December reading wrap-up

I ended my best reading year in recent memory with a lot of fantasy, a popular author, and a new favorite. Here’s my December 2020 reading wrap-up.

Best of the month

“She would nuzzle him, beginning to understand that just because he didn’t see something in her didn’t mean it wasn’t there, knowing there was still some freedom in the way he did not fathom yet how real, and how necessary her ruthlessness would be.”

“Why Won’t Women Just Say What They Want” from The Office of Historical Corrections, by Danielle Evans

The Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and Stories / Danielle Evans

I do not gravitate towards short story collections, and I’m jealous of people who do. When I originally planned out my reading goals for 2020, I wanted to incorporate more story collections. When December hit, it was clear that I was going to fail that goal.

At the last minute, I picked up The Office of Historical Corrections, a buzzy new collection, and proceeded to be blown away.

I’ve found consistency can be a difficult thing to maintain throughout a collection, but Evans makes it look easy. Each story is as enthralling as a novel, and each took my breath away in its own, specific way.

Truly a no-skips collection, and one that feels so of-the-moment. I can’t wait for more.

Other highlights

The Heart’s Invisible Furies / John Boyne

This coming of age tome (clocking in at nearly 600 pages) is a journey through 20th century Ireland, following the life of a gay man in that very Catholic country. The tone can take a little bit to get a handle on, juggling levity with deep anger, but once it clicks it’s a hell of a ride.

Dark Archives / Megan Rosenbloom

A dive into the world of anthropodermic bibliopegy – binding books in human skin. A fun, quick read that opens your eyes to a macabre world. Part treatise on medical ethics, part jaunt through library research, I loved it all. Perfect for fans of books about books.

The Wayward Children Series / Seanan McGuire

A series of five fantasy novellas (with the sixth releasing in January, 2021) following the experiences of children who return from magical lands, finding they don’t quite fit in the real world any longer. A perfect series for a binge, with the alternating structures of each book making for a change of pace with each story.

Complete list of december reads

  • Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
  • The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
  • The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
  • Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom
  • The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
  • Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
  • The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
  • Down Among the Sticks and Stones by Seanan McGuire
  • Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
  • In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
  • The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
  • The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi

Published by Andrew Pieterick