QUARTERLY WRAP-UP | WINTER 2024/25

It’s amazing to think that we might be on our way out of winter! We only just got past our snow, and it’s still a little chilly out there. But the sun is starting to come out, even feel a bit warm, and it just feels like it’s turning. We’re even getting new shoots springing out of the earth, and the first flowers of the years – snowdrops and crocuses – are showing their beautiful little heads, and today we saw three deer grazing on the grass by the park. I might even start thinking about planting some seeds in the next few weeks! My reading has slowed a little this month, but still, overall, I did a decent amount of reading over the past three months, and found some great books. So here’s what I read!

 

December

 

          How to Be Champion by Sarah Millican
Dilemma: The Complete Series 1-4 hosted by Sue Perkins
The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May 

I enjoyed all three of these, though How to be Champion wasn’t quite as good as Millican live on the panel shows I’ve watched – she’s quick and sharp, and always has some of the best lines of the episode. This was good, but just not quite as brilliant as her live and on spec. I did really enjoy Sue Perkins’ Dilemma – it’s a fun format and a good combination of funny and thought-provoking. But hands down my favourite read of the month was my last of the year – The Electricity of Every Living Thing. I loved this account of an adult mom who is just realizing that her brain may be atypical, and dealing with all that comes with a late diagnosis of neurodivergence. It’s an audio drama, so it has perfectly done sound effects that really created an immersive experience and made it feel like I could step into her mind for a little while and see from her point of view. Just so good.

 

January

 

              The Year I Met My Brain by Matilda BoseleyKillers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
The Postcard by Anne Berest
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston 

               The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel 1) – Tui T. Sutherland and Mike Holmes
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare PooleyWe Solve Murders by Richard Osman 

     We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
The Lost Heir (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel 2) – Tui T. Sutherland and Mike Holmes 

 

As you can see I got a lot of reading done this month! Partly thanks to the Libro.fm reading challenge (which I completed and am thrilled I got an audiobook credit for!), which motivated me to get on a roll and zoom through a bunch of audiobooks. I read two of the Wings of Fire graphic novels with my kid, and really enjoyed being able to ask questions and share in the enthusiasm! There were some other great reads this month. The first book I read this year, The Year I Met My Brain, turned out to be my favourite book about ADHD so far – and I’ve tried out and read a lot (see my full thoughts by clicking the link above). I also loved The Postcard – one I went into blind that turned out to not only be a book format I’ve never encountered before, but a beautifully rendered account of two sisters’ experiences in France through the second world war that had me fully invested. And The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was a lovely story that felt warm and cosy as well as delivering some great drama and suspense. Highly recommended to anyone who loves cosy fantasy with some romance sprinkled on top.

 

February

 

               All Fours by Miranda July
A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara
Friends of Dorothy by Sandi Toksvig
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 

         The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
The Librarian Spy by Madeline MartinThe Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley 

I didn’t read quite as much in February as I did in January, but still a respectable amount, and a few great books in the mix. My favourite of the month was, hands down, Friends of Dorothy. It was such a delightful mix of great characters, humour, and a plot that had me completely hooked. I loved it, and I know it’s one I’ll re-read when I’m looking for something warm and cosy. Then I continued my WWII reading. I read three more books set during this time period, but The Nightingale and The Things We Cannot Say were my favourites. Both took place in two different time periods – present-day and wartime – and both had amazing characters whose stories were heartrending and very emotional. I was both completely invested but also so apprehensive as each story unfolded, because I knew that things were going to get so much worse, and it’s always hard knowing these are real things that happened to real people. But I think that’s also part of the appeal – my own family was part of this war, and though their stories weren’t like any of these, the impact of the war was huge.

 

So that was my 2024-25 winter in reading, twenty books read, and a good chunk were good if not great. Some new favourites were found, and I’m still continuing on with my WWII reading and looking for more good mysteries! I can barely believe that winter is nearly over now, and I’m embarking on my Spring reading! What about you guys? Did you have a good winter reading experience? Have you read any of the books I read? If so, what did you think?