And here they are, my December review books, and the last of the 2025 books! 🥳🥳

The Book of Luke by Lovell Holder
Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards
The Definitions by Matt Greene

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The Book of Luke by Lovell Holder
Published by Grand Central Publishing on December 2, 2025
Pages: 400
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

For fans of Survivor and Less, this fast-paced debut novel shines an unflinching light on the drama of reality TV when a gay man returns to the cut-throat show he won in his youth after his adult life begins to unravel.

Following the car accident that ended his football career and left his body scarred, 22-year-old Luke Griffin joins the cast of Endeavor, a new competition-based reality show that pits the tabloids’ darlings against one another in tasks of endurance and problem solving. At first, he thrives, effortlessly forming friendships and even a romantic relationship that he thinks will last a lifetime. But Luke has aspirations far bigger than the show's million-dollar prize, and soon a series of betrayals leads to irreversible tragedy, changing the course of his and his fellow contestants' lives forever.

Ten years later, Luke’s world looks very he is now a father of two and the stay-at-home husband to America’s only openly gay senator. When his husband's serial cheating is exposed, Luke impulsively joins the cast of Endeavor's latest season in a desperate bid to earn some fast cash. Back on set, he is confronted with everything he tried to leave in the bitter rivalries, shattered friendships, and crushing guilt, all of which threaten to tear down the walls he’s spent a decade building. As Season 20 of Endeavor kicks off, Luke must give everything to the game, even as he finally learns what it means––and what it costs––to face the truth.

Combining the fabulous rivalries of The Traitors with the epic physical stunts of The Challenge, THE BOOK OF LUKE offers a grounded portrait of what it means to reinvent yourself when no one will let you forget your past - especially if it's immortalized on streaming services.

So, the original synopsis I read for this one said “for fans of The Challenge“, and friends, I was in. You may not know, or maybe you do, Idk what you know, but I am a huge fan of The Challenge. Legit I have been watching The Real World air live since San Francisco back in 1994 (aging myself here), and of course, Road Rules, and was an OG Challenge  stan back before it was even called The Challenge. This is to say, I took a chance on this book based solely on that synopsis. I’d probably never even noticed this book with its current comps, and that would have been a damn shame, because this is hands-down one of my favorite books– and not just of 2025, but like, ever.

And here’s why: It has all the incredible drama and twistiness of an actual reality show, but with all kinds of heart that you don’t necessarily expect (but high key hope for, if you’re anything like me) from the cast. As someone who ended up blindsided by a crappy spouse (in a shockingly even worse fashion than Luke’s crappy spouse), I felt for Luke immediately. He finds out some truly abhorrent information about his husband in the worst possible way, and like, I feel my dude. So I was invested, to say the least. And then when you add all the family stuff, the friendship drama, and the amazingness of a Challenge-esque show…. it’s just absolutely ::chef’s kiss::

Bottom Line: Twists and turns and drama, but with a ton of heart and incredible characters, The Book of Luke hops onto my favorites list for sure.

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Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Published by 47North on December 1, 2025
Pages: 271
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

In an isolated desert town, a young woman seeking a fresh start is confronted by ancient gods, malevolent supernatural forces, and eccentric neighbours. A witty horror-tinged fantasy, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Chuck Tingle, and Rachel Harrison.

When Selena travels to the remote desert town of Quartz Creek in search of her estranged Aunt Amelia, she is desperate and short of options. Fleeing an unhappy marriage, she has exactly twenty-seven dollars to her name, and her only friend in the world is her dog, Copper.

On arrival, Selena learns Amelia is dead. But the inhabitants of Quartz Creek are only too happy to have a new resident. Out of money and ideas, Selena sees no harm staying in her aunt's lovely house for a few weeks, tending to her garden and enjoying the strange, desolate beauty of the desert. The people are odd, but friendly, and eager to help Selena settle into her new home.

But Quartz Creek's inhabitants share their town with others, old gods and spirits whose claim to the land long predates their human neighbours. Selena finds herself pursued by disturbing apparitions, visitations that come in the night and seem to want something from her.

Aunt Amelia owed a debt. Now her god has come to collect.

Gosh, I have never met a T. Kingfisher book I haven’t loved! This one I adored for the characters and the growth most of all. In fairness, the actual snake-eater bit was a little strange, and I never fully connected with that part of the story. But Selena and the friends she makes along the way? Oh, beyond worth it! Selena finds herself in her aunt’s town, as she’s literally run away from her boyfriend and life. Only, turns out her aunt is dead, Selena is broke, and now she feels completely lost. But there is something special about her aunt’s town, something that is keeping Selena there. And this part- this is the part you’ll want to stick around for. Selena growing into herself, finding some truly memorable folks as she does, well that is the absolute joy of this story. It’s witty and charming and heartfelt and simply a great time. The rest of it was fine, as it was a mechanism to tell me Selena’s story, and frankly I’d take that any way I could get it.

Bottom Line: Absolutely fell in love with the characters, every single one, and hurt my face smiling. This is a win.

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Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards
Published by Spiegel & Grau on December 2, 2025
Pages: 368
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Set in thirteenth-century Bruges, this debut novel follows a young woman’s explorations of faith, agency, and love among a community of fiercely independent women.

Aleys is sixteen years old and serious, stubborn, prone to religious visions. She and her only friend, a young scholar, have been learning Latin together in secret—but just as she thinks their connection might become something more, he abandons her for the monastery. When her family falls on hard financial times, her father promises her in marriage to the unctuous head of the weavers’ guild, and in desperation she runs away from home, eventually finding shelter within a community of religious women who do not answer to the church.

Among the hardworking and strong-willed Beguines, Aleys glimpses for the first time the joys of a life of song, friendship, and time spent in the markets and along the canals of Bruges. But forces both mystical and political are afoot. Illegal translations of scripture, the women’s independence, and a sudden rash of miracles all draw the attention of an ambitious bishop—and bring Aleys and those around her into ever-increasing danger, a danger that will push Aleys to a new understanding of love and sacrifice.

Introducing a spirited, indelible heroine and a major new talent, Canticle is a luminous work of historical fiction, vividly evoking a world on the verge of transformation.

Much like The Book of Luke, I requested Canticle for exactly one reason: Bruges. Bruges is magical. Truly one of my favorite places I have been, like you can feel the history. So obviously, my interest was piqued. And as I was reading, I realized that I had actually visited a Beguinage, which made it even cooler.

See? How can you not fall in love?

Now, this one started out a bit slow. So slow, in fact, that I actually considered DNFing. Especially since it was just so religiously focused, especially in the beginning, and you kind of can’t see how it will meander to something more (spoiler: it does). It’s still slower paced throughout, but it gets quite emotionally provocative, and definitely is worth the slow start. Without giving too much away, the main concept is that Aleys has lost her mother, and when the family falls on hard times, dear ol’ dad basically trades her to some old creepo who wants to marry her in exchange for favors at the market. Oh, and Aleys wants to marry him exactly zero percent. She’s also a very spiritual and religious sort, so she finds this all the more abhorrent. So, she takes off to join up with some friars, as one does.

Only, it’s the late 1200s and ladies can’t exactly live amongst men, so she ends up staying with a group of women called Beguines. They live and work together, and are like, religious-ish but not nuns. But Aleys at first thinks she’s superior, because she knows how to read and is like, a committed religious sort. Don’t worry, there’s character growth. Anyway, that’s all I will say for fear of giving away too much, but if you want to read about a very cool setting and underwritten about time period, an incredible group of women, some mysteries of faith, disdain for the long-running patriarchal nonsense of pretty much every church, and some surprising emotions, this is one for you! Just remember, you need to be patient!

Bottom Line:  Such an interesting look into 13th century Belgium with a surprisingly emotional story. Takes some time to get into, but worth it when you do!

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The Definitions by Matt Greene
Published by Henry Holt & Company on December 2, 2025
Pages: 176
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

An elegant and haunting dystopian novel about a group of individuals gathered to relearn how to navigate the world after a mysterious illness strips them of their memories

Nestled in an idyllic locale beside the sea, The Center is a place of rehabilitation and rebuilding. Students arrive nameless, their memories and sense of identity wiped by a strange illness.

Each day, they attend classes that will help them relearn the right ways to speak and live; they practice the roles they'll assume once they've graduated and returned to society. In their free time, they negotiate a burgeoning social hierarchy and watch old DVDs together; stories of characters whose names they adopt: Maria, Chandler, Chino, Gunther . . . But as shards of memories--of pets, lovers, errands, and beloved music--begin to threaten the strict curriculum of The Center, some students start to question the definitions given to them, and explore the ways in which they might define themselves.

A stunning, intimately told story about what makes us who we are, The Definitions examines the limits of language, the power of human connection, and the ways the human spirit can flourish even under the most oppressive conditions.

I have just finished this book, and I am not sure what to say. On one hand, the concept is so cool- virus that wipes out one’s memory, and the rehabilitation centers where folks try to get their memories back/relearn how to behave in society. Following our main character while she does that is definitely intriguing, and thought provoking. That said, I had so many questions that are never answered. View Spoiler »It felt like much of what she was told was a lie, and that this world is absolutely The Bad Place (or a spinoff of our current timeline, tbh), but there are no solid answers. « Hide Spoiler

I enjoyed the humorous parts, and I enjoyed the characters trying to literally relearn everything about themselves. And like I said, it definitely makes you think- about what you’d do in that sort of situation, about what makes us us, etc. It’s very fast paced and quick, and I kept reading because I wanted to know more. The thing is, many (if not most) of my questions were left unanswered, which made me feel kind of unsatisfied at the end. But if you are the kind of person who doesn’t have to have all the answers, you may not mind this as much.

Bottom Line: Such a cool premise, and even the execution was solid, but without any answers, I felt a little unsatisfied.

Have you read any of these books? Plan to? Let us chat about them!