Goodbye 2017

Looking Back

So, I don't know if anyone happened to notice, but I was NOT very active on my blog at all in 2017. I stopped reading. I stopped posting. I stopped blog hopping and commenting... Sorry, guys!

I feel like I have been going through a quarter life crisis all year. I just don't feel like I've been super happy. I'm not motivated to do much of anything.

I am in a funk.

I was pretty pumped that between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I could work everyday if I wanted to. And I did because getting out of my house made me happy.

It's sad when you feel like spending your day sifting through boring colored t-shirts at work all day everyday sounds preferable to much of anything else.

But despite the funk I found myself in, 2017 had some ups.

Most importantly...

Breath of the Wild sucked up SO MUCH of my time this past year. Did anybody get the DLC expansion pass? You know that meter that shows you where you have all been on the map for up to 200 hours? Well, my meter is about to be full.

I rediscovered my love of Sailor Moon. I have watched three seasons of the anime and read the first manga! I am excited to watch more of it and read the rest of the manga series!

I don't know why, but I remember hating Sailor Saturn when I watched it in like... elementary/middle school on Toonami. But I really liked her during this go-around. Like to the point that when I found out that there were Funkos of the outer guardians, I decided that I absolutely could not live without a Saturn one. Or Pluto. I don't know why those two were the ones I couldn't bear to live without.

I got to go see Leigh Bardugo on tour in Minnesota! I never made a recap post about this like I wanted to, but here is your photographic evidence that it happened! I don't know if it was a last minute thing or if it was just poorly publicized, but Sarah Ahiers was there too and I didn't know about it. I would have made sure to bring her books along as well!!

I was a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding in October. I had a lot more fun than I expected to, even if the guy I had to walk with had on Tr*mp socks. *shudders*

-I got to visit my mom in Indiana twice. My sister and I flew there in January and hung out and then roadtripped there in August. I'm glad that we got to go twice. Because those were the only two times we got to meet her squishy faced dog. He just died this month from cancer. :(

-I started getting more into anime. I probably could have binged a lot more of it than I have, but I've been telling myself I can't watch more Sailor Moon until I read some books. One weekend when I was home at my dad's, my sister and I binged the entirety of Charlotte (not hard, it took like four hours).

If you are into The Darkest Minds, watch Charlotte. It gives off total TDM vibes.

Check out my like, try, why-esque post about it!

-I participated in the On The Same Page Secret Sister project for the two rounds of 2017. It was so much fun to put together packages for people, I'm definitely going to continue on with that because I think I need the cheer in my life right now.

-I FINALLY got promoted to full time at my job! I also got a raise and I get to do something besides just packing! Also, I made a real life FRIEND at work. Like they used the word "FRIEND" to describe me on more than one occasion! And I get to have health insurance again!!

So basically, while 2017 did suck for the most part, there were definitely some wonderful ups!

Also, in case anyone was wondering what my motto for 2017 was... it was "It could be worse." I found myself saying that A LOT in the last couple months.

Hello 2018!

Looking Ahead

I plan to make 2018 my year. I am going to blog more. I am going to read more. I am going to be generally happier in my everyday life. I am going to make an EFFORT!

I am going to start by rearranging almost my entire house and getting rid of a lot of shit. If it doesn't make me happy, it's gone.

I want to blog hop more, so I am going to join the Commenting 365 challenge hosted by Nori at ReadWriteLove28.

I want to read a lot more of the books I have on my shelf already so I'm going to join the Beat the Backlist and Series a Month challenges and kind of combine them.

I want to FINALLY get 75 books read in one year. So I have to read at least 6.25 books per month. Doable.

For some ungodly reason I want to try out booktube?? Why??? I don't know, but we'll see how that goes.

I want to kind of expand my reading horizons. YA will always be my jam, but I kind of want to read more adult. Like, I want to find books for me. I also want to try out more manga. If you have any good recommendations for me, I would love to hear them!

Here are some things that I am looking forward to in 2018:

-The new special edition paperbacks of The Darkest Minds! Mine have already started shipping, but in such a stupid order. The Darkest Minds is the only one that already shipped. Never Fade is set to arrive on the 5th. In the Afterlight is set to arrive the same day as The Darkest Minds, but it hasn't shipped yet. And then Through the Dark is set to arrive on the 12th.

Like.. What the hell??

-The movie tie-in paperback of The Darkest Minds.

-THE DARKEST LEGACY!!!

-THE DARKEST MINDS MOVIE!!!!!!

-All the pirate/seaworthy YA books that are coming out! Daughter of the Siren Queen, Pacifica, To Kill a Kingdom, These Rebel Waves, The Sea Witch, Whisper of the Tide, ...Seafire?? I think that's one that's coming out later in 2018?? I can't remember, but I think it is. 

          

          

-I think my sister and I are planning to drive to Indiana again in June. And it will be great because her boyfriend is probably going to come with so that will be less driving per person! Woo!

-Fall Out Boy has a new album coming out and that is definitely always exciting.

That is all I can really think of that I am looking forward to at the moment. But really, with all the exciting TDM stuff, what more do I really need?

Then here are the things I plan to read in January:

1. Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

(I got this for an ARC Tour and it conveniently arrived right before the holidays so I'm going to have to DEVOUR it during this work break or I'm not gonna get to read it at all!!)

2. Between the Heart and the Blade by Amanda Hocking

(Netgalley)

3. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

4. The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows

(These two are gonna be my Beat the Backlist/Series a Month books.)

5. Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

(Netgalley)

6. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

(Netgalley)

7. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

(My reading choice that is outside of YA and also would qualify for Beat the Backlist.)

And I guess that's about all I have to say today!

What were some highlights of your 2017? What are you looking forward to in 2018? What do you think of my new blog layout?

The Grinch Book Tag

So, lately I have spent a lot of time perusing booktube and I stumbled across this tag by Thoughts on Tomes. And 'tis the season, so I thought I would do this since I haven't been super active on the blog lately (hopefully that will change in 2018, I already have a lot of posts written for January).

Basically it's a bunch of Grinch-y Christmas scenarios paired with bookish questions that pertain to them.

HALF OF THE LIGHTS ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE ARE BURNT OUT

Name a book/series/character that started out good, but then went downhill.

I'm going to go with Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas for this one.

I absolutely adored Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and The Assassin's Blade. I mean, I must have loved it because I used a quote from the series to come up with my blog name.

Heir of Fire was where things started going downhill for me. There were so many new characters that I just don't give a shit about. I hate Rowan as the love interest. I think that Aelin's powers are ridiculously over the top. Like 50% of this series could get cut and it would still be the same story.

I am going to finish it because like.. I care what happens, but I think it's mostly just because I have put so much time into this series already.

ANNOYING GREAT AUNT SALLY WHO WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE

Name a book that you didn't enjoy, but everyone else seems to love so it never goes away.

The A Court of Thorns and Roses series is never ever ever going to go away, I'm sure of it. Especially since it's getting dragged out some more.

To be fair, I really liked ACOTAR when I read it. It just had something that I was really looking for at that point. But as soon as I found out where the romance was going in ACOMAF I decided that I wasn't going to bother with the rest of the series. I absolutely see why Feyre shouldn't have ended up with Tamlin even if I liked him while I was reading the book.

But I hated Rhysand and I don't think that she needed to end up with him either.

YOUR PETS KEEP KNOCKING OVER THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Name a character that kept messing things up for everyone else (No villains!).

I'm going to go with Skye from The Goblins of Bellwater. If only for the fact that after she gets cursed by the goblins, she chooses a stranger that she randomly runs across in the woods to be her mate, subsequently cursing him as well.

YOU HEAR YOUR PARENTS PUTTING OUT THE PRESENTS AND LEARN THAT SANTA ISN'T REAL

Name a book you were spoiled for.

     

These are the two books that immediately come to mind when I think of books that were spoiled for me. Allegiant was spoiled for me in a comment on one of Veronica Roth's instagram pictures that had NOTHING TO DO WITH BOOKS.

I don't remember exactly how I was spoiled for Crooked Kingdom. But I am still super salty about it. I also still haven't read Crooked Kingdom. I need to. I want to read the first one again first, but ain't nobody got time for that.

IT'S FREEZING OUTSIDE

Name a main character that you just couldn't connect with.

I'm gonna go with Alia from Wonder Woman: Warbringer for this one. Like, I didn't dislike her at all. I didn't really care for her attitude toward Diana and her people when she first is on the island, but like... I can understand her thoughts and feelings about it.

I don't know.. There was really no reason why I didn't like her and I was rooting for her, but I think she's a good example of a character I just didn't connect with.

MARIAH CAREY'S 'ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU' IS PLAYING NONSTOP AND IT'S GIVING YOU ANTI-ROMANTIC FEELINGS

Name a couple you couldn't stand.

Juliette and Warner.

Also, Feyre and Rhysand.

Liesel and the Goblin King.

THAT SCRATCHY HOMEMADE WOOL SWEATER YOU GOT FOR CHRISTMAS YEARS AGO BUT WON'T GET RID OF

Show some books that have been sitting on your shelves for awhile, and you aren't motivated to read, but you don't have the heart to get rid of.

          

Here are three examples of books I have on my shelves that I just am not motivated to read.

The only one that I might possibly want to get rid of would probably be Falling Kingdoms.

I really really liked The Orphan Queen, so I really don't know why I haven't just gone ahead and finished the duology yet, but here I am... avoiding it.

I don't know why I haven't read Replica yet either. Lauren Oliver is one of my auto-buy authors. I think I might be intimidated by how this book is written. I don't know how I want to read it. It sounds like a pain in the ass to have to flip back and forth between the different parts...

GRANDMA GOT RUNOVER BY A REINDEER

Name a character death you are still mad about.

SPOILERS

Cole deserved a happily ever after!! It isn't fair!

THE MALLS ARE OVERLY CROWDED WITH HOLIDAY SHOPPERS

Name a series that has too many books in it/went on too long.

The Mortal Instruments series was twice as long as it should have been. We won't even talk about how long the whole Shadowhunter thing has been drug out.

I really liked the first three books in the TMI series when I read it. I am pretty much over it now, but I liked them when I read them. But I HATED the last three books. I don't even know why I bothered to finish the series, but I stuck it out.

THE GRINCH

Name a main character you HATE (No villains!).

I really hated Liesel from Wintersong. Like everything about her. I hope that she is more bearable in Shadowsong because I requested it for some reason.

Do we share any of the same Grinch-y book opinions?

#ReadersCrossing Sign Up Post

So, I haven't been super active on the blog since the last readathon that Aentee from Read at Midnight hosted, but maybe if I participate in another one, things will turn around for me.

I had really avoided playing this game until I saw this readathon. Not really for any reason other than I didn't really care that much about it. But I figured if I was going to try to do this readathon, I would try out the game.

And now I can't stop playing it. I don't understand why these stupid animals keep using my campsite and refuse to give me cotton.

Anyway, if you haven't seen the post yet, here is the gist of it:

I am going to do the Sporty path because that is the path that I had the easiest time coming up with a reading list for.

I'm not sure what book I'm going to do for SET IN THE WILDERNESS.

WRITTEN BY A TEAM OF AUTHORS: Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

MAIN ADVENTURE PLOT: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

(I hope this counts, I think it sounds like it has a lot of adventure in it.)

SUPERHERO: Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

GRAPHIC NOVEL OR MANGA: Sailor Moon Volume 1

I might try for some of the side quests, but if I read 4 books in December, I will consider it a win.

The Rules:

All campers starts with 0 Experience Points (EXP), and each book completed for the challenge (in any format: physical, eBook, or audiobook will gain them 2 EXP.

#OwnVoices novels will give you an addition EXP point, instead of gaining 2 EXP for their completion, you’ll gain 3 EXP.

You will level up every time you get 10 EXP points. You begin at Level 1.

Tweeting or Instagram posts on the #ReadersCrossing will earn you points (every 5 tweets/photo will earn you 1 EXP). You can gain a maximum of 5 EXP for your social media interactions. These should be tweets related to the challenge such as comments on your current read, book recommendations, or posts about the game itself).

You can also make an ID card type thing if you check out Aentee's post, which I have linked above. I am probably not going to because I am lazy.

If you want to add me as a friend on the app, my ID is:

6851 2283 942

Are you participating in the #ReadersCrossing challenge? What books are you reading? Do you have any suggestions for a book set in the wilderness?