My December Book of the Month Pick

Hello, fellow bookworms! I can’t believe December is already here! I’m so excited for Christmas and have already done most of my shopping. Last month, I skipped my Book of the Month since I had so many books to read, but now I’ve gotten somewhat caught up and am ready for more. In this post, I’ll give you the one-sentence synopsis of the five BOTM selections, and I’ll let you know which one I chose.

Here are the December books:

“Olga Dies Dreaming” by Xochitl Gonzalez

Quick Take: Two siblings vie for the American dream until Hurricane Maria drags their estranged mother back into their lives.

BOTM describes this contemporary fictional book as buzzy, full of family drama, mama drama, and set in New York City. There also was a warning that suicide and sexual assault are mentioned in the book. I’ve been shying away from super emotional dramas lately after having read “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah earlier this year, so at the mention of drama, suicide, and sexual assault, I knew I wasn’t going to select this book.

“A History of Wild Places” by Shea Ernshaw

Quick Take: A mesmerizing tale about the search for a missing woman last seen going into an isolated forest town with some secrets.

I love a good mystery, and I almost chose this book for the month, but ultimately decided against it because the genre was listed as magical realism. I’m not super into fantasy-type novels, although I do occasionally read them when the mood strikes. But looking at the other selections, I thought I would enjoy another book more.

“Somebody’s Daughter” by Ashley C. Ford

Quick Take: A moving coming of age memoir about the complications of family provides ample testament to the resilience of love.

This memoir is one I’ve heard of but haven’t read yet. It has an easily-recognizable cover. BOTM describes this book as inspiring, literary, critically acclaimed, and emotional. It also warns of sexual assault and abuse. I have saved this book to me TBR list but did not select this one for my December pick. I’m just not in the mood for too many heavy themes right now!

“The Holiday Swap” by Maggie Knox

Quick Take: Tis the season for hijinks! Twins who could both use a reset decide to revive their childhood habit and swap places.

I almost chose this book since it’s Christmas-related, but another book intrigued me more. I’ll add this to my TBR though. Twins switching places is always entertaining!

My December Pick: “A Flicker in the Dark” by Stacy Willingham

Quick Take: When a serial killer emerges with an eerily familiar pattern, Chloe Davis wonders if she’s really escaped her past.

OK, so I know I said no heavy themes, and reading about a serial killer isn’t exactly light reading, BUT I thought I would enjoy this book more, and I haven’t read a thriller in a while! BOTM describes this book as unsettling, psychological, and movieish. I just LOVE psychological thrillers! Apparently, the main character’s father is a convicted serial killer, and it’s 20 years later, and more girls go missing, and the pattern is similar to her father’s killings.

I also added another book to my BOTM box. Since I enjoyed Katherine Center’s How to Walk Away so much, I got her other book, Things You Save in a Fire. It’s about a woman firefighter who is new at a firehouse in Boston, and she develops feelings for another fireman. I read a few goodreads reviews for this book, and they were saying it’s better than How to Walk Away, so I’m excited for this one!

If you’re a BOTM member, which book did you choose for the month? If you’ve read any of these books, let me know what you thought of them!

If you haven’t joined BOTM, feel free to use my referral link. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this subscription book service.

Happy reading!