December 2025 Reading Wrap-up

December was a surprisingly productive reading month. I went into it with low expectations, and yet found myself picking up book after amazing book. Among all of that reading, I discovered some fantastic non-fiction books, dove into some entertaining stories, and finished three series along the way. This month, I also did a decent job of sticking to my monthly TBR. My December 2025 Reading Wrap-up covers all of the books I read during the month and shares my thoughts about them.

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December 2025 Reading Wrap-up

The Book At War by Andrew Pettegree

This book explores what happens to books and reading in wartime. From the destruction of literature by invading armies, to fiction and non-fiction published during these trying times, the distribution of books across countries, and the desire for distractive reading materials from those at home and on the home front, this book covers it all.

We learn about how paper rationing affected the length and type of books published. The way librarians had to curate collections for soldiers, as well as those left at home looking for news of events and stories to help them escape from the horrors of war. This book covers so much that it’s impossible to touch on all of it in such a short format. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Axe In Hand by Nicole Coenen

After initially finding Nicole Coenen through her various wood chopping videos on Facebook, I discovered she wrote a book on the topic and was intrigued enough to check it out.

This book was a nice, concise breakdown of the history, the types, and maintenance of axes, and the various ways to chop wood with an axe.

While I don’t see myself donning a flannel shirt, picking up an axe, and becoming a lumberjack, I do have a greater appreciation for axes, their uses, history, and those who wield them in the quest to maintain forests and heat their homes with wood.

Afterwar by Lilith Saintcrow

This is another book where I am struggling to share why I enjoyed it so much in a concise manner without giving too much away.

If you think a story about an alternative-timeline America where a second civil war occurs sounds intriguing to you, and you can handle a lot of violence and deeply descriptive atrocities of war, then this book may be for you.

A Bride’s Story Vol 15 by Kaoru Mori

This volume stood out from the previous ones because it’s almost entirely set in England. Mr. Smith and Talas are two of my favorite characters in this series, so getting a volume focused on them was fantastic.

It was also wonderful to meet Smith’s family and see their reaction to his travels, and most importantly, to Talas. Adjusting to a new way of life allows us to see how these two work together in a new setting and how they can overcome challenges that they will face going forward. I cannot wait until the next volume comes out, though there is no guarantee it will follow these two. This series is well worth the read.

Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree

I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. We are once again following Fern, a rattkin introduced in the prequel novel, and she’s having a bit of a midlife/identity crisis, that leads her on an unexpected adventure that pushes her to find herself, discover her found family, embrace what life throws at her, and leads her to a new, but vaguely familiar, life path.

While this book doesn’t quite fit into the cozy fantasy, I do feel that the direction it took (and perhaps this means the direction that the series is taking) worked well, and it makes me even more excited for the continuation of the series. The characters, action, world-building, and story all combine into a fantastic experience.

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

This was quite an intriguing story. Imagine living on an island where items disappear, and everyone’s memories of those items also disappear within days. That alone made this book worth listening to, but then you add in the memory police, who track down individuals who don’t lose their memories of those items.

It’s quite difficult to talk about this book without spoiling it, but I will say I was invested in finding out how and why these things were happening and what the long-term outlook of the island would be.

One Pound Gospel Vol. 4 by Rumiko Takahashi

The final volume of this short manga series. I was oddly addicted to this series and almost disappointed that it was ending so quickly. Following the ups and downs of Kosaku’s boxing career, along with his unlikely friendship with Sister Angela, was oddly addicting.

While I had my suspicions of how this would end (I’d read enough of Takahashi’s manga to generally know what to expect), how we got there was quite a fun and sometimes surprising journey.

Summertime Rendering Vol. 5 by Yasuki Tanaka

It’s amazing what has happened in this series up to this point, and I can’t go too deeply into details without spoiling it. Despite Shinpei and his friends making new discoveries throughout, this volume leads them to learning some key information that should help them triumph against Heine and Shideh. However, nothing is ever as simple as it may seem, and it will certainly be a challenge for them to see things through.

Summertime Rendering Vol. 6 by Yasuki Tanaka

This was the final volume of the series.

I’m going to keep it vague because I don’t want to spoil the end of the series, but wow, was this volume fantastic. While I have come to expect so many unexpected things as Shinpei and his friends navigate the events that continue to unfold on his island home. Boy, was that ending something else!

If you like horror manga with a heavy dose of mystery, then this series is for you.

Cat+ Gamer Vol. 8 by Wataru Nadatani

The final volume of this series, and what a great ending it was.

Riko, Musubi, and Soboro have come a long way, but it’s time for their final quest, and despite having a year to prepare for it, Riko is uncharacteristically not ready. Seeing Riko out of her element was great because she’s generally on top of things, especially when it comes to work.

Vanilla: The History of an Extraordinary Bean by Eric T. Jennings

I’ve been reading quite a few food-related history books, and when I found out there was a new one about vanilla, I had to see what it was all about.

From its initial discovery to the attempted widespread cultivation of the only edible orchid in the world, the history of vanilla is filled with scientific triumphs, oppressed people, companies seeking high profits, and the inevitable invention of a synthetic alternative.

Yona of the Dawn Vol 45 by Mizuho Kusanagi

As always, I struggle to talk about this series without giving out spoilers for those who haven’t started it or aren’t this far into it. So much has happened by this point, and I am thoroughly addicted to the series.

With the events of this volume, there is some uncertainty about what will happen, not just with certain characters, but with the kingdom as well. However, that’s what makes me eager to continue it when the next volume releases.

Komi Can’t Communicate Vol 32 by Tomohito Oda

I have a love-hate relationship with this series. Some of the volumes I absolutely love, and others feel so out of place I don’t know what to think. This one fell into the latter category. It wasn’t bad per se, just not what I was expecting.

I do have the next volume in the series, so I will continue it and hope that it leans more toward the side of the series I do enjoy.

Spy x Family Vol 11 by Tatsuya Endo

A trip to the museum quickly turns into a life-or-death matter when a busful of students is taken hostage. Of course, the hostages didn’t take having a crazy kid like Anya on the bus. While this volume did feel a bit slow, it was interesting to see how the kids handled such a dangerous situation

Fly Me To The Moon Vol 12 by Kenjiro Hata

Jealousy rears its ugly (or in this case, cute) head when Nasa gets a temporary job at an all-girls school. While these two have successfully overcome all previous hurdles, knowing her husband is surrounded by young and attractive women all day is almost too much for Tsukina to handle.

In typical fashion for this series, there is humor, cuteness, a touch of flirting, but most importantly, we get to watch this couple navigate life and deal with whatever it throws. They have grown quite a bit along the way, and I always enjoy seeing what they will do next. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Maid To Skate by Suzushiro

I picked this book up on a whim, as it was a standalone manga and the premise was intriguing. This was a fun read, and the artwork is wonderful, bringing the characters and their environment to life.

The idea behind maids that also skateboard is quite unique, and it’s clear that the author has a deep knowledge of skateboarding. While some of the tricks that Hana pulls off seem quite extreme, I think that is part of the appeal of the story.

I do feel that some details were missing, especially an explanation of why the maids skateboard, but overall, I enjoyed this book.

December 2025 reading wrap-up stats

• Books read: 16
• Books purchased: 4
• Books gifted: 22
• Books unhauled: 23
• Books DNF’d: 0

I hope you enjoyed my December 2025 Reading Wrap-up. What did you read in December?