What I Read In December 2021

Just like last month, December was all about reading holiday books from my holiday reading list. I was zipping through that list in the first half of December and then towards the end of the month, I slowed down. However, my most favorite books of the month were towards the end of December. They’re books that truly make you feel good without all the cheesiness. I was also able to finish the last two books of the Winter Street Series!

This month is also the month I read the most in awhile! I was just zipping through these books! I get asked a lot about how I have time to read, etc so I shared here on how to like reading more. Hopefully the post is helpful!

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What I Read In December 2021

Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand (Winter Street Series Book 3)

This holiday season, a big Winter storm is about to hit Nantucket Island. After a year of chaos, things seem to be looking up for the Quinn family. Mitzi is back at the Inn, Patrick is about to get released from prison, Kevin’s new business is successful, and there’s hopeful news about Bart. But it wouldn’t be a Quinn family without some hiccups. Kelley survived a health scare, Jennifer can’t shake off her addiction, and Ava is still torn between two men. If there is a time to get the Quinn family together for a good time, it is Christmas. But can this year’s get together happen if a big storm is affecting the entire island?

This book is book #3 of the Winter Street series. I read Winter Street (Book 1) and Winter Stroll (Book 2) last month. So far this is my favorite out of the series. I zipped through this book so quickly and finished it in a day and a half. It has a good mixture of feel good, surprises, and anticipation. I was hoping the dilemma Ava has will be squashed in this book, but it lingered on. So she is for sure my least favorite character and I hope in the final book she becomes more likable haha. But otherwise, I have really enjoyed the Winter series so far.

The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo

Lila lives in a small town – Holly, New York. It’s a very Christmasy town and where the famous Holiday At The Lake movie took place. During Lila’s last Winter break of high school, she wants to work as many hours as possible at the local inn but she has to work with her boss’ nephew. She’s Type A and he’s Type ‘Anything But Lila’s Way’. One day, they accidentally switch phones and learn secrets from one another. Will this rivalry bring them together or cause a storm?

It’s a sweet and fast-paced book. The ending is what you would expect from a rom com book. I love that this author is a Filipina author (I really like that I’m finding more and more of them!) and so it has tidbits of Filipino culture in there. However, I did wish it had a bit more context on the culture because anyone reading it will be confused. For instance, Lila’s younger sister keeps calling her ‘Ate’. If you’re not filipino, you would pronounce it as it is spelled and wonder what the heck they’re talking about. In reality, it’s pronounced like ‘Ah-teh’, which you have to say if you are talking to an older sister or older female cousin, etc. Otherwise, this book has all the holiday fuzzy feel to it!

Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand (Winter Street Series Book 4)

The Quinn family are finally getting together to celebrate the holidays. Bart is home from Afghanistan, Kevin is enjoying married life, Patrick is getting back on his feet after prison, and Ava found the love of her life. Kelley is excited to see all his kids under one roof. But of course, nothing happens smoothly. There are mishaps and secrets yet it was filled with so much love.

Yay I finished the Winter Street series! This is the final book of the series. Out of the 4 books, I enjoyed this one the most. The ending was very wholesome and it gave me closure yet there is room for potentially more storylines. So it was good. I was in tears at the end. I wasn’t hoping it would end this way, but it was realistic. Remember how in every series I couldn’t stand Ava, yea that mindset has not changed. Actually, Jennifer annoyed a lot. I always saw her as someone who is reasonable and has her head on straight (even with her addiction) and in this book she lost those characteristics. Every time I was reading about her, I kept saying ‘oh my gosh, you know better’.

*** I read the first two books of the series last month. Read my reviews here.***

So, This Is Christmas By Tracy Andreen

Finley returns to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma. But everything has changed. Her archnemesis is working with grandma, her parents have separated, and her best friend is dating her ex-boyfriend. Finley also tricked a boy into thinking her hometown is the idyllic holiday paradise and now she has to do everything to live up to that expectation. It’s a chaotic time for Finley. But along the way, she starts to find her place and receives the best Christmas present – love.

Did you know that this author has written several Hallmark and Lifetime movies?!? And yes that includes the holiday movies too! After knowing this fact, it may have swayed my opinion on this book because I feel like this book might be better as a movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a sweet story but it just felt a little too long for me.  Overall, it has everything you’d love and expect in a holiday book – love, family, Christmas magic, holiday romance, etc. It is a heartwarming book.

The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole

Meg is a hopeful fashionista working in the fashion industry with a heartless boss. However, she had to drop her dream of making it in the fashion world because her father unexpectedly passed away and she had to move to Chicago to manager her father’s apartment building. Ellie is a long-time resident in the apartment building and she’s in the process of sorting her things to downsize. She came across an old dress that was gorgeous on Meg. This dress brought so many good and bad memories but she is hoping that this dress will have better luck with Meg. The dress and Christmas magic will help both Meg and Ellie with their happy endings.

I LOVED this book! It’s exactly what I wanted from a Christmas book. Of course, I really loved all the Chicago references. There is a bit of romance in this book, but similar to The Santa Suit I read last month, it wasn’t the main focal point of the plot. There’s some mystery to it and then everything is brought together. It gave me all the Christmas magic feels. Even though all Christmas books have somewhat of a predictable ending, this was an ending I wanted and was rooting for. So it made every page exciting because I wanted to know how everyone in the book got to where they are. Without a doubt I recommend this book!

Christmas By The Book By Anne Marie Ryan

A husband and wife, Nora and Simon, own a bookshop in a small town outside of London. With online shopping and corporate competition, things are tough with the bookshop. One day an elderly man buys a book that they could not sell saying it is a gift for his sick grandson. This gives Nora and Simon an idea. They want to give away 6 books to people who really need their spirits lifted. They asked people for nominations and they were able to give books to a boy grieving about his late sister, a man fighting depression, a single dad trying to make ends meet, a workaholic, a newly divorced mother, and a new retiree trying to figure out her purpose. One by one, the books were giving these individuals hope. However, a Christmas miracle is still needed to save the bookshop.

Add this book as another holiday book favorite! I’m starting to realize that I love Christmas-themed books when romance is not a big part of the plot. If you are an avid reader, you will appreciate Nora and Simon’s love of literature and books and how books have the capability to change lives and make people happy. Highly recommend reading this book. You’ll feel good inside and every character is likable (which I think is so hard to do!). It also inspired me to visit a local bookshop. Unfortunately, it is really rare these days. If you need some cheering up, you’ll feel all the good feels with this book.

Final Thoughts

I still can’t believe I read 6 books in December! This is the most I read in awhile! I powered through reading and I don’t know how because there was a lot going on haha. Did you read any holiday books?

xo RD