Read in December 2025
Before diving into my in-depth reading statistics for 2025, I first want to take a moment to look back at the books I read in December. A final reading month to close out the year, and one that felt surprisingly well balanced.
In total, I read 8 books in December, amounting to 2930 pages. That brings the average December book to 366 pages per book. Every book I started this month, I also finished, meaning there were no DNFs in December.
In terms of ratings, this month was a bit of a mixed bag. While there were no DNFs or 1-star reads, every other rating made an appearance. This also means a highlight: for the first time in quite a while, I gave a book a full 5 stars, and that felt very, very good. The average December read ultimately comes out at 3.6 stars.
As for target audience, I read just one Young Adult book, with the remaining 7 books aimed at an adult readership.
As always, I varied my reading format, with 1 e-book, 2 audiobooks, and 5 physically owned books.
Genre-wise, I stuck to just 3 genres this month: romance (1), thriller (2), and fantasy (5). Language-wise, I once again read exclusively in English, with no Dutch-language books this time around.
Below you’ll find the list of the books I read in December, along with my star ratings.
Click on the link to jump to the blurb and my review! As always, please be mindful that both blurbs and reviews may contain spoilers, especially when it comes to sequels in a series. Sometimes I also hide spoilers behind collapsible or blacked-out text.
- Gillig, Rachel – The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewalker Kingdom #1) ★★★★★
- Kuang, R.F. – Katabasis ★★★★
- Feeney, Alice – Beautiful Ugly 🎧 ★★★★
- Tan, June C.L. – Jade Fire Gold ★★
- Klune, T.J. – In the Lives of Puppets 🎧 ★★★★
- Holton, India – The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Love’s Academic #1) ★★★
- Kent, Minka – People Like Them ★★★★
- Leong, Julie – The Teller of Small Fortunes ★★★
Gillig, Rachel – The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewalker Kingdom #1) ★★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum’s windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.
Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil’s visions. But when Sybil’s fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral’s cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she’d rather avoid Rodrick’s dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.
“To tell a story is in some part to tell a lie, isn’t it?”
It has been a long time since a book made me forget the world around me entirely, and The Knight and the Moth did exactly that. From the moment I began reading, I found myself sinking into the story, breathing it in, and losing hours without even noticing. I had almost forgotten how it feels to be this completely compelled by a book.
The atmosphere is astonishingly strong and effortlessly established. From the very first sentence of the prologue, the writing gripped me with its eloquence, elegance and uncanny ability to be so utterly transportive. Within just a few paragraphs, the characters feel like flesh-and-blood people, their dialogue genuine and alive, their emotions ringing true. The worldbuilding is impeccable, layered with a mythology that is both unique and wretchedly cruel, and it lingered in my mind long after I put the book down.
This story is richly multi-faceted. It offers a heart-achingly sweet romance full of chemistry, yearning, and banter; moments of comic relief that are as sweet as they are quietly sad; and themes of love, family, power, courage, and betrayal woven seamlessly throughout. I adored the dialogue and the banter, especially Bartholomew, whom I loved with my complete soul.
Did I sometimes guess where the story was heading? Yes. Did that diminish my enjoyment in the slightest? Not at all. The journey was so immersive, so emotionally resonant, that knowing what might come never mattered.
By the time I reached the ending, which was utterly devastating and shocking, I was completely undone and already desperate for more. After loving every single book I’ve read by Rachel Gillig so far, she has officially become an auto-buy, all-time favorite author for me. The Knight and the Moth is an enchanting, intricate, and brilliant gothic fantasy, and I cannot wait to continue this story.
Kuang, R.F. – Katabasis ★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek: The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld
Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.
Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.
Katabasis is sharp, clever, and darkly amusing. Very much a case of “hell is academia”.
“This is an arbitrary game of egos and narcissists and bullying perceived as strength. And he was the perfect incarnation of the system’s nonsense.”
I was surprised (and pleased) by how quickly the story plunges straight into its descent, skipping a long build-up and instead revealing its characters through flashbacks and layered revelations along the way. This structure works beautifully, slowly exposing the snobbery, entitlement, presumptions and quiet cruelty that underpin academic spaces.
Alice is not a particularly likeable protagonist, especially once you’re privy to her internal justifications, but that’s clearly the point. R.F. Kuang writes her with intention and bite, allowing the character’s flaws to sit uncomfortably with the reader rather than smoothing them over.
The writing is intelligent and witty without ever feeling dense or inaccessible, and it flows remarkably well. While the novel didn’t quite reach the level of depth or emotional impact I’d hoped for, it was still a highly enjoyable and thoughtful read, one that’s fun, incisive, and very aware of what it’s critiquing.
🎧 Feeney, Alice – Beautiful Ugly ★★★★
Genre: Thriller
. . . and revenge.
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.
Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.
A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible — a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.
Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.
Beautiful Ugly was such a fun, atmospheric ride. Alice Feeney once again delivers a mystery packed with unhinged, over-the-top twists, and honestly? I loved every ridiculous second of it. Yes, there are a few plot holes that kept nagging at me afterward, but while I was listening, I was completely swept up in the story.
Feeney has this knack for pulling me in from the very first chapter and keeping me hooked straight through to the end. The hidden message woven into the story was a great touch, and the whole thing felt deliberately bonkers in the most entertaining way.
I listened to this on audio and found it incredibly addictive, the kind of audiobook that’s hard to pause once you start. The narration was excellent, though I’m still undecided about the added music and sound effects… even if they did startle me more than once when I thought someone else was in the house, lol. Far-fetched, twisty, and not something that will linger forever, but an absolute blast in the moment.
Tan, June C.L. – Jade Fire Gold ★★
Genre: Fantasy
In an empire on the brink of war…
Ahn is no one, with no past and no family.
Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child.
When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her arcane magical abilities.
But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined.
Jade Fire Gold started off very promising, immediately evoking vivid imagery reminiscent of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: a lush, historical martial arts setting filled with beautiful scenery, elegant costumes, and myth-infused intrigue. The writing style is also fluid and descriptive, and the worldbuilding is clearly well-crafted.
Unfortunately, that initial promise quickly wore thin for me. The story leans very heavily into familiar YA territory, and the emotional development simply wasn’t deep enough for me to truly connect. Feelings of love arise far too quickly and without sufficient build-up, which made the relationships feel rushed and unconvincing. On top of that, the plot is extremely predictable for a seasoned reader.
One trope in particular really grated on me: the female main character being angry at the male main character for not immediately sharing all of his secrets, while she herself is still keeping plenty of secrets from him. It felt childish, frustrating, and riddled with double standards.
That said, this is by no means a bad book. The prose is engaging and vivid, the characters are adequately fleshed out, and the story is well-paced, supported by an appealing lore and worldbuilding. Ultimately, though, it’s simply no longer the kind of book for me. I couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting more depth, while simultaneously being irritated by the YA tropes and twists.
And then there’s the ending. For a standalone novel, the decision to end on such a cliffhanger felt completely unnecessary and deeply frustrating.
All in all, a book with clear qualities, but one that simply does not suit me (anymore).
🎧 Klune, T.J. – In the Lives of Puppets ★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
In the Lives of Puppets is a charming, heartwarming story that I had an absolute blast listening to. While the core plot isn’t particularly original, it honestly didn’t matter to me at all. T.J. Klune’s strength lies in his characters, and this book is full of wonderfully quirky, endearing personalities whose idiosyncrasies make them feel so alive.
The audiobook deserves special praise. The narration enhances the humor tremendously, and several moments genuinely made me laugh out loud. I also got distinct Doctor Who vibes, especially from the nurse robot and how the story surprisingly balances its dark themes with warmth and comedic levity.
That said, the book isn’t without flaws. Some sections felt overly long or meandering. In particular, the Blue Fairy storyline had my mind wandering off on several occasions and I felt those scenes didn’t quite fit the tone of the rest of the book. It also reminded me a bit too much of Steven Spielberg’s A.I.
The resolution, meanwhile, felt rushed and underdeveloped in contrast. And while I found the romantic storyline sweet, it also felt a bit strange and forced at times, especially due to the many sexual jokes, while also constantly emphasizing that one of the characters is asexual.
Despite these criticisms, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. I found it especially funny, warm, sometimes poignant, and also somewhat comforting.
Holton, India – The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Love’s Academic #1) ★★★
Genre: Romantiek
Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that’s beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.
For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She’s so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they’re professional rivals.
When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can’t trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.
The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love is a gloriously over-the-top, self-aware romp that leans fully into its absurdity. The writing is ridiculously posh, packed with silly wordplay, giggle-worthy innuendo, and sharp banter. At its best, the book feels like a campy satire of the historical romance genre, complete with moustache-twirling villains and characters that border on caricature. The story knows exactly what it is and never takes itself seriously.
Unfortunately, what initially delighted me began to wear thin as the story went on. The consistently upbeat tone, relentless silliness, and overly drawn-out plot made the book feel far too long. What started out as charming and playful slowly tipped into tiring and, at times, even annoying.
The romance did have its bright spots, with swoon-worthy moments of yearning and mutual pining. But while I really enjoyed those elements, they weren’t enough to make me fully connect with the couple in the way I’d hoped.
In the end, this is a light, relaxing read that’s fun in short bursts. I’m glad I read it, even if it overstayed its welcome, and I might still pick up a sequel someday when I’m in the mood for something breezy and undemanding.
Kent, Minka – People Like Them ★★★★
Genre: Thriller
Veronica and Ryan Hartley are the envy of Auburn Drive. When the exclusive neighborhood hosts its annual progressive dinner party, the couple’s perfection is on display. The neighbors are obsessed—entranced by the “it” couple’s movie-star looks and smoldering gazes. But is the perfect pair too good to be true?
People Like Them is part of Obsession, a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.
People Like Them is a surprisingly gripping short story that makes the most of its brief length. Engagingly written and tightly plotted, it pulled me in immediately and builds tension with impressive efficiency.
The constant shifts in perspective over the course of a single night work particularly well, adding depth to the characters despite the story’s short page count. Each change reveals just enough to keep the unease growing.
This is the perfect one-sitting read: sharp, well-paced, and satisfying. It was my first time reading anything by Minka Kent, but this short story definitely left me curious to pick up more of her work.
Leong, Julie – The Teller of Small Fortunes ★★★
Genre: Fantasy
Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells “small” whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…
Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.
Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.
The Teller of Small Fortunes is a gentle, cozy, and heartwarming read that leans fully into comfort. It’s easy to slip into and easy to follow, making it a pleasant book to pick up when you want something soft and undemanding.
I especially appreciated the found-family elements and the variety within the cast, as well as the thoughtful observations about immigrant experiences woven throughout the story. Unfortunately, the characters themselves remained fairly flat and surface-level, and the narrative stakes were so low that I never felt truly invested.
While that meandering, low-pressure quality may be a positive for some readers, for me it made the book very easy to put down and equally easy to forget. Overall, this was just a very average, just basically ok book.
