I read a total of seventeen books in December, meaning I hit my reading goal of a hundred books!
I've never read so many books in a single year, not even during the lock-down. I wanted to try and hit a hundred books in 2022, because I know that I won't have anywhere near as much time to dedicate to reading in 2023. I am in my first year of a two-year Masters course, and I'll working on quite a few personal writing projects this year. All this, as well as working and running my own small business, means I'm not anticipating reading anywhere near a hundred books in 2023. My reading goal is currently set at twelve books, but I'll be happy with any number of books read this year to be honest.
Anyway, with all that said, let's get into the books I read in December 2022!
Whiteout by Angie Thomas, Nicola Yoon, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Nic Stone
My December TBR (yes, you read that right! I had an actual TBR!) included a lot of Christmas themed stories. I had quite a few stacked up, and wanted to actually read them this past December. Whiteout was one of the newest additions to that stack.
Whiteout is a contemporary romance story which follows a group of friends during a snowstorm. While is a main character, we also get various chapters from other characters' points of view, and I really liked that all of their stories were well developed and unique, but all linked in such a seamless way. I actually have the first book Blackout, which I'd like to get to in 2023.
The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher
This was one of the other Christmas books on my TBR for December. I bought books one and two back in 2021 (I think) but didn't read them at the time, so I wanted to finally get to them in December.
I think this is such a great story for kids. I also bought the picture book, and they have such a unique and heartwarming message behind them. I think the overall story is engaging and fun, and I can see why this book was so popular when it first came out!
Also, the illustrations by Shane Devries? Adorable!
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
This was a book recommended to me by a colleague. It was also the first Margaret Atwood book I had ever read!
I really enjoyed this one, and it was a very quick read. My university projects are based on Greek Mythology, so I was able to use this as research too, which was also handy!
This has made me want to pick up other Margaret Atwood books in the future!
Van Gogh's Inner Struggle by Liesbeth Heenk
I listened to this one as an audiobook, and while it wasn't as in depth as I think I wanted it to be, it was still interesting and enjoyable. It was quite a short book though, so I probably should have realised that it wouldn't be a super in-depth look at Van Gogh's life.
The Sad Ghost Club by Lize Meddings
I felt like I hadn't read this graphic novel enough in 2022, so I decided to reread it in December. I also knew that I was going to be picking up book two, so I wanted to reread book one beforehand. I've praised this book so many times on my blog, I don't need to go in to too much detail, but if you haven't read The Sad Ghost Club yet, I'd highly recommend it!
The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
One of my reading goals in 2022 was to read as much Agatha Christie as I could. I didn't even scrape the surface to be honest, but I did try to read a couple in December.
I really enjoyed this one, and I can see why it is so popular. I don't know why I don't pick up Agatha Christie books more often to be honest, because there aren't many I haven't enjoyed, but who knows, maybe I'll read a few in 2023!
The Accident by Agatha Christie
This is another that I enjoyed, although it wasn't my favourite Agatha Christie short story. If you like audiobooks, I would highly recommend you check out her short stories in audiobook format, as they're really enjoyable (in my opinion)!
The Christmasaurus and the Winter Witch by Tom Fletcher
Looking back now, I think I might have actually preferred The Christmasauras and the Winter Witch to book one!
I really enjoyed the focus on William and Brenda, and the way they change throughout the story.
I am considering picking up some of Tom Fletcher's other books - let me know in the comments if you have any recommendations!
Nichijou Vol 3 by Keiichi Arawi
This is one of my brother's favourite manga series, so I wanted to read another volume before the end of the year.
Sad Ghost Club 2 by Lize Meddings
I think I actually enjoyed book two more than book one - and I didn't know that would be possible!
I really liked that we were able to see both characters' points of view, and I feel like this one goes in to more detail about the way anxiety and depression can impact all aspects of a person's life.
I really enjoyed this, and I can't wait for book three to come out in March!
Komi Can't Communicate, Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda
I'd had my eye on this series for such a long time, and I finally decided to pick up volume one in December. I'm really glad I did, because it was such a cute and heartwarming story, but with a really interesting and important plot.
This series is super long, so I'm considering picking up the rest of the books digitally, through my local library (I just don't have the shelf space!)
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
Honestly, I'm struggling to organise my feelings about this one. I hadn't read any Murakami before, and this one was super short so I decided to listen to the audiobook. I did enjoy it, and it was what I was expecting from the synopsis. I liked the writing style and the way the story developed, and it has made me want to pick up more Murakami in the future.
Vincent by Barbara Stok
My other big university writing project is about Van Gogh, so I decided to reread this graphic novel biography by Barbara Stok. I picked this up a few years ago, and I really enjoy the illustration style. I always feel that the ending is quite abrupt and doesn't necessarily tell the whole story, but I do like this one, and will probably reread it again the in the future.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
I've decided that I want to reread A Christmas Carol every Christmas to get into the spirit. I was planning on reading this at the beginning of the month, but didn't actually get round to picking it up until Christmas Eve.
I really enjoy this story. I usually really struggle with classics, especially Dickens, but I really enjoy this one, and find it really accessible and easy to read (compared to some other works).
A Gift For A Ghost by Borja Gonzalez
I picked this one up on a whim and I'm so glad I did! I read it on my lunch breaks at work just after Christmas, and it was such a unique and well developed story. The illustration style is perfect for the story and the characters.
I'm starting to see a ghostly pattern in my favourite graphic novels...
Orange: Complete Collection, Vol. 1 by Ichigo Takano
This was one of my Christmas presents from my brother, and I am so glad he gifted this series to me. I read volume one on New Years Eve (making it the 100th book I read in 2022!) and I'm so glad I finally have this series on my shelves.
This one did make me cry, and the heavy topics are hard to read, but the story is so well written, and the characters are so well developed.
So, that's everything I read in December, 2022! What did you read in December? Let me know in the comments!