Hello hello! We've made it to the very last day of 2025. How was your year? I hope you were able to read many books!
This post has three parts, as indicated by the title: 1) Christmas Book Haul; 2) December Reading Recap; and 3) 2025 Reading Wrap-up.
Let's get started!
CHRISTMAS BOOK HAUL (Pictured above)
1. The Magic-Wife, the Mariner, and the Milkmaid, by Anna Schollenberger
My sister wrote this book for me! She's been writing it since 2020. She's been giving me a chapter or two for every birthday and Christmas for the past few years, and on Christmas Day she gave me chapter 17. The next day, my husband and I went over to my parents' again for another round of gifts with different extended family members, and my mom handed me the last gift. I opened it and there was the whole, completed book staring up at me!! It had only come that day. Truly the best surprise I got this Christmas!
2. Tears of the Wolf, by Elisabeth Wheatley
I'm not finished with her Daindreth's Assassin series, but she's been hyping this one up so much that I had to try it!
3. On Writing and Worldbuilding, Volume II, by Timothy Hickson
My mom accidentally got Volume III for me for my birthday back in July, so I waited to read that one until I got Volume II.
4. A Tale of Time City, by Diana Wynne Jones
A new Diana Wynne Jones to devour! Yay!
5. The Princess Companion, by Melanie Cellier
This was on my Fall 2025 TBR, but I didn't realize when I made my list that my library doesn't have this book. My sister-in-law got it for me for Christmas!
6. Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng
I got this from my cousin as one of those "secret date with a book" type packages. It came with a pen and highlighter and a bunch of fun stickers and other bookish goodies. So fun!
7. Castle Perilous, by John DeChancie
This was recommended to me by my friend Alex. Based on his other recommendations, I have no doubt that this will be very weird, and also very good.
DECEMBER READING RECAP
All covers are linked to Goodreads.
Thistlefoot, by GennaRose Nethercott
★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
Release Year: 2022
Oh, where to begin? I loved the themes in this story, as well as the characters. How the past was woven with the present, fantasy with truth. That was masterful.
I had to take off a star, however, for the occasionally overly purple prose and the way the narration jumped around. I wouldn't say it was a slog to read, exactly, but I found myself not wanting to read large chunks at a time. I never completely lost myself in the story.
That being said, what an absolutely beautiful way to honor and mourn one of the past's many horrors.
Favorite quotes:
"'What has come to pass cannot be changed,' the Longshadow Man rasped.
"'Yes,' Isaac agreed in Illa's voice. 'It cannot be changed. But it can be told.'"
***
"I'll recite it as a folktale, for you have earned this much. It's a tongue that makes sufferings taste sweeter, more possible to bear."
Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center
★★★★.5
Genre: Romance
Release Year: 2023
My favorite Katherine Center novel to date! (Albeit it's only the third one I've read.) The funny thing is that I accurately predicted the ending based on the blurb–but the journey to get there was epically fun. I enjoyed everything about it–the characters, the romance, the writing. Even the narrator was amazing! If you're looking for a fun closed-door romance, this is it!
The Measure, by Nikki Erlick
★★★★
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Release Year: 2022
While the writing style of this book was, as my sister described it, clinical, I really enjoyed it. I'm impressed at how the author seemed to think of everything that could happen in this hypothetical scenario and then spun it out with respect for every worldview. Sometimes, while reading, I got curious about my own string before remembering the strings aren't real. So I guess, even though it wasn't the most poetically written novel, it was still compelling.
A Very Merry Matchup, by Becca Kinzer
★★★.5
Genre: Romance
Release Year: 2025
This was really cute! My only real quibble is that it felt a little creepy to me, the way Beau and his family were so openly pursuing Ivy against her will. Even Lucy was in on it! I'd be more creeped out than charmed if I were Ivy. But all the cozy Christmas feels, and Becca Kinzer's signature warm style, made me happy.
A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher
★★★★
Genre: Fantasy/Retelling
Release Year: 2024
It took me so long to read a T. Kingfisher book because it feels like I see a new book by her pop up every month, and I figured (wrongly, it turned out) that such a prolific body of work couldn't also be good. Well. This one, at least, was good. My favorite part was probably Hester and Richard's romance–we need more 50+ romances in fantasy! I was a little disappointed at how their story wrapped up, simply from a moral point of view, but that's just me. Cordelia and Hester were both wonderful POV characters, and I loved Penelope too. And Willard! His lines at the end of the book kept making me laugh out loud.
Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archeologists Are Recreating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations, by Sam Kean
★★★★
Genre: Nonfiction
Release Year: 2025
I enjoyed Sam Kean’s self-deprecating and down to earth writing style, although there was more swearing than I would have liked in certain parts of the book. I found it interesting what he chose to focus on, from Roman hairstyles to trepanation to tattoos. Going into the book, I thought it was only about Egypt (I guess I didn’t read the subtitle closely enough), so at first I was skeptical about the concept of short fiction stories interspersed with memoir-style “research” sections, but it actually worked quite well. It wasn’t meant to be an in-depth discussion of anything, so for what it was, it was quite good.
Daindreth's Traitor, by Elisabeth Wheatley
★★★.5
Genre: Fantasy
Release Year: 2022
I liked this better than Book 2 (the twist at the end with Darrigan made me look out the window and say to no one in particular, "what?"). However, Daindreth and Amira just constantly saying each other's names really got on my nerves by the end of the book (it felt like half the book was Amira saying, "Daindreth!" while fighting multiple dudes at once). The inclusion of an obviously Asian-inspired monastery plopped in the middle of an obviously medieval Europe-inspired setting really threw me. And I felt like the pacing of the final confrontation scene was a little off. It was a decent read overall, though.
The Mechanical, by Ian Tregillis
★★★.5
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Release Year: 2015
The interesting concept and excellent writing of this story would have made it a 4- or even 4.5-star read for me except for the gruesomeness, violence, and language throughout.
Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
★★.5
Genre: Fantasy
Release Year: 1995
As predicted, I did not enjoy this, but at least my curiosity is satisfied! While he is a good writer, Gregory Maguire is much too crass and cynical for my taste. I feel like the musical weaves a stronger and more satisfying story, and I didn't really connect or agree with all the debates about evil and souls and religion.
As an aside, this YouTube short was so fun to watch after I finished the book.
Reading Challenge Updates
Organized challenges I'm participating in:
2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge - 0 books
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading Challenge - 1 book
2025 New Release Challenge - 2 books
Personal challenges:
Books I Didn't Get to Last Year - 1 book
National Month - 1 book
Middle Grade - 0 books
READING STATS
Number of Books Read: 105
Top Genre: Fantasy (39%)
Most Books Read in a Month: August and November are tied with 11 books each. My average this year was 8.75 books/month.
Least Books Read in a Month: My lightest reading month was February with five books.
Longest Book Read: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (1,006 pages)
Shortest Book Read: Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad (110 pages)
Book it Took Me Longest to Read: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (67 days)
Book it Took Me Least Amount of Time to Read: We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart (2 days)
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