December is barely over and this year it felt like one of the shortest months of the year. Having such a late Thanksgiving made the Christmas season so short, but I still felt like it was a wonderful holiday. This was a pretty low-key year at my house as far as the season and the busy-ness that often comes along with it, which I was super grateful for. The school year has been a bit rough for me mentally, so not having too many extra things happening outside of work and regular Christmasy things was a blessing.
My kids are angels when it comes to gifts—they never ask for anything big, which translates into us being able to get them pretty much everything they ask for (slightly within reason—I do accidentally go overboard sometimes.) We had a great holiday at home, with family over for dinner and then a movie in the evening (we saw Mufasa, which was just fine, though I did miss a large chunk when my youngest was fed up with sitting in the theater and overtired/overexcited from the day.) I got some beautiful heartfelt gifts, gave even more, and overall feel pretty well-rested and happy with the way our break has turned out. In the past we’ve traveled over the break, but I’m glad we didn’t this year—I didn’t need the added stress.
December Reads
This month was a pretty good reading month overall—I didn’t read any books that I rated below 3 stars, which doesn’t happen as much when you read a lot. I did pick up my pace slightly over November (which was the slowest reading month of the year for me) and was able to finish 7 books. One was my family book club read, two from a YA fantasy series, one is the newest in a crime-novel series, one an audiobook memoir from one of my favorite celebrities, one middle-grade graphic novel, and the last one was just a backlist read that I remembered, wanted to try, and was able to get on Libby immediately.
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak was the choice for my family book club this month. In our book club, we go in age-order and each take one month to choose book options. Then at the end of each club meet-up, the person presents 3 options for the next month and we all vote. This month I don’t remember what all the choices were, but I don’t think I was super enthusiastic about any of them so I went with this one. The great thing that happens a lot in book clubs is that you read something you maybe wouldn’t have chosen on your own, and then discover that it is actually wonderful and you are so glad someone chose it for you. That is the case here—it was a much more interesting and enjoyable read/listen than I anticipated. I loved the characters, I loved the setting and learning so much about the conflict in Cyprus and the tension between the Turks and the Greeks, and I really loved learning about fig trees. I listened to the audio for a lot of the book, and I think it enhanced the experience for me. Read my full review here.
Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas, the third and fourth books in the Throne of Glass series. The titles are starting to make more sense, so that is good! Heir of Fire sets up the events in Queen of Shadows well, and I think that the further I venture into the world that Maas built, the more I’m enjoying it. The fourth book was the best one out of the series thus far, and I liked getting to spend more time with characters like Elide, Lysandra, and Manon. That is the biggest thing Maas has going for her, I think—she writes good female characters. Read my full review of the fourth book here.
The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny is book nineteen (19!!!) in the Armande Gamache crime-novel series. I am never sad that I pick up a Louise Penny—I think she is a great writer and creates beautiful layers of a world full of darkness, but she still lets in the light in every story. This one is much more plot-driven than some others in the series, so I’ve seen some harsh criticism from fans, but I wasn’t mad about it. We still got the brilliance of the main characters, we got to revisit some old stomping grounds and get updates, we got to imagine the threat and how it could happen, and where it could lead—it was gripping and I really enjoyed it. Read my full review here.
From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough is a beautiful and somewhat tragic glimpse of Lisa Marie’s life as a the only daughter of an icon. Her life is fascinating and sometimes so sad—I cried listening to her talk about her dad and how much he loved her. What a blessing for her to carry the knowledge of that love throughout her life. I love Riley Keough—she captured my attention when she played Daisy Jones in the miniseries on Amazon, and I have followed her ever since. She provides some incredible insight into her mother’s psyche, and I was devastated for her listening to some of the things they have been through as a family. I really loved the audiobook—Julia Roberts reads Lisa Marie’s parts, and then Riley reads her own. Highly recommend! Read my full review here.
Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy is a cute graphic novel that details the life of a young Muslim girl dealing with life and changes when she switches schools. She is trying to figure our her identity, which can be difficult when you become one in a sea of many. It is sweet and funny and points out some interesting things that happen when people are perceived as different. I read it in about an hour when I was procrastinating grading papers.
The Celebrants by Steve Rowley is one that I put on my TBR awhile ago, probably from a recommendation from a fellow book blogger, and just remembered when browsing through my list. The ebook was available on Libby, and I try to always have an ebook available to help me do more productive things with my phone when I have time to sit, or when I can’t sleep (apparently the definition of insomnia is 3 or more nights of interrupted sleep in a month—only 3?! I 100% have insomnia if that is the case because I sleep through the night maybe 1 in 30 nights. So I read a lot at night.) This is a story about a group of friends from college who lose an important member of their group just before they all graduate, and as a result, form a pact—at any point in their future lives, they can call the remaining 5 together to have a living funeral, to leave nothing unsaid, and to make sure they remember why they are alive. The story jumps between the calls for funerals, which don’t start until almost 20 years after the pact is made, and the books present, when one of the main friends has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The characters are a bit one-dimensional, but I still loved the adventures and the coming-togetherness and the relationships and bonds that don’t break. It was a funny and sweet book that I am glad I read. Read my full review here.
TL;DR: If you only read one of the books I read this month, oh actually this is hard to choose…listen to From Here to the Great Unknown. If you want fiction, listen to The Island of Missing Trees or read The Celebrants.
I hope you finished your year happy with the goals you accomplished, reading or non-reading. I’m looking forward to exploring new reading goals this year—stay tuned!
20 years? I feel like I could use that once a month.