December Wrap-Up

December was another successful reading month. I think I found my stride again when it comes to fitting in reading time and I’ve rediscovered my love for audiobooks! It’s nice to just listen to a book during a commute or while I am cleaning up the house. Sometimes I’ll even curl up on the couch with my Beats and listen to an audiobook while using my coloring app on my iPad!

I read 7 books in December (currently reading two: listening to Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll and reading Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner on my Kindle!).

This reading month was a little … eh. I decided to try some Christmassy romance books and they just fell flat. I might not do that again next year and just stick with what I enjoy. That’s what I get for being festive!

Here’s what I read this month:

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

My goodness gracious what a silly book! I don’t have much to say about this one except if you like predictable, cutesy, romance books set around Christmas time, then you’ll like this one. I rated it higher than the other holiday books I read this season because it did make me laugh. I get the twelve theme, but twelve dates was just too much. This book was hard to get through.

Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

I had high hopes for this one! After loving two of Zevin’s books (Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry), I figured this one was going to be just as good. Sadly, it fell flat. The writing style was hard to navigate and the characters could have been fleshed out more. The plot points, however, bring up very important topics about politics, exploits in politics, and the mistreatment/predatory nature that young women face from men in politics. I just closed the book wanting more.

Welcome to the Cornish Country Hospital by Jo Bartlett

Just another “eh” for me, but I ranked this one much higher than the other romances I read. This one was less Christmas-focused, which was a nice change, but boy, do we need to come up with different tropes in romance. I ranked this one higher because the author really captured my attention during moments where the main character (whose name I already forgot) is tending to patience. I also enjoyed one of the storylines more than the others, so that contributed to its 4-star status.

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

I go off on this book in a separate review (spoilers throughout, so don’t read it if you plan on reading this piece of work) but my god. I am never reading a Josie Silver book again. This is the most outlandish thing I’ve read in a long time. Just plain awful.

The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology #1) by Holly Black

I was definitely weary when I picked this one up because I didn’t fully enjoy The Folk of the Air series, but I was pleasantly surprised with The Stolen Heir. One of my main issues with Black’s books was that I could NOT picture her story world or her characters; she did not thrive in describing what people looked like or what the faerie world was like. Her writing definitely improved in this book, and I am very invested in Wren’s story.

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

My husband and I re-read this to each other before bed every holiday season, and it truly lifts our spirits. If you love Tolkien like I do and want to continue to be mind-blown by his creativity and genius, read this! The book is comprised of letters he (Santa) wrote to his children when they were growing up. The letters contain stories of his own making and colorful illustrations.

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawton

Good golly gosh! This book snuck up on me and I finished it in one day at the very end of December (after I posted my wrap-up, of course). I was going to wait and share it as my first read for 2024, but I’m too excited to talk about it and I felt like this book is definitely a top for 2023 — and all time.

Lawton is a masterful storyteller. I was hooked from the very start and can’t stop thinking about Martha Ballard. This was a refreshing piece of historical fiction, and while there were many many triggers, I enjoyed it and reading about a very progressive female voice in a very Puritanical time. Give it a read, you won’t be sorry.

And that’s a wrap! Here’s what I read in 2023. Full list here:

June and July Wrap-Up (Didn’t finish a book in May!)