I'm here to catch up on last month's reads, like I'm not three weeks late...
In my defence, Christmas and New Year really took it out of me- so badly that I've needed a few weeks of rest to recover, and ride out some of the worst chronic pain flares I've ever had. I'm only just beginning to feel like myself again, but now that I can form coherent thoughts again, I'm ready to play catch up.
So, here's what I read in December:
Reading Stats:
📖11 books completed, 1 started.
📖2 hardbacks.
📖2 paperbacks.
🎧7 audiobooks
📖1167 pages (2736 pages including audiobooks).
🎧 50.9 hours listened at 1.1x speed.
📖2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reads!
📖4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖Average rating: 3.7 stars.
📖Average book length: 260 pages.
📖Average time to finish: 5 days.
I read eleven books last month, and even though seven were audiobooks, and a few were fairly short, I think I did okay- especially considering that it was Christmas. With Christmas prep, and festive exhaustion making it harder to find the time or energy to read, I'm surprised I got through so many. I found that listening to festive reads while I wrapped presents, put up decorations, or worked on some Christmas crafts meant I could tackle my to-do-list, and still fit in some reading time, and that made a big difference. Audiobooks are a game changer!
I Read:
📖The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent. 4⭐
📖Spectacular by Stephanie Garber. 3⭐
📖The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore. 2.5⭐
📖Letters from Father Christmas by Tolkien. 4⭐
🎧Iron Flame Dramatised Part 2 by Rebecca Yarros. 5⭐ (Reread).
🎧From Blood and Ash Dramatised Part 1 by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 3 ⭐ (Reread).
🎧From Blood and Ash Dramatised Part 2 by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 4⭐ (Reread)
🎧A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire Dramatised part 1 by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 5⭐ (Reread)
🎧Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. 4⭐
🎧A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. 3⭐ (Reread).
🎧Midnight in Everwood by M. A. Kuzniar. 3⭐ (Reread).
And I Started:
📖Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. (Reread) (370/777 pages).
Favourite Reads: My favourite physical read of December was the latest Crowns of Nyaxia book, The Songbird and the Heart of Stone. I'm a big fan of the series, so I'd been looking forward to reading it all year, and it didn't disappoint. I loved Mische's story, her chemistry with Asar, and getting to learn how she became an acolyte and a vampire, as they journeyed through the Underworld to revive a dead god. Her story was so heartbreaking, especially how Atroxus treated her, and I haven't quite recovered from the cliffhanger ending yet. I need the sequel to make it all better immediately! Why isn't it out until August?! *Cries.*
Favourite Listens: If we're talking new-to-me reads, I'd have to choose Skipping Christmas, because it was such a funny little read that delivered on the festive vibes, and helped get me in to the Christmas spirit. It's the book that the movie Christmas with the Kranks was adapted from, and surprisingly, little of the story had been changed, so most of the time, I was just imagining Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen's scenes in my head and having a good giggle. If we're counting rereads, I also really enjoyed listening to the dramatised audiobooks of Iron Flame (part two), From Blood and Ash, and A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (part one). It was my first time listening to these books, and it was really fun to hear them all brought to life. Even if I couldn't get used to Casteel, Kieran, and the rest of the Atlantians / Wolven with posh English accents. For some reason, I'd always imagined them to sound like well-spoken Americans.
Least Favourites: There were a few books that didn't quite hit the spot in December; The Christmas Tree Farm (I felt like my IQ dropped 100 points while reading it, and I quickly remembered I hate contemporary romance); A Christmas Carol (I love the book, but Hugh Grant's narration was sending me to sleep); and Spectacular (loved the festive vibes and the beautiful illustrations, but Tella's storyline was ridiculous. It was such a bizarre writing choice for a Christmas story). It's a shame that they weren't as good as I'd hoped, but at least I hopped out of my fantasy rabbit hole, and visited some other genres for the first time in a while. I was getting far too comfortable in my fantasy burrow, and it was about time I mixed things up again. Plus, most of the books I read were great, so it was a strong reading month overall.
Here's hoping January fairs even better.
What about you?
Did you read any good books in December?
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