1. Under the Whispering Door by T. J. Klune (Adult Fantasy) (373 pages) (5⭐️)
Wallace Price dies and finds himself at a tea shop that serves as a way station. There he meets the owner/ferryman Hugo, Hugo's ghost grandfather Nelson, a ghost dog named Apollo, and a reaper named Mei. This novel has all the same whimsy and heart as Klune's previous effort (The House in the Cerulean Sea). It perfectly balances the emotional and the comedic.
Read if: You like books with lots of character growth.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!
2. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (Adult Fantasy) (442 pages) (5⭐️)
Addie LaRue, born in France in the 1700s, sells her soul to a dark god in exchange for her freedom. The cruel god gives her just that but curses her to be forgotten by everyone she meets. This was a reread for me and confirmed it as an all time favorite. The writing is beautiful. What really connected me to this novel, though, were the characters (in particular Addie) and the details of the curse (it's a deal with a devil story but there's much more nuance to it).
Read if: You like historical fiction and are trying to get into fantasy.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!
3. People Like Us (YA Mystery) (378 pages) (3.5⭐️)
Kay Donovan discovers a dead body of a classmate (Jess). Soon after she finds herself being blackmailed by Jess from beyond the grave, forced to enact the dead girl's vengeance. This was a fun read and I liked the riddles that went along with Jess's instructions. The boarding school setting is worthy of note as I know many readers enjoy that sort of setting. The mystery was pretty predicable.
Read if: You like Thirteen Reasons Why
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4373903541
4. The Woods Are Always Watching (YA Horror) (221 pages) (4⭐️)
Two best friends (Neena and Josie) are about to be separated when Neena goes to college out of state. The girls decided to take one last trip together; a camping trip out in the woods where things go array. This was more thriller than true horror though there was a decent bit of gore. It was nice to see a book with a focus on female friendships and I think a lot of high school seniors will relate to this story. While I saw complaints about the pacing in other reviews I personally didn't feel it was too slow.
Read if: You are a high school senior about to graduate. Maybe not before a camping trip, though.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!
5. Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore (Ya Magical Realism) (335 pages) (5⭐️)
Estrella is part of a family with a multi-generational curse. They can bloom flowers with their hands but can never leave their garden home or they will die and anyone they love disappears. The writing of this book is soft and lyrical. It's one of the most unique writing styles I've read. It is very much a character rather than plot driven novel so some may find it slow.
Read if: You like fairy tales.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!
6. Once Upon a Quinceñera by Monica Gomez-Hira (YA Cotemporary) (419 pages) (3⭐️)
Carmen is spending her summer as a party princess. Her company is hired to work at her estranged cousin's quinceñera. The best part of this novel was getting to learn more about Latinx culture and the tradition of the quinceñera. The worst part was Carmen who was bratty and immature. I liked the direction the story took but didn't believe her character growth.
Read if: You're looking for a summer contemporary.
Full Review: Coming soon to the blog!
TOTAL PAGES READ (DEC): 2,168 (avg. book length: 361.33 pages)
TOTAL PAGES READ (YTD): 28,336 pages (avg. book length: 325.7 pages)
AVERAGE STAR RATING (DEC): 25/30 ⭐️ (4..17 avg. rating)
AVERAGE STAR RATING (YTD): 312/370 ⭐️ (3.85 avg. rating)
1. Read at least 60 books
I read 6 books last month meaning that I completed 87 books last year and exceeded my goal!
2. Have at least one book a month be a reread
I completed a reread in December (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue). However, I am not counting it since it was a carryover from November. Even still I reread a total of 14 books last year.
3. Read at least 1-2 adult books a month
I completed 2 adult books in December thus meeting my goal. I met my goal every month in 2021 I read a total of 30 adult books last year which accounted for 34.4% of my reading.
4. Read at least 10 nonfiction and/or poetry books
I read 4 nonfiction and 3 poetry collections last year. This means I only completed 70% of my goal. That's still more than I read in 2020 so while I didn't meet my goal I'm still satisfied with myself.
5. Post a blog every weekend unless ill and/or recovering from surgery
While I didn't manage to post a blog every week last year it was still my most consistent year since starting my blog. I'm proud of how many blogs I posted in 2021 and aspire to be even better this year!
Some Book Stats (just for fun):
Reading by Genre
Contemporary/Romance: 15 (17.24%)
Fantasy/Magical Realism: 30 (34.44%)
Historical Fiction: 3 (3.45%)
Horror: 4 (4.60%)
Mystery/Thriller: 23 (36.44%)
Nonfiction/Poetry: 7 (80.46%)
Sci-fi: 3 (3.45%)
Age:
Adult: 30 (34.4%)
Children's: 3 (3.45%)
Middle Grade: 3 (3.45%)
YA: 42 (47.28%)
Medium:
Audiobook: 14 (16.10%)
Physical: 73 (83.9%)
2022 Reading Goals
1. Post a blog every weekend unless ill.
2. Read at least 60 books.
3. Participate in Booksandlala's Buzzwordathon
I feel this one needs a little bit of explaining. Lala is my favorite booktuber on Youtube and each year she does a monthly challenge where you find and read a book with a key (or buzz) word(s) in the title. The prompt for January is a book with who, what, when, where, or why in the title. I plan to read What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman. You are supposed to read them within the first week of the month but I'm giving myself some slack and just want to read it within the month. .
4. Read at least 5 nonfiction or poetry books.
5. Read at least 1-2 adult books every month.
6. Reread at least 8 books in 2022
2022 Writing Goals:
1. Complete my poetry collection (Rainbow Girl)
2. Complete the first draft of my YA fairy tale retelling (Breadcrumbs)
3. Complete the manuscript of my YA contemporary fantasy (Ember Moon and the Lost Girls)
4. Commence work on my next novel, a new adult contemporary fantasy (Carah)