My Favorite Books of December 2021

Is there anything cozier than reading in front of the Christmas tree? I think not.

I read 10 books in December. Of those, I gave four perfect grades. The perfect books were one nonfiction book and three fiction ones. My reviews of my favorite books of December are below.

What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

We would better understand people and the happenings that shaped their thinking, behaviors, and lives, in general if we stopped asking, “What’s wrong with you?” and started asking, “What happened to you?” That’s the premise of this groundbreaking mental health book by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey.

To truly understand people and their mental health issues, you have to first explore what caused those problems.What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing is the best book I’ve ever read about how early childhood experiences shape people. No, we’re not going back to blaming our parents here. We’re talking about how things that happen in childhood shape our paradigms.

This book also is a nice mix of science from trauma expert Bruce Perry and personal experience from Oprah and things she learned through the years from guests on her show. I listened to this book the first time, but I’m going to buy it so I can read it again and highlight it a lot.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

I love odd characters, and Eleanor Oliphant certainly is that.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is the story of a woman with unusual social skills. She says exactly what’s on her mind. And, sadly, her strange personality led to a life where she’s totally alone.

But then Eleanor meets Raymond, the IT guy in her office. His mannerisms are anything but acceptable to her. He’s sloppy and eats like a slob. He doesn’t communicate well. She’s really not fond of him at all.

Then Eleanor and Raymond save a man’s life. They form and bond with the man and his family. And everything about Eleanor’s life changes. She begins to recognize how her past shaped her until now and what she needs to do to live a better future.

Last Girl Ghosted

I almost gave Last Girl Ghosted a B, but the storyline was just too unique.

Wren is a successful podcaster and columnist, although no one but her best friend and a few tight-knit employees know it’s her behind the “Dear Birdie” column. She’s successful enough to afford a nice brownstone and has a good life, despite her troubled past.

Wren dates sporadically but hasn’t experienced anything serious. Then her best friend encourages her to use a dating app. She meets the man of her dreams. He’s not conventionally handsome, but his personality and hers are perfect together. He’s everything she ever wanted. Then he’s… gone.

Wren can’t accept that she’s been ghosted. Even more so, she can’t accept that she didn’t know the man she loves or that he’s done this to other women. They disappeared and were never found. If Wren finds him, will she also find them?

They Never Learn

As a college professor, I struggled a bit with They Never Learn. I mean, what kind of sick place is this university where the faculty prey on their students?

But I’m a sucker for vigilante justice by a strong female character. So when English professor Scarlett Clark starts offing men on campus who treat female coeds poorly, I was hooked.

But killing young men and making their deaths look like suicides or accidents is one thing. Killing your department chairman is more difficult, even if he has it coming.

I read this book in a day. I couldn’t put it down.