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December is the month of good cheer, work parties and overeating. December is not the month where much reading gets done. However, in between Christmas shopping, working insane hours and nibbling on mince pies I did manage to get a total of 14 books read.
Of the fourteen:
- 6 were by a male author
- 8 were by a female author
- 4 were a thriller
- 1 was contemporary
- 4 were fantasy
- 1 was science fiction
- 1 was historical fiction
- 1 was satire
- 1 was non-fiction
- 1 was a short story anthology
- 6 were a pre-2016 release
- 4 were a 2016 release
- 4 were a 2017 release advanced reader’s copy
- 3 were ebooks
- 9 were paperbacks
- 2 were hardbacks
- 0 one star books
- 1 two star books
- 4 three star books
- 7 four star book
- 2 five star books
Born Scared by Kevin Brooks 
4/5 stars. Read December 2nd.
Read the full review here.
So I began this month as an emotional mess, thanks to this book. I didn’t know it was possible to feel such a close emotional affinity with one fictional character. This is definitely one of 2016’s best, and most heartbreaking, young adult releases!
His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
4/5 stars. Read December 8th.
Read the full review here.
It was easy to see why this made it to the final round of the Man Booker prize nominations. This was truly unlike anything I have ever read, and totally redefines the historical fiction genre!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOVU5y5ASJu/?taken-by=dannii.elle.reads
Whispers of a Storm by Anthony Lavisher
5/5 stars. Read December 8th.
Read my full review here.
Of all the books read this month, this was undoubtedly my highlight. This fantasy is epic in both the literal and figurative sense! Weighing in at over 500 pages there is a depth of description, an intensity of character development and magnitude of world building that characterises the elite in this genre. And all three facets work together to bring this captivating and thrilling story to life. Stay tuned for a giveaway, featuring a signed copy of all three books in this trilogy, running later this month.
The Fever by Megan Abbott
4/5 stars. Read December 9th.
Read my full review here.
You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott
5/5 stars. Finished December 11th.
Read my full review here.
November was the month where I discovered the dark contemporary world of Megan Abbott. I was instantly hooked and proceeded to tear through the back catalogue of her work. These two were no exception to her creative brilliance, with ‘You Will Know Me’ becoming my new, favourite young adult read.
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
4/5 stars. Read December 12th
Read my full review here.
When this was nominated as the 2016 Man Booker Prize winner, it tore to the top of many a reading lists. And mine was no exception. Using dark humour and political incorrectness, this brutally and brilliantly highlights the current concerns plaguing society.
The Light That Gets Lost by Natasha Carthew 
3/5 stars. Read December 12th
Read my full review here.
This is another of the hard-hitting, contemporary, young adult reads that seem to have dominated this month’s reading list. With a cover to die for, there was no way this was not going to be a new addition to my shelves, this month.
The Ninth Life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen 
2/5 stars. Read December 12th
To appease my reading OCD, I finally finished off one of the books that had lingered on my Goodreads currently reading shelf for months. A highly unpopular opinion, but I did not gel with this bizarre and thrilling contemporary tale.
Haven: Chronicles of Warshard by Katherine Bogle
3/5 stars. Read December 15th
Read my full review here.
Full of court intrigue, a unique magic system and a great and varied cast of characters; this had all the bones of a great fantasy novel. Unfortunately, it’s short length left this with only a ‘meh’ rating, from me.
The #Art of Twitter by Daniel Parsons
4/5 stars. Read December 16th
Read my full review here.
Daniel Parsons is an author, Twitter whisperer and all-round nice guy. When I was lucky enough to meet him at a local book fair, I knew I had to read this book. With followers and interaction to rival some of the biggest authors in the Twittershpere, Parsons is living proof that this book works!
Final Girls by Riley Sager 
4/5 stars. Read December 20th
Read my full review here.
Cited as one of the biggest thrillers to be released in 2017, I was delighted when I was approved for an advanced, digital version of this book. With a cast of dubious characters and an unguessable plot-line, this is definitely one to watch out for in the new year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNrpiUsgLiJ/?taken-by=dannii.elle.reads
My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Winter Romances edited by Stephanie Perkins
3/5 stars. Read December 20th
Read my full review here.
Penned by a cast of powerhouse young adult authors, this anthology is a mixed bag of fantasy and contemporary stories, all rotating around the theme of romance. My favourite story, in this collection, was ‘Your Temporary Santa’, by David Leviathan.
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
3/5 stars. Read December 22nd
Read my full review here.
I cried heaps of tears and this book left me as a drained, emotion mess. This book, with its paranormal themes, might not have been exactly suited towards my tastes, but Giles has proven himself an author to watch out for!
Defender (The Voices #1) by G.X. Todd 
4/5 stars. Read December 29th
Read my full review here.
My final read of the year was a return to one of my favourite genres: dystopian science fiction. Could this first book in this thrilling new series be the future Divergent or The Hunger Games of 2017?
I want to to thank you for this good read!! I absolutely enjoyed every
bit of it. I have you book marked to look at new things you post…
Thank you so much, Jannie. That means so much. I’ll be making this a monthly feature so January’s should be available in a short while.