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Today I am sharing the books I read in December.
Can you believe another year is over???
Here were my 2025 reading goals:
1. Read 250 books. This includes the books I read to the kids, audiobooks, and anything I read for myself. 251 READ–DONE!
2. Read twelve self-help/education books. 9 READ-I didn’t quite make this goal for the year, but that’s OK!
3. Re-read twelve books. There are so many good ones I have been meaning to re-read, so this is my goal to help with that! 37 READ-DONE!
I am also participating in a few book-related challenges this year:
1. The 2025 Audiobook Challenge, and my goal is the “Binge Listener” level (20-30 audiobooks.) **I decided to change my goal to the next level up “My Precious” (30-50 audiobooks.) 32 READ-DONE!
2. The 2025 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge, and my goal is the silver level which is reading and reviewing at least 25 books off my Netgalley list (I have 35 currently.) 20 READ, 24 REVIEWED. *** I also ended up reading and reviewing seven independent author books from the Letters to Mrs. Claus series, so I feel I met my reading and reviewing goals! DONE!
3. The Craving for Cozies Challenge, and my goal is the “Famished” level which is 26-50 cozy mysteries. I have done this challenge the past two years, and it was a lot of fun, so I decided to do it again. 29 READ-DONE!
A few formatting notes for my book posts:
1. I have inserted pictures as well as Amazon links to the books I enjoyed most for the month so that it is easier to read more about each book if you are interested. Hopefully, your local library system will carry most of these.
2. If I completed a more detailed review of any of these books, I included a review link after my comments.
3. If a book is not available yet, you will see the publication date in parenthesis after my comments.
4. I have rated each book using a bold numbered star after each comment.
The rating system is as follows:
*5-This book was so good, I either bought it, or think it is worth buying. I am pretty picky about the books I buy, so this is as good as it gets!
*4-This book was worth reading, but not necessarily worth buying-look for these books at your local library
*3-This book was just OK. I wouldn’t need to read it again.
*2-Don’t bother
*1-There probably won’t be any of these, because if it was THIS bad, I wouldn’t finish it. 🙂
This month was filled with lots of Christmas books (as usual), with a few others sprinkled in. I love that we read a lot of the same books year after year-such a fun tradition.
We added five new Christmas books to our stash this year-three for the Christmas School curriculum we did through Read Aloud Revival (love this program so much), and two (recommended by RAR) that I got from the library and ended up loving and purchasing.
I am very glad I had a ton of Christmas cards left over from 2024, as I didn’t have a lot of time to make more with all the reading I did!
Here are the books I read this month:
1. The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie dePaola-OK *3 RAR Christmas School book
2. A Winter of Sweet Secrets by Heidi McCahan-OK *3 REVIEW
3. The Baker’s Dozen by Aaron Shepherd-good *4
4. Cookie’s Christmas Cookies by Lee Howard-a Christmas favorite *4
5. Big Bird’s Tree-Trimming Party by Lee Howard-a Christmas favorite *4
6. Grover’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Lee Howard-a Christmas favorite *4
7. Snow Bugs by David A. Carter-cute as always *5
8. Nicked by the Mistletoe by Ellie Hartwood-good *4 REVIEW
9. The Cat on the Dovrefell by Tomie dePaola-one of my favorites *5
10. The Plan for the Gingerbread House by Darcy Pattison-good *4
11. O, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany-good-love this series! *4
12. Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares-good-fun illustrations! *4 RAR Christmas School book
13. The Carpenter’s Gift by David Rubel-good *3
14. The North Police: Reindeer Games by Scott Sonneborn-another we read every year! *4
15. The North Police: Meet the South Police by Scott Sonneborn-another we read every year! *4
16. Olive, The Other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh-cute *4
17. The Attic Christmas by B.G. Hennessey-this is another of my very favorites *5
18. A Christmas Wish for Corduroy by B.G. Hennessey-fun *3
19. Merry Christmas, Peanut! by Terry Border-so cute *4
20. Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson-love this one *4
21. Froggy’s Best Christmas by Jonathan London-OK *3
22. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Rick Bunsen-OK *3
23. The Gourmet Detective (The Gourmet Detective Mystery Series #1) by Peter King (audiobook)-good *4
24. Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray-loved it! *5
25. My Merry Christmas by Sally Lloyd-Jones-good *3
26. Is It Christmas Yet? by Jane Chapman-OK *3
27. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin-OK *3
28. Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett-good *4
29. The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett-good *3
30. The Animals’ Christmas Eve by Gale Wiersum-OK *3
31. The Buy-In by Emma St. Clair-not my favorite *3
32. Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Nobel-very good *4 RAR Christmas School book
33. Once There Was a Christmas Tree by Jerry Smath-one of my favorites!!! *5
34. Cranberry Christmas by Wende Devlin-another favorite *5
35. The Bears’ Christmas by Stan Berenstain-good *4
36. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston-good *4
37. Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun-good *4
38. Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner-so imaginative *4
39. The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake by Devin Elle Kurtz-very pretty illustrations! *4
40. The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray-good *4
41. The Christmas Walk by Andrew M. Rector-good *4
42. The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving by Stan Berenstain-good *4
43. The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown-very good, wonderful illustrations *4 PURCHASED
44. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett-OK *3
45. The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan (audiobook)-very good *4
46. Rock Paper Incisors by Amy Timberlake-cute *4 REVIEW
47. The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert-OK *3
48. Snowman Magic by Katherine Tegen-good *4
49. The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery by Judy Katschke-OK *3
50. Secret Santa by Margaret McNamara-OK *3
51. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Jon Goodell-OK *3
52. A Charlie Brown Christmas Pop-Up Edition by Charles M. Schulz-good *4
53. Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp-love doing this one every year *4
54. Snow Horses by Patricia MacLachlan-a favorite! *5
55. Prairie Days by Patricia MacLachlan-another favorite-such a lovely book *5
56. The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4) by Rick Riordan (audiobook)-very good as always *4
57. The Christmas Book Flood by Emily Kilgore-lovely story and pictures *5 PURCHASED
This month I read thirty-six books to the kids, and I read/listened to eight books just for me. I read thirteen picture books to myself for review.
For the year, I have read fifty-eight books to the kids and ninety-seven books just for me. I’ve also read ninety-six picture books to myself for review.
Well, that’s it for today. I will share my January books the first Tuesday in February.
Slow Down, Enjoy, and Create 