Not going to lie… I completely forgot about this wrap up. I was so focused on the new year posts.

• I read 10 books this month
• I DNFd 0 books.
• Genre: 3 murder mysteries, 2 romance, 2 fantasy, 2 contemporary and 1 non-fiction
• Gender of authors: 7 women, 2 men and 1 various
• Race of authors: 6 white authors, 3 asian writers and 1 various
• Age range: 8 adult and 2 YA
• Format: 7 paperback, 2 hardback and 1 ebook.

Challenges

• Prompt: Christmas
  • Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night – Sophie Hannah
  • The Christmas Swap – Taila Samuels
  • The Christmas Appeal – Janice Hallett
  • Mystery in White – J. Jefferson Farjeon

Mystery in White – J. Jefferson Fargeon (1 star)

I may not have DNFd any books in December but I don’t know what’s worse…a DNF or a 1 star? This mystery was way too complicated than it needed to be. I am good at suspending disbelief for a fun plot twist but this was too much. Add a complicated plot with way too many boring characters and a super slow pace and you have a 1 star from me.

Rabbit Hole – Kate Brody (3 stars)

This book was marketed as a literary thriller exploring grief and the toxicity of the true crime community. I felt this book did one of those things really well. The character study into how grief can affect a singular person was exceptional. It was so well done. The thriller element not so much. I want more of a deep dive into the true crime community and it felt pretty surface level which was a shame.

The Christmas Appeal – Janice Hallett (3.5 stars)

Now I am a Janice Hallett fan! Going into this companion book I knew it wasn’t going to be a 5 stars. It’s a super short and fun Christmas mystery. I felt that it fulfilled what it came to do. That being said I do feel that she did lose some of the depths and nuance to her characters that I am used too and relied to heavy on negative stereotypes. Which was a disappointment.

Sweat and Soap, Vol. 1 – Kintetsu Yamada (4 stars)

Now I had seen this manga series all over TikTok months ago and I finally got around to reading the first volume. I enjoyed this so much but I didn’t realise it was going to be 18+. I was so shocked by some of the panels initially as it was so unexpected hahah. But I love the relationship and I really enjoyed the art-style.

The Christmas Swap – Talia Samuels (4 stars)

A super cute Christmas rom-com! This was just a beautiful story about love in all forms and varieties with witty dialogue, great chemistry, and a mystery regarding a pregnant dog. One thing I want to shout out about this book is its characterization. Margot and Ellie, our two POVs in this book, were super interesting to spend time with and I loved watching their past unfold alongside their future. Margot was my favourite character and I loved her and Ellie together their chemistry was so well-written that I couldn’t stop smiling and giggling anytime they were together. This book is probably the first book I have read which used the miscommunication trope and I didn’t want to pull my hair out! The miscommunication in this book felt more like a comedy of errors-esque plot which made for fun reading and hilarious moments. I also adored all the other relationships outside of the main couple. Specifically, Ben and Margot’s budding friendship. I love seeing platonic male/female relationships in media so this was just great!

Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night – Sophie Hannah (4 stars)

I was a bit apprehensive going into this book as I have found the last couple of books to be a bit underwhelming but this book is a return to form for Hannah. As per usual her characterization of Poirot and Catchpool is great and I have to say, I love their dynamic – it’s probably my favorite relationship out of ALL the Poirot books across the board. Their friendship is amazing. This time round I also enjoyed the varying side characters that make up the plot. The interpersonal relationships detailed in this book are complex, layered, and made for a tense but exhilirating read! The plot was slow-paced compared to some of her other books but it was so engaging. I literally couldn’t put it down as I just wanted to know what was next. Hannah did a great job of reeling you in slowly and surely.

The City of Stardust – Georgia Summers (4.5 stars)

Fans of The Starless Sea and The Ten Thousand Doors of January will LOVE THIS BOOK! A perfect balance of beautiful and lyrical writing, an over-arching plot that spans centuries, mythology, adventure, and complicated human relationships. I really enjoyed the character Penelope. I love a female villain and Penelope is the queen of female villains! I was intrigued by her ‘relationship’ with Alexsander and how complicated, layered, and toxic it was. Seeing how the fantasy world and the mundane blend into one another was exhilarating and I completely identified with Violet and her desire for adventure!

Realms of Imagination – The British Library (5 stars)

What an honour it was read this amazing collection of fantasy-focused essays. Covering such a vast range of essays from categorising fantasy to discussing the Brontes. I am in awe of people who can put into words such complex topics succinctly and engagingly. The amount of notes I have written down of interesting facts and amazing quotes is about 20+ pages.

Some of my favourite essays include:

Folk Tales, Fairy Lore and the Making of Tradition – Terri Wilding
The Everything Book – Sofia Samatar
Fantasy’s Weird Architecture – Matthew Sangster
Crossing Borders of Otherness – Dimitra Fimi