books Here are the 15 books I read in December. I gave every book this month ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Were they all fabulous? No. Did they all distract me from the dismal state of the world and make me smile or feel something other than anger and rage and sadness and anxiety this holiday season? Fuck yes. So, they get all the stars.

I also ended the year at exactly 175 books and that was a very satisfying number for me and I’m quite happy with that outcome for the year. 🥳

Check out my various pages for ⭐️ ratings of these books:

I hope you find something that looks interesting to you. Below are a few notes on the books this month.

Total books for the year: 175

  1. 🎧⭐️ Book Of Lives: A Memoir Of Sorts by Margaret Atwood - This was a long book, but it didn’t feel that long when you listened to Atwood’s voice. It was like she was just sitting with you telling stories.
  2. 🎧⭐️ Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone - I came across this one in a book store and it sounded intriguing. It talks about OCD and was really well done! I loved it and truly have been so pleased with every book I have read dealing with mental health. I think partly because ever experience is unique…from those struggling and those around them.
  3. 🎧⭐️🌈 Girls Girls Girls by Shoshana von Blanckensee - This was a book pick for my Beacon Book Club. Funny story, I started this and one day when I was mowing, my phone somehow returned it to the library while I was listening to it and I was so mad because I loved it! So I had to wait for it to be availabel again and then we happened to pick it for book club. 😂
  4. 🎧⭐️ Overdue by Stephanie via Perkins - This was a delightful little read and I adored it. The cover drew me in the first time I saw it. 😍
  5. 🎧⭐️ And Then, Boom by Lisa Fipps - This is a Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominee for 2026. I have been subbing at the middle school library and I kept seeing this one. Since it’s a book in verse and I like Lisa Fipps, I had to read it. A cute book that I enjoyed and now recommend to kids when they come in.
  6. 🎧⭐️ Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly - I love Lynne Kelly books and when I saw one about an octopus (my animal obsession) I had to read it. It was so good and I really enjoy the emotion she puts into YA books.
  7. 🎧⭐️ Replaceable You by Mary Roach - This was a fascinating and well-researched book by Roach. All of her books are so fascinating and this was a new topic by her and I couldn’t get enough or read fast enough!
  8. 🎧⭐️ Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston - I have loved all of Poston’s books and this one was so fun. I love how her books have a bit of a magical realism to them. It makes them feel like they are just on the edge of fiction and making you think it could really happen!
  9. 🎧⭐️ Snow Place Like Home by Laura Pavlov
  10. 🎧⭐️ Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen
  11. 🎧⭐️ All Wrapped Up In You by Rosie Danan
  12. 🎧⭐️ You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa - These four were an Amazon Original Stories collection. I enjoyed all of these! They were short, sweet and just brought joy. Again, December was a rough month, so I gave them all the stars just for keeping my brain distracted.
  13. 🎧⭐️ Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz - Such a fun book concept! There are robots who open a restuarant. Clearly in the future since these robots can interact with live with humans. You just want to be friends with them. It touched on racism and science and sentient robots. Loved it!
  14. 📖⭐️❤️ Dear Girl by Aija Mayrock - I got this book as a gift for Christmas. I was quite medicated to get me through the day and I happily curled up after opening it and read it from cover to cover. I loved it so much!! It was just perfection. I am not sure I have come across many books of poetry I haven’t enjoyed!
  15. 🎧⭐️ The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune - I hadn’t seen this book by Klune, and decided to pick it up. It wasn’t my favorite of their books, but it was a fun concept. A queer book about people with super powers. There’s love interests (with probably the wrong person), some drama and excitement. I believe this was the first in a series, but I’m not sure I will go back to read the others.

– Book Key –
🎧 - audiobook
📖 - paperback/hardcover
📱 - ebook
🎨 - graphic novels
👩‍👧‍👦 - read with kids
🌈 - book club pick for The Beacon
📚 - book club pick for Book Worms & Puzzle Piecers
⭐️ - books I rated 5 stars
❤️ - my favorite book of the month

Andi

Bright Book Randomness