I read more in December than any other month of the year. Why, I ask myself, would this be the case during one of the busiest, most hectic months of the year? With parties, shopping, wrapping, baking and traveling filling every inch of white space on my calendar, how does reading seem to nestle in?

Three reasons:

1. I can do almost all of those things while listening to an audiobook (except maybe parties, although that would be the kind of holiday gathering I could get into!).

2. With a little extra time off, my M.O. is curling up on the couch in the name of self-care with a book in one hand and some leftover Christmas cookies in the other.

3. And last, I usually set annual reading goals—and the clock's ticking on 2023 to finish all those books, or perhaps, to challenge yourself in a little Libby Bingo?

With the best books of 2023 already in the bag, check out some of December’s biggest books that help us round out this great year in reading. And don't forget to Load Your Libby with ebooks and audiobooks for the holiday break.

*Title availability may vary by region.