Well, I guess December is officially all wrapped up! I've always struggled around this time of year, so I try to focus more on the present than too much on reflections and what the future holds, but I can acknowledge that sometimes it's good to look back on things. I struggled with some blogging a lot of this year, but I feel like in the past couple months I've been rediscovering my groove and I genuinely am thinking things should pick back up for me this month (fingers crossed!). This was a much better reading year than last year, and I'm hoping 2025 will be even better and I'll really get back to what I love. For those wondering, my "best books" and end of year stats posts will be up with the next week or two!
In personal news, nothing crazy happened in December (which is good!) so I've just been trying to really focus on everything I currently have going on, haha. It was so nice to see some family over the holidays and I'm really grateful that I got to do that. I've also been aerial-ing as usual and got to fit in a few extra classes, so that's been great (although I do always wish I could do more)! I'm also hoping 2025 brings some better luck on the job front.
In reading news, December was apparently a fantastic month because I read 16 books!(!) Not entirely sure what happened, but I do know I tried to really take more time this month to read when I could and to limit distractions while reading, and I guess it worked. Some standouts were Haruki MUrakami's latest release The City and Its Uncertain Walls, Between Dragons and Their Wrath, Dinotopia (which is truly a gift), and The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door. I read a lot of great books this month, though, and it felt great to do so.
# books read: 17
Thoughts: I'd been really slowly working my through this one and just trying to savor it because I love Murakami so much and didn't want to finish too soon. This was very trademark Murakami style, but I felt it had quit a bit to set it apart from his other work.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this collection of climate fiction! You can read more of my thoughts on it in my review.
Thoughts: This was a fascinating nonfiction book all about Taiwan's history and current place in the forever shifting geo-political climate. I learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested! I'll have a review up for it soon.
Thoughts: How I missed Anna Smith Spark's raw, brutal prose! I haven't read anything from Fletcher, so now I'm keen to check out some of his work. This was a delightfully grim and grotesque fantasy and reminded me how much I do enjoy grimdark work.
Thoughts: This is honestly one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life. The artwork is genuinely stunning and the sheer creativity and imaginative qualities of this book are amazing. I wish I had had this book as a kid because I would have absolutely devoured it and it would've sparked my imagination in insane amounts. Whether you're a kid or not, this is so fun and so awesome and I can't imagine you won't find something in it to appreciate. Thank you to Greg from Greg's Book Haven for talking about it so much over the years that I finally actually picked it up!
Thoughts: I've had my eye on this one for a while, but it took me a long time to pick it up for some reason. It was a really interesting story
Thoughts: I love H.G. Parry and I loved this book! My full review can be found here where you can read all my positive thoughts on it.
Thoughts: This was such a creative sci-fi novella. I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped, but I was so fascinated by the world and thought it was a really fun experience.
Thought: An epic conclusion to an epic trilogy! You can find my full review here.
Thoughts: I also loved this start of a new series and it really reminded me how much I love Devin Madson's writing and storytelling. My full review is here.
Thoughts: This was a completely random read based on stumbling upon it on Libby, but it was really quite delightful and it made me feel very thoughtful.
Thought: This one's not out yet and my review will be up soon, but I found this to be an entertaining read that provided a good look at the pressures placed upon people to be the best they can be, and what sinister things can lie behind success.
Thoughts: I love Katherine Arden, but this wasn't my favorite read from her. Still, it was a really solid historical fiction (technically fantasy, but it's really mostly historical fiction) with a strong story at heart and that explored some intense topics.
Thoughts: This was a fast-paced fantasy thriller that I had a fun time with! There's an exciting mystery at its heart and I think anyone looking for something with a breakneck pace will enjoy it. My review will be up soon!
Thoughts: Oof, I really didn't enjoy this one. It was such a miss for me and felt like it completely lost the plot.
Thoughts: Some of these were big hits, and some of these were huge misses. This was a collection with a lot of different feelings and I felt like a lot of these really stretched the idea of being a "winter" horror story.
Between Dragons and Their Wrath (Shattered Kingdoms Trilogy) by Devin Madson
Honeymoons in Temporary Locations by Ashley Shelby
The Fury of the Gods (The Bloodsworne Saga #3) by John Gwynne
The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry
Blog Tour: Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-mo + Excerpt
Anticipated January 2025 Releases
Most Disappointing Books of 2024
12/11: All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall, Realm of Ice and Sky by Buddy Levy, & The Devourer by Alison Ames
12/18: Lightfall by Ed Crocker, We Do Not Part by Han Kang, & Voice Like a Hyacinth by Mallory Pearson
12/24: Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire, The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang, & The Secrets of Underhill by Kali Wallace
