~December's Pick~

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and are enjoying the start of 2025!

It feels strange going back to pick my favourite read of the month, since December and all its festivities feel so far away, but alas, here it is. A Gathering of Light by Amanda Dykes.

A few things to note before I begin. Amanda Dykes is one of my favourite authors, and her book, Yours is The Night, tops the list as my favourite novel of all time. Secondly, although her books aren't a part of a series, if you pay close attention, every book is connected to the next through small mentions or "easter eggs". This is one of my favourite parts of reading her novels.

A Gathering of Light is a novelette set in Ansel-by-the Sea, and if any of you have read Whose Waves These Are, you're probably getting a little excited right now. A surprise appearance of Robert, perhaps?!

Maggie Foster, a young widow reeling from the devastating effects of war and fire, steps foot onto the Hinterlands property, the eerie, seemingly abandoned residence once belonging to the founder of their town. Angus Krause, the last living descendant, disappeared two years ago, his whereabouts unknown and living up to the stuff of legends.

Bent on using the tips of the pine trees that line the property for wreaths to make a living and keep food on her table, it comes as a shock when the mysterious and elusive Angus Krause appears to be back and living on the property. Desperate to get through the winter, Maggie confronts the old man, determined to get permission to use his trees. But as she begins to learn more about the man, she attempts to befriend him, and help him through the jagged scars of his past as the Christmas season draws near.

The first thing I thought of after reading The Gathering of Light was, why have I never read this novelette before?! Taking connections from my two favourite Amanda Dykes books (Yours is the Night and Whose Waves These Are), it was spun into a beautiful, captivating story that was simply amazing.

A story of love and loss, perfectly written in Amanda Dykes poetic prose, this was an amazing book to end 2024 with and I'm so excited for all the books to come in 2025!