For December, I selected the top reads of the month according to Goodreads and Amazon with a few of my personal favorites thrown in. Whether you want a light holiday read, a poignant memoir or an inspirational story, these books will not disappoint. Remember books make excellent holiday gifts and if money is tight, a trip to the library can unlock a world of adventure for free. Enjoy!
The Twelve Swipes of Christmas by Elizabeth Meitzler – Tatum is gifted four dating apps by her friend Mila. What could possibly go wrong? This is our December book of the month and Elizabeth Meitzler is the featured author in our December Q&A.
The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev – A funny and heart-warming story about three generations of independent woman. When inherits a million dollars, she buys a condo hoping to hide a mistake she made many years ago. Aly her ex-daughter-in-law who lives with her must decide if she’s finally ready to get her own place. Aly’s daughter tries to enlist the two women in perfecting the dating app that will save her job.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver -Demon is a boy born to a teenaged single-mom in a single-wide trailer. He must navigate the foster care system, child labor, athletic success, addiction, substandard schools, disastrous love and crushing failures. Told in his own words, Demon struggles with his feelings of invisibility and being let down by his community.
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng – Twelve-year-old Bird lives with his father who works in a library shelving books. His mother, a Chines American poet, left the family three years ago and no one knows where she is. Bird who is the son of an immigrant mother is in danger of being taken from his home and the government is now removing books by immigrants from the library . Can Bird find clues to where his mother is in her books of poetry before they disappear forever?
The Upside of Falling Down by Rebekah Crane – Seventeen-year-old Becca no longer believes in love, but when her best friend teases her for not having a boyfriend, she invents one. Brett the captain of the football team is too busy to look for the perfect girl. Can Becca and Brett fake a relationship to get everyone off their backs? What could possibly go wrong?
The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks by Julie Valerie – Holly is a wife, mother, and aspiring filmmaker who wants to have it all. She longs to be like her perfect neighbors in Primm. When her dog digs up an old artifact in the town square, she’s thrown into a mystery that threatens to change the perfect town of Primm forever.
The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland – Freedland tells the true story of Rudolph Vrba, the first Jew to escape from Auschwitz who warned the world about what was happening there.
Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora – Zamora’s parents told him one day he would take a trip to be with them again and have an adventure. His adventure was a 3,000-mile trip from El Salvador to the United States. to be reunited with the parents he hasn’t seen in years. He never imagined the hardships he would face.
One Day in December by Josie Silver – Laurie is sure love at first sight doesn’t exist until she sees Mr. Right through a bus window. Her bus drives away, but she’s determined to find him. She is introduced to her mystery man at a Christmas party. He’s her best friend’s date. After ten years of missed opportunities, will they finally get their chance at love?
Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders – Named one of the best books of the decade by one New York Times bestselling author George Saunders. These are stories to touch your heart.