2014. (also, Happy Birthday blog!)

I'm going to make 2014 my year in all the ways that 2013 sucked.

I'm going to make new friends, get more involved, and look for ways to discuss feminism and books more frequently in both real life and on this blog. I'm going to create more personal art, and draw more. I'm going to bust my ass in ways I haven't before to get to where I want to both professionally and academically. I'm going to try to make smarter decisions, and be more aware about my personal self-care, and to ensure that my self-care doesn't eclipse another person's needs. I am going to work on being less jealous/envious/"competitive," and focus more on celebrating my friends.

While I'm still ironing out my "personal" 2014 resolutions, my reading resolutions are as follows:

1. I will read 30 books.
2. I will read the books I own; if I buy any new books, it's because I see them as an "investment piece" (i.e., I'll read them over again). 
3. I will utilize the library more.
4. I will continue to post reviews, and establish a firmer grading scale for books. (one star vs. three stars, etc.)
5. Out of the books I want to read for the next year, I will prioritize books given to me as gifts, or those that relate to my area of study. 

I'm looking over all the books I've read this past year, and I'm actually kind of pleased. I read more memoirs than I ever have before, as well as a little sci fi/fantasy, and two huge books (And the Band Played On and East of Eden - both clocking in at over 600 pages each.). This time last year, I hadn't read much over the year, and I was reading even less during the school year. I feel like that's changed, and I now know that it's possible to read for pleasure while trying not to drown under my homework. 

As for my favorite books that I've read this year, here they are:

 
 

 

 

This entry also marks the one year since I've started blogging here. While I wasn't very consistent at first (and I'm probably still not very consistent), I've written a lot about what I've been reading and what I thought about it - more than if I hadn't had this blog, I'm sure. It's fun looking at past entries and reading my reactions to new books.

This upcoming year I want to continue to improve the content of this blog, through features as well as design. That means continuing Midwest Mondays (although maybe planning them out in advance), as well as working on a banner for the blog and expanding the "I love..." feature.

I hope y'all are doing well, and are looking forward to the new year. I feel like a lot of great things are on the horizon. I'm ready to get started.