Wrapping Up {December 2019}

Welcome to the last monthly wrap-up of 2019! This has been quite a year. Even December has been very full, so rather than simply including this month’s books in some of my end-of-the-year posts, they deserve their own post. I set some ambitious goals this month, and I am proud of how things worked out!

Books Completed in December:

📚Red Boots by Kate Willis; Christmas short story; ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My Review

📚 Finding Christmas Joy by Amanda Tero; Contemporary Christmas Short Story; ⭐⭐⭐; My Review

📚 O Pioneers! by Willa Cather; Historical Fiction – 1800s American prairie; ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 Confessions by Augustine of Hippo, Translated by Sarah Ruden; Nonfiction – Christianity, & Nonfiction – Autobiography – Augustine of Hippo; ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 Dear Reader by Mary O’Connell; Young Adult Contemporary; ⭐⭐⭐

📚 Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow; Middle Grade Contemporary; ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (audiobook); Nonfiction – History; ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly; Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction; ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson; Contemporary Christmas Fiction; ⭐⭐⭐

📚 Dewey: the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron; Nonfiction – Library Cats; ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Average Rating: 4⭐

Most Liked Post:

Christmas Short Story Review: Kind by Kellyn Roth

Most Commented Post:

New Release Spotlight, Blog Tour (with Giveaway!), and Review: Project Scrooge by A. M. Heath

December Goals Check (originally posted here):

Read everything on my TBR lists to achieve my goals relating to the #ALiteraryChristmas Reading Challenge and year-long reading goals ✔
Finish the sweater I’m knitting as a Christmas present
Follow along with the Deck the Hallmark podcast when I can, but don’t stress about listening to every single episode as soon as it comes out ✔
- I have not kept up with every single episode, but I listened to several while knitting or working on Christmas presents and projects
come up with some sort of general plan for the direction of the Staff Association over which I am suddenly Chair ✔
make a monthly budget that I will start keeping up with in January ❌
complete The Project™ which I have hinted at but not yet shared about directly on this blog so that next month I can share about it directly ✔
- I am still waiting on feedback so I can’t quite share about this yet, but my part is done and I should be able to talk about it very soon!
decide on 2020’s reading goals and create a landing page for them ✔
find a spreadsheet or other tool to help with meal planning ❌
give thoughtful Christmas presents ✔
- I’m pretty proud of most of the Christmas presents I gave this year! There was only one person whom I struggled with, and I think even their gift turned out well. Looking forward, I think I want to make more of my presents next year, if I can figure out how to do it without using up all of my free time and to actually make it fiscally responsible
Post reviews of all of the Christmas books I read throughout the year ✔
Listen to Speaking with Joy‘s weekly podcasts about Advent ✔
- Again, I didn’t get to all of them right away, but for the most part I followed along and enjoyed her take on Advent. This podcast was a beneficial addition to my personal celebration, and I hope to follow more organically next year (instead of binge-listening to three in one day)
Find star-shaped balloons for my nephew by New Year’s Eve (I brought some last year, and he’s been asking for them again!) ✔

I hope you have a wonderful last day of 2019, Readers, and a fabulous start to 2020! May this year bring you armloads of 5-star books and all good things.

What is one thing you enjoyed this month?

Until the next chapter/month/year/decade,

Jana