#December 2023 Wrap Up

[haleyfury]

December 2023 Wrap Up

[dewitty1]

Fic Recs Wrap Up December 2023 ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚･*:.｡.♡⑅୨୧̩̩̩̥✼• .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*☆

All Things Go by iota @sorrybutblog

Draco’s back at Hogwarts by court order. Harry’s back for no particular reason at all. Some things change, some stay the same. Neither expects to spend eighth-year living in close quarters, playing rugby (poorly), staying up late, sneaking around, and finally figuring it all out. Rec Post

The Inconvenient Death(s) of Harry Potter by nv-md (ANW815) @nv-md

Harry and Draco have spent the decade since the War avoiding each other, even as they’re forced to work together at the Ministry and their friend groups begin to alarmingly overlap. But what happens when Harry meets a tragic end (in a manner of speaking) and Draco’s the only one who can save him? Or Harry won’t stop dying, Draco’s had too much coffee, and there’s more than enough time for them to make a mess of each other’s lives. Rec Post

Constellations on your skin by shushu_yaoi_lj @orange-peony

“I’m going to get my scars removed,” Draco announces on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. “Who are you seeing?” Blaise asks. “The best Healer out there,” Draco replies with a little shrug. “Harry Potter.” Rec Post

and the world is tumbling down by thewakeless @thewakeless

Draco is thirty-five and content. He’s a writer, a painter, and has built a life for himself totally separate from the one he envisioned as a sullen, fearful boy at Hogwarts. Everything is calm—until his house begins trying to kill him. Rec Post

The Cursed Manor by AhaMarimbas @mars-bar81

Ophelia’s been a paranormal investigator for almost ten years, and she’s starting to run out of haunted and cursed sites to explore. When her eclectic roommate and assistant reveals that he owns a large, cursed Manor, Ophelia finds a lot more than just a new career opportunity. Rec Post

The Unknown Door by waterwings @amywaterwings

There is something wrong with the Bellcrest. The heart of the place beats rotten. Everyone says so. Where Draco is a magical property manager, Harry is a recluse, and they’re definitely not hiding from their problems in the run-down flats of the Bellcrest. Not at all. Not one bit. Rec Post

Keep Your Brittle Heart Warm by flightinflame @flightinflame

Eighth-year offers Draco a brief respite before he returns to Azkaban. With a restricted wand, and memories of a girl who shouldn’t exist, he has very little hope for the future. But when Harry brings Teddy into the school, and proves to be utterly clueless, things change beyond anything he could imagine. Rec Post

Historians by oknowkiss @oknowkiss

It’s the Dumbledore’s Army Reunion Holiday, and Harry’s found himself in hot water with his friends once again, after telling them he has a boyfriend he definitely does not have. In an attempt to fix things, he’s made it his colleague on Level Nine, Draco Malfoy’s problem too. Featuring a ski chalet in Switzerland, a pair of bunk beds, and an agreement that should’ve been simple, were it not for all the bloody feelings getting in the way. Rec Post

Here are a few more fics I've read recently that y'all might like to check out as well!(ノﾟ∀ﾟ)ノ━☆ﾟ･*:.｡. .｡.:*･.*･｡ﾟ*:・ﾟ✧

Draco's First Holiday by Meowfoy @resilientkitteh

Draco catches Blaise cheating, breaks up with him and decides to leave his French Villa behind to swap houses with a woman named Hermione and her husband Ron. His relaxing vacation becomes far more interesting when a handsome stranger (Harry) knocks at his door in the middle of the night. They meet and get to know each other, and suddenly Draco feels much better about his decision to leave France behind for Britain.

Englishman Extraordinaire by BlueSundayCake @bluesundaycake

When Draco's life goes to shit, he gets scammed. Maybe it's for the best. Who doesn't love new beginnings?

Letters by CoffeeDragon87 @coffeedragon87

When Harry Potter turned eleven he received a letter that changed his life forever. When Harry Potter, now a dashingly handsome bachelor, Head of the Auror Department and loving godfather, is thirty-five history repeats itself.

With and Without You by Shewhxmustnxtbenamed @shewhomustnotbenamed

Harry and Draco realize that they’ve been living in the same building for the past five years, hiding from the Wizarding world in Muggle London for a variety of reasons. They grow unexpectedly close and Harry realizes that Draco’s relationship with his boyfriend is abusive, spiraling as he tries and fails to figure out how to help. In Harry’s rejection of the Wizarding world in general, he has fallen out of touch with his friends and his magical abilities, but has to reconnect with both in order to find himself again.

( •ॢ◡-ॢ)-♡ I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I have! Happy reading, y’all & I hope 2024 is good to you! Happy New Year! xoxo Carey  (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*💜💙💚💛❤💗💕💖

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

JOMP BPC - December 30th - Read in December

I had so much fun blasting through my TBR in December and getting to some anticipated reads I hadn't had time for yet. fingers crossed I can carry this energy into 2024 🤞

[slaughter-books]

Day 30: JOMPBPC: Read In December

My December, 2023 reading wrap-up! 🧡

🎉Happy New Year!🎉

[theinquisitxor]

December 2023 Reading Wrap Up

I read 11 books in December, and it was a great reading month to finish the year. I read 4 audiobooks, and 7 physical books.

1.The Lost Metal (Mistborn 7) by Brandon Sanderson 4/5 stars. I’m glad I read this series, and reading on audio was definitely the way to go for me. I enjoyed this last installment in the series, and I loved how this book flung the doors wide open for the Cosmere and relations to other books. Adult High Fantasy, read on audio.

2. A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows, 5/5 stars. I reread this favorite in anticipation for the sequel. This book has a lot of what I enjoy-- a character driven political fantasy romance with plenty of representation and a good dose of drama. I enjoyed my reread just about as much as the first. Adult Fantasy Romance, Queer

3.All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows, 4/5 stars. This was a good follow up adventure following our two main characters from book 1. There were some tropes/elements I didn't enjoy as much, but it was still a gripping and engaging as the first book. Adult Fantasy Romance, Queer

4. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, 5/5 stars. When people ask me "what's your favorite book?" this is the answer I give. I like to reread this every other year or so, especially around the holidays. Middle Grade fantasy

5.Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones, 3/5 stars. Despite HMC being my favorite, I've never actually read the 2 follow up books. I finally told myself I would read these before the end of the year. This was a fun enjoyable story that takes us to another part of this fantasy land that DWJ created, with new and old characters. It's not nearly on the same level as HMC, but I enjoyed reading it and getting more of the classic DWJ wit and narration. middle grade fantasy

6. House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones, 4/5 stars. Diana Wynne Jones was so clever, and that really shines through in this story. I think part of the reason why I put off reading the two sequels to HMC for years was because I never wanted the story to end and be "done". This was one of the last books DWJ ever wrote, and it really feels like saying goodbye. middle grade fantasy

7. Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age by Dennis Duncan. If you enjoy book history and diving deep into a niche topic, then I think this is a great book. It's amazing how the concept of the 'index' has existed in some form since humans began writing. Nonfiction, read on audio.

8. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper, 4/5 stars. I reread this via the BBC Radio production, while listening to the corresponding days for each segment. I really enjoyed this production, with different voices for each characters, and background noises as well. Gave a very cinematic experience.

9. Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer, 5/5 stars. I loved this book narrated by the author herself. I loved learning more about moss, while also getting essays about the authors life, work, and natural world around us. I very much recommend this one. Nonfiction, read on audio.

10. The Blue Sword (Damar #1) by Robin McKinley, 5/5 stars. I really enjoyed my time reading this book and this was a good reminder of what makes classic fantasy so great. This novel is also proof that you can have a fully realized fantasy story with great characters, lore, and plot, and have it all under 300 pages. This is one I can see myself rereading.

11. The Hero and the Crown (Damar 2) by Robin McKinley, 4/5 stars. A good prequel to book 1 and exploration of some of the myths/stories from book 1. This is very much a Girl + Horse + Magical Sword go on an adventure and save the kingdom type story.

That's it for December! It was a strong finish to the end of the year, and pushed me over 100 books for 2023. Here's to 2024 and another good reading year! 🥂

January TBR:

A Winter's Promise (Mirror Visitor series) by Christelle Dabos + book 2?

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard + book 2?

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire (audio)

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Beartown by Frederik Backman + book 2?

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (audio)

[theartguard]

November-December 2023 Theme Wrap-Up

Fic-Inspired

Here's what the last two months' theme inspired us to create:

@seanchaidh7 - Hold my cigarette | Sk8r boi

@goldheartedsky - Cherry wine series

@linaxart - Planet earth is blue

@zairaalbereo - The Ghost Of You

@sassy-wartime-nun - Pantoum

Bonus: Our best of 2023! Both as artists and art admirers!

January-February theme is: Sports!

[godzilla-reads]

📚December Reading Wrapup 📚

In December I finished 13 books, bringing my yearly final total to 177 books finished! Here is the list, plus my Top 3 books have been starred:

❄️ The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin

🔥 Fire Punch Vol. 1 by Tatsuki Fujimoto

🧚 Walking Through the Landscape of Faerie by Charles Vess

🍄 The Hidden World of Gnomes by Lauren Soloy

🌈 Born This Gay by Babet Van De Schot

⭐️ The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

🧚‍♀️ The Good Neighbors by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh

⭐️ The Dragon Ark: Join the Quest to Save the Rarest Dragon on Earth by Emma Roberts and Tomislav Tomić

💤 The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz and Angela Barrett

🐸 How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black and Rovina Cai

⭐️ Heartstopper Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman

🐰 The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

🐲 Dragons by Wellern Polturnees and Elizabeth Ratisseau

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

December Wrap-Up

The September House (Carissa Orland) (audio) ★★★★1/2

Sword Catcher (Cassandra Clare) ★★★★★

The Unmaking of June Farrow (Adrienne Young) ★★★

Bright Young Women (Jessica Knoll) (audio) ★★★★1/2

The Third Daughter (Adrienne Tooley) ★★★1/2

A Holly Jolly Ever After (Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone) ★★★★

The Whispers (Ashley Audrain) (audio) ★★★★★

Throne of the Fallen (Kerri Maniscalco) ★★★★

Bookshops and Bonedust (Travis Baldree) ★★★★

Some Shall Break (Ellie Marney) (audio) ★★★★★

Gwen & Art Are Not In Love (Lex Croucher) ★★★★★

It was a pretty lovely end to the year for me book-wise! I read 141 total books and loved a lot of them. Follow me over on Goodreads (link) for more detailed reviews.

[druggeddraccus]

December:

Favorite book this month:

Imogen, Obviously was super cute i was surprised by how much i loved it. and Dreams of Gods and Monsters was a really good finale (though i hope to have more to read from that world lol)

All books read (this month):

True Love Bites by Joy Demorra (5/5)

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (3/5)

My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham (2/5)

Small Things like These by Claire Keegan (3/5)

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (5/5)

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (4/5)

Coraline by Neil Gaiman (3/5)

All books read this year: (italics = reread)

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Sanderson (5/5)

The Martian by Andy Weir (2/5)

Foster by Claire Keegan (5/5)

Everything Leads to You (4.5/5)

Little Women (4/5)

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (4/5)

Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler (4/5)

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree (4.5/5)

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)

Frugal Wizard by Brandon Sanderson (3.5/5)

Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher (4/5)

All Systems Red by Martha Wells (3/5)

Spiderwick Series by Black & DiTerlizzi (5/5)

Homebody by Rupi Kaur (2/5)

Lucky List by Racheal Lippincott (4/5)

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wisner (5/5)

Something to talk about by Meryl Wisner (4/5)

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen (5/5)

Painted Devils by Margaret Owen (5/5)

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Sanderson (3.5/5)

Are You There God? It’s me Margaret by Judy Blume (3/5)

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (3/5)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (5/5)

Wool by Hugh Howey (5/5)

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (5/5)

Shift by Hugh Howey (4/5)

The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson (5/5)

Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Racheal Lippincott (5/5)

Narrow Road between Desires by Pat Rothfuss (2.5/5)

True Love Bites by Joy Demorra (5/5)

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (3/5)

My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham (2/5)

Small Things like These by Claire Keegan (3/5)

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (5/5)

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (4/5)

Coraline by Neil Gaiman (3/5)

Yearly stats:

Books read: 40 (reached my goal!!)

Rereads: 3 (counting Spiderwick series as 1)

Pages read: 14,060

Average rating: 4.08

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Black and British: A Forgotten History

Author: David Olusoga

First published: 2016

Rating: ★★★★★

Absolutely fantastic book, an important part of world history served on a silver platter of historical research goodness, human touch, and wisdom. Perfect if you are looking for a book to read during the next Black History Month. Or really any month.

The Last Bookwanderer

Author: Anna James

First published: 2023

Rating: ★★★★☆

A lovely finale to a lovely series. there was more talking and less actual exploring this time, but I enjoyed it still.

Mary

Author: Anne Eekhout

First published: 2021

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book felt like a fevered, confused, depressing, oppressive nightmare. Instead of feeling for Mary, which her biography and the graphic novel Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein did, this book turned her into 1) an overtly unreliable narrator and 2) an extremely passive, weary girlfriend. Furthermore, I felt that nothing was moving, that I was stuck in the same place at the beginning as well as the end. There was no journey. Which is so very ridiculous when it comes to a book about Mary Frikkin Shelley.

Sancta Familia

Author: Martin & Tomáš Wells

First published: 2020

Rating:  none

Po zralé úvaze jsem se rozhodla tuto knihu nehodnotit. Není to totiž něco, co by mělo výraznou historickou výpovědní hodnotu a ani to není dobrá literatura. Na to je zkrátka příliš navázaná na intimitu jedné rodiny. Celou dobu jsem si připadala, že mi prostě do této věci nic není a nemám na jakoukoliv kritiku ani právo.

Svátky krásné hvězdy

Author: František Kožík

First published: 1988

Rating: ★★★★☆

Milý, něžný obrázek Vánoc v dobách minulých, ač ne zcela ještě vzdálených, a tak trochu časová kapsle.

Small Acts of Kindness

Author: Jennifer Antill

First published: 2022

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

The bare bones of the story could have held the weight of a truly Tolstoyan piece of literature. Unfortunately, of the many interesting characters we are stuck with the most boring one and the main event gets an almost shameful sidenote treatment. The latter part of the book is also nothing but characters talking about things the reader already knows. Pity, especially since the historical research here was well done.

The Mayor of Casterbridge

Author: Thomas Hardy

First published: 1886

Rating: ★★★★☆

An extremely well-constructed story where the central theme is the fact of a reaction that inevitably follows any human action. I did not love this as much as I did Tess and I did not really root for any of the characters like I could in Far From the Madding Crowd, but this is definitely a solid read.

Dressed for a Dance in the Snow: Women's Voices from the Gulag

Author: Monika Zgustová

First published: 2017

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I imagine this would be a very good accompanying book to Gulag by Anne Applebaum, mostly because it has the human touch but lacks the more general and detailed realities of the Gulag system. Oral history is possibly the most fascinating way of gathering information, at the same time there will always be a level of unreliability, especially in cases when the author decides to include stories of women she did not interview herself and only learned about them second-hand.

Girl With a Pearl Earring

Author: Tracy Chevalier

First published: 1999

Rating: ★★★★☆

If you ever need a slow, quiet book about an ordinary person, about the intimacy between an artist and his muse, Tracy Chevalier has got your back with this one.

Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything

Author: Scott Hahn

First published: 2014

Rating: ★★★★★

As the Christmas celebrations were canceled in Bethlehem, as the baby Jesus was lying under the rubble in Palestine, there was hardly any joy to be found in our current reality. So I am thankful for this little book, for simply yet deeply touching on the subject of Christmas and its true substance.

The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories

Author: Ilan Pappé

First published: 2016

Rating: ★★★★☆

For over 70 years Palestinians have been paying the prize for Europe failing the Jewish people. And that prize has been intolerably high. It is possibly at its highest right now. October 7th, 2023 did not happen out of nowhere. And the bloody genocide that the Israelis have unleashed after it too has its strong and old roots in previous decades. This is a very balanced account of the history of Palestine post-1948. And with all that balance, it still clearly spells out that Israel is a colonial project that needs to be dismantled.

The Winter Garden

Author: Alexandra Bell

First published: 2021

Rating: ★★★☆☆

If you like The Night Circus, there is a chance you might like The Winter Garden as well. There is a similarly flowery language and fantastical images conjured up after all. Some of the scenes are deeply touching too. But personally, I kept feeling that whilst most of the good parts were there, somehow they did not click into each other the way I would wish. Here are my greatest misgivings: a) The characters in the book are supposed to be intimate friends, but we never really get to see their friendship. We are simply told they are extremely close, but they hardly ever seek out each other and when they do, it is for only a little while and they only talk about themselves, which leads me to... b) There is really only one likable character and he is not either of the two main characters. c) I felt the obsession people had with The Winter Garden rather inexplicable, considering how much magic was obviously readily available in this world. Not a bad book, would read something from the author again, just a pity of a promise unfulfilled.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love

Author: Lex Croucher

First published: 2023

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Cute YA romance dressed in a historical costume, but the historical aspect has next to no effect on the story (which I personally was a little sad about). There is hardly any story to talk about, but when in the right mindset, I can easily see this one being a favorite for others.

[thewordworrier]

December 2023 Writing Wrap Up

Words Written: 21, 493 words. Yeah, okay, I'll take that!

Things I’ve worked on: ~ the tamarin situation. ~ a lil DD situation. ~ Normal AU situations involving the kids. ~ some other Normal AU situations. ~ some Christmassy Normal AU situations.

Things Published: Nothing. I didn't post anything this month. January 2024 Plans!

~ Rinse, repeat, relax, enjoy. 500 words a day, as normal. Chill the heck out - things will get published when they're published. Keep enjoying what you do because it does show.

[libertyreads]

December 2023 Wrap Up--

December was yet another insane reading month. It's good I threw my goal to read fewer books out the window back in July because otherwise we'd be in some real trouble this month. I ended up reading 3,543 pages across 15 works this month. Let's get to the list.

Comics/Graphic Novels- 1. On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (library)--3.25 stars.

2. Freshman Year by Sarah Mai (NetGalley)--3.5 stars.

3. Nimona by N.D. Stevenson (library)--4.25 stars.

Novellas/Short Stories- 1. A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton (library)--2 stars.

2. Mistletoe & Margaritas by Shannon Stacey (library)--2.75 stars.

3. This Time Next Year by Alison Kent (library)--3.5 stars.

4. Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken (library)--2.75 stars.

5. Hidden Gifts by Elena Aitken (library)--1.5 stars.

6. Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken (library)--1.75 stars.

7. The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson (library)--3.5 stars.

8. Mistaken Gifts by Elena Aitken (library)--1.25 stars.

Novels- 1. The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison (library)--2.75 stars.

2. Defiant by Brandon sanderson--3.5 stars.

3. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes--3.5 stars.

4. The Ruined by Renee Ahdieh--3 stars.

This gives the month an average rating of 2.85 stars. That feels very low for me, but I was trying to read from a TBR while allowing myself to read any holiday book or novella that came under my nose during the month. Which probably wasn't the best idea. I realized I need to be more selective with my romance novels/novellas.

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Read in December 2023

what better way to end the year than with a reading spree 🥰 I got through so many wonderful books this month and was able to give my TBR a good clear out before the new year too. I even managed to write some reviews lol

here's to more wonderful reads in 2024!

Series read:

Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild Built - DNF

A Prayer for the Crown Shy - DNF

Familiar authors:

Imogen Obviously by Becky Albertalli - 4/5 (audio)

The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin - 5/5

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo - 5/5 (audio)

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo - 5/5 (audio)

You’ll Be The Death of Me by Karen M McManus - 3/5 (audio)

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman - 5/5

The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton - 4/5

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas - 4/5

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White - 5/5 (audio)

Other reads:

To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames - 3/5 (audio)

After Dark With Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis - 3/5 (audio)

I’ll Let Myself In by Hannah Diviney - 5/5 (audio)

All Eyes On Us by Kit Frick - 3/5

The Return by Rachel Harrison - 3/5

It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh - 3/5 (audio)

Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier - 4/5 (audio)

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones - 4/5 (audio)

Some Kind of Animal by Mar Romasco-Moore - 4/5 (audio)

Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk - 4/5 (audio)

Accidental by Alex Richards - 2/5

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao - 3/5 (audio)

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner - 4/5

[princessofbookaholics]

I got married this month so reading took a backseat. I had a great month in regards to my personal life: got married then we went on a trip to bali which was fun! Here's the reading wrap up:

All Rhodes Lead Here (reread) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Fiancee Farce ⭐⭐⭐

Heartstopper Vol 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Emergency Contact ⭐⭐⭐

[beckysbook5]

Monthly Wrap-Up - December 2023!

[authorkarajorgensen]

December 2023 Wrap-Up Post

This week's post is our December 2023 wrap-up where I talk about books I enjoyed, what I've been working on, some behind the scenes stuff, and more.

This month is going to be sort of a weird one for updates and wrap-ups because I tried to take it easy. Between the holidays and the end of the semester, I worried I would become very fried, so my December was spent mostly void-staring and trying not to fall into a pit of despair over Palestine (self-explanatory) and covid (if you’re immunosuppressed, you feel very left behind and left for dead…