This month I finished five books, which brings my YTD to 57. I’m glad I was able to continue reading more in December despite how busy I was with work and the holidays. Buying Kindle Unlimited with their 0.99 cent deal helped a lot, too.
What I Read
Struck by Genius: How a Brain Injury Made Me a Mathematical Marvel by Jason Padgett
243 pages | Memoir | 3 stars
I read this book to do a podcast episode on acquired savant syndrome. I found it an interesting read, but as I read it, I kept thinking it didn’t really seem like this guy was a mathematical marvel. To me, he more so unlocked his artistic talent by being able to see fractals and math. It was still an interesting read, but not exactly what I was thinking.
Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang
430 pages | Fantasy | 5 stars
I read this for my library’s book club for December. I wasn’t sure I would finish it with how long it is, but once I started reading, it really hooked me! The premise was intriguing. What do you do when you find out something you’ve been striving for your whole life is not only corrupt, but knowingly sinister? Some times you can’t fix things; the whole thing has to burn for something new to come. I would love a second book to see the ramifications of the decisions made in this book.
Bend Him, Break Him by M. N. Bennet
298 pages | Romance – LGBTQ+ | 3 stars
I saw this when I signed up for Kindle Unlimited and thought it would be a good read. It was just okay. There was nothing majorly wrong with the book, but it wasn’t what I was thinking, although the ending was very cute. I do regret spending time reading this when I have other Kindle Unlimited books I’ve been wanting to read, though.
Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline
369 pages | Romance | 5 stars
Someone at my book club recommended the Clecanian series for alien romance, so I decided to start reading the series since I have Kindle Unlimited until the end of February. This book did not disappoint! It was more romantic than I thought it would be, and I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series.
Freeing Luka by Victoria Aveline
338 pages | Romance | 4 stars
This is the second book for the Clecanian series. I liked the first one better, but this one was a good read still. I also like that all the previous characters still played a small role in the next book, even if the main focus isn’t on them anymore. I love when authors build worlds with many different characters and you get to learn about each one in different books. I’m looking forward to continuing the series and hopefully I can finish all eight books before my Kindle Unlimited subscription is up in February.
Favorite Book of the Month
My favorite book this month was Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time and might even buy it and re-read it!
Catch Up on Past 2025 Monthly Wrap-Ups
What was your favorite book?
I would love to hear what books you loved in December and for 2025. Leave them in the comments!
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Notes from the Shelf 
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