As much as I adore October, there’s something truly special about November. After the excitement of “Falloween” (the mash-up of fall and Halloween) winds down, I’m ready to savor the slower pace of late autumn. My Barefoot Dreams throw is always within reach, a cup of tea in hand, and Connie curled up beside me as I dive into a cozy mystery. The outdoor Halloween décor comes down, but the autumn accents stay up because I hold onto fall for as long as possible.
While stores rush ahead to Christmas and the airwaves fill with Mariah Carey, I’m still lighting my pumpkin candle every morning, adding puréed pumpkin to pancake batter, and enjoying the final golden days of the season. November might not get the attention it deserves, but it’s the perfect month to pause, gather, and enjoy life’s simple comforts, especially good food and good books.
This month, I’m celebrating that spirit by sharing a roundup of ten delicious Thanksgiving side dishes and five cozy mysteries that pair perfectly with the warmth of the season.
The Recipes:
1. Add a twist to your stuffing this year. The Easy Wild Rice Stuffing recipe is from Craving Something Healthy.
2. A hearty bowl of pumpkin soup is a great starter course and perfect for lunch the next day. The Cozy Pumpkin Soup recipe is from Thanksgivingmommy.com
3. A fall twist on a classic recipe that your guests will enjoy. The Pumpkin Gnocchi recipe with Brown Butter Sage Sauce is from Chef Denise.
4. Carrots make a perfect side not only at Thanksgiving and cooking them in the slow cooker is genius since the oven is doing overtime with the turkey and desserts. The Easy Slow Cooker Carrots (with a Honey Butter Glaze) is from Pumpkin ‘N Spice.
5. Dressing is a must have for the Thanksgiving table! This Cornbread Dressing is from The Forked Spoon.
6. Hands up if you love cranberry sauce. This Low-sugar Cranberry Sauce with Pears is from the Food Geek.
7. Add a veggie side dish that wows your guests. The Roasted Broccolini with Parmesan Pine Nut Pangritata is from Parsley and Parm.
8. The name just tells you that it’s going to be good! The Five Cheese Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe is from Sense & Edibility.
9. Here’s another side dish that doesn’t require the use of the oven. The Air Fryer Roasted Acorn Squash Salad is from My Chef’s Apron.
10. Thanksgiving dinner without rolls? No way! This Sourdough Dinner Rolls with Rosemary recipe is from SourdoughBrandon.
The Books:
A Fatal Feast (Murder, She Wrote) by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Blain
Jessica Fletcher would like to relax as Thanksgiving comes to Cabot Cove, but she’s hosting a bountiful dinner for an ever-growing guest list. She couldn’t be happier with the results-until she stumbles upon a body with a carving knife stuck in its chest…
Chapter and Curse (The Cambridge Bookshop Series) by Elizabeth Penney
Librarian Molly Kimball and her mother travel to Cambridge, England, to help run their family’s struggling bookshop during the city’s literary festival. But when a guest is found dead after a poetry reading, Molly must untangle a web of long-buried secrets to clear her great-aunt’s name and save the store.
Tails from the Crypt (Magical Menagerie Mysteries) by Sarah Fox
As Twilight Cove prepares for its annual Pumpkin Glow, Georgie Johansen’s festive plans take a dark turn when a new resident is found dead—and her best friend becomes the prime suspect. With help from her intuitive dogs, Georgie must uncover the victim’s secrets and unmask a killer before the town’s Halloween celebration turns deadly.
The Plot and Pendulum ( A Library Lover’s Mystery) by Jenn McKinlay
When a hidden room in an old Victorian estate reveals a skeleton clutching a copy of The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe, librarian Lindsey Norris realizes Briar Creek’s newest donation comes with a deadly secret. With Halloween approaching, she and the crafternoon crew dive into a decades-old cold case to uncover the truth behind a runaway bride’s mysterious disappearance.
Homicide in Hardcover ( A Bibliophile Mystery) by Kate Carlisle
Bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright’s life is turned upside down when she discovers her mentor murdered and becomes the prime suspect. With only a cryptic message and a cursed copy of Faust to guide her, she must unravel the mystery before the killer writes her off for good.
