Bookish Thoughts for December
Brace yourselves! The book list is long this month! Most of Christmas break as been spent chilling around the house and that meant lots of free time to read. Also, I might have gone overboard on Christmas rom-coms this month. In fact, a good portion of my books this month as actually novellas. The average novella takes less than two hours to read. As you can imagine, I easily finished one Christmas love story a day… sometimes two… I use to obsessively watch Hallmark movies all Christmas season, but we no longer have the Hallmark Channel. I used Kindle Unlimited to fill the void with books that pretty much are Hallmark movies (but better, because they are books, right?!). Anyway, I’ve loved all the Christmas rom-coms… but they are the book equivalent of cotton candy. Very fluffy. It’s been a fun run, but I’m ready to add some diversity to my reading diet in 2023. However… I still have Kindle Unlimited for a few more months, so I expect some fluff will show up in my future book lists. I can’t help myself. In real life and in books, I’m drawn to the sweet stuff.
My home library grows quite a bit in December and January thanks to Christmas and my birthday being less than a month apart. Book shopping is my absolute favorite form on shopping! I added 7 new books to my bookshelves this month, plus 8 to my Kindle. I have 3 more books arriving in the mail this next week. Yay! My book shopping is on pause now until after my birthday. As an avid reader, I’m trying to assess which books from the this last year I want to give a permanent spot on my bookshelf and which new books I take a chance on. Buying new books means I don’t have to rely on the speed of the library, but… sometimes buying an un-read book means adding a dud to the collection. Lots to think about before the next book order!
I want to give some space in this blog to talk about my Kindle Paperwhite. I used my birthday money last year to purchase it. I was unsure how I would feel about using a Kindle instead of an actual book. Oh my goodness! I can’t say enough good things about Kindley (the name of Kindle). I’ve read so many books on Kindely this year. And thanks to Kindle Unlimited and the library, I’ve never lacked for something to read. My Kindle Paperwhite was definitely one of my best purchases in 2022. Also, the cover is navy blue which happens to be my favorite color, so everything about Kindley gives me happy vibes.
Since it’s December, let’s wrap up with reading goals. I doubled my reading goal in 2022 and then some. 2022 was a record breaking reading year. The grand total came in at 264 books which beat 2021 by 85 books (179 in 2021). My sister-in-law mentioned that this year she kept track of pages read instead of books. This concept intrigued me. I realize there are no-hard-and-fast-rules with book counting, but I always struggle with counting novellas… maybe they should count as .5 instead of a whole book, but that’s too complicated. I might join the page counting club in 2023. I haven’t officially decided so you’ll have to check with me at the end of January 2023!
Top Picks for December
Non-Fiction: Are My Kids on Track: The 12 Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach by Sissy Goff (MEd, LPC-MHSP), David Thomas (LMSW), and Melissa Trevathan (MRE). I’ve read multiple book now by David Thomas and I appreciate his wisdom and insight into how boys are wired. This book had similar material to what I’ve read in his previous works, but I liked how it was formatted. Also, this book would be a fabulous resource for a parent with both a daughter and a son. I even found myself highlighting sections written for girls because the information was so applicable. So often I get hung up on academic milestones that I forget the importance of social, emotional, and spiritual milestones. This book is an excellent reminder of what’s truly important in the hearts and minds of children.
Fiction: The Father Christmas Series by Robin Jones Gunn. I grew up reading Robin Jones Gunn and having her characters become formative friends in my reading life. Her Father Christmas series is a favorite to read around the holidays. The story takes place in the fictional town of Carlton Heath outside of London, England. The main character Miranda sets off to find answers about her father based off a picture of Father Christmas her mother kept hidden. The characters are lively and friends become family. The town’s annual production of A Christmas Carol also plays a prominent part in the story. Hallmark made a movie trilogy out of the books, but of course, the books are better, in my opinion.
Book List for December
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.
Non-Fiction:
- Are My Kids on Track: The 12 Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach by Sissy Goff (MEd, LPC-MHSP), David Thomas (LMSW), and Melissa Trevathan (MRE). – 4 stars
- Women Rising: Learning to Listen, Reclaiming Our Voice by Meghan Tschanz – 4 stars
Fiction:
- Kiss Me Now by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
- Kiss the Girl by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
- Kiss and Tell by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
- Cotswolds Holiday by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – 3 stars
- The Impossible Princess by Keira Dominquez – 3 stars
- A Sugar Creek Christmas by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
- His Mistletoe Miracle by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
- The Holiday Husband by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
- The Most Real McCoy by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
- My Own Best Enemy by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
- Pretending I love Lucy by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
- The Even Odder Couple by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
Fiction: Christmas Novellas
- His Stand-In Holiday Girlfriend by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
- Snowed in on Main Street by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
- Melodies and Mistletoe by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
- Snowflake Wishes by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
- The Twelve Dates of Christmas by M.T. Knights – 3 stars
- Re-Gifting Christmas by M.T. Knights – 3 stars
- A Holly Jilly Christmas by Emma St. Clair – 3 stars
- A Christmas Spark by Cindy Steel – 4 stars
- Not So Alone for Christmas by Jenny Proctor – 4 stars
- Christmas After All by Cece Louise – 4 stars
- No Room In the Inn by Gracie Ruth Mitchell – 3 stars
- Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn – 4 stars
- Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn – 4 stars
- Kissing Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn – 4 stars
- The Twelves Holidates by Emma St. Clair – 4 stars
Amy Scott's Thoughts 