December 2025 Reading Recap
Well, it took me all the way until December, but I finally got caught up on the reviews I promised to write for this year! I feel like I spent all year in a desperate scramble, and it feels so good to now look ahead rather than behind. The bulk of the catching-up efforts happened in October and November. By the middle of December, I was able to move on and start reading books coming out in 2026. Imagine!
This month, I focused on finishing up the 2025 releases I agreed to review, but I still managed to slip a few backlist titles in there, too. I read The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, which has been on my reading list since 2023, when it came out. I also reread Vanya and the Wild Hunt with my littlest, who LOVED it. She is going to be on pins and needles until the second book comes out, which isn’t until 2027.
At any rate, here is a full recap of the books I read this month —frontlist, backlist, and beyond.
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December 2025 Reading Recap
The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh (The Floating World #2)
My thoughts: This is the second half of a duology that began with The Floating World, released earlier this year. Lots of romance and Final Fantasy vibes. Really enjoyable read.
Published October 21, 2025 | My Review
Going Overboard by Caroline Huntoon
My thoughts: A sweet, blended-family-oriented story with a reverse Parent Trap plot filled with unexpected friendship. I love the cruise ship setting. Definitely a great book to pick up when you’re missing the sunshine this winter.
Published May 27, 2025 | My Review
A Time Traveler’s History of Tomorrow by Kendall Kulper
My thoughts: Kind of a companion novel to The Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife, featuring Henny’s sister Genevieve, a girl determined to make her mark on science, and a boy running from a cult. A super fun romp through 1890s Chicago.
Published November 4, 2025 | My Review
I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm by Mariama J. Lockington
My thoughts: My first holiday read of the season! This book really got me in the mood to celebrate love and Christmas. I especially appreciated Juniper’s “song of the day” choices.
Published October 14, 2025 | My Review
Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna
My thoughts: This is December’s read-aloud with my daughter. I worried at first that the danger and intensity of the scenes with the Old Ones would be too much for her (she’s 7), but she LOVES it. She’s enjoying getting lost in the descriptions of Auramere and asking questions about Vanya’s experience with ADHD. I read the book earlier in the year, so it’s fun to re-experience the story this way.
Published March 11, 2025 | My Review
I Am the Dark that Answers When You Call (I Feed Her to the Beast #2) by Jamison Shea
My thoughts: The first book in this series won me over with its realistic portrayal of ballet life and the intense, horrific unraveling of the main character. I love the way Shea uses dance in this book. I’m really in awe.
Published November 12, 2024 | My Review to Come
The Last Vampire by Romina Garber
My thoughts: This is the book you’d give today’s teen who’s curious about Twilight but wants something more modern. A creepy gothic boarding school. A slow-burning romance between a girl and a vampire.
Published December 2, 2025 | My Review
The Peach Thief by Linda Joan Smith
My thoughts: A historical novel about a girl who must hide her identity or risk losing her job in an earl’s garden. Perfect for readers who want a story like The Secret Garden but with modern style and sensibility.
Published March 4, 2025 | My Review
Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet
My thoughts: A reimagining of Little Women as a murder mystery (who killed Beth March?) in a contemporary setting. I’m so glad I read this. If you liked Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet, do not miss this!
Published January 6, 2026 | My Review
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz
My thoughts: I had a great time reading this upbeat, sweet romance. All the characters’ names and places are cheese-related. I love the use of the grilled cheese. Perfect for fans of The Prince and the Dressmaker.
Published May 9, 2023 | My Review to Come
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
My thoughts: OMG, reading this was so stressful! Haha. The tension —from the threat of the zombies and the erratic relationships with uninfected people— never stops. I had to read this in one sitting.
Published January 13, 2026 | My Review to Come
A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania
My thoughts: This novel in verse is set over a year, from 1975 to 1976, in Laos and then Thailand, and follows the journey of an oldest daughter and her family as they flee turmoil in Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand. It’s a gripping story that explores family roles and the meaning of home.
Published January 13, 2026 | My Review to Come
A Barista’s Guide to Love and Larceny by Caroline Bonin
My thoughts: A magical heist with some romance thrown in? Yes, please! I really enjoyed this book about a girl in a magical college who becomes embroiled in a quest to stop a company from releasing a new dream-based product with dangerous side effects.
Published January 13, 2026 | My Review to Come
Roar of the Lambs by Jamison Shea
My thoughts: A mysterious box containing inexplicable power changes the lives of everyone who encounters it, killing some and driving others mad. Winnie and Apollo, teens whose ancestors have ties to the box, must figure out how to destroy it before it’s too late. Shea’s signature insightful, unsettling writing shines in this eerie story.
Published August 25, 2025 | My Review to Come
Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia
My thoughts: I love the way this book shows how powerful a community is and how connecting to your family and your history can be different from what you expected. This graphic novel made a great note to end my reading for the year.
Published June 11, 2024 | My Review to Come
What did you read in December 2025?
What books were on your December 2025 reading list? I’d love to hear about them. Have you read any of the titles I listed? Leave a comment and let me know if you enjoyed them.
