📚On Reading In December (Best of)

Welcome to another round of what my reading month looked like, in this case the last month of 2025. I’d say good riddance but 2026 has not made any sort of case as a better replacement.

In my reading life, December wasn’t so much light on reading as it was heavy on DNFs. But I ended the year reading two of my favorite novels of 2025 back-to-back so I’m taking that as a massive win.

These Heathens by Mia McKenzie

I really enjoyed McKenzie’s previous novel Skye Falling so I picked this up without reading anything about it and was blown away. It’s a historical novel following a pregnant teen girl who is sent to Atlanta by a teacher so she can get an abortion. But plans go a bit awry and Doris ends up stuck in the city while awaiting the procedure which exposes her to a much bigger world than she’s known— including queer people and meeting real life figures like Coretta Scott King. It’s a coming of age novel that feels new because we rarely get this kind of plot and perspective. I also really enjoyed that Doris is not already fully formed with opinions and beliefs when she’s confronted with many new-to-her realities. The audiobook is narrated by Bahni Turpin, who remains one of the greatest narrators ever and was an absolute perfect choice for McKenzie’s writing!

The Raven Scholar (Eternal Path Trilogy #1) by Antonia Hodgson

This book just didn’t miss. The voice, characters, plot, editing, tension, pacing, dialog – it just nailed the landing. I think it felt like reading something new and fresh because there is such an inundation of middle of the road fantasy novels that this stands out like a beacon. And the audiobook narrator, Daphne Kouma, is excellent in bringing all the characters to life, along with the humor and tension. If you want a fantasy mixed with mystery and plenty of action I can’t recommend this enough—I am super impatient for the sequel!

Broken Fields (Cash Blackbear Mysteries #4) by Marcie R. Rendon

I continue to enjoy this series because I love the main character Cash, an Ojibwe woman raised by a Sheriff who seems to keep stumbling upon mysteries to solve. It’s set in Minnesota in the ‘70s so not the usual 1800s historical mystery time period and brings in a lot of still-felt history. I’d love to see Cash the star of an adaptation series—someone throw this series at Sterlin Harjo.

Saint of the Narrows Street by William Boyle

I’ve liked everything I’ve read by Boyle, who writes crime novels that dive deep into the long reach of the aftermath of a crime. In Saint of the Narrows Street an abusive husband is murdered and his wife Risa, sister-in-law Giulia, and friend Chooch bury the body and claim he took off. We then follow their lives—along with the now fatherless baby Fabrizio—in Brooklyn. Over decades we see how the murder takes a toll on each of them from their relationships to their future dreams. I really like how this sinks you into the time periods and the community–I was standing in every single room with these characters.

And that’s a wrap on 2025. My 2026 started with an absolute favorite read I hadn’t gotten to in 2025 so the reading year ahead feels full of promise. Hope you’re reading something great right now!