What I Read in December 2023
I know, I know… The month isn’t quite over yet, but I want to start 2024 fresh. December has been packed with an almighty cold, a few festive activities and lots of family time. After a really busy year, we all wanted to prioritise quality time together, which did mean far less reading time. However, all of my spare time was still devoted to books (accompanied by Christmas films in the background).
December’s reads are a real mix: there’s some fantasy, leftover from my dalliance in November, and two cheesy holiday season books, plus I also wanted to try and ‘mop up’ my 2023 book pledge list. Thanks, local library, for sorting me out there! Let’s dig into the last monthly round-up of the year…
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Rating: ★★★★.5/5
Ever since reading – and being forever changed by – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I’ve been meaning to pick up more of V.E. Schwab’s work. My library reservation finally came through while I had three other books on the go, and so I had to squeeze this one into my November TBR!
In A Darker Shade of Magic, Kell is one of the last ‘travellers’. He’s a magician with the rare ability to travel between parallel universes, interconnected by one city – London. There’s a Grey London, ruled by mad King George III and where magic simply doesn’t exist, then there’s Red London, Kell’s hometown where magic is revered, and there’s White London, where magic is a point of contention and where people fight to control the remaining magic. And, there was a Black London.
If I could describe this book in one word, then it might just have to be ‘elegant’, because this really felt like a sleek take on what magic is and, world-building complete, it takes you from plot line to plot line in a sophisticated manner. The magic is dark and complex, and really not for the faint-hearted. In fact, I really enjoyed the concept of multiple Londons and the blood magic – it works well, and is truly immersive and believable.
The characters are gloriously brought to life – even if the dialogue felt a bit patchy in places! – and I just adore fierce-hearted Lila. Schwab packs this story to the rafters with action and it’s a real page-turner right from the bat.
What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Toyama
Rating: ★★★★/5
I picked this up right as a reading slump was about to defeat me and it was the PERFECT read. Likened to the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, which I also loved, this is a love letter to libraries, books and humanity. Librarian Sayuri Komachi can intuitively understand what each of her patrons is looking for, providing just the right recommendations for her visitors.
This book features five heartwarming stories, and they’re really gorgeously realised. As with many of the Japanese translated fiction I’ve read, What You Are Looking for Is in the Library is a quiet and unassuming read with characters that speak to you, struggling with one thread of life and seemingly ‘healed’ with a book. A really cosy read for book lovers.
This Christmas by Emma Heatherington
Rating: ★★★/5
It wouldn’t be December without at least one Christmas novel, and this year I picked up This Christmas by Emma Heatherington. Highly rated across the board, This Christmas was billed as perfect for fans of The Holiday so when I spied it on Kindle’s Monthly Deals, I snapped it up.
Rose Quinn is doing her best to avoid a family holiday. She used to love Christmas, until the year that everything changed. And Charlie is about to face his first Christmas alone. Seeking solace and comfort, both escape to a cosy cottage in rural Donegal, Ireland, to wile away the festive period. But when they arrive, the two strangers realise their cottage rental has been double-booked.
Of course what ensues is a cosy romance set at Christmas, and you can’t go wrong with this sort of story. The cottage setting is gorgeous, and I love that the author draws from personal experience in settings in Ireland – she writes a note in the back about these choices. Rose is a wonderfully lovable and quirky character, as is her dog George. And Charlie is a wonderfully uptight character, unlike his dog Max. My only gripe with the book is that it takes a long time to get into the central plot, which I found tricky. Everything happens in the second half yet the whole plot could’ve been fast-forwarded to amp up the romance and the emotion.
A lovely little festive season read.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Rating: ★★★/5
When I first heard of Legends & Lattes, I immediately added it to my TBR. Cosy fantasy? Yes please. I picked up a copy on Kindle and finally got round to reading it at the start of the month. Viv is an orc who has hung up her sword and exchanged bloodshed for a slow, soft life. She’s heard of coffee shops and wants to start her own, and so ensues a decidedly charming novel about Viv learning to brew coffee, set up a coffee shop in a goblin town and making friends along the way.
This is a really cosy, low stakes fantasy where not a huge amount happens. I found that I enjoyed it, but it was a bit of a middling read for me and I suppose I expected a little bit more from it?
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Rating: ★★★★/5
Ahhh Neil Gaiman…! After a stint of three-star reads, I am so happy to have found a four-star in the dazzling Stardust. This was pitched as a fairytale for adults and it really did feel like one, expertly concocted with Gaiman’s signature eccentricities.
In the tiny town of Wall, young Tristran Thorn has his heart captivated by the beautiful Victoria Forester. When Victoria promises ‘anything his heart desires’ to Tristran in exchange for a fallen star, so begins Tristran’s adventure over the ancient, imposing stone wall that gave their town its name, into a strange world beyond imagination.
Here, Gaiman’s long-winded, run-on sentences worked wonderfully to conjure a sense of fairytale wonder and charm. Gaiman’s characters are really fun and the concept is simple but well-executed. A great page-turner, and one I’ll definitely reach for again next year.
Pew by Catherine Lacey
Rating: ★★★/5
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m part of the sunbeamsjess’ Book Club, and Pew by Catherine Lacey is one of ‘the’ books that is almost universally beloved by the community. A short little novel, Pew centres around a character named Pew that wakes up one morning in a church in a small American town and that has no idea of their gender, age, race or even if they are human or not.
The book is then an exploration into the town’s folk and how they welcome Pew into the community. It’s a bit of a meditation into how these factors (gender, age, race, etc.) are general markers of human society, and how they subsequently affect one’s perception of themselves and how others perceive them too. I feel like this one definitely won’t be for everyone: there are long, meandering trains of thought where Pew, and other characters, examine questions about identity and what it means to be a human, as well as religion and community. I enjoyed it in parts, but found it a tiny bit too abstract for me, and the train of thought passages took me away a little.
Four Weddings and a Christmas by Phillipa Ashley
Rating: ★★/5
Perhaps it’s because I was taken out by a cold for two weeks, but I found myself reading not one but two cheesy Christmas books this year. I suppose I wanted to try and shoehorn in some added festive feels! A review is probably useful to nobody as we prepare to step into the New Year, so basically, this was mildly enjoyable but not nearly festive enough and didn’t reach a good plot crescendo.
Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
Rating: ★★★★/5
I’ve had this one lurking on my Kindle for a few months now, and I wanted another ‘easy’ read for Christmas week. Lunar Love is a fun little romance that centres around a Chinese zodiac-based dating app. Liv is next in line to inherit and take charge of Lunar Love, her grandmother’s matchmaking business that revolves around auspicious Chinese zodiac pairings. When she finds out that Bennett, LA’s most eligible bachelor, is behind the app that is borrowing a Chinese zodiac approach yet making it more about ‘animal attraction’, Liv is outraged. And so begins a really fun enemies-to-lovers read as the two matchmaking businesses go head to head.
Lunar Love was a really fun and captivating read! I flew through it in a matter of days and it was the perfect book for a laidback holiday season read. Liv is sassy, headstrong but in tune with her emotions and heritage, making her a lovable and believable heroine. Bennett is a little less likeable, but that’s needed in an enemies-to-lovers book. It’s energetic and pacey with tonnes of fun LA dates and romantic set-ups.
In 2024, I’ll be shaking up my bookish content ever so slightly. While I’ve loved putting these monthly wrap-ups together, I think the mini reviews are best-suited to my bookstagram. So, you can find those at @daisybutterbookcafe. Instead, I’ll share longer, in-depth reviews of books that I think are worthy of their own posts, plus themed bookish content, like seasonal recommendations and lists. How does that sound?
And, finally, what was your favourite read of December and of 2023?
