December Wrap-Up
🎉🎆HAPPY 2022 NEW YEAR🎆🎉
I hope everyone manages to stay on track of their goals, at least for the first week LOL 😂 One of my goals is to try and read more books from my personal collection and not get so request-happy with netgalleys 😅 I’m amazed though, I managed to read and listen to 28 books this month! Granted, lots of them were picture books, graphic novels, or manga, but still. Yay for a great reading month! I managed to trim down my netgalley tbr so now I only have under 10 books to review for 2022…so far 😅 I’d love to know if you have any goals for 2022! Share one bookish and one non-bookish goal in the comments below 😊
My Library
The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
Review:
So I am not one for holiday romances, but I must say…this book is AMAZING. Officially my fav Christmas romance ever. I want a Jonathan Frost. He is such a thoughtful guy and continues to be super considerate to Gabby even when she treats him with such hostility. I loved all the nuances of both their characters, and the side characters were really great too. You get so invested in Gabby and Jonathan’s relationship and I was totally shipping them. I was smiling so much while reading this book that my mouth hurt. I wanted to throw my kobo across the room multiple times because I couldn’t handle how freaking CUTE and spectacular this book was. I really love how Gabby and Jonathan have productive and respectful conversations about their feelings. There were some questionable things both of them did, but I love how they can talk about it and sincerely apologize to each other about it. Like super mature communication goals. Their banter is also so entertaining and they have such great chemistry. Also I can’t believe the skill of Liese to make holding hands so freaking sexy. But also I appreciate her sexy scenes so much for using proper names for body parts instead of calling something a “bundle of nerves” etc. Overall this book is perfection and the ending is perfection and everything works out beautifully and I want to reread this. I wish this book was available not just on Kobo because everybody needs to read this. This story also has own voices rep of autism and type-1 diabetes rep. Liese includes a content warning and explains the own voices and rep in the book. I highly recommend this.
6/5⭐
A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
Review:
I really enjoyed this holiday romance and especially loved the non-stop mentions of food 😍 Don’t read this book if you’re hungry because you’ll be drooling the entire time. I thought Sam and Niki had great chemistry and I love how they ended up meeting. This is basically like a hookup but someone ends up catching feelings. It was interesting to see them navigate their feelings and I wasn’t a fan of how they handled some things, but everything worked out in the end and in a very satisfying and romantic way.
4/5⭐
Whisper Me a Love Song Vol. 4 by Eku Takeshima
Review:
I loved this! Not as much as the previous volume, but then again, Volume 3 would be hard to top 😅 I think this one is more of a buildup volume for what’s to come next with Shiho and Aki and their bands. It was so fun to see Himari and Yori navigate their new relationship status. Their first date didn’t go as well as Himari had hoped, but I’m glad they had a conversation about it so there wouldn’t be any miscommunication. I can’t wait to see what happens next and it’s been really interesting to see all the characters actually be related to each other in some way, like in the same club or something, not like in the “oh we’re actually cousins” type way 😂
4.5/5⭐
Chunky by Yehudi Mercado
Review:
I thought this was a really cute story with a meaningful message about following your passion no matter what. I didn’t think Hudi’s jokes were that funny, but he had a couple good ones that made me chuckle. I think kids would enjoy this book though, especially Chunky’s character and all the fun things he and Hudi get up to. I like how this book isn’t totally focused on Hudi’s weight, and instead focuses more on his love for comedy. This story is also based on the author’s childhood and he includes a little blurb about what his childhood was like at the end of the book.
4/5⭐
Tiny Reindeer by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Review:
Ok so I thought this story was so adorable! I loved the artwork. This is essentially the story of Rudolf except if Rudolf was super tiny instead of having a red nose. It’s an inspiring story that can show kids that it’s ok to be different than everyone else and you’ll be able to find a special purpose that works just for you. I thought the ending was so sweet and I want a tiny reindeer for Christmas now too.
4.5/5⭐
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
Review:
This book has such stunning artwork! It’s about a girl who has “eyes that kiss in the corners” instead of the big wide eyes of her classmates. I thought it was a beautiful story and empowering about recognizing your own beauty even though it doesn’t fit the Western definition of beauty. Beauty is subjective and people should not discriminate against people because they have different facial features. Great book for kids and adults 😊
4/5⭐
Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt
Review:
Lol this was such a fun book to read. It addresses anxiety and a bit of how to deal with it and overcome it. This book is the beginning of the series where Scaredy Squirrel is too scared to leave his house and likes his routine. By the end of it he’s finally left his home and discovered the world isn’t always as scary as he thought. There are also plenty more books in this series, each dealing with other situations children come across while growing up. It’s a great series to check out if you have any kids in your life.
4/5⭐
Netgalley eARCs
What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell
Review:
So I didn’t realize this story is told by a kid retelling the story of Tangled to his sister who is undergoing chemo. It added an interesting layer to the plot though. I loved the Tangled movie so it was neat to see the story retold by the kid. I like how he wove elements of the original story in, based on what his sister wanted him to include, while adding his own spin on some things. The chemo aspect was based off the author’s sister’s experience with cancer. She explains it at the end of the book. There are some good messages throughout the book about believing in yourself and girl power, but there was one aspect I didn’t like as much because Rapunzel would compare her problems to everyone else’s and she would feel like she shouldn’t complain because others have it worse. However, the problems she had were valid too. She would debate if loneliness or starvation was worse but both problems are valid to have. Anyhoo, it was a decent story with a satisfactory ending. I wish there was a follow-up with what happens to the Snuggly Duckling though.
3.5/5⭐
I Will Not Die Alone by Dera White
Review:
Full disclosure I almost cried at work from reading this book. It’s a super quick read and the story just sneaks up on you. At first I was like “oh this is so cute and relatable” but then you see there’s a backstory that ties all the messages together and once you get to the end of the book it’s just so freaking emotional and everything just hits you and you have an existential crisis about mortality and life. #iftheworldwasending much? This book will lull you into a false sense of happiness and then rip your heart out. It’s so cute and such a good story about the end of the world. I will be buying this book once it’s released because this is one book I will be rereading multiple times throughout my life.
6/5⭐
A Quick & Easy Guide to Asexuality by Molly Muldoon
Review:
I thought this was a very informative book and I highly recommend checking this out, even if you aren’t asexual. It discusses asexuality on a very positive note and constantly reassures readers that their feelings are valid. I think this is a great beginner’s guide! The authors split the book into sections so they cover lots of different aspects of asexuality that I had never considered before. They also include a list of helpful resources at the end if you want more information and they also include a disclaimer at the beginning stating that they tried to cover everything and some things may be triggering. Overall a really good book.
4.5/5⭐
A Woman’s Voice by Aude Mermilliod
Review:
Oh gosh. This was a pretty good story and I really like how the ending got tied up and there was that reveal that I did not see coming. Intertwining stories are always so much fun to read. Holy moly though, I was shocked about the procedures for some women’s health things like IUD insertions and removals. I saw a video describing the process and thought it was a joke because that wasn’t my insertion experience at all. But it is real and happens to women all over and no woman should have to experience that, especially when there is a less painful way available. Also the cervical biopsy without anesthesia…that would freaking hurt. It’s heartbreaking to see what women have to experience for their health. In regards to the plot, I liked the progression of the resident and doctor’s working relationship. There’s also intersex rep in this story which is not often portrayed in books. Overall, the story itself was ok, but the things you learn while reading it are great.
3.5/5⭐
The Secret Garden by Maud Begon
Review:
This is a graphic novel retelling of The Secret Garden but told in two parts. I really liked the artwork for this retelling and would like to read the next part, even though I already know what the story will be like. This is just a fun book to read when you reminisce about your childhood and if you love The Secret Garden and will read every retelling of it. This is basically an exact retelling so there’s nothing really new to the story except the artwork.
4/5⭐
School of Love Vol. 1 by Beka
Review:
TW: Bullying and taking advantage of someone sexually.
I really enjoyed this story and will definitely be keeping up with future volumes. The story is so sweet and innocent but has some darker undertones. I love the messages the girls come up with about what love can be like, and how despite everything bad about it, love is still good to have overall. I like how the girls discover that their female classmates with certain reputations are not what they seem and they are more than their reputation. Overall this is a great graphic novel and I love the character growth the girls experience throughout the story.
4.5/5⭐
The Whale Library by Zidrou
Review:
This was such a sad and emotional story. Doesn’t start off that way, but omg that ending… I thought it was going to be a cute story about the friendship between a whale and a seaman mailman, but then I reached a certain part in the story and almost started crying 😂 This is a beautiful story about stories. I also felt like it had a very wistful tone. The art style was also very beautiful and dreamlike. But yea, this book literally made me cry over a whale.
4.5/5⭐
With You and the Rain Vol. 1 by Ko Nikaido
Review:
Omg this manga was SO CUTE. I love how the tanuki can write, and also how the girl is oblivious to how he’s a tanuki because she thinks he’s a dog. I love the little shenanigans the tanuki gets into and he always has such cute and funny comments on his notepad. This story made me laugh and smile and I felt really happy reading this. I’m totally like the girl’s dad and just want to cuddle the tanuki to pieces. The scenes with the vet were hilarious. This manga has some random stories about the tanuki’s adventures that aren’t connected to the main characters of the story, but they are fun to read. Overall, this is a cute story to read when you just need a little laugh and I will definitely be reading the next volume.
4.5/5⭐
Vampire Dormitory Vol. 1 by Ema Toyama
Review:
TW: Suicidal thoughts.
This manga kind of started like Ouran High School Host Club with the vase and cafe which I thought was interesting. I enjoyed this manga and omg Ruka…hot damn… I love how Ruka and Mito are discovering their feelings for each other. Ren is probably included so there’s a possible love triangle in future volumes. I thought it was interesting how Ruka’s friends don’t actually know he’s a vampire, but they all have such a cute dynamic. There were some parts of the story that seemed a bit random, but overall it’s an interesting story and I love the growing chemistry.
4/5⭐
A New Home for Fox by Ellen DeLange
Review:
This was a cute story and I loved the artwork of the animals. I thought the size of the boar was a bit exaggerated, but the rest of the animal designs were so cute. On the first page I wondered why the other animals in burrows underneath fox’s were so peaceful and oblivious to the mayhem caused by the dogs who were just like two inches above them… Also this book is about facing prejudice and fox is judged before the other animals get to know him, but it takes him putting himself in danger to help the other animals before they realize he’s not so bad after all. This just reinforces the message that instead of not judging people before you get to know them, you have to prove yourself and work to convince others that you are not part of a stereotype. This blurb is what the author said about their book: The forest animals are unfamiliar with Fox, they are prejudiced and think that he is cunning, mischievous and even a trickster.
Fox is sad that the other animals don't really know him and only judge him based on their prejudices. So he tries to show that he can also be kind and caring, instead of just being cunning and naughty. However, he also shows that cunning is sometimes necessary, because this is how he lures the wild boar away. When the forest animals get to know him better and leave their prejudices behind, they like to become friends. And Fox is happy that he can be his cunning and kind self.
3/5⭐
Scary Fairy in Wicked Wood by Jana Bauer
Review:
Ok this book was a little dark for a children’s book in my opinion, but I highly enjoyed reading it. The story makes sense since it’s set in the Wicked Wood and some of the animals that live there can be pretty mean and spiteful and petty. Scary Fairy was also quite a character with her attitude, but she just seemed a bit oblivious with how mean she could come across as sometimes. She had kind intentions sometimes but the animals were very skeptical and tending to believe the worst of her, except for Owl. Hedgehog was such a little meanie, but considering that they were Scary Fairy’s haribrush, it was slightly understandable lol. The ending was very satisfying and leaves things open for Scary Fairy to return and have more adventures. Even though this had a darker plot for a children’s story, I surprisingly enjoyed it and think kids will too.
4/5⭐
Reputation by Lex Croucher
Review:
Content Warning: Drug and alcohol abuse, sexual assault, implied sexual assault, domestic violence, somewhat neglectful parents, toxic friendships, and death of a family member.
This book gets daaaark. I absolutely loved it though! It was a cross between Bridgerton and Mean Girls and there was even reference to a Mean Girls quote in the beginning of a chapter. Betty’s character reminded me a lot of Penelope from Bridgerton because of her personality. The characters seemed to be built off common tropes of this type of story so there didn’t seem to be anything too new for the plot. It’s the typical, new girl moves somewhere new, somehow becomes friends with the wild and popular people, new girl struggles to find a balance between her new life and her changing personality, something goes terribly wrong, and now new girl has a rude awakening about her attitude and needs to make amends. This plot style was one of the reasons why I didn’t like Georgiana’s character as much during the middle of the book because holy moly she got mean. I thought Frances’ character was a bit more complex with all her hidden problems and her outward way of coping with them. However, I don’t think her attitude was acceptable even with how her surroundings may have pushed her to act that way. I really liked the characters of Frances’ friends because they each had distinct personalities and could hold their own in the story. I also really enjoyed reading about Georgiana’s interactions with Mr. Hawksley because they are both so witty and their banter was lit. One thing I mostly had a problem with was the plot of the book. It seemed like there were some parts that could have been explained more thoroughly or had the potential to be an important part of the story later on but weren’t. The sections of the plot also focused on different things for an odd length of the book. There’s parts that focus on Georgiana’s friendship with Frances and the others, but then there’s a mini section dedicated to Georgiana and Mr. Hawksley. Then the last third of the book is focused on the sexual assault and the events that follow, but the sexual assault is at the forefront. There was also a part where I though somebody got murdered but it ended up being something else and I had to reread it just to be sure what actually happened. I may have to reread this to be sure, but I think the amount of blood for what happened seemed a bit unrealistic? Anyway, I really liked the ending and thought it tied everything up nicely. Also Georgiana’s aunt was a sweetheart for standing up for her and caring for her. Her uncle seemed like the movie version of Mr. Bennett from the Kiera Knightley Pride and Prejudice movie though, and that seemed like another character trope. Overall, this is a highly enjoyable book and you’ll definitely enjoy Georgiana’s sass and banter with her family and Mr, Hawksley.
3.5/5⭐
Sealed with a Yuletide Kiss: A Historical Christmas Advent Calendar by Sophie Barnes
Review:
Instead of reading one story per day like you’re supposed to, I ended up binge reading the entire book in a couple days. Some of the stories are super short so it’s like they’re over before they’ve begun 😅 I really enjoyed some of these and thought they were so cute and romantic Christmas stories and I ended up loving around 75% of the stories. Some of the stories had a hard time with fleshing out the characters and I didn’t get immersed in some romances because there wasn’t a lot of time during the short story to empathize or swoon over the character. I really recommend reading this how you’re supposed to with the story per day, because there are new characters for each story so if you read the whole book in one go, that’s a TON of new characters to remember. Sometimes I would get confused because I’d start a new story and forget it wasn’t a continuing chapter of the previous story 😅 Either way, I did enjoy this book a lot! Each story is sealed with a kiss, just like the title suggests, and things don’t really go further from there so I would say it’s a relatively clean romance book. I don’t remember there being any queer characters or characters of colour, so this is very much a white, heterosexual book. If you don’t like reading books like that then you may want to skip this, but I enjoyed the stories regardless and still recommend it.
3.5/5⭐
Other (e)ARCs
All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
Review:
TW: Implied pedophilia and sexual abuse, violence, graphic descriptions of dead bodies and crime scenes, and a dead animal.
Thank you Harper Teen/HCC Frenzy for the ARC! Ohhhh my gosh this book 😱 This book just keeps you guessing throughout the entire story. I finished it and almost threw the book at a wall because that ending! AHHHHH. The book hints at something for the entire story and you never really find out what’s true or not. There’s a little partial explanatory letter and conclusion at the end, but it’s not satisfying because you’re still left wondering. It’s just like those true crime documentaries, so if you enjoy watching or reading about true crime, then this book is for you. I enjoyed reading this book though, and I was hooked for the entire story, but OMG I just wanted a conclusive ending with the absolute truth of what happened. If you don’t like being left with a billion more questions when you read a book then don’t pick this up, but it’s a very fascinating story for sure!
4/5⭐
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
Review:
Thank you Harper Teen/HCC Frenzy for the ARC! I don’t really read a lot of space books so I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this one. I thought it was meh, but it definitely had some interesting plot twists that I was not expecting. I loved the story with OS and the boys and the plot twist that happens a bit before the halfway point of the book. I enjoyed the ending chapters and how the boys’ relationship turns out. Personally, I didn’t feel much of a connection to the characters and I felt very apathetic towards their romance only until the end of the book. I thought the ending was sweet, but I think the plot twist and the ending chapters were my favorite parts of the book. The rest was okay.
3/5⭐
Audiobooks
A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Roberts
Review:
TW: Covid, car accident, and infertility
This was such a wholesome and loveable Christmas story. If you need a heartwarming holiday story about Scrooge rediscovering love, then I highly recommend you check this story out. I loved Stanley’s wry and sarcastic gruff nature. But even though he’s like a gruff guy, he has a heart of gold and does everything for Carol his wife. This story includes flashbacks of how he first meets Carol and how their relationship goes until the day she dies. Their relationship is just so precious and will give you all the feels. There’s also the gruff man and his adorable doggo that he doesn’t want at first trope. I listened to this on an audiobook so I’m not sure if this quote is correct, but I thought it was funny and super relatable, “‘Let’s’ means she [Carol] has an idea for a project and he’d [Stanley] would be the one doing all the work.” 😂 Overall a great story and I would totally recommend this for some Christmas feels!
5/5⭐
The Veil by Rachel Harrison
Review:
This was such a quick audiobook to listen to but it had an interesting story. I feel like the main character must have been super bored with her life for how quickly she falls for ghost boy. I think people can relate to how she wants more from her relationship and how she’s settled for her guy because they’ve been together for so long and lost their spark. I think she made her decisions way too quickly though and didn’t really think anything through, especially with the massive consequences for her. I did like her revelation at the end though and I think it ended on an empowering note.
4/5⭐
Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland
Review:
Content Warning for slavery, domestics, racial slurs, murder, passing light, Jim Crow, racial violence, hate crimes, segregation, and the death of a parent.
I thought this was a phenomenal audiobook. I thought the narrator was awesome. The story itself was captivating and emotional and covered many important topics. I barely had any clue how it would end, and when I finally got to the ending I was shocked. This book also starts with a really sad moment just FYI. I think it was a decently creepy story for middle-graders and I think they would enjoy it. This could probably be a good book to read in school to learn about Black history in a fictional format. I thought it was neat how there were chapters in the POV of the houses and cities. I have never really come across that in fiction and it was interesting to read. Overall a great story and I highly recommend checking it out!
5/5⭐
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
Review:
Ok I loved this story. I had heard so many great things about it so I finally had to check it out for myself. I love the magical storyline and worldbuilding. There is seriously some great worldbuilding going on here. I love how magic is modernized with tech magic and how the magical society is basically like the FBI with different departments for each section. I liked Amari’s growth throughout the story and how she chooses to be good and keep following her dream no matter what prejudice she faced. I did not expect that plot twist at the end at all and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
4.5/5⭐
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Review:
Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook! This was such a throwback! I absolutely LOVE Winnie the Pooh and I had to request this audiobook the second I saw it. This is such a classic and was very enjoyable to listen to. I love all the stories of what happens to Pooh and his friends. The narrator of this audiobook almost had the voices of each character down, but his voice for Eeyore was a bit weird with the partial British-like accent. Overall, it was so nice to experience my favorite childhood bear again and I would recommend this as a fun bedtime story for children!
4.5/5⭐
What the Hex by Alexis Daria
Review:
I thought this was a pretty fun audiobook. It’s a short story about an enemies-to-lovers couple, but with the guy secretly loving the girl the whole time, teaming up together to banish an evil demon and save the girl’s sister’s wedding. I love all of Catalina’s character growth by the end of the story. Her relationship dynamic with Diego was so cute and ooh their chemistry was fire. There’s a little bit of sex magic that spices up the story, but doesn’t do much to banish the demon LOL. Catalina’s grandmother was such a sassy character and lots of fun to read about. I love how each of her sisters had a distinct personality and I thought the plot twist at the end was funny as hell. Overall, this is a great short story and I highly recommend it 😍
4/5⭐
That’s a wrap on my wrap-up and kudos to you if you managed to read through the entire thing 😂 As usual, if you’ve read any of these, I would love to hear your opinion in the comments below. Also, what book are you going to start 2022 off with?
Happy reading and I hope you all have a great start to the new year 🥳
