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I wanted to read as many Christmas books as possible this month as I didn’t manage many last December. There were two books left to complete my 12 books recommended by 12 friends challenge first, however, I managed nine books!
I read 1,267 pages and listened to almost 48 hours overall. I didn’t read any nonfiction so the books I read were 100% fiction this month. Over half of the books were audio (56%), 33% were Kindle, and 11% were physical.
If you’ve read my previous posts you know I’ve been using the CAWPILE rating system since January. It’s been helpful to review every aspect of the book for an overall star rating rather than struggling to give it a rating as a whole. I highly recommend it if you also struggle with rating books!
As well as my other reading challenges this year, I also set myself a challenge to save £1 for every book I read. I’ve attempted it previously but never managed to keep up with it. This year I managed it, and saved £81 in total for next year’s books!
Anyway, let’s look at which books I read in December.
My Name Is Maame by Jessica George 4.5*
This was the penultimate book of my 12 books recommended by 12 friends reading challenge. I own it on my kindle but I borrowed the audiobook from the library to listen alongside. Although it’s a work of fiction it felt like it could have been a lived experience through the eyes of the main character, Maddie.
Maddie goes through a complete journey of self discovery, and even the spice was realistic and relatable which is a rare find in fiction! I loved her development but didn’t particularly like any of the other characters. The book moved at a good pace and I was always eager to pick it up. One I definitely recommend!
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 4.5*
This was the final book of my 12 books recommended by 12 friends challenge. It had been on my radar for a while as I want to watch the movie so it bumped it up to the top of my tbr. I was hooked in the story immediately and it kept its pace throughout. It was very reminiscent of the Black Lives Matter movement.
I cannot put myself in the shoes of a POC but I feel like the author captured the emotions brilliantly. There are so many social themes running through the book and the exploration of them was really eye opening, even as a work of fiction. This is one that will stick with me for a long time.
The Blunders by David Walliams 3*
I read this one with J – it took as a while as I only read for a short time in the evenings and he’s losing interest now. He is almost 13 so I’m making the most of it while I can! We’ve read quite a few David Walliams books now but I can’t say this was one of my favourites.
I didn’t really care for the Blunder family or what happened in the end. There was a lot more slapstick comedy than usual, but Old Lady Blunder and Cedric the Ostrich did make me chuckle! I do enjoy Tony Ross’ illustration as he always brings life, imagery and character to the stories.
The Christmas Cottage by Sarah Morgan 4.5*
This was my first Christmas book of December. Sarah Morgan is one of my go-to authors for new releases so I was looking forward to this. I just know I’m going to get a cosy, heartwarming read to get me into the festive spirit and this was no different! Add a dog to the mix and that’s me hooked.
This is written from three POV which I don’t mind, however it did take me a while to warm to two of the main characters. As the story evolved and the characters developed, I did feel empathy for all of them in their journey of self discovery.
As always, the imagery and Sarah’s writing made me want to jump right inside the pages: curl up in front of the fire at Holly Cottage, eat dinner with the family, and explore the village in the Cotswolds. I already can’t wait for the 2025 Christmas book!
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore 4.5*
I had been excited to read this even before I read the second book – Christmas is my favourite! Over the course of this series I’ve developed a fondness for Dream Harbor and its residents. Many of the previous characters appear in this book, plus the discovery of new ones. It did take me a while to warm to the main female character Keira but I loved the other main character, Bennett!
As it revisits some of the locations from the previous books, the more I read, the more I want to step inside. I can add The Christmas Tree Farm to my list now with its festivity and cosiness! The series seems to get spicier as it goes on – there was a fair bit of heat between Keira and Bennett!
It does seem to be a Marmite series as I know others who aren’t keen on the books. However, it’s become one of my favourite small town picks and I can’t wait for the next in the series.
Home For Christmas by Melissa McClone 4*
I chose this book for a quick Christmas listen on Audible. The fact it involved food was a bonus for me as they are two of my favourite things! As the book started, I thought I’d read it before as it sounded familiar but I discovered it’s part of a different series I’ve read from previously.
The story got going immediately, although the romance was a slow burn. The atmosphere was super Christmassy and really got me in the mood – the snow, the decor, the food, the festivities. It made me want to turn cowboy and stay at the ranch!
Rachel’s gingerbread houses were one of the highlights for me – I could picture them easily in my head and a lot of the story was based around them. In a strange occurrence, I happened to come across a lady on Instagram with the same job!
The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan 3.5*
This was a bonus Prime First Reads book and I was delighted because I’ve enjoyed Jenny’s books in the past, it’s Christmas, it’s about books, and the cover is gorgeous! However, it wasn’t what I was expecting, which was a book about a hunt for Christmas books!
Saying that, the premise of the story was heartwarming with the main character trying to hunt down a special book for her dying aunt. I didn’t find myself drawn to any of the characters apart from the aunt, and she didn’t feature much.
The atmosphere was festive with an abundance of snow and talk of Christmas but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I can’t put my finger on what was missing but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I will continue to read Jenny’s novels though!
The Secret Santa Project by Tracy Bloom 4.5*
This book was a Jolabokaflod gift and what a wonderful gift it was. I loved the premise of the book – a group of six colleagues exchanging time or favours for their Secret Santa instead of physical gifts. It did revolve around much more than this though with social issues including body image, women’s rights, and coming out later in life.
The book gave a glimpse into the lives of each character and the stories wove together wonderfully. The social issues were explored carefully and gave depth to the characters and the book. I really identified with Jolene – a Christmas fanatic and horrified at the thought of it being cancelled!
I will be recommending this to everyone as a wonderful Christmas read!
Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley 4*
I listened to this book without realising it was number two in a series. (I haven’t been on the ball with that this year as it’s not the first time it’s happened!) Anyway, the author did a good job of writing like it could have been a standalone as I didn’t realise until I listened to the author/narrator interview at the end.
There were a lot of characters to keep up with and I kept getting confused. I’m glad I write them down to refer back to as I had to do it often. However, the majority of them were likeable and one of them (Fred) did make me LOL a few times! I did feel close to Merry and Emily’s story as I experienced a similar situation this year.
The setting and atmosphere felt super Christmassy with so much snow and lights. I just wanted to step into the book and experience it all. My final read of 2024 and it rounded it up nicely!
My favourite
It’s so close but I think The Secret Santa Project was my favourite read of December. It had purely wonderful Christmas vibes! Have you read any of these? What was your favourite book of December?
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