Read in December
The last month of the year and I am warning you now, I did not make my goal! I am not devastated but I am keeping it in mind when I make my goal for next year. Sometimes the reading comes easy and other times other things need to be prioritized. I significantly upped my book intake from previous months this December because our home (myself included) was sick for nearly two weeks – it allowed for a lot of reading time!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Advent to Epiphany by Jonathan Gibson
5 Stars: Technically I will not finish this book in it’s entirety until January 6th of the new year, but I wanted to include it in this line up. Remember how much I loved Be Thou My Vison from October 2025? This is that type of daily devotional specifically guiding you through Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The intentional daily aspect of singing hymns (during their season!), praying historic prayers, reciting creeds and God promises, engaging in a daily confession and pardon, as well as a postlude I had memorized by the end of my time, greatly impacted my quiet time during these seasons of the church calendar as well as my relationship with the Lord. I love how in these season specific ones, everything is laid out in order (no flipping to the back for catechism questions) and the scripture reading is chosen for you (instead of you choosing your own reading plan.) I had a friend try to do this as a family devotional and it was too much for littles, I do however think it is an amazing thing to do personally in your quiet times. Both my husband and I shared this book in the mornings and enjoyed talking about “today’s reading” together throughout the day!
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
5 Stars: I don’t think I could rate any book in this series less than 5 stars! It is one of those books that you can read countless times and still enjoy with the fervor of one who has no idea what lies on the next page. This was a family read aloud this month and it is a joy to see my kids fall more in love with the world of Narnia and be inspired by the many characters and stories. This may be a story for children, but it still can make me cry!
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
5 Stars: We decided to read more Narnia books (not exactly in order) and this one might be one of the most underrated books in the series. In this book we are taken all the way back to the beginning. The deception, the darkness, the redemption, the hope. You can see how everything fits together in the longer story and also how it relates to a very similar story in our world. I love what the tree grown from the magic apple turns into at the end. My kids couldn’t stop beaming about it!
Advent: The Season of Hope by Tish Harrison Warren
5 Stars: This is not an Advent devotional (which I feel like most Advent things are) but an educational tool on the season. As someone who didn’t grow up in a church who celebrated or acknowledged the seasons of the Church Calendar, I am loving learning about them in my middle age as a parent of young kids! This book explains the history, tradition, and meaning behind the season and I couldn’t recommend it more! It was very helpful in setting some traditions for our family to celebrate Advent and helped shape my thought process going into it. We played around with ideas and had lots of discussions this year, next year I am excited to go into Advent with a plan for our family to look for the Messiah (as he came, as he comes, as he will come again!)
Christmas: The Season of Life and Light by Emily Hunter McGowin
4 Stars: This book was informational on the Christmas season of the Church Calendar (the 12 days of Christmas) and the holidays celebrated during that window. I felt like there was more personal anecdotes and modern events included in this book than the others of the series and sometimes they felt forced and awkward (but not the Civil Rights part – that was fascinating history.) There is still a lot about church history and how the church started celebrating Christmastide. I thought the part about the Massacre of the Innocents was very interesting and moving. Thinking of these children being the first martyrs for Christ’s sake was powerful and I do think it is important to recognize how the darkness responds when the light moves in. Overall, worth reading the entire Fullness of Time series if you are interested in the church calendar!
The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle by Joanne Huist Smith
4 Stars: I read this book as part of a book club. It is one that I wouldn’t have normally picked up but I am glad I read it. I was very moved by how small acts of kindness can change a whole life (and lives!!) At times I was frustrated by Joanne’s lack of ability to rally for her children (she left them to figure out nearly everything on their own), but at the same time I was filled with compassion for what she must be experiencing. There is little mention of God and no mention of a church community helping her in anyway, so I can only assume she was walking through grief without the hope of Christ and that sounds unbearable! I also had a hard time how much money she spent on Christmas gifts (bikes, computers, furniture, video games, and more!) but that is just a personal conviction I have on the consumerism of Christmas. Mostly I was grateful that Joanne and her three kids had their eyes opened to the fact that they were not alone in their grief that Christmas but they had each other and a whole community of friends and family. It feels like a simple Hallmark Christmas movie storyline, but it is a real story and the fact is, small acts of kindness, and generous hearts can change lives.
On a Midnight Clear by Tracie Peterson, Karen Witemeyer, & Misty M. Beller
4 Stars: I don’t often read books that contain multiple stories but this felt right for Christmastide. The first short story was by far my favorite and I enjoyed the other two novellas. I think I have a hard time with how short the story is – if I am going to sit down with a book I want the whole story, not just a snippet. Overall, these historical fiction novellas were cozy and festive!
Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson
4 stars: This is a cute Hallmark Christmas movie but in a book. You know the life Carol has at the begging is not the one she should be living, so you are happy to see how she changes throughout the book. I don’t love miscommunication tropes so I had a hard time with some of the things that happen and I find the part at the end about her mom terribly unbelievable. I do love how there is redemption and restoration in her family as she connects with her aunt and I do want to believe there is hope for her mom, but the quick change of heart feels unlikely. Overall, a cozy and clean holiday romance.
A Seaview Christmas by Julie Klassen
3 Stars: I didn’t realize that this was part of a series (the last one in fact) and so I felt a little lost. Lots of characters mentioned at all times and I had the feeling I was missing out on their importance or relevance to the story. I didn’t like Sarah at all. She felt stuck in the past, self-important, and overall an unlikable character. I think if I was to read any of the other books, I would have a better understanding of her personality and hopefully feel more endeared to her. Suddenly in the end it all works out for her and Callum (but I really don’t get why he would try so hard) but I could care less about her story – I was more invested in Georgiana and Collin but we get no resolution with them (Boo! The true stars!) I will say that I loved the Victorian Christmas part of the story and was thrilled to see a Anglican Advent season and well as Christmastide in the book! Overall, I wouldn’t recommended it unless you read all the other books.
GOAL UPDATE: I read 65 out of my 80 book goal. It isn’t a bad end to a year of reading, but it is less than the lofty number I set back in January! I have already made a new goal for 2026 – 52 books, one a week! But I am not quite sure if I will keep up this monthly review format or do something new. I will, however, keep posting on Goodreads so there is that! If you don’t already, follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading, what I want to read, my favorite books, and every review I write! I also share all the books that I have rated 4 or 5 stars on my Amazon storefront AND here are my Monthly Book Review archives for all the books I’ve read this year and years before!! Always feel free to share recommendations with me – I am a big fan of word of mouth!