While this month I’m prioritizing catching up on all my library holds and enjoying fun holiday books there are a few December 2024 book releases that I’m looking forward to this month.
December 2024 Book Releases
December 3rd
Private Rites by Julia Armfield | Horror, Literary Fiction, LGBTQ+
An island with never-ending rain, ancient religions and rituals gaining popularity, three estranged sisters uniting after their father’s death. All of this sounds like an eerie, atmospheric, and suspenseful good time that I can’t say no to.
Goodreads Synopsis:
It’s been raining for a long time now, so long that the land has reshaped itself and arcane rituals and religions are creeping back into practice. Sisters Isla, Irene, and Agnes have not spoken in some time when their father dies. An architect as cruel as he was revered, his death offers an opportunity for the sisters to come together in a new way. In the grand glass house they grew up in, their father’s most famous creation, the sisters sort through the secrets and memories he left behind, until their fragile bond is shattered by a revelation in his will.
More estranged than ever, the sisters’ lives spin out of control: Irene’s relationship is straining at the seams; Isla’s ex-wife keeps calling; and cynical Agnes is falling in love for the first time. But something even more sinister might be unfolding, something related to their mother’s long-ago disappearance and the strangers who have always seemed unusually interested in the sisters’ lives. Soon, it becomes clear that the sisters have been chosen for a very particular purpose, one with shattering implications for their family and their imperiled world.
Dust by Alison Stine | Young Adult, Fiction
I’m a sucker for a coming-of-age story. There’s something so compelling and poignant about them that I enjoy. So, when I read the premise for this story it features a partially deaf young woman named Thea trying to find her way in the world while navigating her parent’s strange attitude towards her disability and unwillingness to support her and their fear of society and its influence on her. All of this is set against the backdrop of a world in turmoil due to climate change. I’m hoping to encounter some very interesting themes in this story and watch how Thea can bloom and grow despite the challenges she faces.
Goodreads Synopsis
After her father has a premonition, Thea and her family move to the Bloodless Valley of southern Colorado, hoping to make a fresh start. But the rivers are dry, the crops are dying, and the black blizzards of Colorado have returned. Much like the barren land, Thea feels her life has stopped growing. She is barely homeschooled, forbidden from going to the library, and has no way to contact her old friends―all due to her parents’ fear of the outside world’s dangerous influence.
But to make ends meet, Thea is allowed to work at the café in town. There, she meets Ray, who is deaf. Thea, who was born hard of hearing, has always been pushed by her parents to pass as someone who can hear. Now, with Ray secretly teaching Thea how to sign, she begins to learn what she’s been missing―not just a new language but a whole community and maybe even a chance at love.
December 10
The Champagne Letters by Kate Macintosh | Historical Fiction
I’ve developed such a fascination for the Historical Fiction genre and I’m looking forward to reading this charming tale of a defiant woman seeking to fulfill her dreams during a tumultuous time. And how years later a divorcee will find inspiration from this woman’s determination. This sounds like a heartwarming and inspirational tale.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Reims, France, 1805: Barbe-Nicole Clicquot has just lost her beloved husband but is determined to pursue their dream of creating the premier champagne house in France, now named for her new identity as a Veuve Clicquot. With the Russians poised to invade, competitors fighting for her customers, and the Napoleonic court politics complicating matters she must set herself apart quickly and permanently if she, and her business, are to survive. In present day Chicago, broken from her divorce, Natalie Taylor runs away to Paris. In a book stall by the Seine, Natalie finds a collection of the Widow Clicquot’s published letters and uses them as inspiration to step out of her comfort zone and create a new, empowered life for herself. But when her Parisian escape takes a shocking and unexpected turn, she’s forced to make a choice. Should she accept her losses and return home, or fight for the future she’s only dreamed about? What would the widow do?
December 17
A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya | Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
I will always and forever be a diehard vampire fan. So, if there is a book about vampires you better believe I’m going to be all about it. And the premise for this story is delectable. A vampire hunter and a vampire are forced to team up and confront their mutual enemy. It’s giving me all the enemies-to-lovers vibes and I’m here for it!
Goodreads Synopsis:
Carolina Fuentes has always wanted to join her family in hunting down the bloodthirsty monsters that plague her pueblo. But these days, her father wants her out of town with a husband of his choosing. That’s not happening. Carolina plans to show everyone that she’d make a better vampire slayer than wife. But when she runs into a sediento that is not only handsome but kind, she questions everything.
Lalo Villalobos doesn’t act on impulses. As the eldest of two, his duties were to carry on the family business, marry, and have children. But then he is turned into a sediento and must flee the city, taking lives as he goes north, where he believes the first vampire was made. Surely, the pueblo there will have the answers to reverse this curse or end sedientos altogether. Another unexpected turn? Lalo runs right into a beautiful young woman who’d gladly stake him.
Fortunately, mostly for him, they share a common enemy. They can stop these evil beasts. Together. And if along the way, Lalo and Fernanda discover what it is to truly live and love, then they’ll have won anyway.
You better believe that I’ve added these to my library holds and I’ll be anxiously waiting for these holds to come through so I can enjoy these titles. What new book releases are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below and until next time happy reading!!!
