-life joys that shaped this book.

And because good stories are meant to be shared, Sara’s giving away a copy of Glass Across the Sea to one of our readers! To enter the giveaway, just comment with a book you’ve loved this month—and tag a bookish friend in an extra comment for bonus entries.

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Also, I’d love to hear: who you would you like to see on an upcoming Bookshelf Chat? Do you have a favorite author whose reading nook or bookshelves you’d love to see? I’m making a loose plan for 2026, and I want this letter to be a space you look forward to each month, so let me know!

This month is Novel November! At least, that’s what those of us attempting to draft a novel in 30 days are calling it. 😊 It used to go by the official name National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where the goal was to write 50,000 words in one month. I did that once, back in 2021, and it was SO much fun!

This year, I’m doing it again… with a twist.

As I mentioned in my BookChat with Sara above, I’m working on a middle-grade novel, the second in a series that’s still hush-hush (shhhh!)—and it’s been such a life-giving joy to subcreate with God inside this storyworld that points to His big story!

I plotted the whole thing on index cards… which were promptly splattered when a child watered the houseplants. (I mean, I did want my kids involved in this project, but not quite like that.) Thankfully, they’re still mostly legible. At least to me. 😉

Most mornings, I sneak downstairs to my basement office before the house wakes up and draft a chapter. Then, during our homeschool morning basket, I read that fresh chapter aloud to my kids. It’s become our little ritual—they offer feedback, ask questions, and giggle in all the right places. Their enthusiasm helps shape the story day by day, and honestly? It keeps me accountable when I’d otherwise be tempted to skip writing “just this once.” They want to know what happens next.

I’m a little over 10,000 words in and hoping to hit 35,000 by the end of the month and finish the first (very messy) draft. I’ll let you know next month how it all goes.

Someday I’ll tell you the God-sized story of how I came to write fiction at all… but until then, can I simply encourage you?

If God has tucked a creative dream in your heart—a book, a painting, a poem, a flower garden, a quilt, a song—make a little room to explore it with Him. You don’t have to hit 50,000 words or color inside the lines. You just need enough quiet courage to say yes to the beauty He longs to bring into the world through you.

Your small faithfulness matters more than you know.

Now it’s your turn: I’d love to peek at the books shaping your world. Snap a photo of your bookshelf and send it my way in an email reply or DM—I’ll feature a few reader shelves in the next few issues!

Thank you for curling up with me for the very first edition of Asheritah’s Bookshelf. I hope something here sparked joy, curiosity, or a new addition to your TBR pile.

As always, I’d love to hear from you—your bookshelves, your current reads, your cozy moments. This little corner of the internet is better because you’re here.

Until next month, curl up with a good book, refill your mug, and keep delighting in the stories God weaves into our lives. 💛

Cheering you on, one page at a time,

Asheritah

PS If you’re worried about what’s going to happen to ALL YOUR BOOKS once you pass away, might I suggest funeral favors? I mean, I haven’t actually tried this yet, but it sounds like a good plan. In theory. What do you think?