Hi all! I’m here with my December Reading Wrap Up. December was a good reading month for me, I read a total of 9 books.

December TBR Challenge: 3/3 which I’m ecstatic about. I definitely think having a lower TBR works for me since I still have room to pick up books I randomly want to read.

Here’s a breakdown of what I read this month:

• 1 Non-Fiction
• 2 Poetry Collections
• 1 Short Short Collection
• 3 Middle Grade/Children’s Books
• 1 Historical Fiction
• 1 Contemporary Fiction

Of these books, 6 where female authors and the 3 remaining where for the same male author.

Now onto the books!

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman – I took part in  Jen Campbell and Holly from Library at the Edge of the World‘s His Dark Materials read-along and I so glad I did. This is an amazing series. It has everything daemons – who are an animal manifestation of your soul, parallel worlds, adventure, evil government groups, witches, magical items, kidnapping, and a prophecy. Please if you haven’t read this books and are put off as it’s a children’s book please, please, please read it. There is so much in hear, the world is complex and religious aspects provide so much depth. I think these are the kinds of books that you’ll just pick up more and more about the story each time you read them. I think these have become one, if not, my favourite series. I will definitely be reading them again this year.

100 Poems by Jen Campbell – I love, love, love this collection. This is the first of Jen Campbell’s works I’ve read and I can’t wait to read more. I love her writing style and  the mix of fairytale elements. This way an enjoyable read which I read in one sitting. It was magical for start to finish.

This is the collection she did as part of a challenge to write 100 poems in 48 hours to raise money for The Book Bus. There are no more physical copies available but you can read all the poems here.

Room by Emma Donoghue – I adore this book but it did take me a while to get used to the narrative style. For example to Jack the whole world is the room so everything is a proper noun (i.e. Table, Rug, Bed, Room instead of table, rug, bed, room) But once I got passed that I really enjoyed having the story told by a child, it makes what’s actually happening to them more chilling as you have to read into what Jack’s telling you. I highly recommend. Also the movie is coming or just came out which is exciting I can’t wait. Check out the trailer to see if this is the book for you.

Finnish Lapphund Owner’s Guide by Toni Jackson– This is a bit of a random book but I will justify it by saying that I am looking to adopt a Finnish Lapphund puppy. This book was excellent! Since I got the e-Book I will be looking to invest in a physical copy. This books is detailed and you can tell Jackson has done her research. What most impressed me is that the book doesn’t just focus on the history or characteristics of the breed but also goes through choosing a breeder and puppy, a everyday care guide, training and health care. This one I can imagine I will consult at every turn when raising my puppy.

The Exhibit by Lauren Eggert-Crowe – This gorgeous chapbook is published by a small press in the States called, Hyacinth Girl Press. I brought this on the recommendation of the wonderful, Jen Campbell. This book is written in prose poems that walk you through an exhibit like at the circus. It is beautifully written and very atmospheric. I would highly recommend!

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Cater – This was a collection I spent the better part of the year reading. I adore Cater’s writing style and her gothic takes on popular fairy tales. The reason I lowered my rating is that I did read the first four or so tales back to back and since they were nearly all Beauty and the Beast retellings I got a bit bored. And because of this it took me a while to finish off the collection. The highlights for me where The Company of Wolves and The Lady of the House of Love. I highly recommend but would suggest spending out the reading to one a day or so.

Epitaph for Three Women by Jean Plaidy – This was a bit of a disappointing read for me. I was excited to find out about these three historical women (Joan of Arc, Katherine de Valois and Eleanor of Gloucester). I was hoping for a story like that of Philippa Gregory where the women are at the fore front of the narrative but it wasn’t. In fact, I felt, that the women weren’t really mentioned much especially in Katherine’s section. She is a minor character. The whole book focuses on the chaos that the death of King Henry V causes to both France and England. Once I got over my disappointment I was interested in the time period as it is the precursor to The Wars of The Roses.

That’s all for me today, let me know what you’ve read or if you have an recommendation based of these books mentioned.

Until next time, happy reading!

Dearna