December 2020 Book Recommendations: What to Read & What to Skip

Welcome to my regular round up of mini book reviews for my December 2020 book recommendations! Included in this collection is a Christmas novel that I adored plus a few recent Book Of The Month selections that I finally got around to reading.

In my list of December 2020 book recommendations, I include everything I’ve read recently no matter what.  I like to share both my five star reads and any misses to help you get a better idea of what you should read or might want to skip.

As always, I love to hear if you agree or disagree with my ratings! Let me know in the comments what you thought of my December 2020 book recommendations.

I’m linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy as usual to share what we read this month!

*Disclosure – I earn a small commission for any items purchased through the links above at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my book blog!!

 

December 2020 Book Recommendations

Physical Books:

Christmas At The Island Hotel

Jenny Colgan is one of my absolute favorite authors, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her new Christmas novel. We return to the Scottish island of Mure and a few familiar characters from her previous novels. It’s now the Christmas season and the island is prepping for the opening of a grand hotel. Konstantin, a spoiled Norwegian prince who was banished from his castle and Isla, a local asked to help with the opening find themselves working in the kitchen together.

All sorts of shenanigans and Christmas-y happenings ensue! This novel is the definition of charming and I found myself laughing out loud several times. I highly recommend including this in your December TBR list! 4.5 Stars | Amazon | Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Here’s a backlist book you should absolutely read if you haven’t yet! A sexy romance novel with a very sweet story. Stella knows numbers. Everything else is a bit more complicated. When she hires Michael to teach her about sex, she quickly starts obsessing about him but if the feeling is mutual could they actually make a relationship work?

I loved that the main character has Asperger’s and this book showed how that worked within her life. The relationship between Stella and Michael was certainly unusual, but so much fun to read. They both grew throughout the story and helped make each other better. 4 Stars | Amazon | Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Atomic Love by Jennie Fields

Cold war spies. Female scientist. Forbidden love. Sounds intriguing, right? That’s what I thought, but sadly this one didn’t quite live up to the description. Rosalind was one of the scientists who worked on the atomic bomb and she’s astonished to find out years later that someone she knew might have revealed their secrets to the Russians. She must decide whether to trust the FBI and betray her former lover or believe he wasn’t as guilty as they suggest.

Unfortunately, the high stakes drama I was expecting was a bit lackluster. It took me ages to read because there wasn’t a whole lot actually happening in the plot. 3 Stars | Amazon | Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Another intriguing plot that fell a little flat in execution. However, I am in the vast minority here. This novel has rave reviews from most readers, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt as always! Two black sisters run away when they’re young and end up living completely separate lives, in which one sister pretends to be white.

This story is told over the course of their lives so readers can see the stark differences in their worlds. Eventually, their daughters are brought into the mix as well. I think my expectations were just too high for this. It’s an eye-opening look at how differently their lives turned out, but the storytelling wasn’t for me. 3 Stars | Amazon | Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Save For Later!

 

 

 

 

eBooks (reading from Netgalley / Library):

Shipped by Angie Hockman

This contemporary romance doesn’t come out until January 2021, but make yourself happy next year and pre-order it now! It’s a super cute rom com that also deals with the important issue of conservation.

I loved the cruise setting and learning about the Galapagos Islands! There is so much meat to this story, both in the growth of the characters and the conservation efforts happening in the world. 5 Stars | Amazon | Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

How would you live your life if you saw a glimpse of your future? Dannie just got engaged to the perfect man, but wakes up in a different apartment with a different guy five years in the future. After a few hours, she’s taken right back where she left, but is reeling from the experience. 

I wasn’t expecting to become so emotionally invested in these characters!! The love between Dannie and her best friend was remarkable and touching. The story was much more friendship based and heart wrenching then I thought! It was also fascinating seeing how Dannie tried to avoid the future she saw and came to realize things aren’t always as they appear. 5 Stars | Amazon | Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’d like to track and analyze your reading, check out my Reading Tracker!

 

 

 

 

 

What was the best book you read recently?

 

For more mini book reviews, check out What I Read in November 2020!