✨ Cozy Reads, Dark Folklore, and One Unexpected Five-Star Favorite ✨
December did not exactly go according to plan when it came to my reading goals. If you saw my December 2025 TBR, you already know I had big intentions. What I actually accomplished was… a little more chaotic. I did not read nearly as much as I hoped, but I did find a new favorite among my reads, which honestly feels like a fair trade. I am calling it a win.❄️📚
As always, my star ratings are completely subjective. Reading is personal, vibes matter, and sometimes timing and mood win. You can find a full breakdown of what my ratings mean at the bottom of this post.
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Ranking My December 2025 Reads: Worst → Best
Tomie by Junji Ito (1987)
Horror, Manga
This is the third Junji Ito work I have read, and unfortunately I think I peaked early by starting with Uzumaki. With Tomie, we follow a beautiful and mysterious girl who inspires obsession, jealousy, and violence wherever she appears. She is immortal, endlessly returning in increasingly unsettling forms after she is brutally murdered…over and over again.
This one simply did not work for me, and I wish I could point to one clear reason why. Unfortunately, it just never clicked. The repetitive structure of the interconnected short stories wore thin quickly, and instead of building dread, it began to feel exhausting. Both my husband and I read this and independently had the same reaction. There was an underlying hostility toward women that left me unsettled, but not in the thought-provoking horror way I often enjoy.
Rating: 2 / 5✨
Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling in Love With) a Magical Subculture by AJ Wolfe (2025)
Non-Fiction
As someone who genuinely loves Disney, I was very excited to pick this up. AJ Wolfe is the creator behind the Disney Food Blog and YouTube channel, both of which I adore. This book explores adults whose devotion to Disney shapes their identities, relationships, and sense of joy.
I wanted to love this far more than I actually did. I truly went in with my Mickey ears on. A large portion of the book consists of stories submitted by followers about what Disney means to them. While those stories were sweet, they were not what I was hoping for from this read. The book explores the idea that extreme fandom can sometimes be tied to escapism that negatively impacts peoples day-to-day lives. While this may be true for some people, it was not something I personally connected with. Overall, the book felt scattered. It made some good points, started strong, and then lost cohesion along the way.
I completely agree with the core message that people should be allowed to enjoy what they love without judgment if it is not harmful to others. Unfortunately, the execution just did not fully land for me which was a bummer.
Rating: 2 / 5✨
The Dead of Winter: Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures by Sarah Clegg (2024)
Non-Fiction, Horror
As mentioned in my December 2025 TBR, this book explores European winter and Christmas folklore through the author’s travels to dark seasonal festivals across small towns and villages. The concept intrigued me immediately. Dark winter folklore is very much my thing.
This book was fine, but it did not quite “wow” me enough to become a seasonal reread. I think part of that came down to the writing style, which never fully clicked for me. Clegg often focused on details about traditions and folklore that I did not find particularly interesting. On the flip side, she would skip over details that I would have loved to learn more about. Ultimately, this left the book feeling a bit surface-level. The frequent footnotes were especially distracting. They read like asides the author really wanted to share, but interrupted the flow rather than adding insight or humor. Overall, it felt dry without being especially informative, which made the reading experience drag more than I expected.
Rating: 3 / 5 ✨
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997)
Fantasy, Middle Grade
I already talked about how much I am loving the full-cast audiobook edition in my post Books to Read When You Are Feeling Burned Out, but it deserves another mention here. Because apparently, I will never stop talking about this edition. This version features a full cast of voice actors, background music, and ambient sound effects.
This has always been a five-star read for me, and the audio adaptation only deepened that feeling. It captures the wonder of discovering the Wizarding World for the first time all over again. I plan to continue listening as each installment is released, though I will keep future commentary in my reading wrap ups brief unless something particularly stands out.
Rating: 5 / 5✨
🏆Best Book of December 2025 – Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree (2025)
Fantasy
I went into this one excited but slightly nervous, fully expecting another low-stakes cozy fantasy. This sequel to Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust follows Fern as she journeys far from home alongside a legendary warrior and an outlaw goblin. What unfolds is a deeply character-driven story about change, found family, and choosing a future without a clear map.
I absolutely loved this book. Like, immediately wanted to talk to everyone about it loved. Zyll was hands down my favorite character and had me laughing out loud repeatedly. Please, Travis Baldree, give me an entire book of Zyll’s adventures. Beneath the humor, the story explores the grief of disappointing people you love and the difficulty of saying no when others believe they know what is best for you. That emotional depth caught me completely off guard in the best way.
It is interesting to see how divisive this series has become. For me, this was the strongest installment so far, followed by Bookshops & Bonedust, then Legends & Lattes. Others prefer the earlier, quieter entries with even lower stakes which honestly makes sense depending on what you want from cozy fantasy. Either way, I truly hope this is not the last book in this world.
Rating: 5 / 5✨
⚡️Surprises & Disappointments💔
Biggest Surprise: Brigands & Breadknives – I expected to enjoy it, but I did not expect to connect so deeply with its themes.
Biggest Disappointment: Disney Adults – I was very hyped for this one and sadly it just did not deliver what I was hoping for.
Looking Back at My December 2025 TBR 📖
Out of the five books on my December 2025 TBR, I only completed two, which feels impressive and disastrous at the same time. I am a mood reader, so this is not unheard of, but I usually do better than this.
I skipped NOS4A2 due to time constraints during the holidays and chose Brigands & Breadknives instead for my final read of the month. Pan’s Labyrinth ended up being a mood mismatch, though I fully plan to return to it later. Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow is a family read, and while we did not finish it in December, we are about one third of the way through and hope to wrap it up in January.
✨Final Thoughts ✨
I would love to know what your favorite book was in December 2025, or even your favorite book of the entire year. Creating monthly TBRs is one of my favorite reading rituals, even if sticking to them is a constant challenge. Mood readers, you understand.
The start of a new year is one of my favorite reading seasons. It feels full of possibility, fresh lists, and new discoveries. If you would like to continue reading along with me, you can check out these posts next:
👉 January 2026 TBR: What I Plan or Reading This Month Under the Northern Lights
👉 Reading and Book Blog Goals for 2026
👉 Reading Challenge: 26 Books in 2026
If you enjoyed this December 2025 Reading Wrap Up, consider subscribing to get my monthly reading posts delivered straight to your inbox.
Happy Reading! ❄️
📚~Kerri
🌌Reading Under the Northern Lights – Completely Arbitrary, Mood-Dependent Rating System 🌌
✨ 1 Star – “Banished to the Shadow Realm”
If this book rose from the grave, I’d grab a shovel. It didn’t work for me at all, and I would not recommend it.
✨✨ 2 Stars – “The Potion Came Out Lumpy”
Not terrible, but far from magical. Some parts had potential, yet mostly I wanted it to end. Others might enjoy it, but it didn’t land for me.
✨✨✨ 3 Stars – “Respectable Quest Companion”
Reliable and readable. Got me from Point A to Point B alive. Solid, enjoyable, but not remarkable. I would likely recommend it.
✨✨✨✨ 4 Stars – “Worthy of a Bard’s Ballad”
Adventure! Emotion! A sprinkle of terror! Strong, fun, and memorable. Definitely worth recommending.
✨✨✨✨✨5 Stars – “Crowned Ruler of the TBR Kingdom”
Legendary. I would haunt people with this book. Absolutely loved it, highly recommend, and would re-read without hesitation.
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