Two final reads to close out December. I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss came recommended by a blogger I follow as a cozy, Christmas‑y pick. Frederica "Fred" begrudgingly returns to her childhood home in the Scottish Highlands as she seeks to reset her life following the loss of her job and long-term relationship. Her quirky mother and elderly aunts run a Christmas cracker business, and her childhood best friend Ryan is a local legend. Fred is not returning home, rather she's "perching" while she figures things out. It was a bit long and somewhat predictable, but ultimately charming — exactly the kind of comforting story that feels just right for this time of year. I felt like I knew every corner of Pine Bluff and it sounded like the perfect little hamlet - complete with a town nice/naughty list - sadly it's fictional.
Awake by Jen Hatmaker was the book I wish I’d had during my own divorce nine years ago. Hatmaker, a well‑known evangelical pastor’s wife, faced a very public unraveling of her marriage after discovering her husband’s affair. In the aftermath, she examines the forces that shaped her—evangelical purity culture, patriarchal expectations, and the relentless pressure to be the “perfect” Christian woman—sorting through what still serves her and what she’s ready to release. The a-ha moment for me was when she identified as co-dependent (when you let others affect your feelings and actions). Awake is ultimately a story of returning to oneself, identifying your true beloveds, and to the possibility of a life imagined beyond the rules and roadblocks we’ve been taught to accept.
2025 didn’t go quite as planned, but it was full of moments I’ll never forget.
It was supposed to be my hot girl summer, but hip pain had other ideas. That unexpected total hip replacement became a defining plot twist—one that taught me patience, grit, and how to accept help even when I’d rather power through.
Still, there was so much good. We took the trip of a lifetime to Italy, spent quality time with friends and family, celebrated two beautiful weddings, attended my 40th high school reunion, remodeled our main bath, and squeezed in a quick, restorative getaway to Door County. We also welcomed Pipper, our new-to-us cat with a big personality, while our beloved Lulu is still with us—slowing down, but very much part of our world.
And through every high and low, I read. 25 in '25 kept me company, kept me curious, and kept me grounded. My top 4 reads:
Honorable mentions:
- The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
- The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
- City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini
- Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
Here’s to 2026—may it bring more joy, more ease, and maybe, finally, that hot girl summer energy.
