Nailed It + My #1 Book of 2018 (December Book Wrap-Up)

READING
Finished This Month

• Under Their Skin by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• I loved Margaret Peterson Haddix in elementary and junior high school; I remember her being one of my first favorite authors. Last year for Christmas a friend of mine got me this book - one of her latest middle grade novels - and this year I finally got around to reading it. It's good to know I still love MPH - and I recognized her writing style right away. It was like a happy trip down memory lane.
• Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray
• I enjoyed this book just as much as the first and now I NEED to know what's going to happen next! I'm going to be getting to the final book in this trilogy as soon as I can in 2019!
• Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber
• A cute, fluffy Christmas read. Also my first introduction to the famous Debbie Macomber.
• So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
• The pinnacle of Hitchhiker's Guide randomness.
• The Dire King by William Ritter
• Unofficially finished. I'll tell you my full thoughts when I'm completely done, but for now suffice it to say that good LORD I love Jackaby so much. I can't believe it took me this long to read the last book in his saga.
• Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
• Also unofficially finished. I'm SUPER close to being done, though. I just got sick and couldn't make it happen in time. I'm definitely enjoying this final book, however. I feel like I've kind of been taken back to the feeling I got reading the first two, in a really good way. I particularly enjoy the growing relationship between Arthur and his daughter.

Did Not Finish

• The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
• Prairie Fire by E.K. Johnston*
• I really wasn't feeling this book at the time that I tried to read it, and since I knew it wouldn't hinder my Goodreads progress if I didn't finish it I decided to put it back for now. I'll try again next year when I'm not so pressed for time.

My Top Books of 2018
Once again, the time has come for me to announce to you all what I believe was the best book I read this year. Below is my list of the top nine of the thirty-five total books I read in 2018, the first two on said list being 5/5 stars and the rest being 4/5 (with the exception of A Thousand Splendid Suns, which was 3/5).

• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• Jackaby Saga by William Ritter
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
• Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
• Dracula by Bram Stoker

Of the books listed above, the ONE that I believe was the best was Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It was really difficult for me to choose between that and The Hate U Give, which was also spectacular. But ultimately I felt like Speak (ironically enough) spoke to me more as a whole. The message was just so powerful, the writing style was unique, and it packed a heck of a punch with its relatable emotions. 100% recommended, and probably something I'll be rereading again in the future.

WRITING
Wattpad Update
December End Stats:
829 reads
62 votes
52 comments

HUGE things are going to be happening on Wattpad next year, the biggest of course being that Kay the Hedgehog's story will be coming to an end very soon! After six and a half years and eight books, my beloved heroine is going to retire. But what does that mean for the future of ShadowsGirl101? Well...you'll just have to wait and see!

Man. I can't believe another year has come and gone. 2018 was a year full of change, and I have wonderful plans for 2019 that - can you believe it - begin TOMORROW! Happy New Year, everyone! I'll see you in the future! :D

Wrapping Up Loose Ends (October-November Book Wrap-Up)

READING
Finished October-November

• The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leonard Goldberg
• I was really hoping to fall in love with this book and subsequent series, but there was absolutely no originality whatsoever; it felt TOO much like a Sherlock Holmes mystery rather than something new his daughter could tackle. I'm rather disappointed.
• Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams
• I didn't like this one as much as the first two, but still really enjoyed it! It has the funniest scene I've read in the series so far. Curious to see where the next book will take me.
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• FINALLY. I don't know why on Earth I waited so long to read this novel; it is one of the best classics I've ever read! Very well done.
• Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
• There is so much more going on in this book that (surprise, surprise) makes it MUCH better than the movie. Loved it.
• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
• It's been a long time since I've gotten so invested into a fantasy novel. Leigh Bardugo's writing is just so beautiful and magical. I'm psyched to read book two next year!

Did Not Finish

• Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios
• The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo

Currently Reading

• The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows (almost...done...)
• Prairie Fire by E.K. Johnston (not really feeling it so far, but we'll see)
• Under Their Skin by Margaret Peterson Haddix (yaaaaas)
• Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray (YAAAAAAS)
• Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber (fluffy Christmas read)

WRITING
Wattpad Update
October End Stats:
478 reads
34 votes
34 comments

November End Stats:
601 reads
44 votes
41 comments

For Real Writing Update / NaNoWriMo
As I've already mentioned, I didn't win NaNoWriMo this year. Let's just...move on, shall we?

Make sure you're back here next month for my final wrap-up of the year and a look back at my Top Picks for 2018!

NaNoWriMo 2018 Update #2

Long story short, due to emotional stress I will be unable to complete NaNoWriMo this year. But as much as it sucks to not win five years in a row, four years still isn't bad. And I have done - and am still doing - some writing this month, so it hasn't been a total loss. I'm currently at 7,952 words.

NaNoWriMo 2018 Update #1

Last year at this time I said I was further behind than I ever had been before. This year beats that record, because last year I was only 7k behind. This time I'm 10k behind and counting.

I'm having kind of a rough go of things right now, with emotional stress getting in the way of my everyday thinking and motivation. Also I decided to be a NaNo Rebel this year - the year I'm going for my fifth consecutive win. But none of these things are going to stop me! I'm still going to hit that glorious 50k, even if I have to spend my entire Thanksgiving break catching up like I did three years ago (when I was 25k behind!), although I really hope it doesn't come to that.

I am currently at 5,741 words.

Summer Is Finally Over! (August-September Book Wrap-Up)

READING
Finished August-September

• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• A REALLY tough read. Took me forever to get through. I want to read more from this author, but only when I feel I'm mentally and emotionally stable enough to handle it. Thus When the Mountains Echoed will have to wait a while... XD
• Making Faces by Amy Harmon
• Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• This novel was so raw and real and emotional and so beautifully done. It perfectly encapsulates what it is to have anxiety/depression after a traumatic event. It's the first book I've read this entire year to get 5/5 stars from me.
• Jazz Owls by Margarita Engle
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• It's about TIME I read this! 5/5 stars, no hesitation. Absolutely and positively relevant to our society today. EVERYONE should read this novel. (And I'm hoping to see the movie later this month, too.)
• We Now Return to Regular Life by Martin Wilson
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• The one and only book my dad talks about all the time, so earlier this year I decided I should read it for myself as well. It was hilarious, and a great springboard for my dad and I to bond over a story we're both familiar with.
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
• I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I'm dying to get my hands on book two as soon as I can.
• The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
• Even more hilarious than the first book, I thought. Can't wait to get to book three soon!

Currently Reading

• Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios (considering DNF-ing)
• The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
• The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo
• The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leonard Goldberg (finished; surprisingly not impressed)
• Dracula by Bram Stoker (FINALLY I am reading this classic novel!)

WRITING
Wattpad Update
August End Stats:
325 reads
25 votes
25 comments

September End Stats:
396 reads
29 votes
33 comments

For Real Writing Update
NaNoWriMo is just around the corner now! During the month of September I made a list of stories I was perhaps interested in writing this year, and as of October 1st I had made my decision. The story will be called "Every Part of You." It's a new adult romance about a girl with haphephobia and a boy who is nothing but loving, and how they form a unique bond that allows them each to truly get to know every part of the other person over the course of their first two years as college students. I'm very excited to get started on this novel and make this my fifth consecutive NaNoWriMo win! 50k here I come - again! :D

As per usual I'll post a couple of writing updates throughout the month of November so you have an idea of how well (or how poorly) I'm doing as the month progresses. I'll see you then!

Life Is Crazy; This Is All I Got (June-July Book Wrap-Up)

READING
Finished June-July

• For Love and Honor by Jody Hedlund
• Different from the first two books in a good way. I'm excited to get to book four in the near future.
• The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
• I loved listening to Robbie Daymond narrate this book for ten and a half hours. But beyond that, I really enjoyed the story. I'm hoping to read the next book and find out what happens as soon as possible.
• Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly
• The actual plot of this book was kind of meh, but I LOVED that this entire novel showed us a closer look at the growing friendship between Belle and the Beast during the song "Something There" from the movie. And the ending was so amazing and swoon-worthy!

Currently Reading

• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• I am SO CLOSE to finally finishing this book; I have about 40 pages left right now. I'm telling you, though, much like The Kite Runner, this has not been an easy novel to get through.
• Making Faces by Amy Harmon
• Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• This novel was so raw and real and emotional and so beautifully done. It perfectly encapsulates what it is to have anxiety/depression after a traumatic event. It's the first book I've read this entire year to get 5/5 stars from me.
• Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

WRITING
Wattpad Updates

June End Stats (starting June 16):
105 reads
14 votes
12 comments

July End Stats:
210 reads
15 votes
21 comments

For Real Writing Update
I was feeling really burnt-out in my actual writing for a while before going on vacation to the Black Hills, but as per usual after a trip to that area of the country, I've sprung back with renewed energy and vigor and have already written quite a bit in the past couple of weeks. I've started writing some snippets of an entirely new story as well! Am I returning to the realm of sci-fi officially, or is this just a phase? We shall have to wait and see...

Thanks for bearing with my lack of updates recently. As the title says, life is crazy right now, and I'm really trying to focus on my mental health before forcing myself to put out more content like this. I hope you're all right with the more simplistic wrap-up style I've had for the past few months, because I actually like that I don't have to tell an entire story about each story I read and can instead give you some quick, simple thoughts on each book. Maybe knowing I don't have to write down all of the things will help me be more motivated about getting wrap-ups out for you monthly again, instead of bi-monthly.

Anyway, that's all I have for now! See you next time!

Extremely Informal Reading Update (April-May Book Wrap-Up)

READING
Finished April-May

• Crimson Ash by Haley Sulich (pretty good for a self-published author)
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (super profound)
• The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (liked for the most part, but had one major issue)
• Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff (very informative and insightful)
• The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (it's Sherlock; of course I loved it haha)

Unable to Finish

• The Comic Book Story of Baseball by Alex Irvine

I really wanted to continue reading this book (an ARC from NetGalley) but the first issue I ran into was that it wouldn't format correctly on my Kindle, which meant I had to read it on the computer. Not a huge deal, I guess - just a little inconvenient. But then one day a few weeks ago I opened it up to continue reading and it was like, "Sorry, I don't exist anymore." Even though the file wasn't scheduled to expire for another nine days at that point. I tried to get in contact with NetGalley Tech Support, but I received no response from them whatsoever. In light of the fact that I was receiving no help - and with other books I needed to get to - I regrettably had to put The Comic Book Story of Baseball aside. I really WANTED to keep reading...I just couldn't because of technical difficulties. Maybe I can pick up a physical copy of it once it's been published.


Did Not Finish

• To the Castle by Dorothea Malm (not in the mood for the writing style at present)
• Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire (1/3 of the way in and still no plot; no thanks)
• Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Pérez (ARC) (just not feeling it right now; maybe later)

Currently Reading

• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (very hard to read; getting through it slowly)
• For Love and Honor by Jody Hedlund (literally only 18 pages from finishing as I write this)
• The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (finished already; loved it so much)
• Lost In a Book by Jennifer Donnelly (just started; pretty interesting so far)

WRITING

Wattpad Updates

April End Stats:

1,036 reads

101 votes

38 comments

Final End Stats (story finished on June 14):
1,740 reads
175 votes
61 comments

My next Wattpad story (and Kay's final book) began on June 16 - exactly six years from the publication of her very first story, "Everything." Her final story is called "Mobius Destiny," and as I write this the prologue and first chapter have been posted and extremely well received. Super excited to see what my readers think of upcoming events!

See you with a proper book wrap-up in July. Life got nuts so I didn't have time to do anything super in-depth for the last couple of months. Sorry. Until next time!