Book Talk: December Wrap Up

Talk about a fourth quarter comeback! For the past couple months I've been whining about my dismal reading months but I have turned that around so hard I should probably get checked for whiplash. This is the best reading month of my life based on the numbers. Obviously not every book is going to be a home run when you're reading this many, but I really branched out and picked up a lot of different genres, including ones that I don't usually get to amid my fantasy and contemporary reads. I'm forewarning you right now that this is a really long post so I'm going to stop the intro here and let you get on to the books!

Stats:

• Books Read: 24
• Genre:
• Superhero: 5
• Science Fiction: 4
• Nonfiction: 4
• Fantasy: 5
• Contemporary: 3
• Humor: 1
• Mystery: 1
• Alternate History: 1
• Page Count: 6,414

Books:

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

I am thoroughly enjoying Ms. Marvel. The way she is humanized in this graphic novel is so refreshing (not sure if that says more about the comic book world or about the type of comic books I'm reading... probably the latter) and the way her religion works its way into her superhero life is so pure. I'm also loving the cameos that happen in every volume. I wonder how they work... Something big happened in this volume (see: Last Days) and I'm curious about the bigger picture. Does this mean I have to read the Captain Marvel comics? What if there are cameos there? Where does it end? This is how people get sucked into it, I guess. I am also really into the art style, which is really important when reading a graphic novel. (I also love Bruno. That is all.)

Replica by Lauren Oliver

When Lauren Oliver said the two girls' lives mirrored each other, she literally meant they mirror each other. And when I say "literally" I mean literally in a literal figurative way. I was surprised I hadn't heard of this book until the week before its release. A book as unique as this one should have had some hype some time before it was ready for the world. Perhaps they kept it under wraps on purpose, or it was just too confusing to explain so it didn't catch on until there was something to show for it. I know I was very excited about it when I caught wind of Replica. Allison and I are always trying to do things together even though we literally have tens of states separating us at any given time and what better way to come together than to start a mini book club? There are three ways to read this book: Gemma first, Lyra first, or alternate between Gemma and Lyra, chapter by chapter. I ran a Twitter poll and ended up reading Gemma first. Allison alternated. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to read Lyra first or to alternate. It's so strange that you could read Lyra's perspective and not know what I knew having read Gemma's. It's surreal to think about. In reference to a book later in this post, I kinda wish I could have my memory erased so I could read it a different way and experience it for the first time with all three methods and then get the memories restored so I can compare. While that is ideal (and impossible), the best I can do is alternate chapters when I read Helix. Some interesting things I wanted to note, without giving away too much, of course are that I thought that when Gemma would be meeting a replica, it would be Gemma's own replica but I guess that would be confusing. Another thing I found interesting was how Gemma had such a negative self-image so I pictured her as she described herself, but when I moved on to Lyra's POV, my mental image completely changed. Perception and perspective are such a big part of this reading experience. I would suggest picking this up with a friend so you can read it together. Also, if you read Lyra first, please let us know. I'd love to hear about your reading experience! 

Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World by Ann Shen

Full disclosure, I bought this as a Secret Santa gift but I couldn't resist taking a peek and then that little peek got me piqued. Sorry, KC. I promise I was careful and didn't do any damage! How could anyone resist such a gorgeous book? This is a beautifully illustrated book featuring 100 bamf ladies across time and space who broke the norm and killed it. Each of these women have two pages dedicated to them -- one for their portrait and another for a description of how they were awesome and made their mark. Leslie Knope would approve of this book. It's obvious why this is such a popular gift this year. You really cannot go wrong with a gorgeous coffee table book that has the power to inspire. I would highly recommend flipping through this book with Power by Little Mix playing in the background.

Carve the Mark: First Look by Veronica Roth

Is this a cheat? Perhaps. Am I above including it in my book count? Absolutely not. Desperate times, people. Desperate times. This was a chapter preview I recieved in my November Uppercase Box and I'm pretty sure it coincided with a bunch of people who get books for review receiving their ARCs of Carve the Mark. There was so much buzz over this book I couldn't help but dive into it. It seems to be a very different world from Divergent and I was pumped to be reading something new from Veronica Roth until some people (those who got the ARCs) read it and said it was super problematic. It perpetuates what one blogger calls the "Dark Skinned Aggressor" where the pale, beatiful civilization is constantly terrorized by the brutish dark-skinned "civilization." Together on the count of three, shall we? 1... 2... 3... RACISM! This is not to say Veronica Roth herself is a racist (I have no information on that) but it's the subtle reminders like these that keep prodding the flame. Since I haven't read the book beyond this single chapter, you can read a more in-depth analysis of this trope as it pertains to Carve the Mark here. It's a shame because I hear that this is a good book but unfortunately, now that I know this book is far too problematic for my taste, it will be promptly taken off my TBR list. 

Management: A Practical Introduction by Angelo Kinicki & Brian K. Williams

This was a good textbook. There were a lot of real world examples that were actually fun to read and there was plenty for me to learn. Managing people is hard. While I was reading I got the impression that the authors cared about me but that just might be me projecting my professor onto my textbook. I spent more time with this textbook than others in the past because 1) I actually read it and 2) I used it to write my paper. If you are assigned this textbook you should feel blessed because it won't put you to sleep as fast as a lot of the other textbooks you'll be required to read. (Note: this is not the actual cover of my textbook. The seventh edition does not appear to be on Goodreads.)

Daemon and Kat Go Halloween Costume Shopping: Bonus Scene by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Three cop-outs in a row (maybe only two if you are good at justifying including textbooks in your book count)! I promise things get better after this. There are a few reasons why I chose to go for this short, the biggest reason being I miss reading Daemon and Kat. They're so good together and this little scene was just what I needed to sate me for the time being. Their chemistry is one-of-a-kind and if I do ever find another couple with their type of rapport, I'll only think of them as a knockoff. The scene itself was only four pages long but it came in a folder-esque thing in Wattpad so technically I under reported my numbers. My Lux material is dwindling so I hope I can drag this out and make it last for at least this new year.

Steadfast by Claudia Gray

Oh no. This was one heck of a ride and I am into it. (I mean, that's not much of a surprise. I have yet to encounter a Claudia Gray book I didn't like.) Spellcaster left us with a plot twist/oh-my-god-is-this-for-real moment and seeing as how the third book in the trilogy is called Sorceress, I knew we'd be in for a boatload of trouble. In Steadfast we dove deeper into Nadia and Mateo's relationship, strengths and weaknesses alike; learned more about the mom situation; and Elizabeth's evil scheme. Oh, and we're also throwing Asa, a smooth-talking demon, into the mix. I would be lying if I said I could resist his charm. A shame (but not really) that he only has eyes for one person and that person is none other than Verlaine. Of course the person being to see through the curse would be a demon. I don't want to give too much away (I say this for pretty much every book, I know) but I have to mention how despicable Elizabeth's plan was. She was literally feeding off human pain. And not just in the abstract. It was real. The way this book ended, I am afraid of how things will go down in the final book. It can't be good. 

Irredeemable, Vol. 9 by Mark Waid, Diego Barreto, & Marcio Takara

We're closing in on the finish line and at this point I'm a little bit tired of how it's been dragging itself out. Has anything been happening in these last couple volumes? Of course things have been happening, but they could probably be truncated. I didn't mind this volume, though, because apparently this volume was the long-awaited four-part crossover between the Plutonian and Max Damage, his lifelong nemesis. I had no idea there was a spin off narrative that I could have been reading this whole time! I will definitely be jumping on that wagon because from what I've read of Max Damage, I like him more than the Plutonian. Back to the Plutonian, we get more of his backstory (aka his birth) and his "parents" are... indescribable. I don't know if I'll get to learn any more than I already have because the final volume seems to be taking us in a different direction. Alas, this arc is almost over but I get to spend more time in this world.

The Heir Apparent by Lauren Destefano

I feel like whenever Lauren Destefano releases a work, there is no fanfare like there is with other authors. I never hear about it on social media or anything. And that's regarding her novels. No doubt her novellas would be swept under the rug as well. I didn't even realize there were two novellas to accompany The Internment Chronicles until very recently when I finished Broken Crowns. I wanted to get the full story so I went back and checked out the novellas. I ended up reading the second novella before the first since the first was unavailable at the time and I was already reading out of order anyway. This one follows Prince Azure as his father shows him the unsavory (and actually really disgusting) side of Internment. This was something that was brought up in the main series but to see it through the eyes of Azure. And then he had to live his life as if he never saw anything. He's a brat in the books but you can't help but feel sorry for him (and everybody who ends up in the "re-education camp").

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

I am lucky enough to be able to come home for the weekend most weeks because my college is about half an hour away, give or take. Because of this luxury, I can leave most of my library books at home and just bring the ones I'll be needing for the week ahead of me. On a few rare occasions such as this one, I underestimate the number of books I will be needing for the upcoming week and it is tragedy. Thankfully, I keep my Kindle Fire with me at school to get me through these dire times. When it came time for me to choose a novel, the first thing that came to mind was to continue the Pushing the Limits series. What better way to spend dead week than swept up in someone else's realtionship? The more fictional the better, amirite? (To Allison's credit, she really tried to get me to focus on my final paper but one I'm on a reading high there is no stopping me.) Dare You To flips the bad boy/good girl trope on its head. Beth has seen somethings and is only willing to open her heart to a select few. Ryan is the school baseball star and has that Southern charm. A golden boy if you've ever seen one. Inside, Beth's a total softie and Ryan is not without his issues. Do opposites really attract? Will they be able to bring out the best in each other? Did I spend a lot of time picturing guys in baseball pants? Checking yes to all of the above will give you a perfect score. I was so obsessed with Echo and Noah's relationship after I read Pushing the Limits I was afraid Beth and Ryan wouldn't live up to them. If they didn't then they got real close because just thinking about them give me this warm fuzzy feeling. I can't wait to pick up Crash Into You but that also means I'll be at the halfway point of this series and I'm already not prepared to let these characters (and their super cute relationships) go. 

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch

It feels like so long ago that I started this trilogy when it's only been just over a year and a half since I read Snow Like Ashes and literally 353 days since I finished Ice Like Fire. I feel rather attached to these characters and this world and I could not have asked for a more satisfying ending. I loved reading all the war strategy and the royalty gathered at the camp? Squad goals. Even without their magic they'd be a force to be reckoned with. One of my favorite parts of this book was the emphasis on the relationships. There were well-established relationships, new-to-me relationships, and new-in-general relationships. All of them had the proper amount of time to develop and unfold. Not only that, each of the eight kingdoms also needed to be fleshed out at this time and Raasch had to build a distinct personality for all eight of them. That is an impressive feat. The villain, Angra, was truly a threat. None of that MCU villain stuff. He's the real deal. Often times the odds were so stacked against them I honestly wondered if we would have a happy ending. I want to talk about this book forever because it was so awesome but I really do not want to risk giving anything away. This is a trilogy I highly suggest you read as it is a wonderful concept and the quality is consistent throughout. 

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanism, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh

In high school I was introduced to Allie Brosh's blog of the same name and I thought it was hilarious. Unfortunately, it was at the time when Allie was deep in her depression (chronicled on both the blog and the book) so there were no new updates for a long time. I sort of forgot about it until I heard she was going to be writing a book. At that time, I went back to her blog and read those very posts on her depression and it opened my eyes. I had no idea that was what it was like and I had a hard time understanding it but reading it in comic form was very helpful. In Hyperbole and a Half, Brosh tackles serious topics as well as some downright hilarious ones all with a sense of humor. I personally found the stories of her childhood a little bit frightening because she was the strangest thing. I'm sure if you read that first chapter you'd agree with me. As I type this now, I realize that Allie Brosh had affected my life even before I was introduced to her blog. One of my favorite ~vintage~ memes was "X ALL the Y!" which originated on her blog as "Clean ALL the things!" You can find that post (which is also a chapter in this book) here. Hyperbole and a Half is a quick and funny read. If you've got the better part of an hour and a itch to laugh, this is the book for you.

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

This was one of those times when I thought I would pick up a book for a few chapters before falling asleep but before I knew it, I had stayed up 'til an undesirable hour finishing the story. It wasn't quite an all-nighter, but it was definitely one sitting. Kasie West's writing is so addicting, I must've been living under a rock all these years. So about the book: Gia (super shallow, believe it or not, but ultimately a kind person) has this college boyfriend (very real and also gross for dating a girl still in high school) whom her friends don't believe exist and prom is her chance to show him off to everybody (again, super shallow). The only problem is he dumps her right there in the parking lot before they're about to walk into the dance. Unfortunately, Gia has really been hamming it up to her friends (specifically to one friend that is not a kind person) about this college boy so she's distraught until she spots a boy sitting in his car. An idea hits! He can be her... wait for it... fill-in boyfriend! I love this situation, not because I feel any pity for her, but because it is hilarious. The problem is so insignificant and something that would only happen to a high schooler but it makes for great entertainment. Thankfully, this boy, whose name is a secret, has some substance to him. I love that this book is a story of Gia and the mystery boy and also of Gia and her relationship with her family as well as her new friendship with the mystery boy's sister. She's a far cry from the friends Gia's been hanging out with so that really speaks to her character development. While Gia can be annoying at times (she is a flawed human being, after all), I loved reading her transition from a bunch of toxic relationships to healthy, loving ones. Everybody deserves a cutesy contemporary period in their lives and Gia got hers. 

Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

It was such a long time between my reading of Volume 4 and 5 that I hardly remembered anything besides The Will's health. I think that speaks to who my favorite character is. True to its description on Goodreads, multiple storylines collide in a very chaotic fashion. As honorable as royalty is supposed to be, there is nothing anybody can do that would make Prince Robot IV even seem trustworthy to me. He is bad news bears. Even so, I think we'll be stuck with him for while seeing as he's with Marko. Marko and Ghus. Oh how adorable Ghus is. He's actually so cute that I'm suspicious of him. No anthropomorphic seal should be that cute without a hidden agenda. Also, where is Hazel??? This whole paragraph has been a mess but there are a lot of thoughts happening. I'm not entirely sure where the plot is going so all I have to hold on to is the characters and am I holding onto them for dear life or what. I probably shouldn't let so much time in between volumes if I want to have any chance of keeping up. 

The Amateurs by Sara Shepard

It's been a long time since I've read (and lost track of) the Pretty Little Liars series but that doesn't mean I won't pick up a Sara Shepard book. There's a reason why she's a successful mystery author. Obviously since this is a mystery, I would like to leave the plot as such, but there are a couple things that I think would be okay to disclose. Many people, including myself, have been striving to read more diverse books and while this one didn't quite fit the bill, my brain threw in a little bit of diversity on my own. As a result of a mix-up when it came to character descriptions, I envisioned Maddox as Tadashi from Big Hero 6. By the end of the book the descriptions made it clear he was white and I was disappointed, quite frankly. He went from dreamboat to just aight. For this reason, I am going to keep picturing him as Tadashi in the following books in this series (? I don't know how many books will be in this world). Another thing that I experienced while reading, and I am going to intentionally be as vague as possible here, the adventure was all fun and games until the very end. That reveal was so terrifying. It honestly freaked me out so bad I was afraid to leave my room even though I knew the only person out there was my beloved brother. Do you still have no idea what this book is about? If so, I've done a good job here. All you need to know is that these amateur detectives take a case in their own hands. Chaos ensues. I have grabby hands for the next installment.

Split Second by Kasie West

I read Pivot Point over the summer, on my cruise actually, and I was so glad its sequel (and the duology's conclusion) was already out because there was no way I would be able to wait a year to continue this story. In Pivot Point, Addie was using her Divergent ability to show us her life both in the Compound and in Dallas. We continue this dual POV but with Addie in Dallas and her best friend, Laila, in the Compound. Obviously I cannot reveal anything about the story because Pivot Point but trust me when I say it was amazing. The key here was that Split Second did not try to top its prequel. Often times the first in a series has life-or-death/end-of-the-world stakes and the authors can't think of a good way to continue the story other than to try and top it. Hate to break it to you, but you cannot top life-or-death/end-of-the-world. Thank goodness Kasie West was smart enough to keep the stakes high, but in a different way. It's kind of hard to describe, but if you read this duology, you'll understand my meaning. While this was an overall satisfying ending to the story, one bone I have to pick is with Laila and Connor. As much as I love them together, I can't help but feel like they fell in love real fast. It's not even that big of a gripe because I'm not even that mad about it. It wasn't insta-love and the speed at which their feelings for each other developed did not take away from the reading experience at all. I have a lot of feelings about this duology (I cry for Addie and Trevor) and I highly recommend it. In fact, I may have to whip up a new Recommendations post...

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphona, & Nico Leon

Ms. Marvel is an Avenger! I kinda feel like I missed something in between volumes 4 and 5 because it all seemed a tad sudden but then I was told months had passed in between volumes. Did I miss a season finale or something? That also got me thinking about how much time is typically left out in between volumes. This is all besides the point. What I'm trying to say is that Ms. Marvel is an Avenger and we get this awesome two page panel of the team towards the beginning. It was epic and we are in the Marvel Universe with a female Thor. It was a welcome and exciting surprise. Another surprise I was 100% not expecting was Mike. Again, I thought we were picking up where we left off or like a week later, but no. Now Bruno has a girlfriend. I was so taken aback at first but by the end of the volume I loved her. In regards to the evil scheme, what makes Jersey City so special? Surely you could've chosen a place where there isn't a superhero? Ms. Marvel is Jersey City's designated savior. I'm sure going a little inland would save you a lot of trouble. If you really wanted this plan to work, you have to learn to pick your battles. Why choose a place where you are guaranteed to waste resources fending off a literal superhero? Villain logic is beyond me. 

Other-Wordly: words both strange and lovely from around the world by Yee-Lum Mak & Kelsey Garrity-Riley

I know it's in the title, but the best word to describe this book truly is "lovely." For the longest time I have been obsessed with linguistics and how languages can coexist. It's all so fascinating. Other-Wordly is a collection of meanings that don't have a word for it in other languages accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Does that make sense? "Schadenfreude" comes to mind. I saw this book mentioned in a Youtube video and I immediately thought of Allison because she loves linguistics as much as me, if not more. Other-Wordly made it into her finalized Christmas list with ease but I was very intrigued so I checked it out from the library to see if this book would live up to my expectations and boy did it ever. I only wish there were more. The illustrations are so sweet and the words chosen suit the vibe so well. There are one to four words per page and yet I felt so immersed in the atmosphere it created. I would highly suggest this book to have in your house. It has the potential to be a great source of inspiration. In fact, it's already inspired a little project in my family. How will we ever part with this book? As a side note, I also have to mention my mom's reaction to this book. The first word I flipped to was "komorebi" which is a Japanese for the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees. She gasped and fell in love with it faster than I can say "komorebi." This is a lovely gift and a gorgeous addition to any bookshelf.

Blood For Blood by Ryan Graudin

How much do I love this duology? The sequel to Wolf By Wolf comes to us with three different perspectives: Yael's, Luka's, and Felix's. This formatting only made me love Luka more. Luka Luka Luka my baby Luka. There is such a disconnect when it comes to his image and his true self. As I have probably said fifty times already in this Wrap Up, I don't want to say too much about the plot because spoilers but you really have to know how heartbreaking this book is. My heart physically hurt by the end of this book. There were spikes of emotion throughout and I was so invested. It's impossible to dislike any of these characters when you know and understand their motives and their values and their pasts. There are interludes before each part in this book that shows the same day/time/event from each of the three's perspective. This way, we see them as true individuals as well as in their little crew. I know a few books ago I said I was glad that the sequel didn't raise the stakes, but that 100% does not apply here. The progression was very natural and it had me on the edge of my seat. Dismantling the National Socialist Party is no easy task with or without their secret weapon. I've said too much. Do yourself a favor and pick up this duology. It's original and well worth your time. 

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Nicola Yoon has had high praises sung about her work from all around. I haven't heard a single slightly negative review about Yoon's books. The book lives up to the hype. I don't even know where to start with this book. The Sun Is Also a Star tackles so many different issues with grace. With one day left in New York before being deported to Jamaica, Natasha runs around the city desperately trying anything to keep her family in America and along the way, she meets Daniel, the sweetest Korean guy there ever was, and they embark on a magical adventure that neither of them will forget for the rest of their lives. No description could encapsulate how magnificent this book is (and many say Everything, Everything is an even more moving story!). Throughout the story there is a beautiful balance between science and faith, hope and despair, joy and sorrow. Every couple chapters, we get an interlude from someone or something that have or is currently affecting Natasha and Daniel's lives. Its execution reminded me of what I imagined The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness to be (I haven't actually read it). The story affects more than just the protagonist and vice versa. In the end, this style made me feel like I was being whisked around the city, much like the character introductions in the movie Sing, which significantly enhanced my experience with this book. Instead of just watching their story unfold, I felt like I was present in the moment with them. I am so happy with this book and now I cannot wait to be blown away by Everything, Everything.

Irredeemable, Vol. 10 by Mark Waid, Diego Barreto, & Damian Couceiro

The conclusion at last. Not to be spoilery, but at the end of Volume 9, Qubit was setting Tony up for redemption. You can draw your conclusion based on the title of this comic book. I liked this ending well enough. We brought back a bunch of the characters from the start of the story that we've all but forgotten about and wrapped up their story arcs. There were twists and turns in this final volume that kept me on my toes the whole time. It was like watching a tennis match, really. By the time the final plan was set into motion, I knew exactly how it would end. It didn't help that I watched one of those animated Justice League movies earlier in 2016 with a very similar, if not the same, ending. Now that the Plutonian's story is done, I can move on to Max Damage's. His is only seven volumes long so fingers crossed they get more done in each volume. 

Lingo: Around Europe in Sixty Languages by Gaston Dorren

I don't typically reach for nonfiction when it's not required for class, but I saw this one and I simply couldn't resist. You'll see the trend recently is that I've been enjoying more not-novels and wordy books. This book met both those criterion and it turned out to be a delightful (and easy!) read. My main concern with books like these are the pacing but to get through sixty languages in less than 300 pages calls for chapters that are short and sweet. Each language gets its own chapter that is only two to three pages (English gets a couple more) and are grouped under a larger heading such as "Languages and their vocabulary" or "Languages and their history." There are eight parts focusing on eight different aspects of language and the sixty individual languages are distributed throughout. You'll also find some pictures in here that accentuate the point and the endpapers even have a map of Europe printed on them labelled with the languages covered in this book shown in their natural habitat. If you're at all interested in the linguistic landscape of Europe, I would highly suggest picking up this book. It's an entertaining read and I learned a lot in the process. 

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

This book was not for me. Honestly I cannot see how anyone would enjoy this, but somebody must because it was the October Uppercase pick. I knew going into it that it would be weird, and I was expecting it to be a wonderful kind of weird, but it was too strange and, frankly, disgusting to be at all enjoyable. I didn't know anything about the folktale Vassa was based off of but it was Russian so that had my interest piqued. The only Russian folk tales and mythologies I am familiar with are very general. Mostly the Firebird. It's referenced everywhere but I don't actually know its story. I was hoping this would introduce me to a Russian folk tale in a modern (read: relatable) fashion but in all honesty this story probably should have been left alone as a folk tale. It would've been far less disturbing. I would try to describe to book to you, but I really did not understand what was happening. There was a dancing store on chicken legs where people went to get decapitated. I didn't connect with any of the characters or their relationships or their plights. Also I really hate zombies so so much and there were aspects of this book that were too zombie-like for my taste. At least the cover is gorgeous. 

Incorruptible, Vol. 1 by Mark Waid & Jean Diaz

In Irredeemable, Vol. 9 we were introduced to Max Damage, the Plutonian's arch nemesis. I immediately took a liking to his character (far more than I ever liked the Plutonian tbh) and was very excited when I discovered he had his own spin off. Both these series start at the same time -- with the Plutonian's turn against humanity -- and up until this point, Max Damage was something of a crime lord. He has a secret hideout that rivals the Bat Cave and a whole crew to pillage and burn with him. When Max witnessed Tony razing Sky City, his whole world was flipped upside down so he abandoned his team and started his journey to become a good guy. In this volume, Max, along with the help of Jailbait and Lieutenant Armadale, thwart a villain called Origin and get a little closer to stopping the Plutonian. 

This was a monster of a reading month. I was so far behind when I started all I wanted was to get to my 95 book goal but four and a half days before the end of the year, I completed that initial goal and was able to put my energy towards my ultimate goal of 100 books in one year. I am happy to announce that I have accomplished that goal! Now I can rest easy and scale back my 2017 Goodreads Reading Challenge. Have you read any of the books in this blog post? Are there any that you recommend I add to my 2017 reading list? I'm excited to start a new year and read a lot of new books.

Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette