More than a year ago, I started seasonal reflections alongside the seasonal TBR’s. The first season I reflected on was summer 2023. I can’t believe this has been more than a year ago and that it’s already time to look back on winter 2024. Winter is not truly showing up yet, we still have unusual temperatures for December. Although it’s becoming quite common now to have around 10 degrees Celsius this time of year, I’m glad we don’t have snow, ice and all the wintry disaster. We had some wintry days a few weeks ago though, but no snow. Just the cold. Winter was the season of the reading slump still stretching from fall 2024 into winter, as well as lots of anticipated releases. Furthermore, we had an abrupt ending of winter in March, because the weather was so sunny you could read outside for days and that’s exceptional. Let’s find out if I read the seasonal TBR I set for myself and my bookhauls from January, February and March 2025! Links will direct you to reviews if existent.

Did I read my winter 2024 TBR?

1. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano – I read this one before Christmas 2024, when looking at my reading stats I finished it on Christmas eve. I loved it, but it didn’t stand out too much for me.
2. The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré – After announcing that I would read this book multiple times, January 2025 was the month it indeed happened. Despite all the positive reviews, I wasn’t really captivated and I think this is merely due to the translation. I read the translated version and this book is hard to translate. So therefore I think the deeper meaning of the story got lost in translation.
3. The Songbird & The Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent – Oh I definitely read this and it almost got me into another reading slump. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the season but I was utterly, and then I mean really utterly, disappointed. I pushed through for the sake of finishing it, but I wasn’t enjoying my time at all.
4. Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan – My final read of 2024 and I really wonder why I left it rotting on my TBR for about six years. It took me that long to acquire the ebook, but this book is really good in terms of characters and character development. It is such an emotional ride.
5. Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli – Another book I finished right before we rang in 2025. Once again, this was less exciting than anticipated. The cliffhanger of the previous book promised me a wild ride, but somehow I felt letdown. This story unfolds quite predictably.
6. The Most Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr – I expected to read this book during my time of in January, but clearly that was too much to have asked. It took me until my summer leave in September to pick this book up, but it’s one of my 2025 favorites. It’s really complex, so not recommended if you’re less of an experienced reader.
7. A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson – I usually don’t take review copies, but I just couldn’t resist the urge for this one. So, I finished this book in January. Although I enjoyed it, I now notice I forgot a lot of it, so it didn’t make any impact in the long run.
8. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi – Another book I didn’t pick up in winter, but in September of this year. Again, one of my favorites, it’s a tie between this one, The Most Secret Memory of Men and another literary fiction book for this month.
9. Heir by Sabaa Tahir – Yet another book I didn’t pick up in winter, but unlike the other two, the outcome wasn’t positive. I had to DNF it.
10. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett – My first read of 2025 and that was a good start of my reading year! Whereas I usually dread second books in a trilogy because of second book syndrome, this second book of this trilogy is my favorite.

Did I read my winter 2024 bookhauls?

1. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods – Yes, I bought this one because I was reading it. Or rather listening to it, but I had trouble focussing on this audiobook. I didn’t like two of the three narrators for the Dutch version. The book was nice, but not that great as the hype pretended it to be.
2. James by Percival Everett – I read this book in summer, but never reviewed it. I just didn’t know how. I didn’t like this book at all, I had a hard time getting into it. I didn’t read the original classic about Huckleberry Finn, so that might be the reason why I was confused and not getting the buzz.
3. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – I saw this book for a discounted price, even though I already knew in the back of my mind that this wouldn’t be for me at all. I read this one before picking up James, and I was right. I was bored, just not vibing with it. It’s hyped so much and I really don’t understand why. I didn’t review this one either because of it.
4. Déssenchantées by Marie Vareille – Ouch, I forgot about this one! I’m definitely planning on reading it. It’s unavailable in English, so I therefore provide the French title.
5. A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson – See above.
6. Quicksilver by Callie Heart – I read this and this is another confirmation I shouldn’t believe the hypes. Ouch, this was painfully disappointing.
7. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros – Another anticipated read I felt letdown by. I needed to do an emergency reread before I finally could dive into this one, as I didn’t remember anything from the previous books. However, when I finished it, I never felt so conflicted in my life about a book I was excited for.
8. Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage – No, I didn’t feel the urge to pick this book up yet.
9. The Dixon Rules by Elle Kennedy – No, I still haven’t read The Graham Effect, so no point in reading this one.
10. Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig – This is the Dutch edition and I read the English one last December. So I didn’t want to reread it that soon after.
11. Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young – An anticipated release that seems to have flown under the radar overhere. I read the Dutch edition and I found the healthy communication and pregnancy trope refreshing in a romance. Still, the characters themselves don’t stick.
12. Consider Me by Becka Mack – Okay, I have to admit I forgot about this one!
13. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater – Yes, I read this and I’m sorry to say, but I find these books rather vague. Still I keep continuing the series LOL!
14. Schaduwdochter by Rachel van Charante – I bought this as I couldn’t get into the audiobook narration and I enjoyed this less than the books I previously read from this author.
15. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston – This was translated before The Seven Year Slip and I read that one instead. This therefore is left unread for now.
16. King of Pride by Ana Huang – I stopped collecting all Huang’s books, because I end up leaving them on the shelf for long. I haven’t started this entire series, so haven’t read this book either.
17. Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett – After enjoying the previous book in this series so much, I of course had to dive into this one shortly after publication. However, this is the least exciting of the bunch, I felt disappointed a lot and was bored on numerous occasions.
18. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors – No, I haven’t read this one as I rad another family saga this season. I was afraid it would be a bit too much.
19. The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan – I finished this book recently and I was disappointed.
20. The Wedding People by Alison Espach – I really don’t know how so many people love this book, because I didn’t. I was annoyed most of the time.
21. Deep End by Ali Hazelwood – This author is a hit or miss for me, and this time around it was quite a hit.
22. If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin – Another book that has flown under the radar here. I can’t tell whether I agree or disagree, as I haven’t picked it up myself.
23. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher – This is classified as cozy and I don’t read cozy books that often. I have to carefully decide and this book is being postponed again and again.
24. The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem – I hate to admit it, but this was not for me, my expectations aside. I was sure I would enjoy it, so you can imagine how much of a bummer this was.
25. Hoe klein de wereld is by Carla de Jong and Walter Lucius – Yes, I read it and found this less impactful than other books about WWII.
26. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn – No, I haven’t picked this one up yet.
27. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn – I haven’t picked this up either.
28. Home Front by Kristin Hannah – I finished this recently and although the potential of this author was already visible back in this 2012 release, it didn’t captivate me as much as other books by her.
29. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – Do you really have to ask me whether I read this one? Of course I did! Pretty soon after publication and I loved it! Easily a 2025 favorite!
30. The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham – Another ebook I got because the audiobook was taking me too long. Back then, Storytel just decreased their maximum listening speed to 2.0 and I often vary between 2.3 and 2.5 speed for audiobooks. So this is pretty slow for me.
31. Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole – Another book I’ve read, but that didn’t have that same spark as the previous one in the series did. The pace is a little repetitive, the story requires a long build-up before coming to an explosive conclusion.
32. A Kingdom this Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark – I haven’t picked this up because I feel myself being a bit bored out by romantasy lately. These books are becoming so similar and formulaic, it’s annoying. I’ll be reading this one though.
33. A Crown this Cold and Heavy by Stacia Stark – Obviously I haven’t read this book either as this is a direct sequel to the previous book.

Verdict:

• I read 10 of the 10 books I put on my Winter 2024 TBR, however 1 was a DNF;
• From the 33 books of my bookhauls, I read 19 of which 1 is a DNF as well.

Over all, I did pretty good in winter 2024. I wonder what winter 2025 has in store for me!