the december bookmarks
plot twist: i only read one of the books from my tbr
As we turn the page on 2024 and everyone is sharing their December reading wrap-ups, I’m joining the party! December wasn’t exactly my best reading month. I started with great intentions, though. Remember my post the final stretch where I shared my winter reading list? Out of the nine titles on that list, I only managed to read one and started another. But no pressure—I had wisely chosen the words “winter reading list,” and winter has just begun. I’m looking forward to picking them up soon.
Looking back at what I did read (8 finished, 1 DNF), the mix was four physical books and five audiobooks. December felt like it snuck up on me this year. Between work, my trip to Belgium, the holidays, and the year-end rush, it often felt like there wasn’t much time to flip through pages. Audiobooks were the perfect solution for commutes, walks, and much-needed escapes into other worlds.
For this wrap-up, I was a bit more organised. I jotted down notes in Notion, and current me wants to give past me a big hug for that. My memory tends to wipe book plots and character names as soon as I close the cover.
I’m planning a separate post soon to share my 2025 reading plans and favourites from the past year. So fellow bookworms, it’s time to subscribe!
Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector
I want to dive into more modern classics, but knowing where to start can feel daunting. Luckily, the translator of Clarice Lispector’s works, Benjamin Moser, shared a Lispector reading guide that recommended starting with Hour of the Star, so I followed through.
This novella is a story within a story. The narrator—a fictional writer—urgently needs to share the tale of Macabéa, their protagonist. The structure is unsettling yet completely compelling. We don’t learn much about her, but the little clues scattered throughout kept me hooked. Lispector’s writing bewitched me, and I’m already eyeing her backlist for 2025.
‘As long as I have questions and no answers I will keep on writing.’
‘If this story doesn't exist now, it will. Thinking is an act. Feeling is a fact. Put the two together—I am the one writing what I am writing.’
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
This one had been on my TBR for ages. I don’t know why it never felt quite right to pick it up earlier. I think you need to be in a certain mood to read about unhealthy, toxic relationships. But once I hit play on the audiobook, I was hooked. I love it when a book starts with a disturbing scene from the future—it’s such a classic, but it gets me every time.
The plot is dark academia to its core: two brilliant university freshmen drawn to each other’s minds and intellect, almost like falling for their own reflection. The story feels like voyeurism at times, adding to the toxicity of their dynamic. It’s a gripping exploration of how passion can consume you entirely.
‘There’s this idea in psychoanalysis that I’ve always liked.” Julian pulled himself closer and rested his head in the crook of Paul’s arm. “It’s that what we call ‘love’ is actually letting your identity fill in around the shape of the other person—you love someone by defining yourself against them. It says loss hurts because there’s nothing holding that part of you in place anymore. But your outline still holds, and it keeps holding. The thing you shaped yourself into by loving them, you never stop being that. The marks are permanent, so the idea of the person you loved is permanent, too.’
‘I always think of a passage from the Symposium, this allegory about people who started off as two halves of a whole, but then something cut them apart, and they spend their whole lives looking for their other half so they can fit themselves back together. And that's how it feels, it hurts, it's like I lost you before I was born.’
‘I kill them because they’re beautiful, and it's the only way I can keep them.’
That last quote, said by Paul about his butterfly collection, still gives me chills as I reread it.
Now Go: On Grief and Studio Ghibli by Karl Thomas Smith
Earlier this year, I attended The Art History of Studio Ghibli with Helen McCarthy, organised by Seed Talks. It was a 2-hour talk packed with insights about the studio founders, movie themes, and their inspirations. That talk left me wanting to learn more, and Now Go was the perfect next step.
It’s just 112 pages, but that’s the thing—short books often come with the “short book malediction.” I tend to think, “Oh, it’s so short, I have time”, only for it to vanish into the abyss of my mind. I’m glad I finally picked it up.
While grief and death are key components of many of their movies, Studio Ghibli wasn’t the main topic—it just helped illustrate it. The author delved more into different types of grief (personal vs environmental), coping mechanisms, and how grief is a gradual emotion that can resurface when least expected.
Reading this book sparked my memory and made me want to rewatch old favourites—or discover the ones I’ve yet to see.
Now Go was published by 404 Inklings, who focus on niche, short books. For now, one that stands out is Speak Still: Articulating the Silence of Bilingualism by Wing Lam Tong (publication date 24 July 2025). If you have any other recommendations from this publisher, please share them!
Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner
As a little sister, books about sibling relationships always draw me in. Shred Sisters is a raw, intimate exploration of mental illness and its effects on a privileged white family. While I appreciated parts of it, the pacing felt off, and I found myself wondering how the story might have evolved with more diverse perspectives.
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
It looks like I embarked on the T. Kingfisher Express last November, and I’m not ready to get off just yet. Sadly, A House with Good Bones didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Up to 40%, I struggled to stay interested and genuinely considered DNF-ing it. While the story eventually picked up, that halfway point felt too long to wait. The ending was satisfying, but I couldn’t help thinking this book could have been much shorter.
A House with Good Bones is described as horror/fantasy, but the first half felt more like a family drama with hints of small-town romance, leaving me wondering where it was headed. T. Kingfisher’s novellas excel because they grip you from start to finish in just 100 pages. This one, at 250–300 pages, felt unnecessarily stretched. For me, the story truly began at the halfway mark. While I appreciated the creepy subplot that emerged, I’m not sure the extended build-up justified its inclusion.
The Summoner's Circle #0.5 - Odd Spirits & The Summoner's Circle #1 - Evocation by S. T. Gibson
Last July, I borrowed Evocation by S.T. Gibson from my library, but the story didn’t grip me. I figured it might be a case of the right book at the wrong time, so I paused my reading and returned it. Later, I put it on hold on Libby, hoping the audiobook format might work better. Between July and December, some Booktubers with similar tastes to mine shared mixed reviews, but I still wanted to give it a chance. I expected something gothic with dark themes, like A Dowry of Blood, and I’m usually fine with heavy romance as long as it stays focused on the plot.
When Odd Spirits (the prequel) became available earlier this month, I started there. It was okay, but it felt more like a romance with a sprinkle of fantasy and it was a bit cringy. Then my Libby hold for Evocation came in, and sadly, I found I didn’t connect with the characters at all. For me, it leaned too much into witchy poly-romance with no plot. So, I decided to DNF it for good.
The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang
Cosy fantasy isn’t usually my thing, but it felt like the perfect book to pick up in winter. The story is about Serin, a poor teen who lives in a small flat with her mother and is quite unhappy with her life. One day, her misfortune leads her to win a ticket to the mythical Rainfall Market where she could get a new chance at life. The premise felt like a blend of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Midnight Library.
Even though the pacing dragged at times, it’s a cute, easy & cosy read—perfect for winter. It isn’t groundbreaking, but it does exactly what it promises. Also, there’s a cat character that reminded me of Totoro mixed with No Face, especially in its gluttonous moments. Enough said.
‘But all those years it spends in the ground aren't wasted, Serin. While the other plants grow upwards, the bamboo spreads its roots deep and wide in the soil, until one day, the roots have all grown. Then the bamboo shoots upward faster than anyone could have imagined.’
Eleven by Patricia Highsmith
I hadn’t planned to pick up Eleven by Patricia Highsmith, but earlier this month, I saw Perfect Days at the cinema, and it seems this book appeared in it. Although, in hindsight, I might have mixed things up with another book! In short, I had no idea what I was getting into.
I don’t usually enjoy short stories, but horror ones are an exception. A couple of years back, I enjoyed Mariana Enriquez’s The Dangers of Smoking in Bed and Things We Lost in the Fire, and Eleven gave me similar vibes—though Highsmith leans less fantastical and more into the horror of everyday life, making the stories even more unsettling.
Two stories involved snails (apparently, Highsmith had pet snails, which I find oddly fascinating—though not snails themselves, just the fact that she kept them as pets). The first gave me chills, as it reminded me of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki. Another, The Terrapin, felt gruesomely real thanks to Highsmith’s sharp writing. I read one story a night, and it felt like the perfect pace. This was my first Patricia Highsmith, but it certainly won’t be my last.
What’s the best book you read in December?
As this is my last post of 2024, I just want to say thank you. A little over 50 of you are subscribed to this Substack, and it warms my heart. When I started, my goal was just to write again and reignite that spark. Now I find myself scribbling ideas and paragraphs into my little passport notebook (Muji’s are the best). Your support means the world to me.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2025, filled with good books, better moments, the closures you need, and the new beginnings you’re hoping for ♡