Holy crap, y’all… I didn’t realize until compiling this wrap-up that I read 42 DAMN BOOKS in December. Yes, some of them were short reads, but I don’t care, that is AWESOME and I am so proud of myself right now?!?!
Click the titles for links to reviews wherever available!
EMOJI KEY:
? = review copy
? = POC rep
? = LGBTQ+ rep
? = Short-a-thon
✨ = Diverse December
5 stars:
- Kingdom of Needle and Bone — Mira Grant ???✨
- The Gilded Wolves — Roshani Chokshi ???✨
- Merry Inkmas — Talia Hibbert ??✨
- Witching Hour Theatre — Jonathan Janz
- Hark! The Herald Angels Scream — Christopher Golden ?
- A Holiday By Gaslight — Mimi Matthews
- Kin — Kealan Patrick Burke ?✨
- Song of the Dead — Sarah Glenn Marsh ???✨
- In an Absent Dream — Seanan McGuire ?
- Dear Aaron — Mariana Zapata
- Zita the Spacegirl — Ben Hatke ?
- Illuminae — Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (reread) ??✨
- My Boyfriend is a Bear — Pamela Ribon ???✨
- Waves — Ingrid Chabbert ???✨
- All Systems Red — Martha Wells ???✨
- Fence, Vol. 1 — C. S. Pacat ???✨
- Sour Candy — Kealan Patrick Burke ?
- NOS4A2 — Joe Hill ?✨
- Dead Lake — Darcy Coates ?
- The Tea Dragon Society — Katie O’Neill ???✨
- MPD Psycho, Vol. 1 — Eiji Otsuka & Sho-u Tajima ??✨
- The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant — C. S. Pacat ??✨
- Love Looks Pretty On You — Lang Leav ???✨
- Damaged Goods — Talia Hibbert ??✨
- The Sea Was a Fair Master — Calvin Demmer ??
- Fragments of Horror — Junji Ito ??✨
- Colder, Vol. 1 — Paul Tobin ?
- Savage Species — Jonathan Janz ??✨
4 stars:
- The Battle of the Labyrinth — Rick Riordan ?✨
- The Lights — Carrie Pack ??✨
- The Faithful — Matt Hayward ?
- Pennies — Pepper Winters ?✨
- Child of the Moon — Jessica Semaan ???✨
- Bone Parish, Vol. 1 — Cullen Bunn ???✨
- The Lost Sisters — Holly Black ??✨
3 stars:
- Goth (manga) — Otsuichi ?✨
- Snow in Love — anthology ???✨
- We Should All Be Feminists — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ??✨
- Spill Zone — Scott Westerfeld ??✨
2 stars:
- Dear Heartbreak — Heather Demetrios ???✨
1 star:
- Snow and Mistletoe — Alexa Riley
- Unfollowing You — Komal Kapoor ???✨
DNF – no rating:
- Unwind — Neal Shusterman
- The Girl King — Mimi Yu ??✨
in progress & predicted ratings:
NOTHING! I managed to end the year with a clean slate!
Other Reviews Posted this Month:
(click the photos!)
Movies Watched this Month:
- Searching — 5 ⭐
- The Nun — 3 ⭐
- A Christmas Horror Story (rewatch) — 5 ⭐ (review)
- The Mummy (millionth rewatch) — 5,000,000 ⭐
- The Spirit of Christmas — 3.5 ⭐ (review)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (rewatch) — 4.5 ⭐
- Iron Man (rewatch) — 5 ⭐
- Iron Man 2 (rewatch) — 3.5 ⭐
Music I Loved This Month:
This was the second month in a row I practically only listened to one album: The Silver Scream by Ice Nine Kills. It’s the metalcore group’s latest release and is 13 tracks of pure horror film homage loveliness. I’m obsessed and it’s probably my favorite music album of all time at this point.
My Favorite Non-Review Posts of the Month:
(click the post headers to see the posts!)
- Winter TBR
- 2019 resolutions: life and reading
- 2019 non-bookish goals: TV shows, movies, and video games
- 2019 bookish goals: books to reread, series to finish, authors to read more from, and new authors to check out, 24 books on my TBR
- 5 Big Changes Coming to My Blog in 2019
- Anticipated 2019 Releases
- Reading Challenges & How I’m Sticking to Them
My Favorite Posts from OTHER Bloggers This Month:
- Amber @ ambsreads: 6 Romance Books I Recommend
- Ari @ Books. Libraries. Also, cats.: 10 Books with Jewish Rep
- Swetlana @ The Caffeinated Bookworm Life: Reacting To Popular Books You Guys Won’t Read
- Lauren @ Northern Plunder: Series Review: Alice & Red Queen by Christina Henry
- Sionna @ Books in Her Eyes: 15 Great Graphic Novels
- Shealea @ That Bookshelf Bitch: 19 Upcoming 2019 Releases I’d Love to Find Underneath the Christmas Tree
- Ellyn @ Allonsythornraxx: How to Write 3+ Blog Posts a Week Without Going Insane
- Bex @ Becca Leighanne: 10 Games I Want to Play in 2019
Roxanne Michelle
January 2, 2019I just added ‘searching’ to my watchlist, he wasn’t convinced we should see it at the cinema but I feel like I’m missing something there! Interested to see you DNF unwind too, that’s been sitting on my owned TBR for a good year or so but never reaches top of my list..
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Searching was REALLY good but also very sad at points so make sure you have some tissues on hand! The opening scene honestly had me holding back literal sobs. As for Unwind, I was having such a hard time getting into it but might try it again some time, if that says anything for how conflicted I was over it lol!
thecritiquesofafangirl
January 2, 2019This is awesome, how do you read so much?
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Thank you! This was an exceptionally good month because my classes ended at the end of November and my new job hadn’t started yet, but I usually don’t read anywhere near this much!
thecritiquesofafangirl
January 2, 2019You say that but you get really read a lot and that’s epic
tasya @ the literary huntress
January 2, 201942 books??? That’s amazing! You really should do a post on how to read so much 😀
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Thank you! Haha ooooh, I just might, thank you for the idea! 😀
Laura Beth
January 2, 2019You kicked ass! That’s awesome!!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Thank you so much!! ♥♥
journeyintobooks
January 2, 2019Congratulations on reading so many books, what a great way to end the reading year ????
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Thank you lovely!! 😀
journeyintobooks
January 3, 2019You’re welcome ???
Marie
January 2, 2019WOW you had such a fabulous reading month, it’s incredible that you got to read so much and so many 5 stars, I’m impressed! 🙂 Happy reading!! <3
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Thank you, Marie! ♥♥♥ You’re so sweet! Happy reading to you too ♥
Keri
January 2, 2019OMG YESSSS you can never watch The Mummy enough times! Speaking of which I should go rewatch it soon…
ALSO 42 BOOKS?? Dang, I’m so impressed, especially since so many were 5 star reads!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019You absolutely should rewatch The Mummy haha! I will always advocate for a rewatch of that masterpiece ♥♥ It’s probably my favorite form of self-care lol. And thank you!
Ari @ Books. Libraries. Also, cats.
January 2, 2019Ahhh thank you for including one of my posts!!! And OMG 42 books, you are a literal superhero. Fence was super cute! I read Snow in Love last week and loved Kasie West’s story (and liked Nic Stone’s more than I thought I would).
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019You’re so welcome, Ari! ♥ Awww thank you hahah! I felt a little like a superhero when I tallied up all those 5-stars ?? and same on Snow in Love, Kasie’s was SO GOOD and Nic Stone’s was pretty solid too! I just wish I hadn’t hated the other 2 🙁
CJR The Brit
January 2, 2019Wow, 42 reads is amazing!!!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Thank you! 😀 <3
northernplunder
January 2, 2019aww thank you for linking up my review.
and wow you did awesome last month, super proud of you – heres to a great reading time in 2019
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019You’re welcome! And thank you so much ♥♥♥ happy reading, friend!
Meeghan reads
January 2, 2019Congrats Destiny – what an amazing reading month!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Thank you so much! ♥♥
SHA @ Book Princess Reviews
January 2, 20191) I LOVE that you marked the POC and LGBT+ books and how you used the emojis to do it. It makes it so easy to find diverse books! AND that you read so many????
2) You have so many five star reads!! Go you! My month definitely had its highs, but not near as many.
Those two thoughts just jumped out at me when I saw this, haha. As well as the 42 books in a month part: congrats, that is amazing. 🙂
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 2, 2019Thank you! 😀 I’m glad you like the little emoji key, it’s really fun to do and I like that it helps me see at a glance whether or not my reading that month was diverse “enough” for my own personal standards or if I need to improve it the following month. (I was pleased with December!) Thank you so much ♥♥
SHA @ Book Princess Reviews
January 3, 2019That’s a smart thing to do. One of my personal goals for 2019 is to read more diverse books, so I’ll probably be doing some friendly stalking of your wrap-ups to see what I should add to my TBR. 🙂
Sarah
January 3, 2019I can’t wait to see Searching! Also, it’s great that not only did you read so much last month, but you also had so many 5-star reads! Congrats!! 🙂
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 3, 2019It was so good! I hope you like it 😀 And thank you!
mistysbookspace
January 3, 2019WOW!! 42 books is amazing!!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 3, 2019Thank you!
Deanna Reads Books
January 4, 2019So glad you liked NOS4A2 it’s such a creeptastic books!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 6, 2019It really is! It reminded me of why I love Joe’s writing so much.
Fafa's Book Corner
January 4, 2019Great post ☺️
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 6, 2019Thank you!!
Annemieke
January 5, 2019Oh wow so many reads and 5 star reads too. That is great!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 6, 2019Thank you, friend! ♥
Ellyn
January 6, 2019Me: *is in complete awe of your ability to knock my socks off every month*
Destiny, my dude, you. are. amazing. Seriously, so much amazing content! Fence Vol 1! The Gilded Wolves! In An Absent Dream! Iron Man! Captain America! The Mummy!
I love The Mummy and I am constantly amazed at how few people have actually seen it! I rewatched the Iron Man trilogy last year and really enjoyed them, my favourite is Iron Man 3 but I also love the first one too! Do you have a favourite MCU movie?
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 6, 2019Awwww thank you so much Ellyn! You’re gonna make me cry ??? And yes, The Mummy is such an underrated gem honestly. Oooh… from the ones I’d seen before I’d say Winter Soldier but as we’re rewatching them there are some I loved before that I love less now and vice versa so I’ll have to tell you if that’s still the case by the time we finish our marathon! We were trying to watch one per day but we fell off the schedule when I started my new job lol!
Queen Alchemy
January 7, 2019I have also been listening to The Silver Scream nonstop lately. My kids and I love it! Do you have a favorite song on the album? I am partial to Thank God It’s Friday, Stabbing In The Dark, A Grave Mistake, and IT Is The End. =)
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
January 9, 2019That’s awesome haha! It’s so good! Oh man, all of the ones you listed are phenomenal. I’ve had that album on repeat basically nonstop since Halloween and my favorite keeps changing from week to week lol! But I think if I had to narrow it down, probably Thank God It’s Friday and A Grave Mistake. I’m also really partial to Love Bites and Rocking the Boat!