Bookish Thoughts for December
It’s the end of the year and the bookish stats are in! The last three years I’ve read over 200 books a year and this year… I fell short by three! Good thing 200 wasn’t actually my goal. 197 is respectable, but as someone who doesn’t like odd numbers, I wish I got one more book read so I could end on a even note. Ha! I’ve set 100 books as my reading goal the last few years on Goodreads. It’s a low bar, but I’m not in competition with myself. The numbers don’t really matter. I’ve been pondering why I didn’t make it to 200 this year and I think the answer is two-fold. I feel like I read less novellas this year. Counting novellas in my book total always feels like padding the stats a bit. I would also say that I was a bit busier than previous years. Obviously, I still had plenty of time to read. I was a happy bookworm in 2025, but I do feel like I had less time to read. It’s all good. Life is full of ebbs and flows. I like to think I find a good balance of being active and restful in my daily life.
Let’s talk about December! Illness derailed a good chunk of my month, so there was extra time to read. More time to read meant extra Christmas novels and novellas. Once I breezed through my usual authors, I went searching for new books in Kindle Unlimited. Christmas is the best time to have KU! The highlight of the month actually came from the library, though – My Beloved by Jan Karon. I read the Mitford series a few years ago and really enjoyed it. There was a gap between when the series ended and this newly released addition came out. I’m not sure it would have been a 5 star read if I had read it back-to-back with the whole series, but the distance from the series made coming back to Mitford feel extra special. Reconnecting with the characters and the town set during the Christmas season – it was the perfect Christmas read for me. It gave me all the cozy, happy Christmas feels!
I also enjoyed Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson. I realize my introverted personality lends to a quiet life, but I’ve found such value in slower, smaller, quieter days. I love that quiet isn’t inactive. When you are still and quiet, you are aware of details and moments that can be easily rushed past in ordinary days. I appreciated Sarah’s reminder to strive for quiet (even in the midst of a loud house or a busy life) and the purpose quiet gives to our souls and our relationship with our Creator! I also wrapped up my one year devotional by Sarah’s mom, Sally. I loved gleaning wisdom and encouragement from Sally Clarkson in 2025. I look forward to starting a new one year devotional by Bob Goff tomorrow!
Okay, time to finish this up! This post has gotten long, but I’ll give myself some grace. This was a monthly and yearly recap all in one. It’s a bit extra! Usually, I would share my new Christmas books with you in this post, but my book acquisitions were smaller than usual this year. I’m saving for a special trip in January, so I didn’t go wild with a book haul this Christmas. I’ll combine my Christmas books and birthday books to share with you in January! Stay tuned! I hope you all had a lovely bookish 2025 and I wish you many great reads in 2026!
Top Picks for December
The 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:
- Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson – 4 stars
- Mom Heart Moments: Daily Devotions for Lifegiving Motherhood by Sally Clarkson – 4 stars
Fiction:
- How to Kiss on Christmas Morning by Jenny Proctor – 4 stars
- Betting on the Best Friend by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
- Hate You, Maybe by Julie Christianson – 4 stars
- Never the Bride by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
- Chess, Not Checkers by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
- Ocean of Ink by A.R. Conwell – 4 stars
- Partnershipped in a Pear Tree by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
- Date Yourself a Grinch by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
- My Beloved by Jan Karon – 5 stars
- Once Upon a Sugar Plum by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
- Meet Me at Midnight by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
- Back to December by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
- Sugar Cookie Christmas by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
- Silent Heist by Jessica Fayeth – 3 stars
- Just a Date by Jessica Fayeth – 3 stars
- Just a Bet by Jessica Fayeth – 3 stars
- Just a Trip by Jessica Fayeth – 3 stars
- The Christmas Promise by Gabrielle Meyers – 3 stars
Amy Scott's Thoughts 