🎄 December Reviews ☃️
December 1st-31st
In December, I read/finished 20 books with a total of 6071 pages. This got me to 200 books read in 2025 and I loved so many of them! It has been an incredible reading year and I cannot wait to see what books I pick up in the new year. 2025 has been one of my best years for reading, especially with how many new favorites I have found.
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Book 181: Daughter of the Deep
By Rick Riordan
Read December 3rd-4th
Pages: 336
Release Year: 2021
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I don't know what to think about this one. Rick's writing will always be a favorite of mine for this age range, but this did not work for me the way I wanted it too.
Ana and her classmates' story is quite interesting, especially how Rick brought in the elements from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. This made me think of one of my favorite series The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica and some of the aspects of those stories.
I'm not a big fan of heavy science talk in a science fiction novel, so that took me out of the story a bit. Also, I was able to figure out the "twist" ending very early in the book and was not a fan of the ending at all.
Ana and her classmates' story is quite interesting, especially how Rick brought in the elements from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. This made me think of one of my favorite series The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica and some of the aspects of those stories.
I'm not a big fan of heavy science talk in a science fiction novel, so that took me out of the story a bit. Also, I was able to figure out the "twist" ending very early in the book and was not a fan of the ending at all.
Book 182: Cold Winter Nights
By A. E. Via
Read December 6th
Pages: 197
Release Year: 2024
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Book 183: Love Notes
By Lisa Henry
Read December 6th
Pages: 162
Release Year: 2025
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I had a great time reading this sweet romance between Ryan and Adam. It felt a bit too quick but I still enjoyed it a lot. I particularly loved that there really wasn't much drama with them at all. The friendship vibes between Sam, Conor, Ryan, and Haider were great and I enjoyed seeing how they became friends at the beginning of the book. I'm thinking about picking up the other books in this series to see Sam, Conor, and Haider's stories play out.
Book 184: Snowed in With You
By Rye Cox
Read December 7th
Pages: 228
Release Year: 2025
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Another snowed in romance that I liked, though the writing style was not completely for me.
Book 185: Oona Out of Order
By Margarita Montimore
Read December 7th-8th
Pages: 339
Release Year: 2020
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One of the best books I have read in a long time. Oona Out of Order shows the importance of living every moment of your life, even when your life is out of order. Oona's story is full of heart, magic, family, and love. It surprised me so much and touched my heart in many ways. The premise is intriguing and instantly hooked me in, but Oona's character kept me wanting to find out what would happen next. She makes mistakes along the way and sometimes I wanted to tell her to stop.
It was so enjoyable to wonder what time she was going to go to next and see what is going on in her life at that point. Man, did this book surprise me many times. I could never imagine living my life in such a way and how hard it would be. Life is complicated enough without involuntarily time hopping through your life.
Even though I believe the ending was perfect, I still would have liked to see more of Oona's years. This book was perfect for me and I will definitely pick up more of Margarita Montimore's books. Her writing was incredible.
It was so enjoyable to wonder what time she was going to go to next and see what is going on in her life at that point. Man, did this book surprise me many times. I could never imagine living my life in such a way and how hard it would be. Life is complicated enough without involuntarily time hopping through your life.
Even though I believe the ending was perfect, I still would have liked to see more of Oona's years. This book was perfect for me and I will definitely pick up more of Margarita Montimore's books. Her writing was incredible.
Book 186: Hogfather
(Discworld #20)
By Terry Pratchett
Read December 10th-11th
Pages: 357
Release Year: 1996
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December 10th & 11th, 2025 reread-
Rereading this book is definitely my favorite tradition in December. I adore this book!
December 29th, 2024 reread-
Rereading this book is definitely my favorite tradition in December. I adore this book!
December 29th, 2024 reread-
Hogfather is one of my top 10 favorite books of all time and each time I reread it, that is made even more clear. I adore this story with all my heart, especially the humor and the messages. This book focuses on Death, the wizards of the Unseen University, and Susan. I love how each of these subplots makes up the story and the hilarity that ensues from the part they play. It has become the quintessential book I have to read at this time of the year.
“She'd become a governess. It was one of the few jobs a known lady could do. And she'd taken to it well. She'd sworn that if she did indeed ever find herself dancing on rooftops with chimney sweeps she'd beat herself to death with her own umbrella.” - One of my favorite Discworld quotes. Makes me laugh every time.
December 22nd-23rd, 2022 review-
Now, after reading every one of Terry Pratchett's books, I can say with great certainty that this book is my favorite from the series. It is one of the books that I could read over and over again. And I still never get tired of it. Terry has written what has become one of the quintessential books I feel like I have to reread every year around Christmas. I love how into Hogswatch Death gets and how he wants to make it better for everyone. The references are wonderful and always a joy to read. This is just a perfect book for me in every single way.
December 23rd, 2020 review-
This is the second time I have read this book, and I can confidently say this is still my favorite book in the series. The humor, discussions on life, humanity, belief, and countless references make this book perfect. Terry had such a way with words that was just amazing. Everything fits perfectly.
His discussions on belief throughout the series are some of the best sections of his writing. Whether that be about Gods or in this case the amphomorphic figures such as the Hogfather (the "Santa Claus" of the Discworld). Death especially has a lot of great lines about the importance of belief to humanity. He gets a lot wrong when he is trying to understand humans in general, but he understands them in a way that a lot never will. I always find the Death series books so interesting from his perspective. His enjoyment of the holiday and his journey with Albert are some really great parts of this book. He wants to make Hogswatch better for those that need it. I loved seeing him get excited about gift-giving, especially in the store. His determination to get his Ho Ho Hos right was just so sweet.
Susan is such a great character too. It's enjoyable following her as she tried to solve what was going on with the Hogfather and her grandfather. I loved reading about her going after the monsters that are scaring the children. She is a strong character that I believe is one of the best in the series. Her perspective is just another great part of this book. Also, seeing her use her abilities, which she somehow inherited through her adoptive grandfather, just makes her scenes even better. She does not like getting in touch with these aspects. She would much rather be normal even though she is nothing close to normal.
The scenes in this book with the wizards at the Unseen University are just some of the best. I found it absolutely hilarious that they kept conjuring fairies and gods out of thin air by just talking about these ideas. Especially the Cheerful Fairy. I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time.
One final aspect I would like to touch on is the references to other Christmas properties throughout the book. I love Terry's use of pop culture throughout the entire series, and this definitely did not disappoint. We get references to "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", "The Little Match Girl", A Christmas Carol, so many songs, and many other properties. Some were comical, and others were just so touching, especially "The Little Match Girl". There are many writers that use pop culture in their books, and it just doesn't work. That doesn't happen with Terry's.
December 22nd-23rd, 2022 review-
Now, after reading every one of Terry Pratchett's books, I can say with great certainty that this book is my favorite from the series. It is one of the books that I could read over and over again. And I still never get tired of it. Terry has written what has become one of the quintessential books I feel like I have to reread every year around Christmas. I love how into Hogswatch Death gets and how he wants to make it better for everyone. The references are wonderful and always a joy to read. This is just a perfect book for me in every single way.
December 23rd, 2020 review-
This is the second time I have read this book, and I can confidently say this is still my favorite book in the series. The humor, discussions on life, humanity, belief, and countless references make this book perfect. Terry had such a way with words that was just amazing. Everything fits perfectly.
His discussions on belief throughout the series are some of the best sections of his writing. Whether that be about Gods or in this case the amphomorphic figures such as the Hogfather (the "Santa Claus" of the Discworld). Death especially has a lot of great lines about the importance of belief to humanity. He gets a lot wrong when he is trying to understand humans in general, but he understands them in a way that a lot never will. I always find the Death series books so interesting from his perspective. His enjoyment of the holiday and his journey with Albert are some really great parts of this book. He wants to make Hogswatch better for those that need it. I loved seeing him get excited about gift-giving, especially in the store. His determination to get his Ho Ho Hos right was just so sweet.
Susan is such a great character too. It's enjoyable following her as she tried to solve what was going on with the Hogfather and her grandfather. I loved reading about her going after the monsters that are scaring the children. She is a strong character that I believe is one of the best in the series. Her perspective is just another great part of this book. Also, seeing her use her abilities, which she somehow inherited through her adoptive grandfather, just makes her scenes even better. She does not like getting in touch with these aspects. She would much rather be normal even though she is nothing close to normal.
The scenes in this book with the wizards at the Unseen University are just some of the best. I found it absolutely hilarious that they kept conjuring fairies and gods out of thin air by just talking about these ideas. Especially the Cheerful Fairy. I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time.
One final aspect I would like to touch on is the references to other Christmas properties throughout the book. I love Terry's use of pop culture throughout the entire series, and this definitely did not disappoint. We get references to "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", "The Little Match Girl", A Christmas Carol, so many songs, and many other properties. Some were comical, and others were just so touching, especially "The Little Match Girl". There are many writers that use pop culture in their books, and it just doesn't work. That doesn't happen with Terry's.
One of the best quotes from the entire series (let alone this book)
"All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
Book 187: The Once and Future Queen
(The Lives of Guinevere #1)
By Paula Lafferty
Read December 8th-12th
Pages: 532
Release Year: 2025
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Two of my favorite topics in literature are time travel and the King Arthur folktales. Paula Lafferty made Camelot come alive in her unique take on the Arthurian characters and story elements in ways I highly enjoyed. Each of the characters were great but my favorites were Vera, Arthur, Lancelot, and Gawain.
This is a character focused story. I loved seeing the relationships between Vera and everyone in Camelot grow as the story progressed. Her relationship with Arthur was quite interesting and I'm glad Lafferty did not make them instantly fall in love because of Vera's (Guinevere's) past with him. I liked seeing their dynamic throughout the story, though I do wish Arthur was more forthcoming earlier. It does make sense that he wasn't when we find out why.
Vera's friendship with Lancelot was sweet and I enjoyed every minute they spent together. They both brought a lot of humor into the story especially with the way they played off of one another. I absolutely adored Gawain. Gawain's storyline added so much depth to the story and learning more about his character was one of the best parts of this plot. He was definitely a standout for me.
Vera's narration of her story was great and I look forward to seeing what will happen in future books. This is everything I could want in a King Arthur retelling. I cannot wait to add it to my collection.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
This is a character focused story. I loved seeing the relationships between Vera and everyone in Camelot grow as the story progressed. Her relationship with Arthur was quite interesting and I'm glad Lafferty did not make them instantly fall in love because of Vera's (Guinevere's) past with him. I liked seeing their dynamic throughout the story, though I do wish Arthur was more forthcoming earlier. It does make sense that he wasn't when we find out why.
Vera's friendship with Lancelot was sweet and I enjoyed every minute they spent together. They both brought a lot of humor into the story especially with the way they played off of one another. I absolutely adored Gawain. Gawain's storyline added so much depth to the story and learning more about his character was one of the best parts of this plot. He was definitely a standout for me.
Vera's narration of her story was great and I look forward to seeing what will happen in future books. This is everything I could want in a King Arthur retelling. I cannot wait to add it to my collection.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 188: Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They're Too Much
By Cynthia Erivo
Read December 13th-14th
Pages: 208
Release Year: 2025
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A beautifully insightful memoir written in vignettes.
Book 189: The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale
By Philip Van Doren Stern
Read December 14th
Pages: 64
Release Year: 1943
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A great short story which It's a Wonderful Life is based on. Highly recommend this if you love the holiday classic.
Book 190: Emma
By Jane Austen
Read December 15th-18th
Pages: 459
Release Year: 1815
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This took me quite a while to get into, but as Emma developed as a character the story grew on me. I absolutely adored Mr. Knightley. He's one of my favorite male characters in any of Jane Austen's books and is the best character in this book. It was worth reading for him alone. There was too much gossip in this and I did not enjoy most of the side characters. This is my third favorite of Jane's books.
Book 191: Fantastic Four, Vol. 3: The Impossible is Probable
By Ryan North
Read December 22nd-23rd
Pages: 144
Release Year: 2024
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This is my least favorite of the volumes so far. I did enjoy the issues dealing with the dinosaur versions of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers and also the issue with the kids in their new school. Overall this was pretty good but in my opinion not as good as the first two volumes.
Book 192: Fantastic Four, Vol. 4: Fortune Favors the Fantastic
By Ryan North
Read December 24th-25th
Pages: 112
Release Year: 1900
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Another great volume from this series. I particularly enjoyed Issue 18 with Franklin's story.
Book 193: Classic Tales of Christmas
Edited by Canterbury Classics
Read December 1st-25th
Pages: 576
Release Year: 2023
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I have enjoyed reading this leading up to Christmas. Many of the stories and poems I have read before but they are definitely favorites that I enjoyed rereading. My favorites were: A Christmas Carol, The Cricket on the Hearth, "Tilly's Christmas," and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.
~ The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson-⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson-⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ The Chimes by Charles Dickens- ⭐⭐⭐
~ The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ The Battle of Life by Charles Dickens- ⭐⭐
~ The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain by Charles Dickens- ⭐⭐⭐
~ The Christmas Gift that Came to Rupert: A Story for Little Soldiers by Bret Harte- ⭐⭐⭐
~ The First Christmas of New England by Harriet Beecher Stowe- ⭐⭐
~ Betty's Bright Idea by Harriet Beecher Stowe- ⭐⭐⭐
~ The Beggar Boy at Christ's Christmas Tree by Fyodor Dostoyevsky- ⭐⭐⭐
~ The Three Kings by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-⭐⭐⭐
~ The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry van Dyke-⭐⭐⭐
~ Tilly's Christmas by Louisa May Alcott- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ Tessa's Surprises by Louisa May Alcott- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ A Christmas Dream, and How it Came True by Louisa May Alcott- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ The Christmas Surprise of Enderly Road by Lucy Maud Montgomery- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ Clorinda's Gifts by Lucy Maud Montgomery- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 194: Lore Olympus: Volume 9
(Lore Olympus #9)
By Rachel Smythe
Read December 27th
Pages: 432
Release Year: 2025
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I adore this series and how Rachel Smythe has retold Hades and Persephone's story. This one was quite interesting with the aftermath of Kronos wrecking havoc. The storylines with Psyche, Aphrodite, and Hera were some of my favorite parts not dealing with Hades and Persephone. Definitely looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of the series.
Book 195: Mixed Magics
(Chrestomanci Short Stories)
By Diana Wynne Jones
Read December 28th-29th
Pages: 176
Release Year: 2000
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"Warlock at the Wheel"- ⭐⭐
"Stealer of Souls"- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Carol Oneir’s Hundredth Dream"- ⭐⭐⭐
"The Sage of Theare"- ⭐⭐⭐
Book 196: Alice with a Why
By Anna James
Read December 27th-29th
Pages: 240
Release Year: 2026
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One of my favorite aspects of a reimagining of Wonderland is when the writer creates characters and scenarios that feel like they could have been lifted right off of the page from one of the original books. My favorite of the characters James created for this book were the Sailor fox and the Queen of the Moon. They fit along perfectly with the original characters such as the Hatter and Cheshire Cat. I have loved Wonderland for most of my life so it is always a joy to me when an author is able to introduce a new character to this world that feels like a part of it.
This book is a wonderful adventure that I highly recommend to those who love a retelling of this classic tale and also those new to this world. Wonderland retellings will always be my favorites. I will definitely be getting a copy for my collection.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 197: The Christmas Tree Farm
(Dream Harbor, #3)
By Laurie Gilmore
Read December 21st-30th
Pages: 368
Release Year: 2024
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Book 198: Miracle on 34th Street
By Valentine Davies
Read December 27th-29th
Pages: 125
Release Year: 1947
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The book is just as magical and beautiful as that movie. I adore this story. Kris is the embodiment of the holiday spirit and I'm very glad I read this novella.
Book 199: A Year with Aslan: Daily Reflections from The Chronicles of Narnia
By C. S. Lewis
Read January 1st- December 31st
Pages: 484
Release Year: 2010
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Book 200: Days Like These: An alternative guide to the year in 366 poems
By Brian Bilston
Read January 1st- December 31st
Pages: 532
Release Year: 2022
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I love Brian Bilston's poems very much. This is one of the only poetry collections that actually had me laughing out loud. It was great that he also gave a bit of information before each of his poems. Below I'm going to show all of my favorite poems throughout the year. There are a lot of them. Such a wonderful collection that I know I will pick up in years to come. I highly recommend this book!
Favorite Poems:
~ January 14th- "Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes"
~ January 31st- "Mnemonic"
~ February 1st- "A-Ant: An Analysis"
~ February 2nd- "Groundhog Day"
~ February 16th- "Tutankhamun"
~ February 24th- "A Few Take Home Points from Grimm's Fairy Tales"
~ February 25th- "Flippin' Eck"
~ February 28th- "Selected Entries from Bilston's Dictionary of Non-Existent Words"
~ March 10th- "It's Time to Complete Your Census Questionnaire"
~ March 11th- "To My Crinkly Slobberfrock"
~ March 21st- "Selected Early Writings of the Poets"
~ April 2nd- "The Very Angry Caterpillar"
~ April 9th- "Departure Day"
~ April 17th- "2020: A Year in Haiku"
~ April 23rd- "The Very Condensed Shakespeare"
~ April 24th- "The Fall of Troy"
~ May 4th- "Love Duet for Wookie and Droid"
~ May 19th- "Mnemonic to aid understanding of the role of Anne Boleyn in Succession Crisis of Henry VIII"
~ June 6th- "Queueing for an Ice Cream"
~ July 17th- Funeral Blues Emoji rendering
~ August 10th- "He Wishes for the Millennium Falcon Lego Set"
~ September 18th- "Imaginary Rock God Blues"
~ September 21st- "You're Getting to be a Hobbit with Me"
~ September 22nd- "The Problem of Writing Poems in the Shape of Deciduous Trees"
~ October 3rd- "Poetry Festival: Advice for Residents"
~ October 4th- "animals"
~ October 5th- "Teachers"
~ October 8th- "Don't Go Breaking My Hearts"
~ October 17th- "Love Excels"
~ October 24th- "I Still Survive"
~ November 23rd- "Word Crunching"
~ December 19th- "Tense Christmas"
~ December 21st- "Mope About (4)
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