December 2024 Month In Review + Cybils 2024 Finalists

Sooo, I ended up working only two days in December. My term ended Dec 13, but I was in Vancouver to Dec 4 (Wed), and then I had so much vacation time banked that I took off Dec 9 to 13 (Mon to Fri). I kept quite busy, though, with reading, blogging, enjoying some wintry weather, completing some deep house cleaning, wrapping gifts and writing Christmas cards, and spending time with friends and family. Fingers crossed for a job update in the next couple weeks. Until then, I’ll keep pouring in as much attention as I can afford to my books and my blog. 😁

Books Finished

• The West Passage by Jared Pechaček
• Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
• We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado
• The Cookie Crumbles by Tracey Badua and Alechia Dow
• Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinkser
• Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid
• It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell
• Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren
• The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (2nd edition) edited by Humphrey Carpenter
• The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

Books Reviewed

• The City in Glass by Nghi Vo (adult fantasy)
• Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (Wayward Children #10) by Seanan McGuire
• Atmospheric & Spooky Reads:
  • Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson (adult horror)
  • Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore (YA magical realism)
  • Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu (MG speculative fiction)
  • The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella-Winans (MG speculative fiction)
  • The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines by Mo Netz (MG speculative fiction)
• We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado (adult horror)

Posts Written

• Mom and I discussed Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar for Family Reads
• Shared 10 books from my wishlist for Top Ten Tuesday
• Completed the 2024 End of Year Book Survey

Challenges Check In

To be reviewed in-depth in January 3rd’s Wrapping Up, Looking Forward post.

On My Radar in January

• 7 Jan – release date of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (Wayward Children #10) by Seanan McGuire (adult portal fantasy)
• 21 Jan – release date of All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety by David A. Robertson (adult non-fiction) and The Song of Orphan’s Garden by Nicole M. Hewitt (middle grade fantasy in verse)

Cybils 2024 Finalists

January 1st also marks the announcement date for Cybils finalists! The Children’s and Young Adult Book Lovers’ Literary Awards aims to recognize children’s and YA authors and illustrators whose books combine the highest literary merit and popular appeal. This year, I am a round two judge for elementary and middle grade specualtive fiction. This means I’ll be spending the next few weeks reading my way through the shortlist and deliberating with my fellow judges to decide which book will be awarded winner (announced on February 14). Be sure to visit the website to check out for the full complement, including picture books, poetry, and nonfiction.

How was your December? What new books, or bookish events, are you looking forward to this month?