ShortBookandScribes December 2024 Reads
Welcome to my last round up of 2024. Happy New Year! π π
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got everything you hoped for. In terms of bookish gifts, I got the Books are my Passion Lego set and the Persephone edition of Mrs Miniver by Jan Struther, both of which I am thrilled with. The character in the Lego set could have been modelled on me which I am even more thrilled about. π
1st December seems simultaneously like an age ago and just yesterday. I always want (and stupidly imagine) December to be chilled and enjoyable, a nice calm run up to Christmas, and for that reason I always think I will read more in December. In reality, December is such a busy month that I consider myself quite lucky to have read my usual amount of books. I’ve also managed to reach my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 100 books – more about my reading stats on my upcoming 2024 Books of the Year post.
So to my December reads:
Christmas for the Home Front Girls by Susanna Bavin
This is book three in a series I’m really enjoying. It’s set around three women working in a salvage yard in WWII Manchester and it’s lovely and heart-warming.
Another series I love. This is actually book 1 (I started on book 3) but I wanted to read this story of a missing child because it ties in with book 7 of the series which is out in February. I always enjoy the different ways Hunter finds to tell the story (newspapers, transcripts, forums, interviews etc).
Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Royals AND Christmas? Yes please! This story begins in 1952 with a new Queen making her first Christmas broadcast. Jack is a chef who is tasked with working at Sandringham over Christmas and Olive is a BBC reporter trying to make a name for herself. I loved the gentle feel of this novel and how it returned to the characters and setting every Christmas.
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
A country house Christmas murder mystery novella. Rather implausible but an engaging read nonetheless.
Christmas at the Keep by Marcia Willett
A lovely novella about the Chadwick family coming together at Christmas. I enjoyed this one and it reminded me just how much I enjoy Willett’s writing.
The Intrusion by Charlotte Langley
This is the second book to feature PI Erin Crane (The Blame is book one, which I loved). A policeman is murdered and the prime suspect is a young woman who feels the police didn’t properly investigate her brother’s death. However, although the police feel it’s pretty much an open and shut case, Erin is brought in by the girl’s family to investigate. I enjoyed this one and I really hope there will be more books featuring Erin.
Homecoming by Kate Morton
I’ve always loved Kate Morton’s books and have been trying to find time to pick up what is a pretty large book. The Christmas break seemed like the perfect time but I have to say I was very disappointed by this one. Morton’s writing is beautiful but I found it so longwinded with far too much superfluous detail. There’s a book within the book, a true crime story that I feel was used as a device to completely tell the story of a family tragedy instead of it unfolding and being uncovered by the main character, Jess.
The Silence in Between by Josie Ferguson (review to follow)
I just managed to sneak this one in. I’d heard so many glowing reviews of it and felt sad that I didn’t get to my proof copy earlier in the year so I thought it was a good one to pick up to end the year on. What a book this was! As if the story of the Berlin wall being erected, separating a baby from his family, wasn’t enough, this book holds so much more between its pages.
What was your favourite December read? Did you get any books or bookish Christmas presents?
Happy New Year π