This will be my last update of 2023! I reached my goal of 60. I actually surpassed it and finished the year with 63 books read.

Here are the books I read in December with my personal ratings and a little review. If you would like to see my full year-in-review (without having to find the blog posts), you can visit my Instagram account.

Dracula (Bram Stoker)

Rating: 4/5

The story itself was really good. It definitely held my interest. The writing style, however, took some getting used to. (Yes, I am aware when it was written and that Stoker was Irish. Lol.) If this is a classic that you have also not read thus far, I would highly recommend it.

The Witch of Halloween House (Jeff DeGordick)

Rating: 2/5

I was not a fan of The Witch of Halloween House. It was very simply written and rather predictable, and I didn’t care for how DeGordick wrapped it up. This is apparently part of a series, but I doubt I will be pursuing its successors.

You Love Me (Caroline Kepnes)

Rating: 2/5

Okay. I have overlooked a few things I do not care for in this series (like Kepnes’ insistence on waxing poetic about her liberal beliefs via Joe), but this novel… This was the worst of the series so far. I will not include spoilers; however, I will say that too much time is dedicated to the building of Joe’s relationship with Mary Kay for the book to end the way it does. Unfortunately, I am not a quitter, and I’ve made it this far, so I am going to read For You and Only You.

Camp Slaughter (Sergio Gomez)

Rating: 3/5

If you want a slasher without any deeper plot and with some graphic descriptions that might make you gag, Camp Slaughter is the book for you. It’s like a cross between Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sergio’s writing style was not my favorite, but I do think I’ll try out the sequel, Halloween Slaughter.

Witching on a Star (Amanda M. Lee)

Rating: 3/5

So far, Witching on a Star has been my least favorite of Amanda M. Lee’s “Wicked Witches of the Midwest” series. I do enjoy the cozy mystery genre, but Lee is teetering on a little too much seriousness. I will continue this series; if the books continue in this vein, though, I will likely stop reading them.

Redemption (David Baldacci)

Rating: 4/5

This was my first Baldacci. I received it when I did one of those “blind date with a book” things on Etsy. As someone who is not a huge fan of books that center around cops, FBI agents, etc. as the main focus, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Redemption. To my surprise, I enjoyed this one! Detective Amos Decker was quite likable, as was his former partner, Mary Lancaster, and the man Decker saved from death row, Melvin Mars. Redemption was the fifth book in Baldacci’s “Memory Man” series. I may have to go back and read its predecessors.

Twelve Slays of Christmas (Jacqueline Frost)

Rating: 4/5

Have I mentioned my love of cozy mysteries? I saw Twelve Slays of Christmas recommended on Instagram and decided to try it. After all, ’tis the season! This is definitely a book you choose when you’re going to be wrapped in a blanket, sipping tea or cocoa, and indulging in a merry murder mystery! I’m about to dive deep into this series, even if Christmas is almost over.

Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow (Christina Henry)

Rating: 4/5

Horseman was an interesting re-imagining of the well-known legend of Sleepy Hollow. Learn the “real” story of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane, the man who won Katrina’s heart and their granddaughter who bucks social norms and sets her own path. This was a fun read, a well-written page turner. I already have my next Christina Henry novel picked out: Alice.

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If you read anything in 2023 that you particularly enjoyed, drop a comment and tell me about it!