It’s time for a look at my December reading life!
It’s time for another wrap-up/haul post — and some fun stats!
What I read:
(each title link will direct you to my review for more thoughts!)
emoji key:
✨ review copy → 💞 buddy/group read → 🔁 re-read → 🎧 audiobook → 🍰 graphic novel/manga
🫙 TBR jar → 🗓️ 2022 TBR → 🌻 seasonal TBR → 😻 Devour Your TBR
- Lost in the Moment and Found // Seanan McGuire ✨💞🌻😻
- Mysteries of Thorn Manor // Margaret Rogerson ✨💞🌻😻
- Pestilence // Laura Thalassa 🌻
- A Very Scalzi Christmas // John Scalzi 😻
- Snapdragon // Kat Leyh 🍰😻
- I’ll Be Gone in the Dark // Michelle McNamara 🎧🫙
- The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince // Cassandra Clare & Hye-Kyung Baek 🍰😻
- Our Dark Duet // V.E. Schwab 💞
- Shiver // Junji Ito 🍰😻
- The Weight of Blood // Tiffany D. Jackson ✨💞🎧
- The Oracle Code // Marieke Nijkamp 🍰😻
- Dinosaur Therapy // James Stewart 🍰😻
- Earthdivers #2 // Stephen Graham Jones 🍰😻
- The Librarian of Auschwitz: The Graphic Novel // Antonio Iturbe & Salva Rubio ✨🍰😻
- The Sea in You // Jessi Sheron ✨🍰😻
- In Limbo: A Graphic Memoir // Deborah Jung-Jin Lee ✨🍰😻
- I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 3 // Skottie Young 🍰😻
- Distinguishing Features // Kealan Patrick Burke 🫙😻
- This Savage Song // V.E. Schwab 💞
- Sanity & Tallulah // Molly Brooks 🍰😻
- Strange Fruit, Vol. 1 // Joel Christian Gill 🍰😻
- Hungry Ghost // Victoria Ying ✨🍰😻
- InvestiGators // John Patrick Green 🍰😻
- The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes // Eva Leigh ✨💞🎧
- Housecat Trouble // Mason Dickerson 🍰😻
- Just Like Magic // Sarah Hogle ✨
- The Quest for Snacks // Susie Yi 🍰😻
- Gender Queer: A Memoir // Maia Kobabe 🍰😻
- I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 4 // Skottie Young 🍰😻
- Snowball: A Christmas Horror Story // Andre Gonzalez 😻
- The Love Report // BeKa ✨🍰😻
- Nothing this month!
- The Heart’s Invisible Furies // John Boyne
- Gothic Blue Book VI: A Krampus Carol // Cynthia Pelayo & Gerardo Pelayo ✨
And now, for some of my favorite recent hauls:
- When Will You Rise // Mira Grant (used bookstore; adult horror/scifi)
- All the Beautiful Sinners // Stephen Graham Jones (used bookstore; adult horror)
- One Dark Window // Rachel Gillig (ebook purchase; adult fantasy)
- Half a Soul // Olivia Atwater (ebook purchase; adult fantasy)
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck // Mark Manson (ebook purchase; adult nonfic)
- A Dawn of Onyx // Kate Golden (review copy; new adult fantasy/romance)
- The Scourge Between Stars // Ness Brown (ARC; adult horror)
- A Guide to the Dark // Meriam Metoui (eARC; YA horror)
- The Merry Dredgers // Jeremy C. Shipp (eARC; adult horror)
- The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince // Cassandra Clare & Hye-Kyung Baek (gift – thank you, spouse ♥; YA fantasy graphic novel)
- Empty Smiles // Katherine Arden (gift – thank you, spouse ♥; MG horror)
- The Last Final Girl // Stephen Graham Jones (gift – thank you, spouse ♥; adult horror)
- Sookie Stackhouse series // Charlaine Harris (gifts – thank you, spouse ♥; adult fantasy)
- Gallows Hill // Darcy Coates (gift – thank you, Cathy ♥; adult horror)
And finally, a little life update:
December was one hell of a reading month, thanks to Graphicsathon! It was also a really nice month for family time. This was the first year since 2019 that we’ve gone and done a lot of holiday stuff as a family, like looking at lights and a holiday event at the zoo, which was awesome! We don’t travel or see extended family for the holidays, and my parents live next door to us, which means our holidays include zero traveling (I know, some of you are jealous, lol). I worked a lot of overtime to make up for going overboard on the kiddo’s gifts, but otherwise, it was just a really nice, low-key month full of bonding time and reading. ♥
How was your month? What was your favorite book you read or hauled, or what was something nice that happened in your life?
— destiny ♥
thewolfandherbooks
January 9, 2023I’m so happy to hear you had such a good holiday. I don’t like traveling for the holidays either. Too much traffic or airport crowds. And you inevitably get sick. There are no children in our immediate family. We’re all 30+ so we just don’t feel the need to do gifts anymore. I really don’t need anything, but I can’t wait to spoil my kids if I ever have any.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 13, 2023Thank you! Oh gosh, you’re so right about the travel and getting sick – noooo thank you! I hope you had a good holiday season ♥ Spoiling kids is honestly one of the most fun parts of having them, I swear! 😂 There’s nothing like seeing my kiddo’s face super dramatic happy reactions, lol.
Caro @ bookcheshirecat
January 10, 2023Looks like you had a great reading month ❤️ I’m eagerly awaiting the release of Mysteries of Thorn Manor, I put in a preorder and cannot wait to finally read this book 🥰
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 13, 2023It was so good! Oh my gosh, I’m so ready for your pre-order to come in, I can’t WAIT to hear your thoughts on it!!!
Emma
January 12, 2023Wow that’s a great reading month! Hope you enjoy the Mark Manson book – I listened to it in audiobook a while back and found it genuinely useful
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 13, 2023Thank you, Emma! I’ve seen it around so many times that when I saw the ebook was a kindle daily deal, I felt like I HAD to give it a try. Very excited about it!!
Nicole Evans
January 12, 2023Happy New Year, Destiny! I am so excited to hear what you think about HALF A SOUL. I *adored* that book more than I ever expected and really hope you love it just as much!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 13, 2023Ooooh, yay, so happy to hear it! 😀 I’m so looking forward to it. Thank you and Happy New Year, friend! ♥