December Reads

Rounding out the year with this short stack of books.

We’ve reached the end of another year, and another great stack of books. This month, though, I kept it light. With the holidays and other life things happening, I was honestly pretty lucky to get through the books I read.

A quick breakdown of December before we get to the recaps:

Total books read: 5

• Physical/eBook: 2

• Audiobook: 3

This brings my grand total for the year to… 100! 🥳

I won’t drag this post out, given my end of year recap is coming out shortly and I know you’re probably enjoying the holiday break with your loved ones. I’ll say, this month had some goodies — fantastic memoirs and a pretty good thriller.

As always, if you have a recommendation or something you know I’ll love to read, please put it in the comments, DM me, send a smoke signal, tell me on Goodreads — basically, whatever it takes to get the book on my TBR!

Also, just to keep it top-of-mind, please refer to the Instagram post on what my star ratings mean.

Let’s get into everything I read in December!

FICTION

HAVEN’T KILLED IN YEARS, by Amy K. Green

Who it’s for: Those who like a quick paced thriller

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Suspenseful. This recently published thriller landed on my Libby shelf pretty quickly (thanks to that “Notify Me” tag) and I was excited to get my hands on it. Gwen Tanner has a secret, on top of being a serial killer’s daughter. Her dad is in jail, she’s living under an assumed name, and suddenly limbs show up on her doorstep with ominous notes. She fears she’s been found — her true identity. She meets a true crime lover, Dominic, who has been visiting her father to write a book about his life. Gwen tries to keep her true identity a secret as she gets further down a rabbit hole with Dominic and the people he knows. You’ll be glad you read it, just pick it up.

BRIGHTLY SHINING, by Ingvild H. Rishøi

Who it’s for: People looking for a short, compelling read

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heartbreaking. I grabbed this one on sale at the end of last year while cruising the shelves at Barnes & Noble and finally got around to reading it. It’s a Scandinavian story set at Christmas-time. The main character, Ronja, is a child surviving her alcoholic father with her sister, Melissa, who really is the caretaker of the family. Ronja gets her dad a job selling Christmas trees, but when his addiction takes him, Ronja and Melissa are set to handle things on their own, again. It’s a tragic tale at its core, but it has a little humor and was a decent short read.

NONFICTION

BREAD OF ANGELS, by Patti Smith

Who it’s for: People who love a gorgeous memoir by an iconic writer

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Intimate. Okay, you already know this is gorgeously written — it’s Patti Smith!! This is a fantastic memoir. Grief, loss, love, survival — she leaves nothing off the table in this detailed look at her life. Patti shares imitate details of her childhood and teen years, loves and successes, the iconic origin story of the song “Because the Night” (one of my faves!) and so much more. The audiobook was fantastic, and so is her writing. If you have ever enjoyed Patti and her work, you will love, love, love this memoir.

MY FRIEND ANNA, by Rachel DeLoche Williams

Who it’s for: Those who love a story about a scammer

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Compelling. Rachel DeLoche Williams met Anna Delvey through mutual friends and eventually became the lynchpin to bring the scammer to justice. Normally when you hear about someone being caught for fraud, you usually don’t get the detailed story of the victim. DeLoche Williams shares her tale to change that fact and make the situation Delvey put her in almost as famous as the scammer herself. DeLoche Williams details her friendship with Delvey, how she was betrayed and eventually vindicated once the case was closed. It’s a cautionary tale of sorts and I found it very interesting. You never know who you’re letting into your life! And, obviously, don’t pay the extremely high tab of your rich friend when they pretend to be in a bind.

THE UNCOOL, by Cameron Crowe

Who it’s for: If you loved Almost Famous, you’ll live for this memoir

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantastic. Cameron Crowe needs no introduction, and when I heard he had a memoir coming out this year, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. This story of his early years writing for publications like Rolling Stone (you know, what his iconic Oscar winning movie Almost Famous was based on) was so incredibly detailed. I watched part of it play in front of me (the movie) while he recalled the interviews that made his career as a music writer iconic. These stories fill most of the memoir, but hearing the big hits of his film career round out the memoir was a nice addition when I came to hear about the rock ’n’ roll days of the 70s. Highly recommend the audiobook of this one, too.

All the (non-affiliate) links for the books reviewed go to Bookshop.org, a wonderful site where you can purchase your books and support your local independent bookstore(s). 📚

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