I feel like I’m going a little backwards by sharing a picture with the Christmas tree in the background, but this was the best photo I got of One Day in December, which was one of two books I planned to read in December. Starting in December, I decided to plan ahead what I read each month.
Last year, my goal was to read 24 books. Sadly, I wasn’t very motivated and finished the year at 13 books, 3 of which I read in December. Taking a note from Em, I’ve put together a list of books I want to read for the entire year of 2022. This has gotten me really excited for reading again. In December, it seemed like the best time to start my new reading list, so I chose one non-fiction title and one fiction title.
The two books I chose were One Day in December by Josie Silver and Loving My Actual Christmas: An Experiment in Relishing the Season by Alexandra Kuykendall. In addition, I read Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey.
The idea was to choose a Christmas themed story and a non-fiction book pertaining to Christmas or the holiday season. Since we were going to be away for the week prior to Christmas, I wanted to get all the Christmas feelings through what I was reading before and during vacation.
One Day in December by Josie Silver – This is a story stemming from one chance encounter between Laurie and Jack. Laurie is riding a bus and, while looking out the window, spies Jack sitting at the bus stop. They instantly have a connection, and the bus continues on its way before Jack can get on the bus. Laurie spends the rest of the next year until she finds him …. because he’s dating her best friend and roommate Sarah. The rest of the story was a whole lot of ‘WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN???’ I thought the story was interesting and frustrating, but the actual love story was lacking substance. Like many other people who read the book, the ending left me feeling kind of meh. It wasn’t quite the warm and cozy December/Christmas story I was hoping for, but I don’t regret reading it.
Loving my Actual Christmas: An Experiment in Relishing the Season by Alexandra Kuykendall – This was my nonfiction pick for December. Since our vacation was planned for the week prior to Christmas, I wanted anything that could help me appreciate the season without our usual creature comforts. Turns out, this book just wasn’t what I needed. This book was focused more on appreciating what you have vs. wanting what your neighbor has. I generally don’t have that problem with the Christmas season. Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I don’t need help relishing in what we have, our traditions, and the little things we do to make the Christmas season more cozy. The book just didn’t hit the mark for me, because I already appreciate what I have. So, this is a book I did not finish and did not enjoy.
Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey – This was Kristy’s release earlier in the year, and I have no idea why it took so long for me to finish. It was very enjoyable, and I finished right before we landed coming back from vacation very, very early on Christmas Eve. It was so nice completing a book right at the end of the vacation, and I couldn’t have planned it better. This is about Amelia, whose husband just left her for his boyfriend, and Parker, a widower from Amelia’s hometown. They get together in a very unusual way — Amelia offers to be a surrogate for Parker and his late wife’s embryos. This story was heart breaking and very engaging!
What was your favorite book of 2021?
Rebecca has been writing about style, beauty, and lifestyle topics since 2011. Thank you so much for reading this post! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. I love hearing from you!
