Month in Review: December 2024

 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.

How was your December and what books have you been reading?  Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!

   

# books read: 17

The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami ★★★★★

Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover
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. 

Honeymoons in Temporary Locations by Ashley Shelby ★★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this collection of climate fiction! You can read more of my thoughts on it in my review.

Why Taiwan Matters: A Short History of a Small Island That Will Dictate Our Future by Kerry Brown ★★★★

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
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.  

In The Shadow of Their Dying by Michael R. Fletcher & Anna Smith Spark ★★★★

Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover
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. 

Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time by James Gurney ★★★★★

Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover
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!

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
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

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry ★★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback
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. 

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite ★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
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. 

The Fury of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga #3) by John Gwynne ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thought: An epic conclusion to an epic trilogy! You can find my full review here. 

Between Dragons and Their Wrath (The Shattered Kingdom #1) by Devin Madson ★★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback
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. 

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
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. 

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore ★★★★

Source: NetGalley | Format: Audiobook
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. 

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
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.

The Way Up Is Death by Dan Hanks ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback
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!

Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan ★★

Source: Gift | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: Oof, I really didn't enjoy this one. It was such a miss for me and felt like it completely lost the plot. 

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong ★★★

Source: Library | Format: Hardcover

Thoughts: This was a sweet "cozy" fantasy, but unfortunately it didn't quite do enough for me. I found some of the writing and dialogue a bit too stilted and awkward in nature, and although I think this is still a good book in general, I think it could have used a bit more editing. 

The Darkest Night: 22 Winter Horror Stories edited by Lindy Ryan ★★★

Source: Gift | Format: Paperback
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. 

DNF/To-Be-Finished:

None!

 

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy
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

 Posts:

Month in Review: November 2024
Blog Tour: Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-mo + Excerpt
Anticipated January 2025 Releases
Most Disappointing Books of 2024

Blog Memes:

Can't-Wait Wednesday:
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

Can't-Wait Wednesday: We are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis & Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-Mo, transl. Chi-Young Kim

       

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

We are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis
Publication: December 24th, 2024
Kensington
Hardcover. 336 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Step into this chilling, historical horror inspired by the unsolved mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan.

When a series of brutal, mysterious deaths start plaguing the countryside and whispers of a beast in the mountains reach the quiet French hamlet of Mende, most people believe it’s a curse—God’s punishment for their sins.

But to sixteen-year-old Joséphine and her best friend, Clara, the beast isn’t a curse. It’s an opportunity.

For years, the girls of Mende have been living in a nightmare—fathers who drink, brothers who punch, homes that feel like prisons—and this is a chance to get them out.

Using the creature’s attacks as cover, Joséphine and Clara set out to fake their friends’ deaths and hide them away until it’s safe to run. But escape is harder than they thought. If they can’t brave a harsh winter with little food… If the villagers discover what they’re doing… If the beast finds them first...

Those fake deaths might just become real ones."

I love that this is based on a real legend and that the author seems to be taking it into a new direction. I'm always curious to see how things like this turn out!

Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-mo, transl. Chi-Young Kim
Publication: December 3rd, 2024
Hanover Square Press
Paperback. 224 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"From the New York Times Notable author of The Old Woman with the Knifecomes a bracingly original story of family, marriage and the cultural expectations of motherhood, about four women whose lives intersect in dramatic and unexpected ways at a government-run apartment complex outside Seoul

When Yojin moves with her husband and daughter into the Dream Future Pilot Communal Apartments, she’s ready for a fresh start. Located on the outskirts of Seoul, the experimental community is a government initiative designed to boost the national birth rate. Like her neighbors, Yojin has agreed to have at least two more children over the next ten years.

Yet, from the day she arrives, Yojin feels uneasy about the community spirit thrust upon her. Her concerns grow as communal child care begins and the other parents show their true colors. Apartment Women traces the lives of four women in the apartments, all with different aspirations and beliefs. Will they find a way to live peacefully? Or are the cultural expectations around parenthood stacked against them from the start?

A trenchant social novel from an award-winning author, Apartment Women incisively illuminates the unspoken imbalance of women’s parenting labor, challenging the age-old assumption that “it takes a village” to raise a child."

This is such a compelling topic and I'm really looking forward to how the author tackles this entire premise--I'm curious to learn more about each of these characters.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: North is the Night by Emily Rath & The Way by Cary Kroner

       

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

North is the Night by Emily Rath
Publication: December 17th, 2024
Erewhon
Hardcover. 592 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"In the Finnish wilderness, more than wolves roam the dark forests. For Siiri and Aina, summer’s fading light is a harbinger of unwelcome change. Land-hungry Swedes venture north, threatening the peace; a zealous Christian priest denounces the old ways; and young women have begun to disappear.

Siiri vows to protect Aina from danger. But even Siiri cannot stop a death goddess from dragging her friend to Tuonela, the mythical underworld. Determined to save Aina, Siiri braves a dangerous journey north to seek the greatest shaman of legend, the only person to venture to the realm of death and return alive.

In Tuonela, the cruel Witch Queen turns Aina’s every waking moment into a living nightmare. But armed with compassion and cleverness, Aina learns the truth of her capture: the king of the underworld himself has plans for her. To return home, Aina must bargain her heart—as Siiri plots a daring rescue of the woman she loves the most.

In this sweeping fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik, and H.M. Long, hope and love can conquer even death itself."

Comparisons to Katherine Arden and Naomi Novik are very bold, but I'm excited to check this one out!

The Way by Cary Croner
Publication: December 3rd, 2024
Spiegel & Grau
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A postapocalyptic road trip and a quest for redemption.

The world has been ravaged by a lethal virus and, with few exceptions, only the young have survived. Cities and infrastructures have been destroyed, and the natural world has reclaimed the landscape in surprising ways, with herds of wild camels roaming the American West and crocodiles that glow neon green lurking in the rivers.

Against this perilous backdrop, Will Collins, the de facto caretaker of a Buddhist monastery in Colorado, receives an urgent and mysterious request: to deliver a potential cure to a scientist in what was once California. So Will sets out, haunted by dreams of the woman he once loved, in a rusted-out pickup pulled by two mules. A menacing thug is on his tail. Armed militias patrol the roads. And the only way he’ll make it is with the help of a clever raven, an opinionated cat, and a tough teenage girl who has learned to survive on her own.

A highly original contribution to the canon of dystopian literature, The Way is a thrilling and imaginative novel, full of warmth, wisdom, and surprises that reflect our world in unsettling, uncanny, and even hopeful ways."

I am so intrigued by this premise and think it sounds so promising!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould & Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archives #5) by Brandon Sanderson

       

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
Publication: December 10th, 2024
Wednesday Books
Hardcover. 336 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place. 

Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction—one everyone but Devin signed up for. She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they've all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.

Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods—inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn't be there flashing in the leaves—and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other—and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.

Atmospheric and sharp, What the Woods Took is a poignant story of transformation that explores the price of becoming someone—or something—new."

I am very intrigued by this premise, as I always enjoy a good survival story that also relies heavily on human relationships and interactions. Hopefully it's a little bit spooky, also!

Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archives #5) by Brandon Sanderson
Publication: December 6th, 2024
Tor Books
Hardcover. 1344 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive―the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare―and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.

Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide―Adolin in Azimir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah at Thaylen City. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons . . . and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.

At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiants killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance."

I'm sure many people are anxiously awaiting this release! I am honestly in quite a desperate need for a recap of the first four books, though, as a re-read is a bit out of the question given the size of these dang books and my memory is a bit hazy on some things, haha.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap & The Party by Natasha Preston

      

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
Publication: December 24th, 2024
Kensington
Hardcover. 336 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"In the tradition of The Alienist and A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland – when real-life serial killers Burke and Hare terrorized the streets of Edinburgh – as a young medical student is lured into the illicit underworld of body snatching.

Historical fiction, true crime, and dark academia intertwine in a harrowing tale of murder, greed, and the grisly origins of modern medicine for readers of Lydia Kang, ML Rio, Sarah Perry, and C.E. McGill.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Naïve but determined James Willoughby has abandoned his posh, sheltered life at Oxford to pursue a lifelong dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. A shining beacon of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment, the city’s university offers everything James desires—except the chance to work on a human cadaver. For that, he needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square, at a cost he cannot afford. In desperation, he strikes a deal with Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, a dashing young dissectionist with an artist’s eye for anatomy and a reckless passion for knowledge. Nye promises to help him gain the surgical experience he craves—but it doesn’t take long for James to realize he’s made a devil’s bargain . . .   Nye is a body snatcher. And James has unwittingly become his accomplice.

Intoxicated by Nye and his noble mission, James rapidly descends into the underground ranks of the Resurrectionists—the body snatchers infamous for stealing fresh corpses from churchyards to be used as anatomical specimens. Before he knows it, James is caught up in a life-or-death scheme as rival gangs of snatchers compete in a morbid race for power and prestige. James and Nye soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a shady pair of unscrupulous opportunists known as Burke and Hare, who are dead set on cornering the market, no matter the cost. These unsavory characters will do anything to beat the competition for bodies. Even if it’s cold-blooded murder . . .

Exquisitely macabre and delightfully entertaining, The Resurrectionist combines fact and fiction in a rollicking tale of the risks and rewards of scientific pursuit, the passions of its boldest pioneers, and the anatomy of human desire."

A historical fiction/horror centered around real life body snatchers... I'm in!

The Party by Natasha Preston
Publication: December 3rd, 2024
Delacorte Press
Paperback. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Are you invited?

In the heart of the English countryside, Bessie and her closest friends gather at a remote castle for a secret party destined to make this the best spring break ever. But when the first of them dies, the party takes a lethal turn.

As the body count continues to rise, Bessie and her friends must contend with a deadly storm and growing internal suspicion, all while trapped inside with a killer.

Set against the backdrop of a sprawling English estate, Natasha Preston's latest thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the party’s over…"

Natasha Preston always writes some fun thrillers, and I'm always up for a classic premise like this.