The new year is well and truly on its way, but I’ve still got my December wrap-up to write, whoops! That’s partly because the first half of January has been a bit of a whirlwind for me (I was going to be out of a job at this point but in an unexpected yet exciting turn of events I was told I could stay on at the bookshop I work at – in a role that suits me even better), but the main reason is that this wrap-up is quite a daunting one, which is why I’ve been putting it off.
The reason it’s been a daunting prospect to write this one is that I read 18 books in December, which is way more than I usually read! But if you’ve read my November wrap-up, you might remember that I was rather determined to have read 100 books by the end of 2022, and that meant reading 18 of them before the month was up. In the process of doing so, I read a lot of short books and graphic novels from my TBR that I probably wouldn’t have picked up in December otherwise, so that was a nice side effect.
All in all, it was a fun reading month, but I’m also glad to take things a bit easier in January. I’ve already started reading the biggest book on my TBR, and it’s slow going, but that’s its own kind of fun. Speaking of my 2023 TBR, I’ll be filming my first BookTube video in months later this week, so look out for that!
For now, though, let’s move on to the books! Since there are so many of them, I’ll not be writing a mini-review for all of them. If you hover over the book covers below, you’ll see my rating, and if you scroll down a bit, there’ll be a one-sentence review (so a mini-mini-review) for each book.
This Winter by Alice Oseman ★★★★☆ (4) – I love Nick and Charlie and this festive novella/short story was a lovely way to start the month.
Finding Home Volume 2: The Healer by Hari Conner ★★★★★ (5) – Rereading volume 2 made me excited to get to the last two volumes later in the month.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen ★★★☆☆ (3) – I love Austen’s writing, but Northanger Abbey felt a bit more childish and less well-constructed than her later novels.
Make You Mine this Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones ★★★★☆ (4) – Such a wonderful LGBT romance novel set at Christmas that executes its slightly ridiculous premise very well.
Finding Home Volume 3: The Prince by Hari Conner ★★★★★ (5) – This volume was a bit darker than the earlier two, but still very very good.
Finding Home Volume 4: The Gardener by Hari Conner ★★★★★ (5) – This final volume cemented this as one of my favourite graphic novel series of all time.
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston ★★★★⭑ (4.5) – This YA Christmas novel about a girl and her huge family setting her up on blind dates was my favourite Christmas read of the season!
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo ★★★⭑☆ (3.75) – I liked this atmospheric fairytale-esqe novella slightly less than the first two in the series, but I’m very excited for more.
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman ★★★★☆ (4) – I’ll read anything about Nick and Charlie, as long as there’s a happy ending!
Nothing Burns As Bright As You by Ashley Woodfolk ★★★⭑☆ (3.75) – I didn’t fully connect to this YA LGBT novel in verse about a toxic relationship, but the writing was very beautiful.
Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater ★★★★★ (5) – One of my most highly anticipated novels of the year! The finale to the Dreamer Trilogy fully delivered, as far as I’m concerned, and this was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish that even made me tear up at the end. I can’t believe it’s over now!
Fables Volume 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers by Bill Willingham et al. ★★★★☆ (4) – I rarely see people talking about this graphic novel series about fairy tale characters in New York, but it’s so good!
Antiboy by Valentijn Hoogenkamp ★★★★⭑ (4.5) – This Dutch autobiographical novella about finding your (gender) identity is raw, honest, and beautifully written.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy ★★★★★ (5) – I was curious what the hype was about, and I’m now ready to jump on the bandwagon for this memoir. Amazingly written, and I especially recommend the audiobook, which is narrated by McCurdy herself.
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison ★★⭑☆☆ (2.75) – This Christmas novel had me frustrated about the main characters’ inability to read each other from start to finish, and I thought the pacing was off as well. The setting and characters were fun, though.
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ★★★★⭑ (4.5) – This stunning middle grade novel tackles the idea of people hurting other people in a moving manner.
Monstress Volume 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda ★★★☆☆ (3) – I like the art style and the essence of the story, but the plot and world building are so confusing and convoluted that I think my journey with Monstress will end here.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi ★★★★☆ (4) – This wonderful book, like the first one, feels like a hot beverage and a hug, even though the separate stories do tackle some heavy topics. A very cosy read!
And that’s it! Those were all of the books I read in December, phew! Have you read any of these? What was your favourite book of December? Let’s chat about it in the comments!
Books Baking and Blogging 