December 2025 reading is a wrap! Did you have a favorite December read? How was your reading year?

December 2025 Reading Wrap Up

December Summary: I’m limping into my December and end-of-year wrap ups this year (it’s been a difficult fall/winter). Out of 12 books completed, I had five 4-star reads, five 3-3..5-star reads, and two 2-star reads. Two DNFs.

Keeping in mind that reading is not a competition and enjoyment matters more than numbers, did you meet your 2025 reading goal? I’ll be back in tomorrow with my end-of-year reading wrap-up.

My most enjoyable fiction read in December was The Market Girls of Petticoat Lane by Patricia McBride.

Maisie, Amanda, and Bethan were my December Captivating Characters of the month. Join the Link Party for #CaptivatingCharacters25 hosted by yours truly (details in the linked post). Check it out and link up (blog post, goodreads reviews, etc.) with me!

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***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

ARC=Advanced Readers Copy (complimentary copy for review before pub date)

The Market Girls of Petticoat Lane by Patricia McBride (ARC)

4 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction (WWII home front) by the author of the Library Girls of the East End series. Women supporting women/friendship. My review of Market Girls of Petticoat Lane here. Pub Date: 1/6/2026.

Marrying the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund (ARC)

4 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction (1800s, St Louis). Witty banter, page-turning action, swoon-worthy romance. Review coming soon. Pub Date: 2/3/2026

The Last Father-Daughter Dance by Lisa Wingate (sh story)

4 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Poignant and heartfelt short story. I wasn’t ready for it to end. Not yet reviewed.

The Shippers by Katherine Center (ARC)

4 Stars. (ARC) Contemporary Fiction. Escaptist Women’s Fiction. Romance. Katherine Center doesn’t disappoint. Review coming on pub date: 5/19/2026.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

4 Stars. Nonfiction. Memoir. Reflective and thought-provoking. Beautifully written. Not yet reviewed.

A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys (ARC)

3.5 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction (1927, Detroit) with a side of mystery/suspense. The author’s first adult novel. Review coming on Pub Date: 6/2/2026.

The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works by Helen Czerski

3.5 Stars. Nonfiction. Essays. Science (oceanography, environmentalism). Not sure if I was the target audience. Some parts were enjoyable other parts were super technical. Well written for scientists, oceanographers, and environmentalists. I will never look at the ocean the same way again. Not yet reviewed.

Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman

3 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Family drama, grief, romance. Especially entertaining for holiday movie buffs. Not yet reviewed.

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crawley (YA)

3 Stars. Young Adult. Contemporary Fiction. Too much profanity for my taste. Not reviewed.

The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

2.5-3 Stars. Historical Fiction (1888, Great Plains). Sad and tragic. Disappointed by many author opinions and religious profanity. I wish I had read the nonfiction title. Not yet reviewed.

The May House by Jillian Cantor (ARC)

2.5 Stars. (ARC) Contemporary Women’s Fiction. Sisters. Family drama. While the story was OK, the structure left a great deal to be desired as the story hopped around from character to character and random time periods, which left me confused and disoriented. I couldn’t put it in any chronological order in my mind. Review coming on Pub Date: 5/12/2026.

The Black Wolf by Louise Penny

2 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Mystery/Thriller/Terrorism/Conspiracy Theories. A companion read to The Grey Wolf. Started skimming at 61%…at 78% skipped to the end. I may not continue with this series unless the author returns to the traditional mysteries she does best. Not Reviewed.

DNF

(both attributed to my mood)

Life & Death & Giants by Ron Rindo
Bored with the football talk. DNF at 40%.

One Summer by Bill Bryson
Generally underwhelmed and confused about the premise, in that it seemed to cover a great deal more than what happened one summer.

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QOTD:

Did we read any of the same books?
Did you have a favorite December read?

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December Blog Posts

Bookish Books 2025 Wrap Up
Successfully DNF’d
Misery Lit or Uplit?
Captivating Characters of December
Merry Christmas 2025
Favorite Historical Fiction of 2025
Christmas Settings 2025
The Seamstress of Acadie Review
Winter 2025/2026 TBR
This American Woman Review
The Ladies Rewrite the Rules Review
Snowy Settings
The Blue Machine Review
An Astronomer in Love Review
Books as Gifts 2025
At Morning’s Light Review

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Happy Reading Book Friends!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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Books I review are purchased by me or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that they are free (arcs).

Amazon or publisher websites receive all credit for author and book cover images.

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