Happy New Year Bookworms!

Happy New Year my fellow bookworms!

Photo by Djordje Vezilic from Pexels

This year has been a busy one for me, has it been for you? I had many personal goals set up for myself and completed two big ones, including starting school again next year! 

For my book goals this year, I read quite a bit, but not as much as I would have liked to. With school next year, my next book goal will be 25 books instead of 50, since I have already started to read up on my books for class. I hope to include a couple of book blog reviews, but  I may instead share what I am learning in class (since it will be book related!).

That said, here are my top 7 books (not including reviewed books) that I read this year (in no particular order):

1. A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong
2. Dearest Josephine by Caroline George
3. Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland
4. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
   
5. A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
6. Alone by Megan E. Freeman 
7. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Thanks to Goodreads' Year in Review, I found out that my longest book read was A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas at 757 and my shortest was Hilda and The Mountain King by Luke Pearson at 80 pages. My average book length for the year was 245 pages. The most popular book read was one I read for a class (and didn't like, so this was kind of funny). My average book rating was 4.4 stars. My first review was Fingerprints and Phantoms by Paul Rimmasach, and my last review was Hope City by Neil Perry Gordon.

It is funny, since the pandemic hit, it has been harder for me to fall back on reading, but once I open a book and start reading, I keep going until I finish. It has been hard with graphic novels, comics, or series that are not finished. I have a tendency to binge read and like to read a series in one go. Then look to see if there is more, such as movies, shows, or even fan fiction or photos. The fandom is real! 

Photo by Malte Luk from Pexels

What are your goals for this year, whether it be book or personal goals? You can always try your hand at Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge 2022 (which includes a downloadable and editable version this year)! 

I wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope you stay safe, have a restful holiday, and wish you happy reading!

Happy All The Holidays!

Hello my fellow bookworms,

Happy Holidays to you and yours! We've entered that end-of-the-year holiday period, and can I say, I am already tired of the Christmas music that started the day after Halloween? It started so early this year! I suppose they are making up for last year, but I wish there was a break now and again.

Photo from BiljaST from Pixabay

That said, there are quite a few fun holiday-inspired links I have for you to view!

• If you are out and about buying books from an independent bookstore, you can receive a free audiobook from Libro.fm if you spend $15! This deal is until tomorrow (November 30th), but a free audiobook can be a fun book to listen to this winter season!
  

• Barnes & Noble has released signed editions of new books out for their Black Friday special this year. Check it out here and see if you want (or need) any for your own collection!
  

• Goodreads has opened voting for their Choice Awards 2021. If you missed the opening round, which ended yesterday, never fear, for the final round starts tomorrow. Vote now or forever hold your peace - until next year, that is.
  

• New York Times has released their list of 100 Notable Books of 2021. How many have you read? Amazon also has their list of the Best Books of the Year up. I will admit, while I have seen quite a few of these books listed, recommended, and on my to-read list, I have not read a single one (yet). I miss reading and have been very busy lately, but hope to catch up on reading during the upcoming holiday season! :)
  

• There are quite a few lists that recommend gifts for bookworms, but one new trend I have noticed in the recommendations is books with sprayed edges. These are so pretty! I have not seen them in stores, but they are up on Etsy for purchase. Take a look at this beautiful rendition of Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (which I highly recommend!) There are even signed sprayed editions available on Etsy, such as this one of Defy the Night by Bridgid Kemmerer. Check them out before they're sold out!
  

• NOVL has some fun book quizzes for you to try out. Find out which badass YA heroine you are or find book recommendations based on how you like your potatoes. There are more quizzes here, if you are interested!

• Learn about a woman named Alicia Tapia, who rides a bicycle around her city, passing out books through her mobile bike library, Bibliobicicleta, in this story from the SF Gate. It is very inspiring! I may look into trying this for my city, as well!
  

• If the holiday season has made you feel like you are wasting wrapping paper, etc., take a look at Recyclebank's recommendations for audiobooks on sustainability. Recyclebank is a fun website that teaches you about recycling and even provides insight to recycling in your local area. (This is not sponsored - this is a recommendation from me, a person who likes to recycle when she can, just sharing a favorite website!)
  

• Out of Print is having a Cyber Monday sale (as is the rest of the world), but who else has nifty book-related items to buy? Etsy is another great place to shop for book-themed items!
  

• Netflix and Starbucks has teamed up for a new show that talks about book-to-screen adaptations. Hosted by Uzo Aduba, "But Have You Read the Book" is a show that brings stars and authors to the show, where they join the host at a Starbucks, and sit down for a cup of coffee and have a conversation about books and their adaptations. I have not watched it yet, but it debuted on Netflix on November 16th. If any of you have watched it, please let me know how it is!

Photo by Elf-Moondance from Pixabay

I have a new book to read and review. I have not gotten to it yet, but hopefully I can soon! This next year will be interesting, as I will be reading more textbooks than books for fun. I am excited for the holidays and days off, so I can rest and hopefully catch up on my reading! What are you guys excited for? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time - stay safe and happy reading!