Y’all, December was wild. After the drought that was November, December rolled in like a summer storm and I could not get the words in fast enough. It was so lovely.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak - This book. Oh my goodness, this book. It has my heart, even a month later. I’m already making plans to read it again this year. It’s dark, dark, dark; but also full of love, life, and the beautiful truth of found family. 5/5
Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette - My other favorite book of the month. It is the coming of age story of a young sister who joined the church when she basically couldn’t think of anything else to do with her life and pretty much hide from it. After their convent closes, she and her sisters are moved to a halfway house and she’s forced to confront the truths she’s been ignoring. 5/5
Circus Girl, the Hunter, and Mirror Boy by Neon Yang - a short Tor.com original. Quick. Fun. Neon Yang is always a good read, but as with most short stories (for ME) it could have been longer. 3/5
Folklords, Issue 1 by Matt Kindt - Honestly, I need to read more before I can judge this comic.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated by Geoffrey Trousselot - Short book (based on a play) about a sweet, yet unusual, coffee shop in a small back alley in Tokyo, Japan. Unusual how? They offer the unique experience of the opportunity to travel in time, but you have to return before the coffee gets cold. The book is short, but it didn’t need to be longer. It was perfect and I can’t wait to read the next story in the series. 4/5
The Janis Stone: Ruth Galloway #2 by Elly Griffiths - Second mystery in a series about an archaeologist who consults with local law enforcement on unusual cases that involve, well, bones, usually old ones, of course. They’re fun when I need an easier read even though I have some problems with the way Ruth is written (do I really need to know she’s ‘overweight’ several times throughout the novel? etc). 3.5/5
If the Fates Allow by Rainbow Rowell - Short, fun, Christmas story. *echo it could have been longer echo*
Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans, Jeff Chu - Oh my heart. Rachel Held Evans passed away unexpectedly in 2019 and this was the book she was working on at the time. RHE is one of my very favorite Jesus writers and her voice has been so missed in the 3 short years she’s been gone. Jeff Chu, another of my very favorite Jesus writers, stepped up and helped finish the book from other writings RHE left behind. The end result was beautiful, lovely, heartbreaking, and healing. If you haven’t read RHE, have ever struggled with religion or belief, I highly recommend all her books. 5/5
Matrix by Lauren Groff - Despite this books place on so many Best Of Lists for 2021, I still didn’t know what to expect from this book. A novel about a 12th century abbey and the nun who leads it into prosperity after being banished there was not the story I expected. I loved it and it helped me remember how much I enjoy historical fiction. 4/5
How was your reading for December? For 2021?