End the year on a high note with the 10 best books of December

The 10 best books of December include a spy novel, essays by physicist Alan Lightman, and a group biography of four women scientists in Nazi Germany.

This story was produced as part of the Dec. 23, 2024 issue of the Monitor Weekly. 

Apartment Women, by Gu Byeong-mo, translated by Chi-Young Kim

Four families living in a government-run communal apartment complex in Seoul, South Korea, confront the challenges of, well, communal living. Gu Byeong-mo’s multiple-perspective story offers an affecting look at women’s work both in and out of the home, the division of labor in relationships, and the tensions between individual achievement and the collective good.

Gabriel’s Moon, by William Boyd

In 1960s London, successful travel writer Gabriel Dax is hard at work on his next book when a mysterious spy lures him into a series of pickup-and-delivery jobs for MI6. Gabriel’s efforts to determine why he’s been recruited – and untangle his past – move the story beyond James Bond tropes into more surprising and meditative territory.

Sweet Vidalia, by Lisa Sandlin

In 1964, recently widowed Eliza Kratke faces a startling reality: Her husband left her nothing but sour surprises and a nearly empty bank account. To save money, the 50-something Eliza moves into a cheap motel on the other side of her Texas town and enrolls at the local community college. Lisa Sandlin’s tale offers a satisfying take on reinvention, courage, and dropping judgment.

Rental House, by Weike Wang

Weike Wang’s portrait of a multiracial couple navigating marriage in midlife plays out over two family vacations. Also in the mix: in-laws, unexpected guests, and a large sheepdog. It’s an insightful, thought-provoking, and humorous novel.

Songs for the Brokenhearted, by Ayelet Tsabari

When bereaved Zahara returns to Israel from the United States after her mother’s death, she discovers startling secrets about her family’s past. Ayelet Tsabari poetically captures the community of Yemeni Jews living in Israel, who must negotiate political and social tensions to carve out meaningful lives. Tsabari highlights the power of women’s stories, the importance of forgiveness, and the wonders of song. 

The Champagne Letters, by Kate MacIntosh

“Know your worth and tell your own stories.” So begins Kate MacIntosh’s delightful historical novel that parcels out wit and wisdom from widow Barbe-Nicole Clicquot in 1805. In letters, Madame Clicquot describes building a champagne empire after her husband’s death. In the present day, Natalie, reeling from a divorce, travels to Paris and buys a book of Madame Clicquot’s letters. She gains inspiration from the widow’s words and finds her comeback spirit.

The Miraculous From the Material, by Alan Lightman

From the bestselling author of “Einstein’s Dreams” comes a collection of mini essays on 36 of the universe’s most awe-inspiring phenomena. Alongside familiar wonders – glaciers, hummingbirds, auroras, and spiderwebs – sit lesser-known marvels. As Alan Lightman, a scientist, lauds the math, physics, and chemistry underlying his subjects, his appreciation for “the amazement and majesty of the spectacle” comes through.

Custodians of Wonder, by Eliot Stein

While we are quick to celebrate the first person to achieve something, author Eliot Stein notes that we rarely honor the last. With an abundance of awe and respect, he travels to five continents to tell the stories of 10 artisans practicing ancient crafts – and asks what we might lose if they prove to be the last.

Ingrained, by Callum Robinson

A Scottish writer and fine-furniture craftsman notches a first-rate memoir about understanding his master woodworker father, running a business, and – at the edge of financial disaster – reorienting himself to nature, beauty, and objects that last.  

Sisters in Science, by Olivia Campbell

Journalist Olivia Campbell’s vivid group biography follows four women physicists in Nazi Germany as they lose their hard-won academic positions after Adolf Hitler comes to power. The compelling account is both a suspenseful story of survival and a recognition of the women’s unheralded contributions to modern physics.