Bookish Travels: December 2025 Destinations

We took Jesper (my deaf tuxedo) to the vet and explained what was going on between him and the other cats. I agreed to try him on Fluoxetine. But, not a pill or a liquid. Instead, the vet sent a prescription to Chewy’s pharmacy, and they compounded it (I didn’t know that could be done for animals). And, I’m not giving it to him orally or through food. Instead, I am putting it on the inside of his ear. The vet said it gets absorbed faster there.
We finally got around to putting up our Christmas lights. They went up on December 7th. Usually, I would have had them up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but it rained. And we both were busy during the week.
We still do not have a tree. But not from lack of trying. I have a brilliant orange-and-white cat (Tony) who likes to destroy Christmas trees. And he has taught the younger cats (Kevin, Yuki, and Marcy) to destroy, too. So, we’re getting a stick-on one… lol.
We also had mice get into the tote (it was stored in my outdoor storage), where I had my ornaments and decorations. Everything was destroyed, from the skirt to the ornaments that the kids made in elementary school to my nativity scene. Nothing was salvageable, and I was distraught over the kids’ ornaments.
I decided to combine two of my shelves on Goodreads, and well, that blew up in my face. Somehow, and I am still not sure how this happened, my “Read” shelf got copied to the shelf I was trying to delete, and to my “Want to Read” shelf. So everything was in triplicate. I ended up going through every single book and placing them where I wanted to go. It took me about a week, and I am still a little grumpy about it.
I was very sad to hear that Sophie Kinsella passed away from brain cancer. I loved her Shopaholic series, as well as her other books.

Reading Highlights from this month:

I finished the Cambric Creek series (The Minoan Bride, Morning Glory Milking Farm, A Blue Ribbon Romance, Sweet Berries, Moon Blooded Breeding Clinic, Two for Tea: Welcome to Asathe, and He Loves Me Not) by C.M. Nascosta. I loved this series, but it might not be for everyone. The books’ spice level ranges from very mild to scorching hot.
I finished book 1 of the Industrial November on Tour series (Hiding in the Smoke). I liked the story, but didn’t like how Bren acted for 65% of the book. Sofia was very upfront about what she wanted in a relationship, but Bren didn’t listen. Of course, there is a very predictable twist to the storyline.
I finished book 1 of The Gunpowder Chronicles (Gunpowder Alchemy). I enjoyed this book. The book’s steampunk and historical angles were on point. The romance was a little “meh.” I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
I am going to finish the year up reading The Knight’s Ridge Empire series (Wicked Summer Knight, Wicked Knight, Wicked Princess, Wicked Empire, Deviant Knight, Deviant Princess, Deviant Reign, One Reckless Knight, Reckless Knight, Reckless Princess, Reckless Dynasty, Dark Halloween Knight, Dark Knight, Dark Princess, Dark Legacy, Corrupt Valentine’s Knight, Corrupt Knight, Corrupt Princess, Corrupt Union, Sinful Stolen Knight, Sinful Knight, Sinful Princess, Sinful Kingdom, and Knight’s Ridge Destiny). This is a very dark and very sexual series. I loved it….lol.

Books I Read:

Monthly Playlist (I use songs featured in the book, if there are any, along with a playlist generated by ChatGPT).

Featured Song of the Month

It’s Monday? What Are You Reading?—December 29th, 2026

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kid-lit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, young adult novels, or anything in those genres – join them.

What I am Reading Now

Jonah Rowe, a bored accountant and aspiring novelist, is sick and tired of his job as an accountant. He is burnt out from all the office gossip, politics, and double talk, and he longs for his life to matter. Truth be told, Jonah wants anything besides the lame routine of coasting through his workday….only to psych himself up enough to do it all over again the next day. He only wishes that his life had some meaning.

Amidst the combination of writer’s block and society’s expectations to have a “real” 9-5 job, Jonah gets his wish.

His world is turned completely upside down one evening when his vision inexplicably turns blue for several moments. He then receives a warning from a spectral visitor that not only is he in danger, but everything in his life is about to change.

Overnight, Jonah transforms from an overworked, underpaid accountant to the centerpiece of a spectral battle. Will he rise to the occasion? Can he accept that everything he knows about life and death is completely wrong? And, most importantly, will he be able to comprehend and harness the power of the mysterious 11th Percent?

Follow Jonah’s journey in this new breed of ghost story!

What I am reading Monday and Tuesday:

While serving in the army in Afghanistan, Michael Cooper is informed that his wife and child are dead, killed in a store robbery in Modesto, California.The police have no leads, and while Mike finishes his tour and his enlistment, the case goes cold.Eight months after his families death, he returns to Modesto determined to hunt for justice.It’s up to Michael and his friends to track down the elusive killers and bring them to justice. If they can.

For millennia humanity has fought against the notion of magic. Superstition and irrational fear have slowly been replaced with reason and logic. Our species entered the twenty-first century with only the slightest trappings of our former, peasant selves. This was our downfall. For science and magic are merely transitory fluctuations our planet has experienced a thousand times in its history. As has happened in the past, so must happen again. As the Phase sweeps over the earth, America is lost in chaos. Electricity and gunpowder become useless, and anarchy rules. From amongst this pandemonium strikes forth one man, an ancient from the dark past, who realizes the plight of humanity and strives to create order in the bedlam of the present. Professor Avedesh gathers those he knows to have the magical strength of the ancients; those whose very genes carry power. Fighting off starvation and shadowy cults that pursue them, the Professor must teach his followers to use their latent powers, not only to save themselves, but civilization.

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