Log in with Facebook 
So that's a wrap for December. In keeping with my anal retentive need to keep to certain patterns, even with the 2015 wrap-up post, I still felt the need to post a monthly reading wrap-up.
I'm planning on reformatting my monthly reading wrap up posts for future postings (maybe), but only because I know I tend to get long-winded and try to add more details than necessary. I'll probably just simplify things into "Books Read", "Books Reading", and "Books Planning to Read", or something like that, and then maybe do a few random book haul posts every so often.
I just wanted to finish out the full year without completely revamping my monthly wrap up posts because: Obsessive Compulsive Illogical Reasonings.
Anyway, as per usual, I've found my average number of books read per month and have accepted that I probably won't surpass that number unless miracles happen. And I'm cool with that now--no more attempts at squeezing in more books to reach the 20+ range, especially if I want to find some time to write reviews and plan other bookish blog posts as well, or slack off and make multiple lists of which I may or may not use for future posts.
However, for all the blog writing I've been doing and all the list making and all the new years planning... I think I've done quite well for myself in my reading life for December.
Books Read
Audio Book
Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken
Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken (short story)
Taste Test by Kelly Fiore
Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Out of Her League by Kaylea Cross
Vitro by Jessica Khoury
Slow Burn by Julie Garwood
The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis
Kissing Santa Claus by Jill Shalvis (part of A Small Town Christmas anthology)
Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis
Risky Christmas / A Romantic Suspense anthology -- Jill Sorenson, Jennifer Morey
Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood
Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis
Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr
Desert Heat by Cindy Gerard
What the Dead Know by Kylie Brant
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens -- audio book narrated by Simon Vance
Books Dropped/Put On Hold
Currently Reading
Reviews & Notable Posts
- Reviews
Unexpected Gifts and Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken
Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Out of Her League by Kaylea Cross
The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis
Kissing Santa Claus by Jill Shalvis
Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis
Risky Christmas anthology -- Jill Sorenson, Jennifer Morey
Packaged Review for Books I Read in 2015
Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis
Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr
- Other Posts
2015 Reading Assignment Challenge -- November Report
First Impression: Risky Christmas -- Holiday Secrets
2016 Reading Assignment Challenge
2015 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up
2016 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
My 2015 Year in Books @ Goodreads
Reading Wrap-Up
18 books total were read in December. I think I mostly made it because of the one audio book, two short stories, two novellas, and several short Christmas fluff pieces. Okay, so not several, but enough that it added to my numbers this month. And to be totally honest, with the exception of one book, the rest of the books I read in December were easy reads or reads that had me hooked enough to keep going.
- Series I started reading in December:
Romancing Wisconsin by Stacey Joy Netzel
Suspense series by Kaylea Cross
- Series I completed in December:
None
- Series I have made progress on in December:
Corpus by Jessica Khoury
Buchanan-Renard-MacKenna by Julie Garwood
Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis
Mindhunters by Kylie Brant
My favorite books read in December include The Sweetest Thing and Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis. There was also A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as my Christmastime "read"--a book I actually listened to as an audio book, narrated by Simon Vance that I really, really enjoyed. Then there was Spinning Starlight that I enjoyed, but still have some reserves about. Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel was a surprisingly enjoyable short holiday read.
I was a bit disappointed in Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson, if only because I hyped myself a little over than was necessary. And I was surprisingly disappointed that Unexpected Gifts wasn't as fluffy and holiday romance-y as I'd wanted it to be--mainly because the book started out well, but then spiraled into "what the heck is going on here?" as the novella came to a close. Sadly, I was also disappointed in Shadow Dance because I'd been under the impression that Julie Garwood's Buchanan-Renard books were getting better and more enjoyable with each installment--Shadow Dance was a step back.
Coming Up Next (tentative scheduling)
- Tentative TBR for January
Book Haul / TBR Additions
- Freebies:
- Discount Deals:
- Bought as New:
- Audible:
- Checked Out From the Library
Final Thoughts
Aside from one or two books, December was actually filled with books I could really get into. And when I can really get into a book, I automatically find time to read them no matter what else is going on.
So December was actually a very productive month for my bookish life. On top of getting more books read than I've been able to do in a while, I've also been spending time planning my bookish activities for the new year: choosing reading challenges, making lists, preparing more bookish spreadsheets for each reading challenge... in general, determining how I will go about blogging my bookish life in 2016. I've even managed to format and post all of my reading challenge wrap-ups and yearly bookish wrap-up for 2015.
And then, in a final hurrah, I made the decision to participate in Bout of Books' January Read-a-thon; then I spent one evening formatting and planning all of my update posts.
I feel like I've accomplished a lot more in these last two weeks of December than I have for the past few months. It's a good feeling.
Surprisingly, my plans for spending money on certain books and getting some bonus reward points and the like hasn't really followed through. I haven't bought as many books as I'd been expecting to buy--not sure how I feel about that. Though I DID do a brief freebie spree while looking for some cheap and fluffy holiday reads.
Here's to hoping that next month, and next year in general, will be a better one. Although I'm already determined not to push myself too hard with books I can't get myself to enjoy. I might work on being less stubborn and letting myself drop books if they just aren't working for me.
Previous Wrap-Ups
Reading Wrap Up: 2015 So Far (Jan., Feb., Mar.)
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- Looking Back at April
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- What Happened in May
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- So That Was June
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- Oh Sigh, July
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- And Now For August
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- September, September
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- Um... October
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- November
source: http://9gag.com/gag/a3B33mQ#_=_
