I finished December out strong with a total of six books—three of which were holiday-themed and two of which were very wintry. I’ll be here soon with a recap of my favorite reads, but take a peek here. I found two four-star reads that are worth picking up.
The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict • ★★★☆☆
I don’t read many mysteries; in fact, this is only the second true mystery novel I’ve ever read. But I knew I wanted to try a holiday book this year that wasn’t a fun rom-com.
The Christmas Murder Game fit the bill. In this mystery, Lily is beckoned back to her family home with all her cousins. Over the Twelve Days of Christmas, her and her kin work to solve riddles. Whoever solves the puzzle at large, inherits the house.
Day one, there’s a snowstorm that traps everyone inside. Then as the days progress, cousins are picked off one by one.
It is, by my estimation, a pretty standard mystery set up, but one that I enjoyed. This is by no means a must-read, but it’s a nice way to get some subtle Christmas feelings when you’re not quite ready to go full One Day in December (one of my Christmas faves).
All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox • 🎧 • ★★★☆☆
I read Maggie Knox’s first book, The Holiday Swap back in December 2021. I also gave that read three stars.
This book is very cute—and it hit the marks with nods to Nashville (I’ve been on a country kick and I visited Nashville earlier this year) and Milwaukee. But there was a lot of back and forth. It could have been tightened up a bit. Like, I don’t want to read about how someone is on their way to the studio and someone else is checking up on their progress for 20 pages. This all being said, though, it was a nice listen and well performed (even if the Wisconsin accent verged more on Minnesota—A+ to the narrator for trying!).
A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss • 🎧 • ★★★★☆
I’ve read every one of Jenny Bayliss’s books, and they are always a treat (The Twelve Dates of Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas books of all time). I like to pick them up not just because they are not only heartwarming and cozy, but because they encourage me to slow down during a frantic holiday season.
In Bayliss’s latest, three sisters are called together after their father’s death to stage a Yule festival, a long-forgotten tradition in their English town.
I loved how this book focused on Yule! It wasn’t in a witchy way, but it was a nice nod to old traditions. Also as one of three sisters, this book spoke to me.
The Resort by Sarah Goodwin • ★★★☆☆
This book caught my attention right away at the library. A woman and her husband are off to attend her sister’s wedding in the Alps. Along the way, the car breaks down and there’s no choice but to shelter in an abandoned village. Soon Mila finds herself alone in this ghost town and with diminishing resources.
Despite being entirely different from All I Want for Christmas, I had a similar complaint with this book: so much back and forth. How many times do I have to read about Mila walking out in the cold to find nothing and coming back inside?
It was a bit tedious to me, but not terrible.
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards • ★★☆☆☆
No, I did not realize this was young adult fiction when I rented it from the library. Maybe that’s why I disliked it so much? Also, as a Wisconsin driver, I don’t need any more snowy road drama that I already get.
The gist here is that Mira’s connecting flight home gets canceled on Christmas Eve. In an effort to get home in time for the holiday, she catches a ride with a few college students from her fight. Because of the snowy weather, this trip is harrowing—and someone in the car is making sure they won’t make it home in time.
Like The Resort, there was a lot of back and forth in Five Total Strangers. Lots of turning the car around, lots of checking on a phone battery, lots of stopping at gas stations. Overall, this snowy race to Christmas book was too repetitive.
The Wager by David Grann • 🎧 • ★★★★☆
At the end of the month, I found myself in a bit of a reading funk. I didn’t feel like finishing another rom-com or seasonal book, wasn’t intrigued by any thrillers and found myself bored by historical fiction.
That’s how I knew it was time to find a good piece of non-fiction. I don’t like to read non-fiction, but I really enjoy it as a listen; it’s like a very long podcast.
The Wager, a true maritime disaster story, popped up on a few best-of lists, including critics’ favorites on NPR (I, unsurprisingly, love NPR), and it deserves its place there.
I’ll be back in a few days to share my favorite reads and listens of 2023. Until then, you can follow along with my progress and see what I’ve read over on Goodreads! Also, if you’re an audiobook fan, I encourage you to try Libro.fm—you can support your favorite small bookstore while downloading your next listen.
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