I completely failed my December TBR. I managed to read 6 books last month and only five of those were actually on my fixed TBR, as one of them I started in November and then finished at the beginning of the month. I really don't know what happened. I was doing fine for the first two weeks and then bam, reading slump just hit me out of nowhere. I'm really sad that I didn't get to most of the books that I wanted to. Time really got away from me and I've been so busy and distracted by Christmas and so I haven't finished a book in nearly two weeks. I'm really hoping that I can start 2021 off well and get some serious reading done.
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Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
I read this book at the very beginning of the month and it was such a wonderful story. Beautifully written in stunning verse, this was a truly special story that I adored. Filled with so many quotable moments, this is a really inspiring story of two sisters who discover the other exists after a plane crash kills their father. Both characters have such strong voices and their emerging bond really shines through. I'd urge everyone to pick this one up even if you're not a big fan of books written in verse (like me) because you may end up surpising yourself. You can read my full review here.
Fox 8 by George Saunders
This was a short story that I only really read because I needed a book to fit a prompt read a book with a fox on the cover for the Reindeer Readathon and after searching for a while I found this one on my library app so just went ahead and borrowed it. This was a strange read, it's super short, only around 50 pages and is told from the point of view of a fox who has begun to learn our language from listening to bedtime stories outside of houses. I understood what the author was trying to do with it but I just couldn't get past the writing style. It was purposefully written with spelling and grammar mistakes to reflect how the fox has come to understand English but it was just a chore to read through. It was interesting and had a strong message but not one that's really stuck with me.
Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone
This is the second middle grade book that I've read from Abi Elphenstone and she's quickly becoming an author that I just want to read everything from! She creates such vivid worlds and characters that I truly feel like I've been sucked straight into the story. Sky Song takes place in Erkenwald, a kingdom overthrown by an evil ice witch and three children who fight to save their families and their tribes. Eska, Flint and Flint's sister Blue are brilliant characters to follow on this adventure and I loved learning about their pasts and the strength that they find to create their own paths. I'm truly looking forward to reading Elphinstone's other books.
Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
In the conclusion to the series, Forever is a decent ending for these characters and their journey. I gave it an extra half star more then the other two probably not because I enjoyed it more but because I liked how everything came full circle and it was a fitting end. It's a super fast paced read and it's easy to get through. I will say that it felt quite repetitive at times just because Grace and Sam go on pretty similar journeys and a lot of the werewolf side of things tends to be the same as what's happened in the first two books. I did like Isabelle and Cole even more in this book so I'm interested to see how their story continues in Sinner.
Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber
I ended up being quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this mystery/thriller just because I borrowed it on a whim not really knowing anything about it. We follow Josie, as she returns to her hometown and the life she left behind following the death of her mother after not having been back for ten years after her father was murdered. There's a lot of little details and twists that occur in this book that put my mind in a spin as there's a fair bit going on. I really liked the podcast element of this book the most though, It was interspersed between chapters and gives us little insights into past events and how the reinvestigation is going. I thought it was very well written and whilst the final twist is guessable, it was still well executed.
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
This was such a fun, festive contemporary. I loved the idea behind the plot; heartbroken after a recent break up, Sophie's family decided to set her up on ten blind dates over the Christmas period to help her move on and chaos and fun ensues. A lot of the time people find contemporaries too predictable but even though you could probably map out the whole thing ten pages in, I still love it because it makes me feel happy and content. I will admit, Sophie has a lot of family members and I found it so hard to keep track of who was who and how they were all connected. This book has a lot of heart and hilarious situations and was the perfect read for the time of year.
One Snowy Week in Springhollow by Lucy Knott
Unfortunately, the last book on this list is a DNF. I don't know if this is what kicked off my slump but I just could not force myself to finish this and I tried. Hard. I got halfway before I finally gave up because I could not do it to myself any longer. I'm sure a lot of people will like this book and I'm very frustrated that I wasn't one of those people. The main character, Scarlett, just got on my nerves SO MUCH. She just wouldn't except the blame for anything and forced everything that's gone wrong in her life onto the fact that her best friend moved away at sixteen. But she doesn't see it as him moving away, she sees it as him abandoning her on purpose. No, that's not what happened, his parents made him move but she acts like it's completely his fault. I struggled through it for over a week before I abandoned ship.
So, that's everything I read in December. Hopefully it's all uphill from here!
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