December '22 Reads

December. The last month of the year. 365 days later and I’ve read 45 books and written 23 posts, including this one. I’m proud of myself for sticking with myself and writing about every book I read this year, and yes, a whole post recapping my 2022 in relation to books will be following this one.

I didn’t read as many books towards the end of the year as in the beginning, and that’s okay. The most important thing is giving myself grace – and sticking to my goal of writing about each one.

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No Words - Meg Cabot, read #43 of 2022

Another bookish romance, another book crossed off my TBR. This time it was enemies to lovers set at a fictional book festival. Did I mention they’re both authors? Jo writes middle grade while Will writes broody romances branded as literary fiction. It was cute, and had potential, but some of it just fell flat. The side characters were more interesting than the main characters. There was really no explanation to why Jo was so mad at Will and reacted the way she did. I mean, there was, but there didn’t seem to be a full resolution. One minute she hates him. The next minute they’re making out.

This also was my first Meg Cabot read, and maybe my last? I haven’t fully written off the other books in the Little Bridge Island series, so we’ll see.

Live Fearless: A Call to Power, Passion, and Purpose - Sadie Robertson, read #44 of 2022

I’m not a big nonfiction person – this being only my third nonfic read of the year. Going into 2022, I wanted to try to be more aware of reading outside my typical genres, and I think I accomplished that, just not with nonfiction.

The book wasn’t bad, I’d say it was half-devotional half-memoir. I don’t know if it was my cup of tea, though. I liked the message and the fact that Sadie dove into the Scriptures and “worked the word.” I think it was what I needed throughout this month, regardless of any afterthoughts I have.

It just felt artificial, and I hate saying that for a plethora of reasons, but especially because I don’t want to discredit someone’s life and their experiences with prayer and religion. Everyone has their own walk of life and it isn’t our place in life to discredit that walk.

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan, read #45 of 2022

My third read of December, final read of the year, and overall 45th read of 2022. I love Dash and Lily. I think they’re the cutest slightly pretentious, NYC-based YA couple ever. I want my own Dash. I want to be Lily, just (hopefully) less neurotic. I want to find a red Moleskine notebook tucked in between used copies of Salinger.

I’ve tried to read Dash & Lily every Christmas season since I first discovered them in high school. Someday I’ll finish their trilogy – which I own and planned on reading this month – and watch their Netflix series, but for now, I’m content following their initial adventures throughout the city that never sleeps.

Overall I think December was a good way to round out the year that I fell back into reading: a new read with my new favorite trope, a nonfiction read that I needed, and a familiar YA favorite that reminded me just why I love reading and writing so much.