December 2025 Hopefuls
coffeestarsbooks
- December 1, 2025
- 2:00 pm
Hello friends and fellow bookworms. Here we are again, nearing the end of the year, and I’ve found myself quite far behind my yearly reading goal. So this month we’re hoping to do a lot of reading, though there’s a few very long books on this list, so it definitely feels like a challenge. Perhaps this will wind up being too ambitious, but I want to try.
Empire of Dawn
I feel like I need to get to this one soon, even though it, like all the books in this series, is quite long. I’m not sure if I’m ready for the end of this journey, or for the inevitable death and heartbreak in this book, but I’m keen to see how this series wraps up.
The Everlasting
I’ve loved every book I’ve read by Alix E. Harrow, and I’ve had this book on my radar for a while. Also, this one is on the slightly shorter side, so it’ll be a welcome reprieve from all the longer books on my list this month.
A Treachery of Swans
I’m not sure how I’ve not gotten around to this book yet. Where the Dark Stands Still was one of my favourite books of this year, and I have been excited to pick up A Treachery of Swans for several months. I’m determined to get to it before the end of the year, as it sounds like a gorgeous, decadent fairy-tale retelling, and I’ve got this beautiful Illumicrate edition to enjoy.
An Academy for Liars
Another book that’s been on my tbr for far too long. This is also another Illumicrate edition which I picked up secondhand. A horror/dark academia set in an unsettling school with layers of secrets, this sounds right up my street.
The Isle in the Silver Sea
There are so many pretty Illumicrate books on my list this month, and this is no exception. There’s been an uptick in the number of books about knights and I’m here for this trend. I haven’t finished Suri’s The Jasmine Throne series yet, but the first book in the series was an incredible read, and I am very happy to see another book by this author out in the world. This one features a witch and a knight fated to fall in love and doom each other.
The Second Death of Locke
Another knight book on my tbr list for this month, and another Illumicrate edition. This one sounds similar-ish in premise to The Isle in the Silver Sea, since it is also about a mage and a knight, but you can never have too much of a good thing. Apparently there’s a lot of pining and angst in this book, and I am hoping to pick it up before the end of the year.
The Will of the Many
This is my first re-read of the month. I’m keen to get through The Strength of the Few this month, but while I loved book one, it was quite a heavy and complex story, with a plot you have to pay attention to. I think I could dive straight into book two, but I want to try and get the most out of it, and for me that means revisiting one of the best books of 2024.
The Strength of the Few
I’ll be starting this book as soon as I’ve finished re-reading The Will of the Many. It’s a unique blend of genres, a sort of Roman-inspired fantasy reminiscent of Red Rising, where people give up their “will” to those above them in a chain of hierarchy, and a boy who wants to dismantle the system infiltrates the upper echeolons of society to uncover bitter truths.
'Salem's Lot
My last book on this list, and one I’m not entirely confident I’ll get around to, since my copy of this book (actually my dad’s copy of this book) is in Newcastle, possibly tucked away in the attic of my parents’ house. Still, I’ve been eyeing up the anniversary edition, and ever since I went to see The Long Walk in October, I’ve been considering revisiting some Stephen King books. ‘Salem’s Lot is a dark and terrifying novel about what would happen if Dracula settled in small-town America. It’s been a long time since I first picked up this book, and I think I’m ready to see what else I can glean from revisiting it, so perhaps I’ll pick up the anniversary edition after all.
That’s my list of hopefuls for this month. Let me know what’s on your tbr this month in the comment section down below, or reach out to me through my socials <3 As always, and until next time, happy reading!
