Everything I Read in December 2025

December was a great month of reading: ten books. I listened to more audio than usual while traveling, wrapping gifts, and getting out for some nice, long walks.

I was lucky to read a few really wonderful ARCs (this is my reminder to pre-order them if they spark your interest; pre-orders are so helpful to authors!). I genuinely loved (or at least really liked) everything I read this month, but far and away my favorite book was Writers & Lovers. (You might remember that I read Heart the Lover in October–it is worth noting that I liked this even more!). I’ve ordered Lily King’s whole back catalog and cannot wait to dive in.

Everything I read in November 2025

Tell me what you read and loved in the comments section: I always shop your recs. And for even more books, check out The Library: a catalog of every single book I’ve read over the past ten+ years; you can even filter by genre and sort by best/worst. Also – check out last month’s list!

Historical Fiction

The Parisian Heist, by Jo Piazza (out July 7th!)

I was lucky enough that Jo sent me a very early copy of this, and I loved every page!!! It’s historical fiction and a thriller, told in dual timelines, which is my favorite for historical fiction. We meet widow Jo van Gogh, struggling to stay afloat. With her husband and brother-in-law now gone, she has inherited hundreds of Vincent’s paintings. The art world has (of course) deemed the paintings worthless. Jo disagrees. Consumed by Vincent’s legacy, determined to prove his creative genius (and support her son), she takes on the ambitious and difficult, especially for a woman in those times!) task of representing his work. In more modern times (the nineties), we meet Emma, a struggling art student in Paris. Having recently lost her scholarship, she finds herself cleaning the homes of the wealthy elite, where she meets Stella. Once upon a time, Stella was art world royalty, the wife of one of the world’s most notorious art dealers. But upon her husband’s death, she was cut out of the will and now borders on penniless. Emma finds herself becoming friends with Stella and attracted to her charming grandson. When Stella convinces Emma and her roommates to pull off a daring art heist at Musée d’Orsay, all bets are off (and the storylines converge). I couldn’t put this down. It’s a convergence of my favorite things: art, Paris, and a heist. I cannot recommend it enough. Please pre-order it, you’ll get a treat in July (and we all know how vital preorders are to authors!). Overall Score: A // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

Thriller

Not Quite Dead Yet, by Holly Jackson

I had seen this book recommended as a top thriller on several “best of” lists, so I figured it was a must-read. Honestly, it was good but not great. The writing reads more like YA, it dragged at times, and I did not like the ending. So, you’ve been warned. A young woman (Jet) is brutally attacked on the night of Halloween. When she wakes up in the hospital, she is given one week to live before she dies of a brain aneurysm. Brutal! She sets out to figure out who tried to kill her (and will be convicted of her murder once she dies). Is it her ex-boyfriend? Someone in her family? Her ex-best friend? With just her best friend Billy by her side, the two set out to solve her murder. It is a creative premise, but I feel like it could have been done better. The ending was frustrating. Jet was unlikeable and impulsive. The writing felt both simple and long. But it was still entertaining. This got a B. It’s skippable, but if it were at the airport bookstore, I’d pick it up and read it on my flight. Overall Score: B // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

Little One, by Olivia Muenter (out Feb 3!)

Ooh I loved this book. If you are a fan of Jessica Knoll, I think you will really love it. Catharine West grew up on an idyllic farm, away from the rest of the world in Florida. Some of her earliest memories involve eating sun-ripened tomatoes off the vine, running through her family’s gardens, and reading in her treehouse with her sister Linna. Her life was simple, but lovely . . . the farm was a magical place for her family and countless others. Away from the rest of the world, living off of the land. She never felt as though she needed to leave; why would she? She had everything she could ever need: community, food, her magnetic father. But there was a darker side: her handsome and charming father had a temper and could be extremely controlling and manipulative. Years later, Catharine has left the farm, but the memories still linger. Meanwhile, she’s carefully constructed a new life for in New York. It is a life with strict discipline and walls: even her best friend has no idea about her past. But when a journalist emails her (and seems to know much more than he lets on), all bets are off as Catharine wonders if he can lead her to the one person she’s truly loved (Linna). I couldn’t put this down and actually gasped at the final chapter! Overall Score: A // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

Her One Regret, by Donna Freitas

I could not put this down. I’ve never read anything like it! It’s a hybrid of a crime thriller and deeper exploration of something super taboo: a mother who regrets having her child. I will say that there is a CW for post-partum depression, so if that is you, you might want to skip it. Lucy Mendoza is a successful real estate agent who disappears from a grocery store parking lot, leaving her baby (and her car and phone) behind. A search for Lucy immediately begins, and her best friend Michelle is devastated. But Michelle knows a secret, something Lucy has only confided in her. Lucy regrets being a mother so much that she wishes she could fake her own kidnapping. Michelle knows in her heart that foul play is at stake and Lucy would never abandon her sweet daughter. Or is she so desperate that she’d leave her own family? The story is told from three different women’s perspectives: Michelle, Julia (a struggling new mother), and Diana (a retired detective who takes an interest in the case). I think a lot of women may struggle with this book as no one ever really talks about the possibility that some women might find motherhood to be an unfixable mistake. It’s certainly taboo, but as a woman who has never wanted her own children, I found it really thoughtful and insightful! Overall Score: A- // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

Contemporary Fiction

Alan Opts Out, by Courtney Maum (out June 2nd!)

Simply put, this book is a joy to read. It’s hilarious in a satirical sort of way and surprising, with gorgeous writing and characters you root for. Alan is a successful advertising executive, on the verge of securing a big bonus. Soon, he’ll be able to give his wife, Vivian, what she’s been dreaming of: a swimming pool. The two live in an idyllic Connecticut suburb, and all that Vivian wants is to be accepted by the other women as an “Anne” (their secret club). Everything goes belly up when a rogue dairy farm ruins Alan’s big pitch, and Alan has a crisis of confidence: he is tired of convincing people to buy things they don’t need. Alan takes to the little playhouse outside. He stops showering, stops wearing shoes, and gives up modern plumbing. His daughters seem to love it. Meanwhile, Vivian, who grew up with very little, realizes that she isn’t making her daughters happy by giving them more stuff: one wants to act, and the other is convinced she can talk to animals. Everything culminates with a mid-summer dinner party that Vivian is hosting (her final test in the competition to become an Anne). I just loved this. It was fun to read, the writing is incredible, just an absolute treat. I highly recommend pre-ordering! Overall Score: A- // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

Writers and Lovers, by Lily King

Good grief, where has Lily King been all of my life!? Somehow, she was not really on my radar until Heart the Lover, and now even having read only two of her books, she is becoming one of my favorite authors. The writing is so gorgeous that I felt jealous at times. The characters are just wonderful. Casey, bereft and still reeling from the death of her mother (and then a subsequent heartbreak), is struggling. It is the nineties. She’s drowning in debt, living in a moldy room off of her brother’s friend’s garage, and cannot seem to finish her novel. She works at a restaurant in Boston where the brunch chef regularly harasses her. She cannot seem to get a break. She’s thirty-one, has very few friends (though Muriel and Harry are two A++ characters who always have Casey’s back), and so many things (bills, medical advice, her job) just feel insurmountable. Still, she has one thing that so many of her former friends and peers have given up on: a determination to live a creative life, no matter the cost. When she finds herself dating two very different men (a successful author 15 years her senior and a young writer her own age), she finds herself flailing yet again. This is a story of triumph against the odds and believing in your craft. I couldn’t put it down. I loved Casey (and felt like I already knew her, as I’d read Heart the Lover first. Overall Score: A+ // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguri

After reading Never Let Me Go last year, so many of you had suggested this, saying that it was even better. I loved it. It’s such a special book. I don’t want to tell you very much because it’s one of those books where the less you know, the better. Similar to Never Let Me Go, it is set in the not-so-distant future. Klara is an AF (artificial friend), for sale at a shop on a city block. Her favorite times are those when she is placed near the front of the store and can feel the sun’s warmth on her body. Klara’s biggest hope is to be chosen by a child. Her odds decrease as more and more high-tech versions of the AF are released. When she meets Josie, she is certain she’s found her child and that her life is about to change. I won’t say anything else but I adored this book. The writing is beautiful, and the choice to tell the story through the limited perspective of artificial intelligence is brilliant. I’ve never read anything like it! Overall Score: A // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

Non-Fiction

Eat, Drink, and Remarry, by Patricia Altschul

I ordered this as I knew it would be fun, and Patricia had spoken at the literary festival here in Charleston. Plus, I’ll admit it: I always love a rich person memoir! I was not prepared for how much I would enjoy it! I have dipped in and out of Southern Charm to be a supportive friend at times but it is not my thing–too much drama. I expected this book to be a funny memoir from an eccentric older woman who married very well. I fear I underestimated her! The book is so interesting. She’s had an incredible life (and career) before the show. I loved learning about her background in academia and the art world (she has some truly wild stories, especially one about Roy Cohn), her upbringing and family life, all of it. I gobbled it up! My only gripe is that I chose to listen to this and she didn’t narrate. Otherwise, it’s perfect! A really fun read, but also wow: I didn’t realize what an impressive person she is. Overall Score: A- // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

Born Lucky, by Leland Vittert

This book is so powerful and hopeful. I wasn’t familiar with Leland Vittert, but he is a pretty well-known journalist on NewsNation (prior to that, he was at Fox News). What I didn’t know is his life story and how hard he (and his father) have worked to get to that point. Leland grew up socially awkward, always different from other kids. His classmates (and teachers) labeled him weird, and he was bullied wherever he went. Even the teachers bullied him. His parents didn’t know what to do. Leland showed the signs of being autistic, but back then (the eighties and nineties), the diagnosis was rare. His father knew that the world wouldn’t change and that Leland would have to adapt. He devoted his life to coaching Leland, giving him the skills he would need to thrive later on and always telling him that the things that made him different and weird as a kid would benefit him as an adult. This is one of those books that will make you laugh and cry, but it made me feel very hopeful. It’s inspiring and a joy to read. I loved it so much. I listened to the audiobook and would recommend it, as Leland narrates! Overall Score: A- // Order on Bookshop or Amazon

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

This might seem like a semi-random choice (it was published back in 1936!) but Leland Vittert referenced it in Born Lucky, and I remembered how much I loved it when I read it in high school. I’m so glad I re-read it! It’s obviously a classic but I think it’s very evergreen and timeless: a book you can read and re-read and it will always be relevant and teach you something new. It’s full of astute and very practical/useful advice–especially around managing people, handling conflict and criticism, being well-regarded and not only being good at your job and getting ahead, but also being a quality person and good human being. I think that if everyone read this book, the world would be a much better place. Highly recommend! Overall Score: // Order on Bookshop or Amazon