A (Belated) Look at 2016

I don't think that I'd be out of line for saying that 2016 was a pretty crazy year. A lot of weird/terrible  happened around the world (which I'm not going to even try to summarize), and a lot of strange/awesome/exhilarating things happened to me personally; I wrote my senior thesis, graduated from college, moved to a new city and state (and coast!), got a job, and experienced a slew of emotional highs and lows in between.

I didn't do a reading review of 2015 (whomp, whomp), but it's been strangely satisfying reading my post from 2014 and seeing how far I've come since then. Although my presence on here has been pretty restricted as of late (I didn't post from April 2015 to November 2016), it's still been nice to see where I've been and compare it to where I thought I was going at the time.

That said, this is """supposed""" to be a book blog, so let's swerve away from that emotional introspection and get down to the nitty gritty: what was my 2016 like in books?

Woof. Tiny bookcovers stolen from my Goodreads shelf.

2016 was my most productive year of reading yet! (Or at least, since I started tracking my reading through Goodreads.) I read a grand total of 33 books — including 15 audiobooks and three digital books — and I'd like to think that this was a pretty diverse year? Or at least, more diverse than usual. I read two sci-fi (I usually don't bother with that genre), one book of poetry (which I almost never read), a nonfiction book about dinosaurs, a travelogue, and a book written by a Korean author (a country I don't think I've ever read any fiction about).  

2016 was definitely the year of the audiobook for me. I joined Audible in January and got The Martian for the drive up to school. I didn't think I'd like the audiobook experience very much, so the game plan was to take advantage of the free trial that came with my Prime account and get rid of it soon after. SILLY ME. I finished The Martian before I even left for school and swiftly purchased Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders to tide me on the 8 hour drive. (Spoiler: it was the perfect length. 10/10 would recommend Agatha for long car rides around the Midwest.)

My favorite books of 2016 (in no particular order) were Peril at End House, The Secret Adversary, The Truth, Evil Under the Sun, Cards on the Table, The Underground Railroad, The Royal We, and Milk and Honey. (Sorry there aren't any reviews to link — for some reason I never write about my favorite books.) In any case, y'all should totally read these books. They kept my attention, had me reading through my lunch break, shocked and surprised me, made me laugh and cry, and left me wanting more. 

Now, on to 2017!

1. I have a couple reading goals this year:
2. To read 35 books by January 1, 2018;
3. To SUCCESSFULLY read and discuss at least one book (bookclub style) with Kiernyn;
4. To read at least five nonfiction books;
5. To read more often on the train/bus; and
6. To be better at writing blog posts/book reviews.

So, there are my 2017 reading "resolutions" / ~intentions~ . Do you have any goals for 2017? Did any book from 2016 stick out to you in particular? Are there any books you plan on reading in 2017 that reflect whatever personal philosophy you intend to follow? Let me know in the comments. And as always, I'm taking recommendations. 

Happy 2017, dudes. Two years ago I ended a similar post with a picture of David Bowie. Today, on the first anniversary of his death, I'd like to do the same thing. 

2014 in review, goals for 2015

2014 was a pretty crazy year for me. I spent the first half stressed out and moody and the second half... stressed out (sometimes), but also totally elated and joyful. A lot of great things have happened to me in the past few months, and if I play my cards right, then some great things will hopefully come my way in 2015. (It still doesn't feel like 2015. it probably won't until November or something.)

Book wise, 2014 was also pretty cool for me. I got my first "official" review book, Not My Father's Son, and finally read some books that I've either been meaning to finish for years or have been looking for for what seemed like years. I also utilized my Kindle to a much greater extent this past year than I have before due to being abroad, and I have a few gems on it right now that I'm looking forward to this upcoming semester. I was ALSO able to complete my 2014 reading challenge! Considering I was abroad for about four months, I'm kinda surprised that I was able to finish.

SO. My favorite reads of 2014 (in no particular order) were Shades of Grey, by Jasper Fforde; The Gardner Heist, by Ulrich Boser; The Mayor of Castro Street, by Randy Shilts; The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams; and Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

This year I have a few goals for myself. Not too many, since I'll be going abroad again in about a week and a half, and that doesn't leave me (what I think is) enough time to get a significant start on my reading goal AND prepare for the semester AND work on art AND see my friends and family before I leave. So, yeah, reading will probably go to the wayside for the next few months — but I'm ok with that.

(Anyways. 2015 goals.)

1. To read 15 books before January 1, 2016.
2. To read 5 (or more!) nonfiction books. 
3. To read 5 books that I have owned for at LEAST one year prior to January 1, 2015. 
4. To either buy books on the Kindle store, or borrow them from the library. I would like to avoid buying physical books whenever possible.
5. To be more prompt with my book reviews. (There are only... five? six? from 2014 that I haven't finished. Urgh.)  

So, there y'all have it. Do you have any goals for 2015? Does any book from 2014 stick out to you in particular? Let me know in the comments. And as always, I'm taking recommendations. 

Happy 2015, dudes. Let's make this the best one yet! (David Bowie thinks it'll be pretty neat, too.)

GUESS WHO MET HER READING GOAL??

(hint: THIS KID.)

BAM.

I FINISHED MY READING CHALLENGE!

Guys. I am so excited that I managed to finish this that it's a little sad. I'm a lifelong reader/bookworm, but since high school I've had a hard time reading books consistently. I gave the challenge a shot last year, but didn't manage to meet even 50% of my goal, due to being overwhelmed with school and stuff. This is the same number/goal as last year, but there are a few key differences:

1. I took an English class. Basically, I had to make time for myself to read, despite my other homework and despite the fact that I thought it would take too long, or that I could catch up. OK, here's the thing: Page goals exist for a REASON. I missed two reading assignments of Jane Eyre and found myself like 200 pages behind the class. So I learned to divide books up. Not only does it make the book less intimidating, but it also ensures that you're always making some sort of progress. (I'm using this system for a fiction book I'm reading for my Botany class, but that's another post.)

2. I read during the summer. I know, that sounds like a serious no-brainer, but this summer I got off the internet and read. 

3. I brought my reading book EVERYWHERE with me, and read in small, ten minute intervals between activities or at lunch. This relates to what I said above, but I made time. And because I made time, I read a book over 600 pages in the span of a month with all of my other activities flying around.*

I'm kind of pleased with what I was able to read this year; And the Band Played On had been on my "to read" list since I had failed to finish it my senior year. Also Jane Eyre, which had been nagging me forever.

I also re-read Wide Sargasso Sea as well as The Sun Also Rises (for my English class), and they both held up really well. I'd still like to write about Sun sometime on this blog, but I worry that that would be too much with little context or guarantee that people had read it before. Y'know? (OK, I had also read The Secret Life of Bees before, but since I didn't take any particular liking to it, I wasn't as excited to re-read it.)

To keep myself from going into a book-by-book replay of this past year (this can't be the end of the year already. Haha, nope, I refuse.), I'm going to leave it at that and just say that, if you want a better version of the graphic above, it's on my goodreads profile. Basically, I'm just really, stupidly happy that I was able to read 25 books in a year because reading takes time, you guys, and when I read book blogs I'm always flabbergasted at how there are new reviews popping up right and left.  IN THE MEAN TIME, I'm going to try to at least finish three more books before the end of the 2013 calendar year.  

A more serious review (pfft, yeah right) should pop up sometime tomorrow.

* I'm sorry. I sound SO smug right now. But I guess I'm trying to get a point across? Anyways, I'm surprised you didn't see me as insufferable before.