December Wrap-Up | 2022

Welcome to my December wrap-up! This month was a pretty successful month considering my mental health took a bit of a downturn in the middle. I'm really happy with how much I caught up with The Stormlight Archive too. So, without further ado, here are my reviews and ratings for the month!

1. Words of Radiance, Part Two by Brandon Sanderson (re-read) ★★★★★

This is the second part of book two in The Stormlight Archive and it's easily my favourite book in the series so far. The action towards the end of the book was immense. Sanderson is so talented at writing scenes that you can easily picture as an epic moment in a film (Kaladin going down those stairs at the end as an example). I loved the turn the plot took in this - there were so many twists with Shallan, and I did not see coming what Adolin would do towards the end at all. It's great seeing so many different characters and plotlines finally coming together, and how they react to one another. I particularly liked seeing more of Adolin's character in this book. As always, Sanderon's magic system is unlike any other and we get to see so much more of the powers used by the Radiants. I'm so excited to see how these books tie to the rest of the Cosmere, and I'm loving every book in this series more and more.

 2. Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson (re-read) ★★★★

Are we surprised to see the next Sanderson book in this wrap-up? No, of course not. This is a novella - book 3.5 in The Stormlight Archive - and it follows Lift, a character we first meet in the interludes of Book Two. The first time I read this novella, I found Lift to be quite irritating, but on this read, I actually really enjoyed her character and her more simplistic perspective. It really allowed the reader to see more of the world and how it works, while simultaneously tying the novella to the main story in ways that Lift can't even see. Her rudeness and obsession with food is just funny throughout, and I love that she still says the Words and means them despite being so young. I'm excited to learn more about her and more about Darkness. I don't want to say much else in case of spoilers, but overall this is an interesting novella that really adds to the main story.

3. The Prenup by Lauren Layne ★★

This Adult contemporary romance book follows Charlotte Spencer, who grew up on the blue-blooded Upper East Side of Manhattan, but she never wanted the sit-still-look-pretty future her parents dictated for her. Enter Colin Walsh, her brother's quiet, brooding, man-bun-sporting best friend, and with him a chance to escape. He's far from Charlotte's dream guy but they need each other for one thing: marriage. One courthouse wedding later, Charlotte's inheritance is hers to start a business in San Francisco and Irish-born Colin has a Green Card. Ten years later, Colin drops a bombshell: the terms of their prenup state that before either can file for divorce, they have to live under the same roof for three months.

Unfortunately, this book didn't land well for me for a few reasons. Firstly, I found the way Charlotte spoke to the reader kind of cheesy and the tone didn't resonate with me. It also seemed to drop off by the end of the book so I'm not sure why it was really written that way to begin with. The next big thing was the characters: Charlotte I could mostly get behind, although the way she talked about being rich and money not being thought of at all was slightly nauseating. Colin, however, had the personality of a brick wall. There is literally not one thing he does that shows anything about him. Charlotte even calls him out on this and he says something along the lines of 'Just because I don't show my emotions doesn't mean I don't have them'. Right sure, but that just feels like a cop out for never showing and always telling.

Next up, we have the very clear emotional cheating that happens throughout the book. I can never ever root for a couple in a book that do this. Colin is constantly making hints at how much he lusts after Charlotte and agreeing to go on a trip with her, but is apparently head over heels for someone else? Charlotte is just as bad. She doesn't want to become the 'other woman', but still flirts repeatedly and invites him for a weekend away?? And then we have all the women-on-women hate. It's truly awful. Charlotte refers to another woman as 'severe', 'uptight', and 'a viper', and it's used to contrast how wonderfully sunny and carefree Charlotte herself is. Realistically, I didn't see anything this other woman did was wrong at all given the situation she'd been put in.

The end of the book also felt like it had no closure for the overall conflict. Colin never really explains any of his thought process or if he actually had any feelings other than lust, Rebecca vanishes of the face of the earth, and we get a typical epilogue wrapping everything else up in a neat bow. Overall, this was just not a romance/contemporary for me, although other people might be able to see past the cheating and enjoy it more.

4. Wrapped Up in You by Talia Hibbert ★★★

The best way to describe this contemporary novella is that it's a very sweet read. William Reid is nothing special, except for his billion-dollar acting career and his, you know, face. (Apparently, it’s a good one.) Winning ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ was nice, but this Christmas, he has more important goals in mind... like finally winning over his best friend’s little sister, the super-smart and kinda-scary Abbie Farrell. When a blizzard leaves Will and Abbie alone at Grandma Farrell’s house (if bunking with 27 pets counts as ‘alone’), it’s the perfect opportunity to pull off a Christmas miracle. Convincing clever, frosty Abbie to give Will a chance will take more than mistletoe, but hiding his lifelong crush on her is no longer an option. 

I appreciate that this novella really showed the truth about recovery from abusive relationships and how it can shatter the trust there. However, it was very frustrating reading from Will's perspective and watching Abbie push him away and hurt him repeatedly when they'd known each other for so long that you would think they would naturally trust one another. But, as I said, that is the truth about recovery from these things, so it was understandable. I particularly loved the amount of cats in this book, especially the kittens; it made the book extra cute. I kind of wish the novella had been a full book, so we could know more about her past relationship and also her relationship with her family, but this was a quick, sweet read overall. If you're looking for a cute Christmas romance then pick this up.

5. Oathbringer, Part One by Brandon Sanderson (re-read) ★★★★

We are finally at my last re-read of this series so I'm finally able to continue to the next couple of books. This is the first part of book three in The Stormlight Archive series. Overall, I found it to be less action-packed than the previous ones; not that much happened except for a few reveals as the book went along. This is understandable because it's only the first half of a book, which is why it only got 4 stars overall. I really liked the addition of the Bridge Four chapters, and I especially loved Rock's chapter - he's probably my favourite member of the group. Kaladin and his family felt a little rushed and I wish we'd seen more exploration there. Kaladin wasn't as interesting to me in this book because it felt like not a lot happened in his chapters, but I really liked learning more about Adolin and Dalinar. Exploring Dalinar's past and uncovering the things he'd forgotten was such a good addition to this book and it's keeping me turning the pages to find out more of his history. I will say that the addition of some things left me a little confused, but I'm hoping we'll get more explanation as time goes on. Overall, a good start to the third book.

6. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews ★.5

Now, I know I've given this book a low rating, but I didn't actively hate the writing. However, there were so many problematic things in this book that it made me incredibly uncomfortable. This is a YA Contemporary book that's described as 'not like other cancer books'. It follows Greg. Up until senior year, he's has maintained total social invisibility. He only has one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time - when not playing video games and avoiding Earl’s terrifying brothers - making movies, their own versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Greg would be the first one to tell you his movies are terrible, but he and Earl don’t make them for other people. Until Rachel. Rachel has leukaemia, and Greg’s mum gets the genius idea that Greg should befriend her. Against his better judgement and despite his extreme awkwardness, he does. When Rachel decides to stop treatment, Greg and Earl must abandon invisibility and make a stand. 

As I said above, this book had so many problematic lines about race, sex, and gender, and then hardly any of them were ever challenged. Some examples being:

• 'I had no idea what you were supposed to do with [girls] ... I just sort of wanted to have one like a possession or something'
• 'jocks would be a good bet to ascend the throne, but at Benson, they're pretty much all black, and many of the white kids are afraid of them' (What the hell?)
• 'Every two years, Dad grows a beard, and it makes him look like a member of the taliban'.

Literally none of those things are ever challenged as stereotypes or bad by the author or character. It's kind of expected the race lines to be negated by the fact the main character has a black friend. There's also bisexual erasure in the book, which is also not properly challenged, except by saying  the equivalent of 'everyone's a little bit bi'.

Getting past those issues, we still have the fact that this is exactly like any other cancer book. The main character's agency is entirely propelled by a girl dying of cancer. And the worst thing is, the main character is categorically unlikable. He literally doesn't do one nice thing in the entire book that someone else didn't make him do. He constantly talks about how unattractive Rachel is and, therefore, doesn't care about helping her. Thankfully, that does get challenged, but he still doesn't seem to learn anything from it. The fact that he learns something new about her so late in the book says that he never he tried to get to know her properly. Every teenage girl in this book is only talked about through a lens of how hot they are. I know he's a teenage boy, but it's like he thinks all women are objects and not actual people, and even after it's kind of challenged, he then proceeds to use Rachel as a college letter?? 

The mixed media writing style was interesting, but the humour fell so flat to me. Nothing made me laugh and the jokes he made just felt so out of context all the time. I get it, he was meant to be 'quirky', but it felt weird that he was like that when he talked about lying low and not having any friends. Overall, this wasn't for me and it the jokes felt very dated considering this was only published ten years ago.

7. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (re-read) ★★★★★

As mentioned above, this was actually a re-read for me. I first read this in 2018 and it became one of my favourite books of all time and I'm very happy to say that it's lived up to that on re-read. This book follows the aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo. She is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

I don't even know where to begin with what I love about this book. The characters are all so flawed and Evelyn herself doesn't shy away from sharing that she doesn't consider herself a 'good' person, but I still love so many of the people in this book. Evelyn Hugo herself is an icon and I maintain that Taylor Jenkins Reid is such a good writer that I still often find myself wanting to Google Evelyn Hugo as though she's a real person, because she is written so well. She also captures the atmosphere of 50s and 60s Hollywood perfectly.

Harry Cameron has my heart forever - he is so caring and selfless throughout and the way he looks after his friends is just so sincere. His and Evelyn's friendship is so lovely. Taylor Jenkins Reid is also very good at showing how individuals aren't all black and white, and that there are often grey areas and that people can change. I struggle with Celia sometimes, but only because we see the relationship through the eyes of Evelyn, and we most often see when her relationships with people are at their worst for the sake of the story. We don't get to see the 10 happy years, we just see the one awful one month.

This book has a lot of good representation in it: LGBTQ+ rights, POC, erasure of culture, and sexism. While a lot of it is hard to read, it's also very powerful in the way it's discussed. I will say that Monique's storyline is one I care less about but I adore how the two intersect and when I first read it, I didn't see it coming at all. The parts towards the end are so impactful and I remember it had me in tears the first time I read it. Overall, this is a beautifully written book with such realistic characters and a twist that will leave you reeling. Please pick it up if you haven't already.

8. Oathbringer: Part Two by Brandon Sanderson ★★★★.5

As this is the second part two the third book in this series, I won't say too much in case I spoil anything, so this will be a shorter review. I did really like Oathbringer as a whole; Dalinar's past was incredibly interesting and I loved seeing how far he'd come. The last 200 pages were incredibly action-packed and I couldn't put the book down. However, I will say that the main cast of characters were split in two different places, and I found one half of them to be less interesting than the others. Similar to the first half, I just didn't enjoy the group that were travelling a lot, as much as the others. We also don't get enough Jasnah anymore, especially when it comes to the huge decision she made at the end; it kind of felt like it came out of nowhere because we hadn't seen her in so long. I really like how far Shallan and Kaladin came throughout the book, and I'm so excited to see where the story goes next and how it links to the rest of the Cosmere.

9. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini ★★★.5

This is a YA contemporary novel following ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner. He is determined to succeed at life - which means getting into the right high school to get into the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He stops eating and sleeping until, one night, he nearly kills himself. Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety. Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness.

I struggled with the rating for this one a lot. On the one hand, it shows a very accurate portrayal of depression and suicidal thoughts, however, it's also very dated with the comments and jokes made in the book. I was also very sad to hear that author actually committed suicide in 2013, several years after this book was released. Let's start with the good in this book. As I said, this shows a very accurate depiction of depression, negative thought spirals and anxiety, so much so that I would say it could be triggering to a lot of people, so be wary of that going in. I really liked seeing the journey that Craig took in the hospital and how he realised he could make changes in his life to help him get to a happier place. The characters in the hospital were all very interesting and I know they were based on Ned Vizzini's time in a psychiatric hospital.

However, as I said above, the jokes and comments made throughout were so dated and made me cringe; many were sexist, homophobic, and transphobic, and I didn't appreciate that at all. It's also incredibly hard to read from a teenage boys perspective when they constantly think sexist things - I just can't. If those parts were different then this would've got a higher rating from me.  Overall, it was a very quick and interesting read.

10. The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox ★★

I'm pretty disappointed about this one, but this book just wasn't for me. So, the premise: When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell - both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over. With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician's assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

First thing is that if you love a cheesy Hallmark movie, then you'll probably enjoy this book. And, while I like a feel-good Christmas film, I'm not big on Hallmark romances, so you'll probably understand why this fell flat for me. The biggest thing was how over-the-top/ridiculous the plot and situations in the book were. The sisters swap lives and assume everything will be fine - to the point where they don't even try to help each other, even though they promised they would? (Oops, my phone is missing and I haven't even really noticed). And don't get me started on the whole thing where they kept their own phones. Also, Charlie just ignores medical advice after getting a concussion and the repercussions of that are never explored. The other issue I had with the characters was that they swapped lives and then immediately made mistakes, like introducing themselves to people they should already know or asking basic stuff about their own job. If you wanted to be convincing, you'd surely be on your toes for at least the first day right? Nope, not these two.

Honestly, I just got so bored halfway through. The two storylines became repetitive, the romances were fine, but the huge lie they were telling to the love interests for no reason was a step too far for me and it was also just unnecessary. The ending was also unbelievably cheesy. Overall, if you like very cheesy, festive romances then pick this up, but it just wasn't for me at all.

11-20. Saga, Volumes 1-10 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★

Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★

I read this graphic novel for the first time in 2016 and fell in love with the series. I now own the first 10 volumes so I decided to read them all and finally catch up. The series is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in a sexy, subversive drama for adults. The books are set from the perspective of the child retrospectively looking back on their life and it brings a great level of foreshadowing to the story.

The humour in this graphic novel is fantastic and had me laughing aloud at times, even though it's a re-read. I adore the Lying Cat and The Will; they're an hilarious duo. It's also great to see all the characters as morally grey, including the two main characters, and how that and the war has affected each of them differently. The worldbuilding is incredibly huge with a vast sci-fi world, but with magic and fantastical elements. The art style is beautiful and really conveys the emotion of each scene so well. This is a great graphic novel for people who've never tried ready one before and I highly recommend it if you're looking for something both humorous and simultaneously moving.

Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★

Since I'm talking about all 10 volumes of Saga here and I don't want to spoil it, I'll just say some short thoughts for each of the volumes. I loved this one, especially the twist at the end. The introduction of new characters really made this volume more interesting.

Saga, Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★

Ahhh, the ending was heartbreaking and the twist with The Will's ex was very interesting. Overall, another great volume.

Saga, Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★

I definitely didn't enjoy this one as much, mostly because of the arguments and the potential 'something' that almost happens. But I do love where the rest of the story is going; it's getting a lot more complex.

Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★

There were so many deaths in this volume! It just gets more and more brutal. I loved Ghus so much, and the intrigue just increases with every volume.

Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★

There was a time jump in this one, which was interesting to see and not really where I expected it to go. It's interesting to see what happened to Hazel and I'm glad two characters were reunited again. Not as action-packed as the previous volume, and we didn't get to see some characters that I missed, but I loved it anyway.

Saga, Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★

This one was absolutely heartbreaking and there's at least one thing in this that I won't recover from.

Saga, Volume 8 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★

This one was enjoyable but not a whole lot happened compared to other volumes. A lot of important conversations that were probably needed though, just not enough of the characters and interactions I was hoping for.

Saga, Volume 9 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★ 

Oh my god, that ending. I didn't see it coming at all. How did people even cope when they had to wait for Volume 10? This was heartbreaking and now I just want some good things to happen to these characters.

Saga, Volume 10 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (re-read) ★★★★★ 

This volume was a really interesting direction and explores a lot about what parents will do for their children. So excited for the next volume and I just hope it doesn't take a long time to come out.

21. Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson ★★★★

I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this novella a lot, even more so than Edgedancer. This is book 3.5 in The Stormlight Archives and it followed one of my favourite interlude perspectives: Rysn. I had always wondered how her storyline was going to fit into the larger story and now we're really seeing it. This novella starts when a ghost ship is discovered, its crew presumed dead after trying to reach the storm-shrouded island of Akinah, They must send an expedition to make sure the island hasn’t fallen into enemy hands. Knights who fly too near find their magic suddenly drained, so the voyage must be by sea. Years ago, shipowner Rysn Ftori gained the companionship of Chiri-Chiri, a stormlight-ingesting larkin, a species once thought extinct. Now Rysn’s pet is ill, and any hope for Chiri-Chiri’s recovery can be found only at the ancestral home of the larkin: Akinah. With the help of Lopen, the windrunner, Rysn must accept the quest and sail into the perilous storm from which no one has returned alive. If the crew cannot uncover the secrets of the hidden island city before the wrath of its ancient guardians falls upon them, the fate of Roshar and the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.

I loved seeing the interactions with Lopen and Rysn and how both of these characters have changed and grown over time. I will say that the main downside to this book was that I'd been told it would explain some larger connections with the Cosmere, but I guess that must be in Rhythm of War rather than this, although I can see it's heading in that direction. Overall, this was a great addition to the series and I'm excited to pick up the next book.

22. Rhythm of War, Part One by Brandon Sanderson ★★★★★

And here we are at the first part of Book Four in The Stormlight Archive. As always, there's only so many spoiler-free things I can say. This is the first Part One book that I've given 5 stars though and I really loved it. I love how realistic Sanderson is when exploring his characters; especially when showing the PTSD and trauma that war can cause even the 'heroes'. Kaladin was very interesting and Shallan's character has become so much more intriguing. I like that we've had more of Adolin and his character in this book too. I miss a few members of Bridge Four though. I think the most interesting thing about this book though was seeing how it might relate to the larger Cosmere and trying to tease out all the hints of how they're going to interact; the fabrial and magic exploration was particularly interesting because of that.

And those were all the books I read in December! It definitely looks like I read a lot, but the 10 graphic novels definitely added to that. I feel like I had a very good reading month considering I had a bad week where I didn't read too much. What did you read last month?