December Books

 1.  The Hunting Moon, Susan Dennard (audio) - This is a sequel, and I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed by it.  The writing wasn't as compelling, some of the plot points were super obvious, and I had trouble connecting with the characters.  Perhaps just the wrong time for this book?  Not sure.  There is more to come...and I'm debating whether or not to read it.  

2.  Mage Breaker, Sean R. Frazier - Full disclaimer, I've been married to the author for 24.5 years, so I am 100% biased when it comes to this book.  Sean's work is normally not quite my cup of tea, but I wanted to read this one as it's quite different from his previous works.  My only complaint is that I don't think the publisher should have labeled it as 'urban fantasy.'  It is really 'science fantasy' but that's such a small niche that I think they were afraid to go there.  (And that's 100% on the publisher, not the author!)  Check it out if you want some fun! 

3.  Cassandra in Reverse, Holly Smale, NPR Books We Love 2024 - Ohmygosh, I love this book so, so much.  Time traveling...autistic person....wow, what a concept!  It was lighthearted and fun and heartbreaking and I learned quite a bit about what it can be to be autistic.  (The author is also autistic, and is very careful to let you know that Cassandra's experience of life is just representative of her singular character and is not a reflection on all autistic people.) I was a tiny bit disgruntled by the end, but I understand why Smale chose to leave her book the way she did.  

4.  Before Your Memory Fades, Toshikazu Kawaguchi, book 3 of the series - In which we change the location and find out there's actually a second cafe where patrons can time travel.  As with the first two books in the series, this is a gentle book well suited to those times when you just want something quiet to read.  

5. Legends & Latttes, Travis Baldree, reread - I needed something gentle to read on Christmas, and this suited nicely.  It really is a lovely book.  

6.  Before We Say Goodbye, Toshikazu Kawaguchi, book 4 of the series - Because I had to read the whole series.  But this is where I realize that as much as I've enjoyed these gentle books I have no desire to reread them and so will probably be passing all four books along.  I may or may not read any future books in this series.  

7.  To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, Moniquill Blackgoose (audio), NPR Books We Love 2024 - I took a chance and used one of my credits to get the audio of this book.  I admit, I was a bit cautious about this book - in my experience books about dragons tend to be all or nothing - but I'm so glad I gave it a try.  Anequs quickly became one of my all-time favorite characters, and I can't wait for the next book in the series!