I’m still waiting for the first snow of the year here in far-northern California
Word of the Month
Harmony
Bible Verses of the Month
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” – (Colossians 3:14,15 NLT)
This month’s reading diary is at the bottom of this page, after the book list.
My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/lindajm
★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!
⇗ – Still reading at the end of the month.
⇓ – I did not like it or finish it. (DNF = Did Not Finish)
∅ – Stalled – I started but didn’t finish. (Soft-DNF)
Finished Reading This Month
✓ Christian Devotional: New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp
An excellent devotional I used during 2025. Review.
✓ Children’s Christian Fiction: Treasures of the Snow, by Patricia St. John
Lovely novel for children – very Christian in content. I liked it a lot! Review.
✓ Christian Fiction: The Last Sin Eater, by Francine Rivers
What a beautiful novel!!! Review.
✓ Art: Creative License, by Danny Gregory
I finally finished this! About time, considering I originally bought the book in 2019 and started reading it that December. But it was slow going for various reasons, mainly life upheaval, and in September 2020 my home burned along with my copy of the book. Several years later (earlier this year perhaps) I bought another copy of the book, determined to read it all. And so now, it is done. I’m glad I finished it because there were some things at the end of the book that delighted me. Review.
✓ Mystery: The Book of Cold Cases, by Simone St. James
Another good mystery novel by this author; third I’ve read. Review.
✓ Nonfiction: The Art of Story Telling, by John Walsh
This is a basic instructional manual on storytelling skills. It includes three chapters at the end about telling stories found in the Bible. Review.
✓ Irish History: Grace O’Malley: The Pirate Queen of Ireland, by History Nerds
A short intro to Irish history c. 1575-1603. Review.
✓ Christian Classic: On The Incarnation, by Athanasius of Alexandria
This was written c.318 by a young Christian man who would later attend the First Council of Nicea and become the Bishop of Alexandria. It was written in response to a heresy current at that time. Review.
✓ Mystery: The Briar Club, by Kate Quinn
I’ve never read anything by Kate Quinn before. This is fiction set in Washington DC c.1953. I liked the setting. I did not like the novel. Review.
✓ Art: Pacific Northwest Line Drawing, by Peggy Dean
I enjoyed reading this art book. Review.
✓ Biography: John Adams, by David McCullough
12/8 – I finished reading this brick of a book. Yay!!! Wonderful biography!! Review.
✓ Mystery: The Sun Down Motel, by Simone St. James
This is the second book I’ve read by Simone St. James and I do enjoy her writing. Both books are dual-timeline and heavy on ghosts. I have one more of her audiobooks on tap for later this month. I finished listening to this early in December. Liked it. Review.
Reading Intentions
I’m planning my reading for 2026.
Classical Education Study Projects
★ Classic Fiction: Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes
This is a long-term study project. I’m reading it for classical education, and doing a deep-dive using a study guide and taking notes.
Did Not Finish – aka: DNF
No DNF’s yet in December.
My December 2025 Reading Diary
December 1 – And so it begins.
December 10 – What a lovely month I’m having! I’m a bit behind on book-count for my Goodreads Reading Challenge and must finish nine more books before the end of the year, to achieve my goal of 73 books during my 73rd year of living on this planet. Four of them will be children’s picture books. One is an audiobook I’m nearly done with now, and the others? Well, I think two are art books I’m nearly done reading. And one is my devotional. Also I have another audiobook to read. So, I’ve got it covered, I think. Hope you’re having a lovely holiday season!!
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