Books I Read in December!

December was a really good reading month for me considering that I’m usually so busy with Christmas stuff that I never get any reading done. However, it was also the beginning of a huge reading/ blogging slump that lead to me not reading anything in January and only getting around to talking about these books in August! I’m catching up, I swear! Anyway, the books…

Kitty in the Underworld by Carrie Vaughn
I took a massive break in the middle of reading this and the book as a whole struggled to hold my attention, unfortunately. I love the world and the characters but this instalment just wasn’t for me.
Although, as always, I was a big fan of the literature references Kitty makes in this series; in this book, H.G. Wells; The Island of Dr Moreau. In an urban fantasy book, these are the things that remind me that this is ‘our world’, just with werewolves and vampires and such.
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Face Off by Brenda Novak
I know that Brenda Novak mostly writes romances, but she knows how to write a thriller. I’ve enjoyed this series from the word Go (review of the first book here and the second book here) and this was, what I thought, a thrilling conclusion. Only to find out there’s another book coming. It was like all those times you finish a series and wish for another book, only to immediately find out that it’s happening. If you like true crime but want a bit more of a story, or you just like crime books in general but the usual suspects are getting a bit too similar, the Evelyn Talbot series should be your next read.
Waterstones | Amazon | The Book People | Book Depository | The Works
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Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean*
I said it when I finished this and I say it again now, Empress of All Seasons is YA fantasy at its best. It’s diverse, original and wasn’t dragged out into the trilogy format that packs young adult shelves.
I loved the Japanese inspired mythology, I haven’t read much of it before and I want to search out more. There was ladies being badass and boys being gentle which I love. The pacing wasn’t the best but I think this one is worth pushing through, I might re-read it via audiobook and see how that is.
“-our bodies are not ornaments; they are instruments.”
Waterstones | Amazon | The Book People | Book Depository
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Six Tudor Queens: Anna of Kleve, Queen of Secrets by Alison Weir*
I have never, and probably will never shut up about this series. After being a little disappointed with the third book, this one brought me back around and I’ll be writing a full review.
Waterstones | Amazon | The Book People | Book Depository
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Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce*
I rarely read books as quickly as I read Blood Orange. I flew through this and actually no longer have my copy as I leant it to a friend who was getting bored of the usual thrillers. This isn’t a normal thriller, it’s flawed characters doing flawed things with a dash of blackmail and murder. I imagine that people who get stressed when characters do the wrong thing would absolutely hate this one but when I let that go and just let the story happen, I was gripped.
Waterstones | Amazon | The Book People | Book Depository | The Works
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