Melting Pages
Book Reviews and Recommendations
December 2021 Wrap Up
Hi everyone! Before I post my full 2021 wrap up posts, I need to wrap up my December reads so that I can stay consistent! December was by far my best reading month of 2021, and I definitely ended on a good note!
In December, I read a total of 6 books, of which 2 were 2021 releases, and the other 4 were 2022 releases, so I was definitely working on reading a lot of ARCs in December because only one was not an ARC. 5 books were fantasy, and 1 was a thriller, and I ended up finally reading a physical book but the other 5 were all eBooks. As for ratings, I had four 4 star books, one 4.5 book, and one 5 star book! The average page length for books I read this month was about 400 pages, so I managed to finish some pretty lengthy books in December!
The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska – ★★★★☆
I enjoyed this book, especially the characters of Zosia and Marynka and the wintery 18th century Polish setting. This has been described as an enemies to lovers villains story, and I definitely think that’s true. It’s definitely a slower read, but the characters were interesting enough to make me read through it quickly! The writing style was easy to read, and while this is a standalone, there is definitely room for a sequel or a companion novel!
Related: The Midnight Girls Review
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham – ★★★★☆
I was very excited about getting an ARC for this book after learning it’s set to be adapted already, and I really enjoyed it and think it will do well as a limited series! I found it hard to put this book down, and I loved the way everything unfolded and there were a ton of twists that I didn’t see coming. I sometimes have issues with unreliable narrators and the way they can be written (normally because then it ends up being a twist that they have a mental health issue, or something like that and I hate that) but Chloe was an unreliable narrator because she was so close to the murders, you could never tell if she was just being paranoid about it or if it really did involve her in some way.
Related: A Flicker in the Dark Review
Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire – ★★★★★
Hands down this has been my favorite book in this series so far! I love the direction this series seems to be taking with the overall plot that connects the books together, and it was great seeing all these characters again plus some new faces! I also think this has been one of the heavier books (at least for me) in terms of the topics it deals with, but as always Seanan McGuire handled them beautifully.
Related: Where the Drowned Girls Go Review
The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick – ★★★★☆
This is definitely a good book for people who are fans of ACOTAR, From Blood and Ash, and even people who loved For the Wolf but wanted it to be heavier on the romance! I liked the characters, especially Wren and how she develops and comes into her own throughout the book. She deals with a lot including addiction and struggles with how to live instead of just survive, and there were parts that brought me close to tears with her story. I loved the slow burn romance, but I ended up removing a star because the fantasy elements ended up taking a backseat by the end of the book. Definitely curious about the direction of the next book though!
Related: The North Wind Review
Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan – ★★★★☆
This was the one book I read in December that wasn’t an ARC, and I really enjoyed it! Ahn and Altan were such interesting characters, and especially with Ahn there was something different about her than other YA protagonists that I just can’t quite put my finger on. I loved the magic and the world building, the only downside is that at the moment it’s listed as a standalone but reads like the first in a series. I’m hoping it becomes a series, because it definitely left off in a way that just naturally leads into another installment! The ending also felt a bit rushed, there wasn’t really any time to digest what was happening before it was all over. Overall, still highly enjoyed it!
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan – ★★★★☆.5
Again, another book where I loved the characters! Xingyin especially was great, and I loved learning about her and following her journey to be reunited with her mother. At it’s core, this is a story about the love between a mother and daughter who would do anything to protect each other, and it was an incredible book. The world building was stunning, the writing was beautiful and the magic was interesting! The one downside for me is that there seemed to be a LOT covered with this only being a duology, so I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the second book to see how this ends.
Related: Daughter of the Moon Goddess Review
What books did you read in December? Keep an eye out for my 2021 best of and stats posts coming soon now that my December wrap up is done!
Melting Pages 
Demon’s Song by Julie Boglisch, Between Starfalls and Let Loose the Fallen, by S. Kaeth, and Flirting with the Tempest and Racing with the Serpent, the second and third installments of the Telverin Trilogy by ARK Horton. I also started reading some other books in December that I either didn’t finish before the New Year or have not finished yet at all. And I might have forgotten something. It can be hard for me to remember what I read in what month unless I make a list, which I usually don’t.
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