Delicious December Reading
My new favorite monthly practice
Each year, I take December off from teaching, client work, and writing new posts on Substack. Instead, I review the year that’s passed, reflect on the year to come, and work on writing that’s still in the incubation phase.
I also read more than nearly any other time of year. Cuddled under a blanket with cats, in my favorite reading chair by the window with a steaming mug of tea, in bed, in the bath, I barely put books down this month.
In late November, a new idea struck. With a few busy weeks still to come, I hunted around the house, assembling the most enticing stack of books I could imagine settling down with, come December 6, the first day of my hibernation break. (As you read this, I am almost certainly deep in a book, in one of the above locations).
This stack sat on my bedside table, pulling me toward December with its promise of joyous days of reading.
Given how resistant I am to reading feeling like homework, it surprised me how much I enjoyed both selecting the books and diving into them. (Truth be told, I started one a few days early. I didn’t want to start a different book and delay starting the stack on the first.)
This has been such magic, I’m considering making this a monthly practice.
And in case you’re curious… here is my December stack:
December reading stack:
Pictured:
Claire Keegan, So Late in the Day
Beth Kempton, Wabi Sabi
Elizabeth Jane Howard, Marking Time (Cazalet Chronicles Book 2)
Nicola Upson, The Christmas Clue
Clare Hunter, Threads of Life
Naomi Alderman, Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today
Ella Risbridger, In Love With Love
Alice Vincent, Hark: How Women Listen
Alix E. Harrow, The Everlasting
Not Pictured (Digital Copy)
Daisy Buchanan, All Grown Up (Coming 2026!)
This set of books represents my usual balance between fiction and nonfiction. I also chose books I’m very excited to read, and that engage different areas of interest. (Hello textile content!) Ten books in a month isn’t unusual for me either, so this gives me room for another book or two that pop up and I MUST read right then.
If you decide to curate your own list of books, post a picture on notes and tag me — I’d love to see people’s December stacks.
Happy reading!
For the 2026 edition of the Your Writing Year Planner, we’ve added some exciting spreads for readers, including space for notes if you participate in slow reads, character lists to keep track of complex casts, and other fun ways to track your reading in the coming year.
If you’re not yet a paid member, upgrade now to get your copy here: