The Rest Of My December Reading

So my first book post of 2024 is wrapping up 2023. Here is how my December (and 2023) reading ended.

I really enjoyed this book but it did make me think about who has the right to tell stories? June was an unlikable narrator and her justifications for behaving as she did were frustrating to read about. But again, who has the right to tell what stories is a good question and one that I have a hard time answering...

This is the second book in this series and it was my lunchtime reading for December. It was okay but I'd forgotten a lot of what happened in the first book. This book did not make me want to read the rest of the series and I think I'm done with it. One thing to note is that this is a specifically teen series so I probably would have loved it if I were a lot younger.

This was my Jólabókaflóð book and it was so worth it. I bought it on my Kobo because I didn't want to drag a big hardcover book on the plane. I cannot wait for book 3 to come out. I am tempted to buy Fourth Wing on my Kobo as well so I can read these books over and over again... And if you've read this book can we please talk about that ending?!?!?!?!

This was a book I found through the Decades Reading Challenge and, before I had even finished it, I recommended it to my mom. Lillian, the main character, is not very likeable but her story is engaging. I find it interesting when I enjoy a book even though I don't like the main character, and this was definitely one of those times.

This was another Decades Reading Challenge book and I didn't love it. This is the story of one of Princess Margaret's ladies in waiting and it just didn't feel like reality. I get that it was Anne's reality but it isn't one most of us live -- big manor houses, rich husbands, travelling with the Royal Family. If you are intrigued by all things Royal, I would recommend this book for some behind-the-scenes interest, but otherwise, skip it.

I had heard so many people recommend this book and, sadly, I didn't love it. There were parts of it I did enjoy, but I felt like there were too many viewpoints and I couldn't pick any character to cheer for. I think if you like American family dramas, then you would love this book, but it wasn't my favourite. Maybe I had higher expectations for it than I should have.

This was the very last book I read in 2023 and I absolutely devoured it. I loved the fact that it centred around a garden and each part was written around one flower, its meaning, and how it impacted the larger story. I loved the questions which were asked about war. I just really loved this book and it was a lovely way to finish off my 2023 reading.

Total books read in December:16

Total books read in 2023: 185

Yes, I read 185 books in 2023 which is about one every two days. I always hate picking out my favourites so here are some stats for you:

Non-fiction: 24

Decades Reading Challenge books: 59

This year, I tracked every book I read on GoodReads. Below are some of the highest rated books I read ("highest" as defined by "highly rated on GoodReads.")

 

 

So that was my 2023 year in books. Having the suggestions from the Decades Reading Challenge definitely inspired my 2023 reading, and I haven't yet decided what will be the focus for 2024. It's already off to a good start and I'll share my first half of January's reading with you in a few weeks. And as always, if you have any recommendations, please share. I'm always looking for a good book!