Yearly Archives:: 2017

Sunday, December 31, 2017

BYE BYE 2017, FOREVER AND EVER.

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2017 has been a YEAR, amirite? I’ve been struggling to figure out what I want to do for my last post of the year because I don’t know if I just wanted to talk about the best books I’ve read this year (although I will do some of that!) Instead, I am doing a round up of my year personally and in books!

-Watched Twilight 5 times (I am really trying to make it 6 before the year ends) Update: ITS NOT GONNA HAPPEN

-Graduated 2 terms early from college with latin honors

-Adulted this summer (lived away from home and college, fed myself, paid bills, etc)

-Baked a FUCK TON. It was basically a coping mechanism but hey, I baked a tart for the very first time and am pretty proud of it.

-Successfully TAed a Children’s Lit class.

-Worked in a library for the first half of the year!!!!!

-Survived 2017? It’s been a rough year both personally and politically and I am glad I am still alive? Also special shout out to Unicorn Butts for their contributions to my sanity!

-I am getting back in the hang of commenting. I do slack sometimes but am so so glad I am easing myself back into the hang of commenting because I LOVE IT! I love discovering new blogs and I love commenting on other people’s posts. I’ve been a lurker for the past year and a half because I’ve been so exhausted that even if I do read peoples post’s, I just haven’t had the energy to do much.

-I experimented with review styles! I stepped outside of my regular review style and tried new things. I made some book aesthetics (which I’ve never done before)I had a lot of fun doing that and it allowed me to express my feelings in new and creative ways.

-I seriously got into #bookstagram. I’ve been playing around it for a long time and I guess my issue has always been lack of time and motivation. I enjoy bookstagram because I LOVE editing my photos. I love taking an okay pic and making it look much much better. It’s satisfying and gives me another creative outlet?

-I got to meet a LOT of my online friends this year (many of whom I met through this community.) I am so lucky I got to spend so much time with so many of my buds and am grateful for it. One of them even came and spend 2 weeks with me. I even made some new friends this year???? I KNOW. ITS AMAZING. I like meeting new people but I am also really awkward and overthink all my interactions *shrugs*

-I read more books than I did last year!!!!!!! I am still trying to fit two more in before the year ends so, I won’t update this part of the post with the final number until after I’ve accomplished it.

-I re-read a lot of old favs. Honestly, if you’d asked me even at the beginning of the year if I would be doing any re-reading, I would have laughed since I’ve never been the sort of person to re-read an entire book. But I did it and I read a lot of books for the first time in 4-5 years!!!! It was an amazing experience and made me nostalgic. I also had to re-read some for school but those don’t count.

-I REALLY got into picture books this year. Honestly, when I first started reading picture books again, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing but this year, some picture books I read ended up on my favs list, made me emotional and taught me life lessons.

-I’ve officially read over 1806 books in my lifetime?? Isn’t that wild??

-Keep on commenting more actively in the upcoming year!

-I really really REALLY want to make it to grad school and hope I don’t jinx my chances by talking about how much I want to go to grad school.

-Keep up with Bookstagram. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep this goal, to be entirely honest. December was the first month where I posted everyday and it’s HARD. I don’t know how people keep it up for long periods of time. Nevertheless, I am going to try.

-Obviously, keep blogging. I have a lot of ideas in my blogging notebook so I am going to work on those and KEEP IT THE FUCK UP.

-I am going to finish some sequels and series in 2018. DON’T @ ME. I have a plan in the works with my buds.

-Reach out to some old blogger buds to see what they’ve been up to? I am about to hit 5 years. I’ve been blogging for a quarter of my life and have come to age alongside the blogosphere. I’ve made so many friends along the way, many of whom no longer even blog anymore. I miss them and really want to check in on them!

-Read more books?

-Cross-post my reviews. I’ve been SO BAD at doing that this year. I am trying to catch up but hopefully, I’ll be much more consistent in 2018 with the cross-posting.

-Try to survive 2018?? It’s probably gonna be a wild roller-coaster ride anyway but I really really hope it won’t be as emotionally trying as 2017 was.

   

**Note, I am going to be doing a more thorough round up in the new year with categories and stuff. In the meantime, here are my top reads as I’ve shelved them. Click the pic for GR links**

  

  

   

 

It’s fitting that my shortest book of the year was a Melina Machetta book because I am hoping to make my first book of 2018 a Melina Marchetta one as well. Last Sacrifice was a re-read because I re-read the entire Vampire Academy series since I missed my favs.

I checked my stats from previous years and this is the first time ever it’s been this high? I’ve had Goodreads since 2012 and this is the first year my average rating has even been close to a 4. I am guessing its slightly skewed because of all the re-reads but 3.9 is NOT bad at all. I did only give 10 of those books 5 stars though (one of the books in the above section only has a 4 star rating) so I am still not dishing out those 5 stars, guys 😉

My Goodreads’ goal was to read 1 book and I read 230 like the amazing genius I am. I WIN I WIN I WIN.

How was your 2017? What were some of your accomplishments? Fav books? Let me know!

Fresh Batch (December 31st – January 6th)

Fresh Batch (December 31st – January 6th)

Posted by on 12/30/2017 • 0 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

The Cruel Prince Holly Black Series: The Folk of the Air #1 Publication date: January 2nd 2018by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Purchase

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous…

12 Books I Need More Than Cake Coming Out in 2018

Posted by on 12/26/2017 • 6 Comments

2018 is gonna be a good year for books. Maybe. Hopefully. As long as these books I need more than cake don’t let me down. Otherwise, its gonna be a bad year for books and I am calling quits.

1. Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet 

Who doesn’t want a story about cute meet cutes? I DO. PLEASE GIVE IT TO ME. I WANT IT.

2. My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

I am here for a Bollywood rom-com in literary form. That is all. I came out of the womb ready for this.

3. Royals by Rachel Hawkins

I’ve read 7/8 of Rachel Hawkin’s books so you bet your ass I am dying to read Royals. You’re lucky you didn’t have to hear me scream when the…

Fresh Batch (December 24th – 30th)

Fresh Batch (December 24th – 30th)

Posted by on 12/23/2017 • 0 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

Love, Life, and the List Kasie West Publication date: December 26th 2017by HarperTeen

Goodreads Purchase

Everyone knows Abby Turner is in love with her best friend, Cooper Wells. Including Cooper Wells. But despite what people tell her, it doesn’t affect their friendship. And she’s practically over it, anyway. What she really can’t get over is when her boss at the local museum tells her that her paintings lack heart.

Art is Abby’s passion and she hopes her future as well. She is determined to change his mind and earn her way into the upcoming exhibit at the gallery. So along with her family’s…

7 Non-Fic Books On My TBR

Posted by on 12/21/2017 • 2 Comments

As I grow older, the more fond I become of reading non-fic and in particular, celebrity memoirs. Even just two years ago, I would have gagged at the thought of me picking up a memoir to read and yet here we are. I’ve started spending MONEY on them. I am a wild child. Anyway, here is a list some of the non-fic (all celeb memoirs) that I’ve been eyeing and wanting to read lately!!

1. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

When young Trevor Noah took over on the Daily Show for Jon Stewart, I was over the moon. At some point, even if you love them, you get tired of listening to 50yo white men. He was a fresh new voice and I’ve really enjoyed the show. His…

4 Anticipated Sequels That Will Make it Even Easier for Me to Say Bye to 2017

Posted by on 12/19/2017 • 4 Comments

2017 has been an absolute garbage year not just on a political level but like a personal level (for me at least.) Back in 2016, I was so excited to bid the year adieu and yet here we are, again. I am not particularly looking forward to 2018 because wow, what a scary path ahead of us, but there are some books coming out that I’ve been waiting for since before I was born and I just wanted to scream about them for a little bit to make myself feel a little bit more pumped to bid this year GOODBYE.

1. Trouble Never Sleeps by Stephanie Tromly

I’ve been waiting for this book since 2016 and its unfair that I still have to waitttt. If you haven’t read this…

Fresh Batch (December 17th-23rd)

Fresh Batch (December 17th-23rd)

Posted by on 12/16/2017 • 0 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

Prince in Disguise Stephanie Kate Strohm Publication date: December 19th 2017by Disney Hyperion

Goodreads Purchase

Someday I want to live in a place where I never hear “You’re Dusty’s sister?” ever again.

Life is real enough for Dylan—especially as the ordinary younger sister of Dusty, former Miss Mississippi and the most perfect, popular girl in Tupelo. But when Dusty wins the hand of the handsome Scottish laird-to-be Ronan on the TRC television network’s crown jewel, Prince in Disguise, Dylan has to face a different kind of reality: reality TV.

As the camera crew whisks them off to Scotland to film the lead-up to…

Reading for the Holidays

Posted by on 12/15/2017 • 1 Comment

‘Tis the season and you might be craving a book reflective of the season to read. Well don’t you worry, I did ~some~ work to compile a list of some recent-ish releases to get you in the mood for the holidays!

  Picture Books Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas by Pamela Ehrenberg

If the title and cute cover doesn’t sell you on this one, I don’t know what will. I heard the title and I knew I needed this adorable picture book in my life.

Fred and the Lumberjack by Steven Weinberg

This adorable little picture book isn’t centered around any holiday but its still such a goo read for the season. Its got a little beaver who just wants to make a new friend and a home. 10/10 cuteness rating.