Hey there! Welcome back to Ella Writes!! It's the last day of 2023, and it's time for me to share everything I read in December, and pick my favorite book of the year!!
1. Iron Flame: by Rebecca Yarros- finished December 2nd
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I started off the month reading the sequel to Fourth Wing. I was so excited to read this book after how much I am in love with the first one.
But like many people, I honestly am just not obsessed with Iron Flame. If Fourth Wing was a standalone, I would be fine. I just don't really even want to read anymore books. I think it would have been fine without this sequel.
I enjoyed some parts of this book, but I also got a little bored and felt like it was longer than it needed to be.
2. Thirteen Reasons Why: by Jay Asher- finished December 3rd
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Then I read a book that I would say is kinda controversial. I've heard so many mixed feelings about this book over the years, and I never thought I would even read it until I received it in a blind date with a book package.
I love giving books a chance, and when I hear people say that they don't like a book, it makes me want to read a book even more.
I'm really glad that I read Thirteen Reasons Why. It took me a day to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I know it has to do with solving the mystery of a girl who committed suicide, and figuring out why she did it.
I don't know how to exactly explain my thoughts on this book. All I can share is that it was well written, and interesting to read. It was sad, but it was also interesting.
I don't know.
I recommend it!
3. The Librarian Spy: by Madeline Martin- finished December 9th
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Next I read The Librarian Spy. This is a book set in WWI I think. It follows two women who each have jobs pertaining to books. It really follows along with their lives and shares what they do to help others.
It's sad, but it's sweet.
It's not my favorite book I've ever read, and definitely different from what I normally read it, but I highly recommend it. It's so well written and I really enjoyed it.
4. The Prison Healer: by Lynette Noni- finished December 14th
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This is one of those books that is kinda boring, but also a little interesting. And, the ending is what really gets you.
I wanted to give this book two stars and never think about it again.
But, the ending got me.
I never would have guessed it.
And that's the only reason why I actually want to continue the trilogy.
If you want to be surprised, read this book.
5. Binding 13: by Chloe Walsh- finished December 23rd
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I LOVE JOHNNY AND SHANNON.
I LOVE THIS BOOK.
Binding 13 is one of my favorite books I've ever read. Thank you to Destiny Sidwell, Rachel Catherine, and Cyan Martyn for influencing me to read this book.
I despise bad language and spice in books.
BUT, I can get around it if the story is amazing.
Binding 13 is one of those books.
There's a warning at the beginning about the language, and I'm so thankful for that. But, if you've trained your brain to change the bad words and skip over questionable ones, you can really get into the story of a book and not pay attention to the other things.
I had to do that for this book, which almost made me bump it down a few stars, but I couldn't not give it five stars after reading about Johnny and Shannon.
I will never forget this book, and I'm so freaking excited to finish the series.
6. Tessa & Weston: The Best Christmas Ever: by Abbie Emmons- finished December 25th
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Abbie Emmons only has a few books out, but I am obsessed with each one of them. I bought 100 Days of Sunlight at the beginning of 2023, and never got to it until a few months later.
I actually read 100 Days of Sunlight after reading The Otherworld, which was her second book.
I thought I was going to hate The Otherworld when I got sent an eARC a few months before its release. But I ended up loving it which led to me wanting to read more from her, and here we are.
This is the Christmas novella which goes along with 100 Days of Sunlight, and it was so cute. I love these characters so much!
7. Wholehearted Trust: by Katherine Gatti- finished December 26th
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At this point in the month, I realized that I still had a whole stack of books on my nightstand that I had yet to finish, so I started trying to get through some of those before I started new ones.
Wholehearted Trust came out earlier this year, and I actually got an early copy from Katherine's book launch party.
Somehow I got caught up reading other books and never finished it until now. However, I really love this book. It's such a beautiful story and has such good advice and words of truth in it.
I highly recommend this book and I'm so glad I got to read it!
8. Undivided (re-read; book #4): by Neal Shusterman- finished December 29th
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If you didn't know, Neal Shusterman is my favorite author, and Unwind is my favorite book series.
This year I started reading it again for the second time, and I finally finished the last book (not including Unbound which has short stories) this month.
I can't explain my love for this series.
I just love it so much, and I really want to re-read it like every year.
If you haven't read it yet, what are you doing? Cam might not be your favorite character like he is mine, but you have to read this series. It's amazing. Period.
9. Lightlark (re-read): by Alex Aster- finished December 31st
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I started listening to the audiobook of Lightlark earlier this month because I wanted to re-read it before going to the second book. I really love this book and I definitely recommend it!
It's time to share my favorite books from each month and attempt to choose my favorite of the year!
January: Crescent City- House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
February: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
March: Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
April: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
May: The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden
June: The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons
July: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
August: Lucky by Marissa Stapley
September: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
October: A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
November: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
December: Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh
I found so many new favorite books this year, and I'm so so glad. I honestly don't know how in the world I would have been able to write my own fiction book without all of these books. So many of them helped me write my own story.
If I had to choose my favorite book from 2023, I think it would have to be The Grace Year. I've thought about so many books over and over this year, but this one is the one I've thought about the most.
I love it so much and I don't think I'm going to ever forget it.
Thanks for reading! I hope you'll go check out some of these books! I'm so grateful for this year of reading. I read 94 books this year, and found so many new favorite reads. I can not wait to do more reading in 2024!! ~Ella