A short but sweet list here! I wish I had had more time to read in December. I will say… I think I read a top contender for the year though, so that’s a huge win.
THE OTHER MOTHERS by Katherine Faulkner
3.75/5 Stars
While this isn’t my normal genre, a bit of a thriller mystery, I did enjoy this book! It took me a little bit to get into, but by the end I was glad I finished it. It really reminded me of Big Little Lies– the social hierarchy of a group of mothers and their families with various hidden secrets and, of course, a mysterious death at the center of it all. If you want a quick palette cleanser that you can’t put down, this would be just the ticket.
HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Ann Napolitano
4/5 Stars
On paper, this should have been a 5/5 book for me: a literary novel with intergenerational family drama. I was fully hooked on this book for the first half and then, sadly, it kind of dragged on at the end. I ultimately liked well enough though– it’s almost like a modern retelling of Little Women. It spans decades, following William, a man with a troubled family history, and Julia, the young woman he he falls in love with, who has three charismatic sisters. I found myself completely drawn to all the characters, and also completely frustrated by some of the decision making.
THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB by Becca Freeman
4/5 Stars
What a fun Christmas read! This is Becca’s debut novel and it was such nice read to get into the holiday spirit. I have had my copy since September and saved it for December. I wish I had started reading it right after Thanksgiving because it certainly captured the spirit of and set the mood for Christmas. It hit all the iconic parts of Christmas in the city with a healthy dose of pop culture references, while exploring the special friendships that feel like family.
WELLNESS by Nathan Hill
5/5 Stars
Okay, wow. This book. I truly don’t even know how to quickly sum this one up. I will say right off the bat, that it’s probably not for everyone. It’s long and kind of winds in and out, but once I got into it, I could not put it down. I really mean, I could not put it down. I usually can’t read more then 25 minutes at night before my eyes start closing and this is one of those books where I was staying up way too late just to squeeze in more reading. (I even read for an hour in the middle of the night when the baby was kicking and I couldn’t get comfortable.) It’s almost a satirical novel, following a couple who meet as young people filled with lofty dreams and artsy ambitions and then turn into the people they never wanted to turn into. I loved this book!!!!
READ WITH ME
I really loved Hello Beautiful! Wellness sounds fascinating too! Thanks for the recommendation!
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I love the variety you have here. I added “Hello Beautiful” to my TBR list!
I looooovvvveeed Wellness, but have been having the hardest time describing it to friends and family members. I also find myself giving the disclaimer “it’s not for everyone” to anyone whom I recommend it to… so I loved reading your summary, which was about the same as mine! 🙂
it is SO hard to describe and it is definitely not for everyone… I’m kind of glad I went into it blind though, I could NOT put it down!
I really enjoyed The Chrismas Orphans Club last month as well. I loved the focus on friendship so much. And after hearing several recommendations for Wellness including your very enthusiastic one, I definitely have to read it January. Thanks for sharing, the book reviews are always my favorite posts.
I really enjoyed The other |Mothers too. It’s not really my genre but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down