What I Read in December 2020

What I read in December 2020. I’ve been enjoying putting together these monthly reading recaps so I am excited to share with you all what I read in December.

Reading Stats

• Total Books Read – 8
• Pages Read – 1,248
• Audio book Total hours listened – 48
• Books by BIPOC authors – 3/8 (39% – I am focusing on this in order to diversify my reading so I’m adding this to my stats for myself)
• Favorite Book I read this month – The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, Born a Crime and A Promised Land

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

What an amazing book! I am so glad I finally read it. This was one of our 2 November book club books. We picked Hum if you don’t know the words by Bianca Marais and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah to read at the same time. Both books are set in South Africa during apartheid, one fiction and one non-fiction. While I didn’t get to read Hum if you don’t know the words yet (remember I couldn’t read at all in November) I did listen to Born a crime in audio and it was amazing. I learned a lot about South Africa and apartheid and Trevor Noah’s story telling is hilarious. Definitely recommend listening to this one in audio.

Format – Audiobook

Rating – Read NOW! Full Review coming soon.

The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg

This memoir is powerful, it is an open and honest story of a woman trying to figure out where she exists on the fluid spectrum of sexual orientation. The writing is similar to having a conversation with a friend. I think it was the right format for this kind of story. This book reminded me of Glennon Doyle’s books but more memoir than self-help.

Format – Audiobook

Rating – Read. Check out my full review here.

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

This is the perfect holiday book in my opinion. I hadn’t been able to finish a physical book in over a month and this book got me out of that funk! If I had to describe this book with a few words it would be delightful and cozy. I think I read this book at the right time for me and that is why I loved it so much. Don’t you love when that happens?

Format – Physical Book

Rating – 5 Stars. Check out my full review here.

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman

This is a cute holiday book set in a bookstore during Hanukkah/Christmas time. I loved the setting and the characters. I read this book in a day which is impressive for me because I am a slow reader but it was an easy and quick read. The writing is very easy to digest, its funny and there’s lots of great references to books and pop culture.

Format – Physical Book

Rating – 3.5 Stars. Check out my full review here.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I ordered a physical copy but knew I had to listen to it in audio since it is narrated by Barack Obama. I will warn you this book is LONG and it only covers a part of his presidency. However, I think it needed to be that long. I appreciated all the details he included and the topics he covered. I was in college when he was president and not as politically involved as I am now so it gave me a different perspective of his presidency.  

Format – Audiobook

Rating – Read Now! Review coming soon.

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

This is a cute romantic comedy that I enjoyed reading during the holidays. I think the premise was super interesting, I enjoyed the kind of alternating timelines (it jumps back and forth between the current year and past New Year’s eve) and thought it was funny. I would have liked a little more depth to the main characters relationship but I think it is a solid romantic comedy. This was GMA Book Club’s pick for December.  

Format – Physical Book

Rating – 4 Stars. Review coming soon. 

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

This was my book club’s pick for December and I was super excited to read it because I loved Chanel Cleeton’s previous books. It is historical fiction set in Key West in the 1930s when one of the most powerful hurricanes hits the US.  I loved that the book was split into 3 different stories of 3 women and somehow they all connected. I learned a lot about Key West during the aftermath of the war and depression and the book was very easy to read (I read it in like 2 days). In my opinion the book should have been longer and have better character development. I think some parts were rushed and some of the story connections were a little forced but overall it is an enjoyable book. 

Format – Physical Book

Rating – 3.5 Stars. Review coming soon.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J Klune

This book is super hyped on Instagram, everyone seems to love it. The cover is one of the most gorgeous of 2020 and between the hype and that I knew I had to read it. Well, this book is good but not for me (here I come with my unpopular opinion). I love YA but sometimes it can be too juvenile for me and this may be one of those books. I think it is a cute story and heartfelt but it didn’t blow me away. 

Format – Audiobook (started as physical)

Rating – 3 Stars. Review coming soon.

Bullet Journal

I thought I’d share how I track my reading in my bullet journal. At the beginning of the month I set up these pages and filled them out throughout the month. I color in the books I read from my TBR on the left and on the right is the pages read (percentage for audiobooks) per day.

What was your favorite book you read in December? Let me know in the comments!