December 2025 Wrap Up Mood Reading Took Over – good final month of the year

December 2025 Wrap Up Mood Reading took over life chaos- December was the month where plans quietly disappeared and reading finally followed my mood instead of my rules.

Hello Readers! I hope you all had amazing last month of 2025 and you all could achieve goals and already worked on goals and vision for the new year. For me, December turned out to be a really good final month of the year, even though I didn’t read everything I had planned.

December 2025 in Life

I fully embraced mood reading and shamelessly picked up short books and novellas to hit my 100-book goal. It was chaotic. I ignored my blog and basically ghosted Instagram during the last week. And yet… it was deeply satisfying, both in life and in reading. Turns out, balance doesn’t always look productive…it just feels right.

We had planned a two-day Christmas trip, but since most people had a four-day holiday, bookings were a nightmare. So instead, we did two separate day trips, and honestly we don’t regret it. With Good company and no rushing to make the most of it, we had amazing time.

School was uneventful. Life was uneventful. My year, if I’m being honest, was mostly uneventful too… well, almost. But flipping through my journal reminded me how many blog and Instagram ideas I’d jotted down throughout the year. Apparently, even during quiet seasons, my brain was plotting content.

What I loved about December is that I treated it like a trial run for my 2026 goals and vision. Not perfectly, not consistently, but enough to see that the system could actually work. That alone made the month feel meaningful.

December 2025 in Books

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Part memoir and part fiction, told as a letter from Little Dog to his mother, who cannot read or speak English. Through this impossible letter, we witness a family shaped by war, immigration, violence, survival, and generational trauma that settles quietly in your bones. Everyone says this book is sad and yes it is. But not the sobbing kind. It is the stunned, silent, stare-at-the-wall kind. A haunting, beautifully layered LGBTQ literary novel about identity, survival, and the fragile beauty of being alive in a brutal world. I absolutely loved it.

The Holiday Hate-Off by Angela Casella

 Pure comfort reading. The kind that sneaks up on you with smiles, unexpected laughs, and genuine warmth. Lucy and Enzo are easy to root for, but so is the town of Hideaway Harbor itself. The side characters, the banter, the festive chaos, it all works. This is the perfect book when you want something cozy, emotionally satisfying, and unapologetically fun.

Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald

A quiet, character-driven contemporary novel set in and around a cozy independent bookstore. It follows April, Laura, and Westley, whose lives become tangled through handwritten letters hidden inside a murder mystery novel. What starts as something small and whimsical grows into a long chain of misunderstandings that reshape their lives. It leans heavily into character exploration and gently reflects on loneliness, missed connections, and second chances. It can test your patience, but if you enjoy quiet stories about ordinary people finding their way, it delivers exactly what it promises.

The Holiday Fakers by Evie Alexander

A cozy small-town holiday romance featuring childhood friends to lovers and fake dating. While it didn’t quite match the magic of the first Hideaway Harbor book for me, it was still enjoyable and yes I will absolutely continue the series in 2026.

Queen of Water by Devika Rangachari

An engaging and inspiring retelling of a lesser-known historical figure from medieval India. Set during the Chola dynasty, it follows Kundavai, daughter of Sundara Chola, who refuses to be a decorative princess married off for political convenience. Kundavai stands as a powerful reminder that women have always shaped history, even when their stories were not loudly told.

The Egghead Detective Agency Volume 2

A fun, well-structured collection of mysteries for early readers. Set in the Emerald Gardens apartment complex, it includes five cases that encourage kids to observe closely and think like detectives. The book introduces the setting with a map, builds familiarity with the characters, and continues the ongoing mystery of a detective ghost attached to an ancient armchair. Clever, engaging, and age appropriate.

Astra Shastra by Devdutt Pattanaik

A short, illustrated board book that introduces young readers to the weapons of Hindu gods and goddesses. Compact but rich in concept, it is informative, colorful, and engaging. An excellent early doorway into Hindu mythology without overwhelming young minds.

Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton

Marketed as The Cruel Prince meets Powerless. I haven’t read Powerless, but the Cruel Prince vibes are loud, paired with Snow White and Sleeping Beauty energy in a dark academic setting. The pacing is spot on, the world-building layered, and the characters morally gray and deeply flawed. The story unfolds over seven parts, mirroring the seven deadly thorns and Roze’s seven-day deadline, which adds urgency throughout.

Fairytale-style passages open each section, a detail I loved. The twists keep coming. Some predictable, others genuinely shocking. While the Queen is defeated, the ending feels incomplete. The epilogue is too brief and leaves too many questions unanswered, which dulled the impact slightly.

Digging Dr Jones by Olivia Jackson

A fun, adventurous romcom featuring Adriana Jones, who accidentally receives a bracelet meant for Andrew Jones, an archaeology professor chasing pirate treasure. Adriana gets swept into an adventure that could solve her financial struggles and help her open a boutique wine store. The treasure hunt is engaging, the romance grows naturally, but the middle drags, and Adriana’s behavior often tested my patience. Still, an enjoyable light read overall.

Home Sweet Holidays Novella Series

Four novellas, each around 50 to 70 pages, all set during Christmas, making them perfect quick reads for end-of-year goal chasers. What I loved most in each novella was how authors packs so much in just few pages from characters, their introduction, family, and tradition to some of the serious things like insecurity, loss and starting over and giving love another chance.

Snow Place Like Home by Laura Pavlov – It follows a best friend’s sister and brother’s best friend, childhood crush to lovers storyline. Sweet, familiar, and a solid series opener.

Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen – This begins with a plane meet cute that leads to fake dating over Hanukkah and Christmas. Warm, emotional, and unexpectedly educational about Hanukkah traditions. This was my favorite of the bunch.

All Wrapped Up by Rosie Danan – This is a neighbors to lovers story where the characters bond through texts and notes before knowing each other’s identities. Soft, vulnerable, and quietly charming.

You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa – explores a second chance romance where a broken engagement turns into fake dating for Christmas, and over the Christmas characters resolves issues they had in first place. Thoughtful exploration of past hurt and choosing to give relationship another chance. I enjoyed this one a lot.

December 2025 in Movies/Shows

This was absolute fun. My kid loved this. She was really scared when baby was left alone in apartment and said I don’t want watch this after that episode but I convinced her it will turn out better and she was so happy it did.

I rewatched Home alone series with my kid. It was first time for her and she enjoyed all three movies.

---

So that’s it. December wasn’t loud. It wasn’t flashy. But it quietly wrapped up the year in a way that felt good. That might be the best ending of all.

What was your last month of 2025 in Reading Blog and Life?
What do you plan to read in January?

Just in case you missed,,,

• December 2025 Wrap Up Mood Reading Took Over – good final month of the year
• Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton – dark and immersive fantasy
• Romantasy vs Fantasy Book with Romance – A Reader Perspective

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | YouTube

---