Read-at-Home Mom Report: December 2024 Wrap-Up

As happened last year, I jumped right into the new year without finishing off last year's reading. Whoops! Here's the latest 2024 reading update. 

December Favorites

• The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan
  I had never read this author before, and this was a very sweet holiday story.
• Five Stolen Rings by Gracie Ruth Mitchell 
  I love the way this author combines romance with mystery. The Home Alone references were really cute. 
• The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter 
  This was so well-written and so entertaining. Also a combination mystery/romance. 
  
  
  

• The Diddakoi by Rumer Godden
  I picked this at random from our shelves to read with my husband and our friend, and we all really enjoyed it. I kept saying it was like Blubber, but with travelers. 
• The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman 
  I hadn't read any Backman in a while, and I could not get over how good this was. It's a funny commentary on our current cultural climate.

Series and Sequels

• Cotswolds Holiday (Christmas Escape Book 7) by Kasey Stockson (3 stars)  
• Christmas After All (Happily Ever After All Book 1) by Cece Louise (3 stars)
• Christmas Tree Connection (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 1) by Elle Rush (4 stars)
• First Term at Malory Towers (Malory Towers Book 1) by Enid Blyton (3 stars)
• Katie and the Cupcake Cure (Cupcake Diaries Book 1) by Coco Simon (4 stars)
• Mia in the Mix (Cupcake Diaries Book 2) by Coco Simon (3 stars)
• A Merry Little Murder Plot (Library Lover's Mystery Book 15) by Jenn McKinlay  
• Booked for Murder (Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries Book 1) by P.J. Nelson (4 stars)
• Holiday Lights and Cocoa Cookie Nights (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 2) by Meg Easton (4 stars)
• Jingle Bell Jilt (Gift-Wrapped Romance Book 5) by Mindy Burbidge Strunk (3 stars)
• Cocoa Kisses (Creekville Kisses Book 5) by Melanie Jacobson (4 stars)
• The Christmas Pact (Mountain Springs Christmas Book 1) by Meg Easton (4 stars) 
• The Christmas Bet (Mountain Springs Christmas Book 2) by Meg Easton (4 stars)
• St. Nick and Me are Mint To Be (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 3) by Tamie Dearen (3 stars) 
• The Christmas Clause (Mountain Springs Christmas Book 3) by Meg Easton (4 stars)
• Molasses and Mr. Christmas (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 6) by Lindsey Jesionowski (3 stars)
• Tying the Knot with her Sweet Scrooge (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 5) by Ginny Sterling (2 stars)
• Madeleine's Mistletoe Meet Cute (Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs Book 4) by Ellie Hall (2 stars)
• His Stand-in Holiday Girlfriend (Christmas in the City Book 1) by Kasey Stockton (4 stars) 
• Season's Schemings (Cyclones Christmas Book 1) by Katie Bailey (4 stars)  
• Trapped Under the Christmas Tree (Christmas Tree, PA Sweet Romcom Book 1) by Jessie Gussman (3 stars)

Stand-Alone Books 

• A Christmas Journey by Anne Perry (4 stars) 
• Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews (4 stars)
• So Into You by Kathleen Fuller (3 stars)
• Judith Lankester by Marjorie Hill Allee (2 stars)
• A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush (4 stars)
• Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (4 stars)
• Strange New World by Carl Trueman (4 stars)
• A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas (5 stars)
• Cookies, Lies, & Homicide by Angela Henry (3 stars)
• The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander (5 stars)
• Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald (5 stars)

Family Reading Lists

M. (girl, 11 years, 1 month) 

• The Trumpeter of Krakow by Erik P. Kelly 

C. (girl, 9 years, 3 months) 

• The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
• Katie and the Cupcake Cure by Coco Simon 
• Katie's War by Aubrey Flegg 
• Mia in the Mix by Coco Simon

E. (girl, 7 years, 2 months)

• The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum

R. (boy, 4 years, 9 months) 

• Penny and Peter by Carolyn Haywood 
• Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant 
• Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake by Cynthia Rylant 
• Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant 
• The Cozy Home by Ame Dyckman
• Construction Site: Taking Flight! by Sherri Duskey Rinker 
• Construction Site Mission: Demolition! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• Three Cheers for Kid McGear! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• Construction Site: Garbage Crew to the Rescue! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• Construction Site: Farming Strong, All Year Long by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• Mighty, Mighty Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• Construction Site: Road Crew, Coming Through! by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• Dan Frontier, Trapper by William Hurley 
• Dan Frontier with the Indians by William Hurley 
• Robert the Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner 
• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
• The Diggingest Dog by Al Perkins 
• I Am Not Going to Get Up Today by Dr. Seuss
• Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman 
• The Mysteries of the Universe by Will Gater

A. (girl, 4 years, 9 months) 

• More Ant and Bee (a few pages) by Angela Banner 
• Pig Wig Can Hit 
• Tag 
• The Cat Family Christmas by Lucy Brownridge
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar's 5-Minute Stories 
• Tom and Pippo and the Bicycle by Helen Oxenbury