Hi, everyone. I’d like to announce something super important. I am now a reader. Everyone should fall in love with reading again. It’s quite magnificent. Today, I’m walking you through every book I read in December. Are you pumped for more book content? Let me know in the comments and drop your book recs while you’re there!
Now, I was a big reader as a kid. I loved the Scholastic Book Fair, the Pizza Hut reading goal promotions, and transporting to a new locale every time I opened a book. Cut to college. Between the nightmarish reading assignments for general education requirements and overall lack of time for anything other than organic chemistry problem sets and nursing hangovers, there was little time for reading(for fun).
I came to the conclusion that in order to start reading more I would need to 1. actually find an efficient way to fit it into my schedule and 2. figure out what I actually wanted to read as an adult. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a good Sarah Dessen back in the day. I’m just not quite sure that’s going to cut it anymore.
Now, I have a book on me at all times and I mix in a sprinkle of romance, fantasy, YA, literature, and novels by Black folks. My reading time has skyrocketed. I covered a lot of ground in December and wanted to share with you all of my reads considering at least 20 pounds of my luggage was books! Let’s get into it.
Remember to shop small when you buy books. Shop my favorite online indie bookstore, Folio Bookshop. Use my code ‘GABBY’ and get 10% off your purchase! If you’re in NYC, I love The Strand(Union Square + UWS), McNally Jackson(Seaport, Nolita, Williamsburg), and The Corner Bookstore (UES)!
Every Book I Read In December
Get A Life, Chloe Brown
If You Liked: The Kiss Quotient
Get A Life, Chloe Brown was honestly the perfect way to start getting back into reading. It’s about a chronically-ill web designer who just really can’t stand her super. I personally love a book that forces me to suspend disbelief and this book is full of ridiculous and sweeping scenarios. It’s a relatively quick read and part of a series that gives every one of the Brown sisters a voice.
4.2/5 stars
The Silent Patient
If You Liked: Big Little Lies
I love a sweet & spicy romantic comedy almost as much as I love a psychological thriller. The Silent Patient is about a British painter. Her husband is brutally killed and she is the prime suspect. She won’t say a word, to anyone. The narrator, Theo, is a psychotherapist who is determined to get her to talk and unearth the story of her husband’s untimely demise. I’m someone who’s always trying to guess the ending, always falling for the red herrings, and not every shocked by the endings of books and films. This one though!! This one got me.
4.3/5 stars
It Ends With Us
If You Liked (or Really Didn’t Like): Tell Me Lies
TW: domestic abuse. This one tugs jerks at the heartstrings. It’s a moving story about second chances and the strength to choose a different path. This was one I couldn’t put down and I think a lot of that has to do with Colleen Hoover’s ability to draw the reader in with engaging characters and complex timelines. If you really want a book that you simply won’t be able to put down, this one is for you.
4.5/5 stars
The Love Hypothesis
If You Liked: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
Okay, so I have so many thoughts and opinions about this book because it’s all about a graduate student (!!) fake dating a professor. AND.. I know that I’m supposed to suspend disbelief AND I know something like this has probably happened BUT it ain’t happening and it definitely shouldn’t! That being said, the writing is excellent, the plot is quirky and relatable and full of shenanigans. I enjoyed reading it and it was fun to see a book like this written in a research setting. Overall, I’d recommend for a good chuckle.
4.3/5 stars
The Wedding Date
If You Liked: Beach Read
I guess I was really feeling the fake dating troupe because The Wedding Date hones in on the oh so popular cliche. Imagine a meet cute in an elevator (yes, it gets stuck) with a hot man who then asks you to be his date to a wedding that weekend. Did I mention he’s a whole surgeon? I sped read this book in the airport when I was flying home for the holiday break. Excited to read some more of Jasmine Guillory’s books!
4.2/5 stars
Take A Hint, Dani Brown
If You Liked: The Wedding Date
Of course, I had to read the next in the line up of The Brown Sisters trilogy and I realize it also has a fake dating plot. Hmmm.. adds up. I like this one because it manages to combine another academic setting (Dani is a Ph.D. student) and a viral video moment. These books are just addicting. This one dives into more serious topics (death and loss); but is heartwarming and cheesy romance too.
4.2/5 stars
Such A Fun Age
If You Liked: The Vanishing Half
This book was very popular and people really loved it. I did not care for it. It’s told in dual perspective from the point of view of Alix and Emira. Alix is a rich, white woman and Emira is her Black nanny. I think this would be a good book club pick because there are a lot of scenarios that are EXCELLENT jump offs to have discussions about microagressions and interpersonal relationships with those of different races, genders, and economic class. Personally, I can’t say that I got anything out of the book. I wasn’t really moved or horrified or comforted or entertained. It was just a book that was trying to hard to be the moment and maybe missed the point entirely. I don’t know. I’m genuinely curious about what other people think about this book!
3.5/5 stars
The Bluest Eye
If You Liked: Sula
The bluest eye tore me apart. It is horrifying, beautiful, tragic, strange, and familiar all at the same time. Morrison is one of my favorite authors of all time. She writes with such fierceness and doesn’t hold back. It’s extremely heavy and needs a trigger warning or seven. But, if you want to challenge yourself to read a book that is truly a work of art, give The Bluest Eye a read. It dissects beauty and our perception of beauty. It critiques and questions why whiteness has become the center of the beauty standard. Further, how does this beauty standard impact the psyche of Black folks, specifically and especially, Black girls.
4.8/5 stars
Such A Quiet Place
If You Liked: The Girl On The Train
This was another quick read, although I think I’m just impatient and need to know how thrillers and mysteries end. I think this would make an exciting TV show(it’s giving an energy similar to Big Little Lies). A lake side neighborhood community is rocked by the murder of the street’s least favorite couple. I’d best describe it as a “who dun it” meets revenge plot. I think the lake side setting was an excellent choice and made it fell even more dangerous and creepy. Definitely a quick read for the mystery/thriller fan.
4.4/5 stars
Beach Read
If You Liked: It Ends With Us
This book had so many interesting elements to it. You’ve got two writers, a secret affair, an inherited lake house, and a friendly challenge. The main characters challenge each other to write a book outside of their usual genre of choice. You get to follow along with them as they go through “research” activities to prep and write their stories. Meanwhile, they are both going through it. Their personal lives are in real shambles. Personally, I felt this book was pretty well paced and a true slow burn. You’re rooting for these characters from the start.
4.5/5 stars
December was full of books, all pretty great. And, falling in love again with something you used to know so well is just so… !! Anyways, I’ve joined the Goodreads world, and if you’re interested in what I’m reading and what I want to read, follow me over on there!
xx,
