Dec 31, 2018

Challenges Wrap-up: December

CHALLENGE 1: 2018 New Release Challenge

The Last Unicorn: The Lost Journey by Peter S. Beagle (11/12/18)
Wildcard by Marie Lu (9/18/18)
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (5/1/18) 
Sightwitch by Susan Dennard (2/13/18)

Goal: 61
Year End Total: 61

COMPLETED!


CHALLENGE 2: Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2018

The Skylighter by Becky Wallace (3/22/16)
Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige (3/15/16) 
The End of Oz by Danielle Paige (3/14/17)
Forbidden by Kelley Armstrong (12/31/12)
iZombie: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson (3/22/11)
iZombie: uVampire by Chris Roberson (9/13/11)
iZombie: Six Feet Under and Rising by Chris Roberson (2/14/12)
iZombie: Repossession by Chris Roberson (12/11/12)


Goal: 48
Year End Total: 48

COMPLETED!!

 
CHALLENGE 3: 2018 Discussion Challenge



Goal: 41+
Year End Total: 96


COMPLETED!!


CHALLENGE 4:  Series Enders Reading Challenge

The Skylighter by Beck Wallace (The Keeper Chronicles)
The End of Oz by Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die)
iZombie: Repossession by Chris Roberson (iZombie)
Wildcard by Marie Lu (Warcross)


Goal: 5-10
Year End Total: 23

COMPLETED!!


CHALLENGE 5: Goodreads Challenge

Goal: Read 100 Books
Year End Total: 128


COMPLETED!!


I've completed all my challenges for the year! It was a close call with the above two, but I managed it!! Whew! Lol.









2019 Challenges

CHALLENGE 1: 2019 New Release Challenge

The rules for the 2019 New Release Challenge are simple:


  • Books have to be released and reviewed in 2019.
  • Other challenges can be used as well, if you are participating in the Netgalley / Edelweiss challenge or in the COYER challenge, books can count towards more than one challenge, as long as the ones you use for the 2018 New Release Reading Challenge qualify to the other rules.
  • The minimum length for a book to qualify is 100 pages, it can be in any format though, physical, e-book, ARC or audiobook.
  • The New Release Challenge is open from January 1st through December 31st 2019, and sign-ups are open until September 1st 2019.
  • You don’t have to be a blogger to participate, you can link to your review on Goodreads or Booklikes instead – so don’t be shy!
  • If you want to spread the love, please use #2019NewReleaseChallenge on Twitter

There are five levels  in the 2019 New Release Challenge:


  1. 1-30 books per year – New Release Newbie
  2. 31-60 books per year – New Release Pro
  3. 61-100 books per year – New Release Veteran
  4. 101-200 books per year – New Release Enthusiast
  5. 200+ books per year – New Release Obsessed

CHALLENGE 2: THE BACKLIST READER CHALLENGE 2019

The rules are simple. Only (1) and (2) are mandatory. 

(1) To count for the challenge, books have to be published before 2018 AND already be on your TBR list or pile. In other words, you don’t have to own the book. If it was on your want-to-read list when you signed up for the challenge, and it came out in 2017 or earlier, it counts… regardless of format (ebook, print book, audiobook) and how you acquired it.
Last year, I was asked about rereads. You can only count a rereads if (a) you haven’t read the book in the last 10 years, and (b) you can’t remember any more of it than you would learn by reading the publisher’s blurb. In other words, it should feel new to you. I know this is subjective, but bear in mind, this isn’t a rereading challenge. (There are other challenges for that.)

(2) Create a goals or sign-up post on your blog or wherever you usually post your reviews (e.g., Goodreads, LibraryThing, Instagram.) Please link back to this post! Then link your sign-up post below, where you see the “Add your link” button. (Please link the actual goals/sign-up post, not your home page.)  You can set your own goal, and you can list the books you want to read this year, or leave it up to your mood at the time—as long as they are already on your TBR list when you sign up! You can sign up through December 1, 2019; after that, the sign-up link will be closed.

(3) Review the books you read, and post the links on the review linky (reachable through the top menu bar.) You can certainly do the challenge without writing reviews, but the review links are your entries for the year-end giveaway. Reviews don’t have to be long; a few sentences is fine. You can post them on Goodreads or LibraryThing if you don’t have a blog. Please link to your review itself (not to your blog;s main page, your profile, or the book’s Goodreads or LibraryThing page.)

(4) On or just after the end of the year, post a wrap-up post to let us know how you did! I’ll create a link-up post for the wrap-up posts, too. Again, this one isn’t absolutely necessary, but I hope you’ll do it anyway, just for the fun of looking back and seeing your accomplishment!

For this one I am going to attempt 15 backlist books!


CHALLENGE 3: 2019 Discussion Challenge
 
  • Create a sign-up post announcing your intention to participate and link up below. There’s no need to say what your discussion posts will be about–just tell us you’re joining and let us know your goal. (Can be in an update post or a post with other challenges–you’re not required to make a completely separate sign-up post.)
  • Please link back to both challenge hosts and include the challenge button in your sign-up posts.
  • The challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2019. Sign-ups will remain open through December 31st, 2019. (So, you can sign up all year long! Come join us!)
  • Share it! The more people we get to participate in this, the more awesome discussions we can all be a part of and the more fun it will be! So, invite your friends to join us!
  • Discussions can be about whatever you want as long as it’s relevant to books or book blogging (no discussions about things that are completely off-topic like travel or fashion, etc). They can also be about you personally if it’s a get-to-know-you type post.
  • On the 1st of every month, a link-up will go up on both Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight where you’ll leave your links for that month’s discussions. Every month, we’ll update this 2019 Book Blog Challenge Page with the links to that month’s Challenge linky–so you’ll always know where to find the latest link-up!
  • There will also be monthly giveaways, so make sure you check in!
  • Every month, we’ll feature our favorite posts from one challenge participant. There will be extra options in the Rafflecopter for commenting on posts by our featured blogger.
  • Use the hashtag #LetsDiscuss2019 to share your progress and connect with other participants on Twitter.
1-10 – Discussion Dabbler
11-20 – Creative Conversationalist
21-30 – Chatty Kathy
31-40 – Terrifically Talkative
41+ – Gift of the Gab




ARC Review--Slayer by Kiersten White

Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.


I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.


I’ve always loved Buffy! I mean, who doesn’t?! Vampires were my favorite kind of paranormal so I was quick to take to Buffy in its heyday. And then I heard Kiersten White was going to be writing a brand new series in the Buffyverse and I was excited! And I mean EXCITED!!! Slayer is the first book in the yet to be determined length series and it chronicles the journey of the last Slayer.

Let’s first note that you do not have to be a Buffy fan or have any knowledge of Buffy in order to read and enjoy this one! It helps, there are names that are dropped, BIG names, events, and just the overall world that is Buffy. This is the world that Buffy lived in and things take off shortly after Sunnydale was thrown off the map! A lot has happened in those short months for Nina and her family.

What’s important to know about Nina is that she is the daughter of Merrick Jamison-Smythe aka Buffy’s first Watcher…as in the one from the movie, that came before the TV show we all know and love! I firstly LOVED this combination of the movie knowledge and TV knowledge! I haven’t seen that movie in ages and I am due for a rewatch of the TV show as well, so I can’t quite remember if these two worlds were one in the same before. I felt like not, but again, I am not positive! I had too many fandoms growing up so I could never just be absorbed in one, which is why you will not ever want me on your trivia team! Lol.

As I was saying though, you really don’t need to have all that knowledge in order to enjoy this book! My knowledge was sketchy at best and I still loved this book to pieces!! Nina and her twin sister Artemis have been training to be Watchers of a sort, in this new world that is without magic. Another thing that Nina blames on Buffy. Buffy did something a few months ago and it’s just another thing Nina blames on Buffy, first is the death of her father, Merrick. When that happened, something happened to Nina. Something she wasn’t entirely sure of either and it changed her. It’s not until later on that Nina realizes she’s a Slayer. One of the people she abhors as it was a Slayer that got her father killed. Her family was never too keen on Slayers.

Her mother forbids her to train as a Slayer though and her sister, Artemis, has become a bit cold and distant ever since. Nina was always used to Artemis being the best at everything. She’s the one her mother turns to when there’s a crisis and there’s a long seeded history about that too but I won’t get into it as I can see I am already making this into one long review!

What I loved about this book other than it being in the Buffyverse was Nina herself! She’s an amazing heroine that I can easily get behind! She’s not the strong and violent type, she’s really not fit for Slayer material, since she’d rather be a healer, but she takes the “gift” that destiny thrust upon her anyway. And what’s a Slayer without an attitude? Nina definitely has the snark.

There was some romance mixed in as well! Leo was Nina’s crush when she was younger and then he left. Now he’s returned and naturally, old feelings are starting to come back and all that! Of course, there’s much more to their history than just a crush. But again, I won’t spoil that for you! I was kind of happy that the romance played only a small role, really it was almost nonexistent. There’s just enough romantic tension thrown in with a few interludes as well that made for a highly satisfying read!

The pacing to this one was spot on! It had the right kind of buildup going into it! There was a great deal of mystery going on and so little clues to go on! It was a suspenseful and intense kind of read! This is a book no Buffy fan of any level should be without! The occasional references and dream cameos make for a highly delightful reading experience as well!

Slayer is without a doubt one of my most favorite reads of the year! I only wish I didn’t have to wait so long for the sequel now! The ending is one of those dreadful satisfying, yet not kind of endings! No killer cliffhangers but the kind of ending that makes you desperate for more! It’s truly the perfect way to end a series installment. You know you’re hooked into the series when the ending doesn’t make you scream in agony because of the cliffhanger but just yearning for the next one to come about!

Slayer was an action packed and intense read that made for high enjoyment! The pages were easily flowing between my fingers as I read and I found myself immersed back into the Buffyverse but with a new heroine at the helm! It was a heady feeling and I cannot wait to see where Nina’s journey will take her in the future!




Overall Rating 5/5 stars



 

Slayer releases January 8, 2019






 

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.


Last Week I Read:

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (4.5 stars)
Sightwitch by Susan Dennard (2.5 stars)


About to Start Reading:

The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale (ARC)


What I Hope to Start this Week:

Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye (ARC)


Other Posts of Interest:





 

Dec 30, 2018

Stacking the Shelves--The Christmas Edition!

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality.


I hope everyone who celebrated had a most wonderful Christmas!! Mine was pretty enjoyable too, despite waking up Christmas morning with a cold! It's still hanging on too. I hate colds. They last forever no matter how hard I try to avoid them!


Anyways, here's what I got this week:

The Living by Isaac Marion--SIGNED! Plus bonus material!
The Joy of Cookies by Cookie Monster--I saw this awhile back and decided I had to have it now! Lol! It looked cute and inspiring!


Then Christmas gift wise I received:

 an amazing TBTBSanta package from Alex @ The Book Banner!
She out did herself here! I got Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson, Wicked Charm by Amber Hart, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White, Supernatural stickers, Beauty and the Beast stickers, SOCKS!, a Scooby Doo ornament, a vanilla scented candle, and what I think is a bookish jewelry box!
oh and I got Reese's Mini Peanut Butter trees and Belles!!


From the family I received:

 B&N and Amazon gift cards!! Turns out my sister mixed up the Birthday and Christmas gifts so I got my "Birthday" one at Christmas instead! LOL!

Then my mom included this cute little pin with my gift card!

Then I got the Litographs A Court of Thorns and Roses t-shirt! Front (left) and back (right). I can't say which design I like best! I love it all!!

Then I also got the Caraval t-shirt from Blissfully Bookish!


Then an impulse buy from the holidays was:

a Scooby Doo book sleeve from Book Gizmo!! I am trying to cut back on book sleeves since I have quite a few, but I HAD to have a Scooby Doo! I'm done for awhile now. I swear. Sorta. ;)


And that was it for my bookish haul! I got a few other gifts as well that were outside the bookish realm, but I liked keeping things mostly bookish in these posts, Disney aside, of course! LOL! What did you all get this week?






 

Dec 29, 2018

Mini-ish Review--Sightwitch by Susan Dennard

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard, Sightwitch is an illustrated novella set in the Witchlands and told through Ryber’s journal entries and sketches.

Before Safi and Iseult battled a Bloodwitch...

Before Merik returned from the dead…

Ryber Fortiza was a Sightwitch Sister at a secluded convent, waiting to be called by her goddess into the depths of the mountain. There she would receive the gift of foretelling. But when that call never comes, Ryber finds herself the only Sister without the Sight.

Years pass and Ryber’s misfit pain becomes a dull ache, until one day, Sisters who already possess the Sight are summoned into the mountain, never to return. Soon enough, Ryber is the only Sister left. Now, it is up to her to save her Sisters, though she does not have the Sight—and though she does not know what might await her inside the mountain.

On her journey underground, she encounters a young captain named Kullen Ikray, who has no memory of who he is or how he got there. Together, the two journey ever deeper in search of answers, their road filled with horrors, and what they find at the end of that road will alter the fate of the Witchlands forever.

Set a year before Truthwitch, Sightwitch is a companion novella that also serves as a set up to Bloodwitch, as well as an expansion of the Witchlands world.


Let me first say that I was reading this one while I was mostly sick. So my brain had a hard time comprehending things and most of all, trying to connect this to the Witchlands series at large. Sightwitch is Susan Dennard's novella installment of the series while we were all anxiously awaiting the release of Bloodwitch, Aeduan's story. Luckily, that's only a few short months away!

From my scattered knowledge, these were new characters we were meeting! Though there was mention of Merik, I liked that he was at least mentioned by name to help bridge some gaps. But I will say that I cannot remember if Kullen was an already established character or not. I want to say yes, just because this novella reminded me us that he's a part of Merik's "crew" or whatever! But let's move on to the story at large.

What I really enjoyed about this book was knowing that we were reading a collection of diary entries! There's a note at the beginning, addressed to Kullen, that tells us that the following entries are to recount what happened. I liked that! Going in, you know that this has already happened and you pretty much know the fates of our main characters, Ryber and Kullen.

Ryber is a potential Sightwitch, at least she wants to be one. Yet every time there's a summoning or tribal meeting with the sisters, she has yet to be called to receive the sight. Then her best friend, Tanzi, gets chosen and Ryber is generally happy for her. She knows that she will see her bestie again after a few days. But then the days turn into weeks and Tanzi has not returned. Soon, other girls are being called forward to receive the sight and Ryber starts to suspect something is wrong. 

Ryber decides it's time to find out what exactly is going on with her sisters and what happened to Tanzi, her own Threadsister. It's in the midst of this that she encounters Kullen, who doesn't know who he is, but all Ryber knows is that HE shouldn't be there, in a place that's basically for women only.

I suppose having a cold and not remembering a lot about this series hindered some of my reading enjoyment. I did enjoy Ryber and Kullen as characters though, despite what short time they spent together. I suspect that this won't be the last time we see them though, for why else introduce us to them (or Ryber at least!)!

The mystery behind the disappearing girls from Ryber's clan was an intriguing one, though the extra diary entries that were included that were not from Ryber were a tad confusing. I couldn't place if they were from before or after Ryber's time, though I had suspected it was before, but I couldn't really figure out what they meant. At one point I thought I saw some clarity but it didn't hold up much.

All in all, this was just a sort of okay read for me. Again, I was sick while reading, and my memory is already pretty spotty, add the clouded haze of illness and medicine and I'm lucky I could remember how to read! Lol. I am sure with the next full installment light will be shed on all this that I read and connect some dots, but until then, I remain kind of skeptical about this one.


Overall Rating 2.5/5 stars--again, just a slightly better than okay read!





Let's Discuss: Top 2019 Book Releases

Okay, it's time to squeeze in another discussion post before the end of the year! I got sick on Christmas day, can you believe that? And I've been slacking off in my blogging duties since then because I've been lying in bed trying to rest, but mostly getting up and not resting! Lol! Even though there's a TTT post coming up shortly with this same topic, I thought I'd talk about 2019 books releasing that I am SUPER excited for!


Top 2019 Releases I'm Looking Forward To


I'll try to limit myself to a small number here! Lol! First off the bat is The Wicked King by Holly Black! Like many, I fell in love with The Cruel Prince and cannot wait to see where this series will go next. Though I have the feeling I am going to be dying for the third book directly after finishing this one!

Finale by Stephanie Garber is another I am dying to read! You all probably know by now that I am slightly obsessed with this series! I cannot wait to see how this one will end after the completely shocking events of the second one!



Another one that I am dying to get my hands on, which keeps changing its release date and driving me more insane is Kresley Cole's From the Grave! I've been addicted to this series since the beginning practically! I cannot wait to see how this series will end and ultimately, who Evie will "choose." It's one of those rare series where I literally cannot decide on a "team" in regards to the love triangle! It should've released in March but now has moved to August! I am going INSANE I TELL YOU!!!




Another one I am SUPER stoked for is The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh! It's VAMPIRES!! VAMPIRES!!! You all know how I love my vampires!! I cannot wait for this one! Though I have likely 100+ vampire books in my TBR still, I am super stoked to read one from a favorite author! Did I mention that it's about VAMPIRES?!!


One final book before I cut myself off from basically reading my entire release list is The King by Jennifer L. Armentrout! This is actually a novella, but omg, after I read The Prince this summer, I was left awestruck! And then it ended in a cliffhanger and I had no idea what was happening with the story because I knew Jennifer wouldn't leave us hanging like that without some kind of plan in store! And there is!! At least for another book!



Those are the top five books I cannot wait to read this coming year! There are more on the list for sure, but I tried to limit myself! Lol! I have at least another two releases from Jennifer here on it too, so know that those are on it too! Likely spots 6 & 7! ;)


What are some books you are really looking forward to next year?







Dec 28, 2018

9th Annual End of the Year Survey

(borrowed this image from Goodreads because how PERFECT is it?!)


2018 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 128 books--it will be this before the end! I'm more than 1/2 way through my last read of the year!
Number of Re-Reads: 0
Genre You Read The Most From: I'd say YA Fantasy

 

 

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

Never one to just pick one for anything, lol. Here are three of my top favorite reads from 2018!


2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I was super excited for Wildcard, but after I read it I felt very meh. I think it's because I had to wait so long to read it.



3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Echoes constantly kept me on my toes with all the guessing! It was amazing! And I am SOOO happy that there will be a sequel in 2020!



4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Ironically, we're back to Echoes! After reading it and loving it I just had to spread the word! Mostly because I couldn't handle how it ended and there had yet to be word of a sequel. So I did a lot of pushing! I even did a giveaway of it too!



5. Best series you started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?


The Darkest Star is a spinoff from the Lix series which I adored, so I was ecstatic to see Luc get his own series this year!

Legendary is the sequel to Caraval, which by now, you all know I am totally obsessed with! I loved Legendary too! Tella definitely worked herself up to being my favorite character!

Immortal Reign was without a doubt my favorite finale ever! While I am sad the series had to end, I think that Morgan did a superb job of ending it right!



6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Definitely going back to Alice Reeds! I will definitely be keeping an eye on her books for the years to come now!



7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?


Even with all the amazing books I've read set in space, I am still hesitant to pick up a book set in space at random. They don't always work for me, sadly. Needless to say, a book set in space by Maria V. Snyder does work for me, so yay!



8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Since the start of this series, I have yet to be able to put down one of The Arcana Chronicles installments! They are all so riveting! And The Dark Calling was a most exciting read as well, very fast paced and yet another ending that was just ultimately shocking!!



9. Book You Read In 2018 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

There's rarely ever time for a re-read!


10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

There were so many covers to choose from! I like many different varieties of covers too! But one series I pretty much love all the covers to was the Kingdom on Fire trilogy!



11. Most memorable character of 2018?

Dante without a doubt!



12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?


Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge was a most remarkable retelling of The Beauty and the Beast! Told in a different way, it wove a story that you'll won't forget! I truly enjoyed this one!



13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

I guess I'm not good with "thought provoking." Lol. But Part of Your World really did change my view of The Little Mermaid! To think what could have happened if Ariel and Eric hadn't won!



14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?

I've never been able to stay on top of this series! Lol!


15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?

"I had always loved the happy look of books lining a shelf. Even the smell of books was the most wonderful perfume, that musty-sweet blend of ink and paper." from A Sorrow Fierce and Falling by Jessica Cluess



16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Shortest: 1001 Dark Nights: The Prince by Jennifer L. Armentrout (125 pages)
Longest: Tiger's Dream by Colleen Houck (826 pages)



17. Book That Shocked You The Most:

Not shocking to you that I chose this one, is it? ;)



18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!):

Tella and Dante! I loved their back and forth bantering!



19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year:

For this I will say Ivy and Tink! Really, anyone and Tink! Lol! Tink is just that kind of character you love no matter who he's pestering friends with!



20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously:


Having read/loved/adored Caraval, I was ecstatic to read Legendary and may have even enjoyed this one just a tad more than its predecessor...which means Finale is going to totally blow me away! Lol.



21. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

I guess that could be The Beast's Heart by Leife Shallcross! I can't remember where I first saw it, but it didn't take much peer pressuring to get me to buy it! Lol!



22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

Cardan hands down! Lol.


23. Best 2018 debut you read?

Echoes without a doubt!



24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Stephanie writes such rich settings and worlds! I can't get enough of this particular world!!


25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Perhaps it's cheating to choose a 2019 book that I read in 2018 for an answer, but seriously, every Charley Davidson book has put a smile on my face and was just an absolute joy to read!



26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018?


There were definitely tears after reading Fury! Omg. I knew it was coming, yet I still felt blindsided!



27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Yup, I'm going back to Echoes for this one!! Lol.



28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Sea Witch was the kind of soul crushing that led more to heartbreak! Like a deeply-seeded heartbreak!



29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?

I know that Beast wasn't a book everyone loved for a handful of reasons. I thought it was a rather interesting and unique read! To have the story told from an inanimate candlestick made for interesting storytelling. I quite enjoyed this one to be honest!



30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?


Let me just say that I POSITIVELY LOVED this book! I loved it to pieces! But OMG that ending!! That ending is not one you expect for a series finale, which makes me think...things...So I will just sit quietly here in my corner, stewing...and thinking...





1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018?



I'm really bad at keeping track of which new people I follow throughout the year! I just see someone follow me or I stumble upon an account and follow them! And then it just feels like I've been following them for ages! Lol. Plus with Instagram's stupid algorithm I feel like it's impossible to tell when I followed someone! So here's an bookstagrammer that I believe I started following this year! Lol. 




2. Favorite post you wrote in 2018?

Ack. I don't excel at picking favorite posts! Lol! I guess I did enjoy sharing my Christmas Traditions with everyone earlier this month!



3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2018:


Ugh. That's too hard too! Lol! I guess I did enjoy taking this one with a plate of cookies that relates to a particular scene from one of my favorite series!! It was the perfect excuse to make cookies! LOL! Really we had made cookies for some reason and then the next day as I was taking pictures, the idea just came to me to use them for a picture! This picture!



4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?

One of my favorite events that I attended this year was The Origin Event! It was basically just one massive signing with about half the amount of authors usually at Apollycon, but it was still a fun event that I got to see some favorite authors and a few new ones too! I was even more tickled that a few of my favorites remembered me!


5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

Realizing that I have been blogging for 9 years!


6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Trying to find the time to read all the books!


7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Did I mention I suck at statistics? Lol. I really don't look at those numbers to be honest because they are likely not very high. I guess my memes get the most attention though!

 
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I guess just about any of my reviews!


9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Yes! A new book sleeve shop! I found my another supplier for my addiction! LOL! Book Gizmo supplied me with my latest buy...which will actually be featured in my STS this weekend!



10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

YES! I completed Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2018, 2018 Discussion Challenge, 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge, my Goodreads Challenge, and I will have completed my 2018 New Release Challenge before the year is up! There's only a handful of pages left in my current read!




1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1(ish) Priority in 2019?

I had to make an amendment to that particular question! Lol! I've got a ton of review books I need to get going on, but AFTER that I will be making this one a priority!



2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut)?

A tie between Finale and The Wicked King!



3. 2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

After hearing some buzz and then looking into it, I can safely say that I am pretty curious about The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman!



4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019?

The Wicked King--a sequel, and Finale--a series finale! Both ones I CANNOT WAIT to read!



5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019?

I don't know really. Lol.


6. A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):


A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer was a marvelous The Beauty and the Beast retelling! I LOVED it!! I cannot wait to see where Brigid will take this series next!