Between The Pages | December Reading Round Up

They say you don’t need a passport to see the world—you just need a stack of books, a TBR pile, books on your shelf waiting to be read (someday), a library card (or in my case, Kindle Unlimited)

As December wrapped up, I found myself stamps-deep in a literary passport. My reading journey this month was a true global trek: I started with a charming, later-in-life adventure following the wonderful Atticus, took a vivid detour through the heart of India, and eventually found myself aboard the most famous train in mystery history.

I first read Murder on the Orient Express back in high school, and I’ll admit, I was nervous to see if it still held up. Not only did it meet my expectations, but it sparked a total Hercule Poirot obsession! After diving into several more of his mysteries, I can officially confirm: Agatha Christie never, ever disappoints. Let’s dive into my final reading list of the year.

Take A Look

Atticus Arnott’s Great Adventure: The best chapters of life are still waiting to be written… by Caroline James  (via Kindle Unlimited)

At 77 years old, Atticus Arnott is a retired antiques dealer who refuses to be “put out to pasture.” After his well-meaning daughter suggests he move into a luxury retirement home (which Atticus views more as a prison), he decides to take matters into his own hands.

Along with his faithful, flatulent dog, Albert, Atticus sets off on a wild road trip across the UK in his vintage Morris Minor. What follows is a heartwarming and often hilarious journey of self-discovery. Along the way, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters, faces the ghosts of his past, and proves that you are never too old for a new beginning.

• Later-in-Life Hero: It’s a refreshing look at aging that focuses on independence and zest for life rather than just decline.
• The “Cozy” Factor: Much like a good Agatha Christie mystery, it has a strong sense of place and charming, quirky British humor.
• Adventure Theme: It perfectly fits your “traveling” theme for December, as Atticus’s physical journey mirrors his emotional growth.

Dry Spells  by Archana Maniar (via Kindle Unlimited)

The novel follows Shyamala Mehta, a woman living in Los Angeles who feels stuck—undervalued at her job, newly single, and constantly at odds with her traditional, marriage-obsessed mother. When a work transfer to Mumbai becomes available, Shyamala jumps at the chance to visit the city her parents left behind decades ago.

Arriving in a Mumbai gripped by a devastating drought, Shyamala stays with her aunt, Vini, a joyful and unconventional woman who stands in stark contrast to Shyamala’s own mother. As the city waits for the monsoons to break, Shyamala begins to peel back the layers of her family’s past. With the help of a neighbor named Arjun, she explores the “beautiful complexity” of India, eventually uncovering long-buried secrets that redefine her understanding of her mother and herself.

— Vivid Setting: The book is highly “sensory”—you can almost feel the oppressive heat and the tension of a city waiting for rain.

— Mother-Daughter Dynamics: It’s a deep dive into how heritage and family secrets shape our adult energies.

— Travel Theme: It perfectly captures the “culture shock” of returning to a homeland you’ve only known through stories.

Serving Crazy with Curry: Mothers & Daughters Fiction (Silk Sarees and Secrets Book 3) by Amulya Malladi (via Kindle Unlimited)

The story centers on Devi Maniam, a high-flying Silicon Valley professional who, after losing her job and her boyfriend, reaches a breaking point and attempts to take her own life. She survives, but the aftermath is anything but quiet. Her traditional, well-meaning, and incredibly overbearing South Indian family descends upon her home to “fix” her.

Devi stops speaking to her family entirely, choosing instead to communicate through the kitchen. She begins cooking elaborate, mouth-watering Indian dishes—serving up “crazy with curry.” As the kitchen fills with the scent of spices, the silence allows the women in her family (her mother, her sisters, and her grandmother) to finally confront their own secrets, regrets, and the rigid expectations they’ve placed on one another.

• The Food: The descriptions of the cooking are so vivid you can almost smell the cumin and mustard seeds. It’s a literal feast for the reader.
• Complicated Love: It explores the “smothering” side of family love and the cultural gap between first-generation immigrants and their parents.
• Healing: It’s a poignant look at mental health and how recovery often looks different than what people expect.

Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition (Hercule Poirot series Book 9) by Agatha Christie  (via Kindle Unlimited)

While traveling from Istanbul to London on the luxurious Orient Express, Hercule Poirot finds himself in the middle of a chilling crime. In the dead of night, the train is halted by a massive snowdrift in the mountains of Yugoslavia. By morning, a wealthy, unpleasant American businessman named Samuel Ratchett is found dead in his locked compartment, stabbed twelve times.

With the train isolated and the murderer still on board, Poirot must interview a diverse cast of passengers—from a Russian princess to an English governess. As he sifts through a web of conflicting alibis and planted evidence, he uncovers a connection to a tragic kidnapping case from years ago, leading to one of the most famous and shocking conclusions in literary history.

Why It Holds Up (Even Since High School!)

• The Atmosphere: The “stuck in the snow” setting creates a perfect, claustrophobic tension that makes the mystery feel urgent.
• The Logic: Watching Poirot use his “little grey cells” to dismantle “perfect” alibis is deeply satisfying.
• The Moral Dilemma: Unlike many mysteries, this one leaves the reader questioning the difference between law and justice.

Death on the Nile: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition (Hercule Poirot series Book 18) Kindle Edition by Agatha Christie  (via Kindle Unlimited)

Hercule Poirot is looking forward to a relaxing holiday in Egypt, but trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes. The peace of a luxury cruise down the Nile is shattered when Linnet Ridgeway, a beautiful and wealthy heiress, is found shot to death in her cabin.

Linnet had everything—money, looks, and a new husband, Simon Doyle. However, she also had plenty of enemies, most notably Simon’s jilted ex-fiancée, Jacqueline de Bellefort, who has been stalking the couple throughout their honeymoon. As the steamer S.S. Karnak moves down the river, Poirot discovers that almost every passenger on board has a reason to want the heiress dead. When more bodies start to pile up, Poirot must untangle a web of obsessive love and cold-blooded greed before the ship reaches its destination.

• The Ultimate “Travel” Mystery: Christie’s descriptions of the temples at Abu Simbel and the atmosphere of the Nile are so vivid they perfectly complement your “around the world” reading.
• A Study in Passion: Unlike the more “orderly” Murder on the Orient Express, this book focuses heavily on the darker side of love and jealousy.
• The “Hercule Poirot Kick”: It shows a more compassionate side of Poirot as he tries to warn the young characters about the dangers of their own hearts before it’s too late.

After the Funeral, Hercule Poirot # 29 by Agatha Christie  (via Kindle Unlimited

The story begins with the death of wealthy patriarch Richard Abernethie. His family gathers for the funeral and the reading of the will, assuming he died of natural causes. However, the tension spikes when Richard’s eccentric sister, Cora Lansquenet, blurts out: “He was murdered, wasn’t he?”

The family is horrified, but they dismiss her as being “difficult.” That is, until the following day, when Cora is found brutally murdered in her own home. Was she killed because she knew too much, or was her comment just a lucky guess by a killer already in their midst? The family lawyer, desperate to avoid a scandal, calls in Hercule Poirot to untangle a web of greed, secrets, and sibling rivalries.

• The “Family” Element: Much like Serving Crazy with Curry and Dry Spells, this book looks at the messy, complicated, and often toxic dynamics of a family under pressure—though with a much higher body count!
• A Masterclass in Disguise: This is often cited by fans as having one of Christie’s most brilliant “hidden in plain sight” clues. It really rewards readers who pay close attention to the characters’ behavior.
• The “Agatha Never Disappoints” Factor: Even late in the series (this is book 29), Christie proves she can still shock the reader with a twist that feels both impossible and inevitable.

The Clocks: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition (Hercule Poirot series Book 33)  by Agatha Christie (via Kindle Unlimited)

The mystery begins with Sheila Webb, a young stenographer who is sent to a job at 19 Wilbraham Crescent. When she arrives, she finds a well-dressed man stabbed to death on the floor. Most bizarrely, the room is filled with six clocks, four of which are set to 4:13, even though the actual time is only 3:00.

When the blind owner of the house, Miss Pebmarsh, returns, she claims she never requested a stenographer and has no idea who the dead man is. Enter Colin Lamb, a British intelligence agent who is in town on a completely different spy-related case. He brings the puzzle to his old friend, Hercule Poirot.

Poirot, now quite elderly, takes this on as a challenge to prove his theory that a detective doesn’t even need to leave his chair to solve a crime. He sifts through the “clutter” of the clocks and the eccentric neighbors to find a very simple, very deadly truth.

• The “Armchair Detective”: It’s a fun change of pace to see Poirot solve the case purely through logic and conversation without ever visiting the crime scene.
• Cold War Intrigue: Because of Colin Lamb’s involvement, this book has a slight “spy thriller” feel mixed in with the classic whodunnit.
• The Bizarre Hook: The mystery of the clocks is one of Christie’s most famous “impossible” openings—it’s a total page-turner.

Looking back, my December reading was a reminder that adventure has no expiration date.

From the cozy English countryside to the heat of the Nile, this month was a whirlwind of mystery, family secrets, and life-changing road trips. Rediscovering my love for Hercule Poirot was the highlight I didn’t know I needed, proving that Agatha Christie’s brilliance truly is timeless. I couldn’t have asked for a better end to the year. Agatha Christie said it best:

“‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started.“

Agatha Christe

I’m partying with these Amazing Blog Hop | Link Up party hostesses!