December '25 Reading Recap
Spoiler-Free Reviews
These are the books I read AND finished during December. Click here if you want to read my favorite books read of 2025!
As always, this recap is brought to you by the book club, Men Read Fiction Too! and if you’d like to be part of the online book club, consider being a paid subscriber!
December Book Club Pick
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
“I think there’s something beautiful about being lucky enough to witness a thing on its way out.”
The theme for this month was ‘cozy book.’ We wanted to end the year with a lowstake book that’s easy, quick, and enjoyable and I’m happy to say this book checked all these boxes.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed with your daily life. Feel like you’re too far behind in life. Thought to yourself that this one thing will make me happy, but doesn’t. And wondered why you love many things, but can’t focus on one thing. This book offers you a warm hug that says ‘it’s okay buddy. Talk to this adorable robot and feel better.’ And I very much did feel better.
This is a short, sci-fi novella under the sub-genre of solarpunk, which looks to portray a more optimistic future for humanity. The setting may read more of a fantasy to some, it did to me at some points, but the underlying message and an incredibly endearing robot character named Mosscap makes this a well worth read.
Be part of the Men Read Fiction Too! Book Club!
Personal Reads
Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
“Atrocity is writ by quiet men in council chambers… In the name of safety, security, piety, they labor to found future heaven on present horror. But their kingdom of heaven is in the mind, in the the future that will never be, and their present horrors are real.”
Outside of the occasional Star Wars book, I don’t really read genre fiction a whole lot, least of all multi-book series. But the hype and Star Wars comparisons had me curious about this series and I decided to get into it back in November. Really deciding to take my time with the first book to consider if I would want to continue for 6 more books… which I do! That’s the best compliment I can give it, with Ruocchio’s writing being the stand out. He has a real good grasp on the English language and it shows with a 1st person prose.
Even with a rather one note character and narration, I was intrigued enough by the world building and invested in our protagonist plight. My biggest critique is that I think the pacing is a bit off at times. Moments where I would’ve liked to have spent more time were moved on too quickly. And moments that took its time could’ve been finished sooner.
But regardless, this is a really good Book 1 of a series. I only expect things to get better moving forward!
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
I read this novella/short story on Christmas Day in one sitting and while I’m glad I read it, I don’t particularly care for this book. Keegan’s prose is good but I wasn’t enamored with it like many people are and because of that, I really don’t have much else to really say about it. Maybe this is one of those stories where upon a reread I learn to enjoy and appreciate it more, but for my first read, I simply think its fine.
On a side note, it’s criminal that the book was $20 being under 100 pages and a hardcover. Wait for paperback or read it digitally.
The Cat Who Saved the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa
“Words are like a telescope. They help you see the things you want to see, but they leave you blind to everything else.”
Capping off the end of the year with my personal favorite read of the month. THIS is my kind of cozy book. Magical Realism + Book-ish Setting + Talking Cat = A good, heartwarming time.
Following a young teenage girl who notices books are disappearing from her local library, she is thrust into an adventure by a talking cat to uncover the thieves. What follows is an exploration of our own personal relationship with books, the (mal)practices committed by publishers, and of course, the enduring power of libraries and bookstores.
If you like Japanese literature, magical realism, and book-ish themes. I highly recommend you read this and the companion novel, The Cat Who Saved Books. I couldn’t help but smile throughout most of the book.
What did YOU read during the final weeks of the year? Have you read any of the books I read? Let’s talk about it!
You can read my other Monthly Recaps below and while all my articles will be free, I’d deeply appreciate if you became a paid subscriber. Writing is a luxury, but it is still a form of labor. Thank you!
The Cat Who Saved Books: added to my tbr!
Is there some way to message you?