Required Reading 2013: December

Next to November, my birth month, December comes in a close second as my favorite month of the year. December comes as an obvious choice because it's Christmas, but I love it now also because it's my daughter's birth month. Truly, it's the most wonderful time of the year! Don't you just love how everything is so bright and colorful with all the Christmas decorations, and despite the horrible metro traffic and mall crowds, the air is filled with that delicious and excited hum that's associated with  Christmas? :D

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I'm sorry, I know I rambled there. But I'm pretty sure you get the idea, so on to this month's required reading list! :)

But first, a quick look at my reading accomplishments last month:

• The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster - The book club's book for the month. My first Auster. Layers and layers of fiction. 5/5

• Drown by Junot Diaz - Yunior's story comes full circle, and I have finally completed all of Junot's works! Yay! 5/5.

• Don't Forget the Soap (And Other Reminders From My Fabulous Filipina Mother) by Marie Claire Lim Moore - Joined a blog tour for this. Loads of useful parenting tips. 5/5.

How awesome is it that all the books I read on my favorite month are five-starrers? That's just like icing on the (birthday) cake. I'm still reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss and almost at the halfway mark. Hopefully I'll be able to finish it soon, as well.

For the last and final month of the year, here is what I have decided to read:

• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - This was actually my gift for myself last Christmas, and began the year reading it. Unfortunately, I was unable to get into it, and I dropped it entirely after I felt that, perhaps, I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time. I put it on hold for the rest of the year and it only seems apt to end the year with it, as well. Here's hoping I could get into the groove with you, Thomas Cromwell. ;)

The book club is reading Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone as the book of the month, and we're having a Potter Christmas as well. But since I have already read all the Harry Potter books and am not a huge fan of rereads, that one did not make it on my December list. But I'm excited for the discussion soon! ;)

Have a bookish Christmas, friends! :)