Podcasts, Books and Looks of December

So I know I said I was going to retire the "looks" portion of my monthly recaps but I had some cute'ish looks thanks to holiday parties that I thought I'd share. Here's how the last month of the year shaped up for me.

Podcasts:

Birthful on Gestational Diabetes - This was a timely podcast to drop in December since I just got diagnosed with GD. It was interesting to listen to and I learned some new things. I wasn't too surprised to hear that the registered dietician that was interviewed often tells her client to ignore the GD diet protocol as it's too many carbs for many and results in high blood sugars, but it made me wonder why it's the protocol in the first place if it sets people up for failure? Hmmm.

Books:

December was another strong reading month for me as I read 7 books. My favorite was definitely "We Were the Lucky Ones." I'm a sucker for a great WWII novel and this one did not disappoint. Check it out if you like that genre.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - 4 stars - This is a WWII novel about a family of war refugees in East Prussia that is trying to get on a boat in search for freedom. I liked this book but sometimes got confused by the multiple narrators.

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter - 5 stars - Another WWII novel, this time about a Jewish family in Poland. It's based on the true story of the author's family.

The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard - 4 stars - I read this to fulfill my goal of reading 6 books I already owned. It's about 2 girls born on the same day in the same hospital. The story follows how the 2 girls as their lives unfold.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - 4 stars - This book almost made my top 10 list for 2017. It's a great story about a young girl who is the car when her friend is shot by a police officer during a traffic stop. Both are African American. This is a timely read given the high incidence of police violence on people of color.

My Life with Bob by Pamela Paul - 3 stars - I was drawn to check this book out from the library as I listen to the author host the NYT Book Review podcast every week. This book is about "Bob" - the author's book of books where she has kept track of all the books she has read since she was a teenager. It was a fun approach to a memoir.

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor  - 3 stars - I bought this book when I visited my friend Nora in St. Louis as I couldn't resist a book about Paris AND Christmas. It's written in epistolary form as it features letters between a British soldier and a girl back home in Britain during WWI.

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan - 2 stars - I won this in a gift exchange with my college girlfriends. It's a light read set in a coast village in England. I knew it would be a light, breezy read but it was just a little bit too cheesy for me.

Looks:

I went to 2 holiday parties this month and wore dresses to both. I got both dresses from Pinkblush.

This is the dress that I wore to my work party in early December. I don't love the excess fabric around the belly but I know it's needed for when my belly expands and the girls at work said that I looked great, so I will take their word for it!

Later that week, I went to Phil's work holiday party and wore a pink dress. It has short sleeves so a wrap was necessary. I know some women say they are hot all the time when they are pregnant but that has NOT been the case for me.