Movie Review: La La Land

Please note: This review was written weeks ago and originally published in my university's newspaper. 

When Damien Chazelle's "La La Land" was first released in 2016, it seemed as if there was positive buzz surrounding it on all sides. I was mad at myself for waiting this long to watch it, because it sounded like exactly the kind of movie I would give my heart to. Unfortunately, I probably could have waited another year or ten to watch it and not be missing much.

This musical romance follows a struggling actress and a bitter pianist as they fall in love and try to figure out what they are doing with their lives. "La La Land" is a nod to Old Hollywood and smooth jazz in the twenty-first century, which others may have found charming but did not sit well with me. The tone and the time period did not seem cohesive to me. Maybe it's because I feel no particular connection to jazz or classic Hollywood, but the nostalgia the movie seemed to be reaching for never quite hit its mark where I'm concerned. Instead, I felt almost jerked around as the movie flip-flopped from the modern day to a thirties vibe.

I also felt the musical numbers, overall, to be jarring. I adore musicals and I am completely on board with the singing-out-of-nowhere trope, but in "La La Land," half of the numbers didn't seem to have a good transition and weren't entirely interesting. They were well done in terms of the vocals and the music itself, but they were simple and I found myself very disengaged anytime the characters began to sing.

Now, the characters themselves were fairly well-developed and interesting. I was certainly hoping for their success as I watched. However, I wouldn't describe them as especially memorable or unique. In fact, my biggest critique of this entire film is that it seems to be lacking the thing that makes it different and memorable. Maybe the musical numbers are supposed to serve that purpose, but I didn't feel it. The story, the characters, and even the romance—it was all stale and done many a times before. Admittedly, though, I am fond of the ending.

While I am sure many people disagree with me (proven by the number of awards this film won), "La La Land" had some ups and downs but was mostly bland for me. I do not necessarily regret watching it, but I'm not exactly glad I watched it either.

My rating: 

3/5

Lefty's Lowdown: Infinity by Jus Accardo

Infinity by Jus Accardo
(The Infinity Division #1)
Published: November 1, 2016 by Entangled Teen
Source: I received a free e-galley via Netgalley, but all opinions in this review are 100% my own.

Summary from Goodreads: 
Nobody said being the daughter of an army general was easy. But when her dad sends a teenage subordinate to babysit her while he’s away… That’s taking it a step too far.

Cade, as beautiful as he is deadly, watches Kori with more than just interest. He looks at her like he knows her very soul. And when he saves her from a seemingly random attack, well, that’s when things get weird.

Turns out, Kori’s dad isn’t just an army general—he’s the head of a secret government project that has invented a way to travel between parallel dimensions. Dimensions where there are infinite Koris, infinite Cades…and apparently, on every other Earth, they’re madly in love.

Falling for a soldier is the last thing on Kori’s mind. Especially when she finds herself in a deadly crossfire, and someone from another Earth is hell-bent on revenge…

 I'll be honest, reading this kind of made me feel like I was back in 2010, in the heart of the paranormal romance craze. And, well, I wasn't mad about it. While perhaps not the greatest novel of all-time, Infinity is interesting and addicting.

I'll be honest, I found the beginning of this book to be kind of frustrating. Kori, the protagonist, is almost killed and everyone knows why except her, it seems. So she's out there basically begging the people who saved her what's going on and they have the audacity, over and over again, to be like, "lol can't tell you, sorry." Like, just tell the damn girl why she is being ATTACKED. However, once we got past all that nonsense, the sailing was much smoother.

Going into the novel, it seems like there's going to be a bit of insta-love, but there's really not. Instead, we have a complicated, slow-burn romance. It feels doomed and impossible so of course I was alllll about it. Nothing like good ol' star-crossed lovers.

The characters themselves could be a bit annoying at times (might I direct you a couple paragraphs up), but all-in-all, they were well-developed and I was eager to learn more about them as the story progressed. Kori, an artist and military child grieving her mother's death, is quite kick ass. In the beginning, she gets rescued by Cade and his friend Noah, but she definitely makes up for it in the end. Cade is kind of forgettable, quite frankly, but he's sweet and broken-hearted, and I loved him a lot while I was reading. Noah, though, is my favorite character, I think. He's such a cold asshole in the beginning but his character grows so much. I really adored seeing the way the dynamics between these 3 characters shifted and evolved throughout the novel.

Despite what I said in the beginning of this review, this book is more than a cliche paranormal romance. The story is incredibly interesting and there is so much emotion and growth throughout. Infinity definitely kept me hooked and made me eager to read the sequel. This is the kind of book I'd recommend if you're looking for something to just take your mind off life.

My rating: 

3/5

Lefty's Lowdown: Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
(standalone)
Published: May 3, 2016 by Simon Pulse
Source: Read for free via rivetedlit.com. All opinions stated in this review are my own 100% honest thoughts.

Summary from Goodreads: 
“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

 As you may or may not know, in February I will be studying abroad in Austria for my final semester of college. So when I saw that this takes place in Europe, I knew I needed to read it. While this novel had its problems, it was a light, interesting read, and it definitely made my wanderlust flare.

So, Lina's mother just died. On her way out, she started telling Lina these stories of her time studying abroad in Italy, and her friend Howard, who she met there. Then she breaks the news that this Howard character is Lina's father and begs Lina to go live with him in Italy and get to know him IN ITALY after she dies (not in Italy). Obviously, I enjoyed the setting of this novel, but it was moreso than the fact that it takes place IN ITALY. Howard lives in a cemetery, basically, and all the friends Lina makes IN ITALY have really interesting houses. I was really charmed by that aspect because I am obsessed with cool houses.

Something else I really loved while I was reading is that when Lina arrives at Howard's she discovers a journal that her mother sent to the house for her from her time in Italy. It catalogs a scandalous romance, some poor decisions, and a harsh truth for Lina. The journal is a story inside of a story, which I always love, and it presents an almost-mystery--and I needed to figure out how things played out. Plus, we get to follow Lina as she checks out some of the places her mother mentions going to IN ITALY so it was like a lil tour and that was a lot of fun.

The romance between Lina and Ren is cute and sweet, but nothing particularly special. It seemed to move a bit fast. Not insta-love fast, but fast nonetheless. Ren was immediately taken by Lina, and part of it just seemed to be because she was new. But don't get me wrong: Ren was cute! I loved that he was willing to be there for Lina for anything, and he always seemed to be down for an adventure. I was rooting for their romance, definitely, but it was no Epic Love, ya know? What I thought was cuter than the romance was the relationship Lina and Howard develop. It's a strange father-daughter dynamic, considering the two of them have only known about each other for a short time, but the way their relationship changes and grows is heckin adorable. As a bonafide daddy's girl, I'm a sucker for a lovely father-daughter storyline.

Now for the thing that bothered me most about this book: THE END. Yes, it was a bit predictable. But that's to be expected. It was really just one event that genuinely angered me and spoiled the entire ending for me. You see, Lina goes out with a guy she'd been flirting with throughout the whole book, except she's only using him to see Ren, and that just bothered me so much. It made some of their sweet moments taste a little bitter as I was reading.

This book was charming and sweet and a really quick read. It is a really nice summer read, and it will absolutely sate any desire for a light, fun contemporary book.

My rating: 

3.5/5

A post shared by The Left-Handed Book Lover (@leftyreads) on Jun 29, 2017 at 2:28pm PDT

New To My Wishlist #4

Welcome to a new feature at The Left-Handed Book Lover! Basically, this feature is meant to showcase books I really want to read, whether they were released years ago or don't come out for another six months. Enjoy!

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Published: February 13, 2018 by Balzer + Bray 

Summary from Goodreads: 
Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09 — one of the last remaining illegal Metals — has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them — and the coordinates — and not everyone wants them captured alive.

First of all, I am Ashley Poston trash. I will read anything she writes. Also, this sounds friggin epic, my dudes. It's a space opera! And look at that cover. Massive heart eyes.

In a Perfect World by Trish Doller
Published: May 23, 2017 by Simon Pulse

Summary from Goodreads: 
Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

I read a really raving review for this book, which is what originally piqued my interest, but re-reading the summary got me intrigued all over again. I've never read anything set in Egypt, and I've also heard that this sheds a lot of light on privilege. I'm sure reading this will be both emotional and informative.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanen McGuire
Published: April 5, 2016 by Tor

Summary from Goodreads: 

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

A ton of people rave about this book, especially a ton of people whose opinions I trust. I never really paid much attention to what it was actually about, but the more I learned about it, the more I realized how up my alley it sounds!

Lefty's Lowdown: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
(Red Queen #2)
Published: February 9, 2016 by HarperTeen
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads: 

If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

 It took me way too long to read this novel. I really enjoyed Red Queen, its predecessor, but let this sit on my shelf for a long while. I'd heard it wasn't very good and that made me extremely nervous. I'll admit, this wasn't my favorite book to ever exist, but I am happy I read it, and it made me excited to continue the series!

So, this book starts out sloooooow. That's my main squabble with the novel. It started out with action, but for some reason it still just felt slow-paced. It was very description-heavy, but I feel like it was mostly just describing different buildings, and I literally zoned out every time we started getting heavy description. Personally, I like characterization, and we really didn't get much of that until the final 1/3 of the book. Maybe I'm wrong, but it just felt like the characters hardly had any meaningful interaction throughout most of the book. They'd discuss battle strategy, but they remained fairly static until closer to the end.

Needless to say, the final third of the book is what saved it for me. Once more started happening with the characters and the stakes began to feel crucial, I became completely absorbed in the novel! And by the end, I was ready as heck to keep reading.

Now let's talk about our protagonist. Mare Barrow. I tried so hard not to get frustrated with her as I was reading, but ALAS! Frustration occurred. I get that she was majorly betrayed in the first novel, so it makes sense that she starts questioning who she should trust. But like. I didn't enjoy the way she just iced over her heart. She didn't treat anyone with respect. And she was just so wobbly. She got onto her high freakin horse and barked orders at people and acted like she was the most important person to ever exist because she could make lightning, but then when people regarded her as a leader she'd say, "I'm not a leader. Woe is me! Anyone can betray anyone! I'm so powerful!" I lost a lot of respect for her character in this novel.

As for the other characters--we had a nice motley crew. I enjoyed meeting the newbloods and I loved seeing more of Kilorn and Shade and Farley. Tbh, I wish we got to see more Maven because, try as I might to hate him, he's probably my favorite character. It was a lot of fun to see all the twisted shit he does in this book and how deeply fucked his psyche is.

This book was just fairly lackluster for me. I feel like the series lost a lot of the intrigue that it had in the first book. I wasn't swept away by the politics or, for most of the novel, the character relationships. The plot was expected and repetitive. The romance was kind of bland. But that final third of the novel, man. It convinced me to keep reading. It convinced me to hang on to these characters and to care about them. I have hope for Mare's character arc and I have hope for MORE MAVEN.

My rating: 

3/5

Top Ten Book Boyfriends of 2016

I love me some swoon-worthy fictional boys. Here are my favorites that I met in 2016. 

Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - He is probably my #1 book boyfriend of the year. He is so sweet and nerdy and I'M IN COLLEGE AND HAVEN'T MET ANYONE LIKE HIM THIS IS UNFAIR.

Eros from Beyond the Red by Ava Jae - He is loyalty and bravery and stubborness and flaws and I can't wait for the sequel when I get to see more of himmmmmm.

Jack from Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven - He is misguided, but overall caring and sweet. It was adorable to read his thoughts about Libby and the dates he took her on. Jealous, honestly.

G from My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows - OH LORD I LOVE G. He is so freaking funny and clever and when he gets really worried about Jane it is the most precious thing my heart has ever felt.

Frank from Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - He's such a sweet lil cinnamon roll. He cares about the environment and being a good guy and I never thought I'd find anyone named Frank appealing, that's for sure.

Will Traynor from Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - I CAN'T TALK ABOUT HIM. Except I adore him. As problematic as his story may be, I found Will himself to be utterly charming and, even in his sassiest moment, an absolute delight.

Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - I liked him more than the beloved Mr. Darcy, I think. So do with that information what you will.

Clark from The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson - He's a WRITER!!!! And a precious little bean who never had friends growing up and it's impossible, if you ask me, not to fall in love with him over the course of the novel.

Captain from Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell - Naughty? Nice? Who knows. All I can say is that he is a HANDSOME PIRATE WHO HAS STOLEN MY HEART.

Dimitri Belikov from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Okay, okay, I know this is cheating because this is, like, my trillionth time reading this book, BUT in the 10th anniversary edition we got new stories with him in them, so I'd say it counts. I can't leave out my all-time bae, okay?

Lefty's Lowdown: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
(standalone)
Published: November 8, 2016 by Feiwel & Friends

Summary from Goodreads: Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

 Okay, so, this was my first book of 2017 and MAN WAS IT KILLER. Maybe this is a bit premature, but I'm fairly certain that this is going to be one of my favorite books OF THE YEAR. I loved it, adored it, relished every second of it. Be prepared for a review full of SQUEES and CAPITAL LETTERS because I have lots of gushing to do about this book.

This is an origin story for the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. I'm not really the biggest Alice fan. I've never read the book and I've only seen the one movie with Johnny Depp. BUT THAT DIDN'T EVEN MATTER. Marissa Meyer uses the traditional Wonderland influences, but she creates a story all her own. Heartless is the story of Catherine, a girl with wide eyes and big dreams. A girl who is a victim to fate and social expectations and her own innocence. I enjoyed Cath's character a lot. I knew things weren't going to end well for her because she turns into the evil Queen of Hearts (tbh I know that this ISN'T canon but in my mind this book is totally canon and I'm forever going to look at the Queen of Hearts with this story in mind) but HOT DIGGITY DAMN IF I WASN'T ROOTING FOR HER. Like, I just wanted everything to work out for her. I wanted her to have her happy ending with her bakery and her best friend and JEST.

Jest jest jest. Of course we MUST talk about JESTTTTTT. Because I love him. Like, I reallllllllly love him. Book boyfriend AF. He is charming and sweet and witty and I LOVE HIM. It causes me physical pain to know that this is a standalone and therefore the only book we'll ever get with Jest. Of course, I can't forget about the other marvelous characters in this book, like Cheshire (he's a cat so of course I love him) and Hatta (aka the Mad Hatter) and Raven. These characters all brought so much to the table. Yes, they (aside from Raven) have Lewis Carroll's stamp on them, but Meyer made them something else, too. I could read about these characters all day every day.

I will say, nothing about this book came as much of a surprise. The bare bones of this story are pretty cliche, but, and I don't know how, Meyer makes this something special. And she ripped out my damn heart, too (the real reason it's called Heartless). I was wrecked by the end of this novel. And then I woke up the next morning still reeling from it. And then, writing this review I almost started crying again. It's so good, y'all. So frickly frackin' spectacular. I've officially hopped on the Marissa Meyer train and I can't wait to see where else it takes me.

I know that this review has basically been a heap of nonsensical gushing, but the bottom line is that Heartless has whimsy and heartbreak, beautiful characterization, and it throws in pieces of tales most people already know and love. So this book is A+ and I will love it until the day I die, basically.

5/5 will definitely read again

2016 End of Year Survey

Wow, 2016 has been a year, friends. In terms of world happenings, it has sucked. We all know this. Personally, though, I've has worse years. Let's check out what my year has looked like in books and blogging!

Number Of Books You Read: 40
Number of Re-Reads: 2
Genre You Read The Most From: YA contemporary

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?Hah. Haha. Hahaha. As if it's possible to choose just one. You can refer to my Top Ten Tuesday post for my favorite books of the year!

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

The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle

I was hyped for this book because it's about a girl who goes to SINGING CAMP. I used to go to singing camp when I was in high school (miss it a lot, btw), so I thought this was going to be a perfect read for me. Turns out, it was just okay. There were a lot of little things that annoyed me throughout the book, and it wasn't the singing book I needed it to be.

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

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

I was not prepared to love this book as much as I did! I don't even know why, but I expected this book to be cheesy and not very well written, but I was wrong wrong wrong! This was action-packed and entirely engrossing. I cannot wait for the sequel.  

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

And I Darken by Kiersten White

There was a point where I brought this book up in every single blog post and youtube video (I mean, I still kinda do, but whatever), and I had quite a few people tell me they were gonna get it because of how much I emphasized it's greatness.

5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

I've decided not to answer this one, seeing as like 95% of what I've read this year have been standalones, and my favorites would probably be re-reads to that doesn't even count.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?
Hands down, Morgan Matson! I've read all of her books except Second Chance Summer, and I fell in love with each of them. My favorite is Since You've Been Gone, but they're all so amazing! She is now on my auto-buy list--definitely one of my new favorite authors.

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

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I do not typically read adult books, but I've read a few more this year than usual, and this one is by far my favorite. It's one of my favorite books of the year, even. I think I'm slowly easing myself into adult fiction.

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

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Admittedly, the beginning is a bit slow, but once we get to the real action, the pacing picks up and it becomes very unputdownable. The world is alive, the characters are alive, the story is absolutely ALIVE. And hello yummy pirates!

9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

There were actually a lot of books I could have chosen for this one, but I think this one is the MOST likely. I felt so connected to Cath, and this book just gave me all the happy feelings in the entire world. I wanted to re-read it the moment I finished it, and that feeling still hasn't gone away, even months later. 

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?


We Own the Night by Ashley Poston

I've always thought this cover was beautiful! I adore the colors and font and the pretty night sky and all the radio vibes. Even better, it fits the book perfectly! I wish I had a physical copy of this book, because I'm sure it's even more gorgeous in person.







11. Most memorable character of 2016?

Lady Jane Grey from My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

I really adored her character! She is funny, stubborn, and REALLY loves books. She's basically me, but, you know, more interesting. She is a character I will hold dear to my heart probably forever.








12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Okay, so this is a re-read, but I couldn't not pick this one, because this is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read, and I'm convinced that opinion will never change.









13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

This book wasn't particularly life-changing, but it did make me ponder the nature of humanity a lot when I was reading it. It raises a lot of questions about good vs. evil and delves into the shades of gray.









14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Obviously this is an extremely popular book. Pretty much everyone I knew had read this book, even the friends I have that don't do much reading. I didn't feel like a true reader having not read this book yet. BUT I FINALLY DID IT WHOOOO! And I enjoyed it a lot. I don't think I connected to it the same way that some other people did, but I still devoured it like it was nobody's business.






15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?

100% too lazy to find an answer to this one.

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?

Shortest: Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (160 Pages)

Longest: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (519 pages)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I think the truth is that I didn't read all that many shocking books this year, but there was a little twist in this one that I hadn't seen coming, and it definitely made my jaw drop a bit.









18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

G and Jane from My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

I've gained many new OTPs this year, so I just decided to go with my most recent, because it's impossible to choose between all my lovely ships. G and Jane are adorable. Their banter is quite comical and watching them go from strangers to adoring one another was such a delight. These two have a fond place in my heart.







19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

The Baudelaire orphans from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

These three children get better with each book (I've only read the first three recently, but still). Their love for each other is so unconditional and so precious. As someone who is really close with all my siblings, I really enjoyed following these children as they work together to escape scrape after scrape.







20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

And I Darken by Kiersten White

I read her Paranormalcy series a few years ago, and while I enjoyed it enough, that series holds exactly zero candles to this book right here, one of my favorites of the year!









21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

I'd never read a graphic novel before and I had no idea what this series was about. I just knew everybody on booktube raved about it, so when I saw it in a used book store I decided to give it a go, and it is truly wonderful!








22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?

Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Again, there are so many fictional crushes I could choose from, but Levi took the win on this one. I feel like he is a guy I would actually want to date in real life. He'ss sweet and fun and a lil nerdy, so BAE AF.








23. Best 2016 debut you read?

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

Okay, I actually read this at the end of 2015 but it's still a 2016 debut, so I say it counts. I really think this book deserves more attention. It's a Blackbeard origin story and it's incredible. The sequel (that was not originally planned) comes out in 2017 and I AM HYPED.







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

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Well, yes, this is another re-read, but IT'S FINE. I've always been in love with the worldbuilding in this series since I first read it. Mead intricately weaves a world inside of our normal world that has intricate rules and politics and social expectations. This world has been a haven for me for years, so it had to be my choice.







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

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

I read the first three books this year and they are such a delight! I read these way back in the day but there's no way I appreciated them when I was in elementary school. These books are so charming and fun.








26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?


A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This book is beautiful and heartbreaking. I think everyone should read it.









27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

We Own the Night by Ashley Poston

THIS BOOK ONLY HAS 121 RATINGS ON GOODREADS. I feel like the book community has thousands of people in it, but this book only has a little over 100 ratings, but it is SO GOOD. Like, so many feels are woven into this book, and I just think it deserves more recognition!








28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Yep.










29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

I've never read a book like this before! It's historical, but also blatantly bending history. It's magical and funny and adorable and there's so few things like this in YA.









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

Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt

Yeah, I didn't like this one. Hands down my least favorite book I read this year. The protagonist just pissed me off so much. Nope nope nope. All the nopes.

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?

This is hard because to be honest I don't remember every single blog that I discovered in 2016. Soooo I decided to choose a smaller blog that I've recently discovered and enjoyed. She Latitude is one of the most recent blogs I discovered, and I can't wait to see more of her posts! The aesthetic of the blog is simple and cute, and she provides quality content! And she comments back, which is something I love in a blogger (even though I'm not great at it myself).

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?

Reviews are often very difficult for me to write. Sometimes it's an arduous task to sit down and write a review no matter how I feel about the book, but when I sat down to write my review of Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson, the words just flowed outta me. It's a bit long, but I feel like I got out everything I wanted to say, which doesn't always happen in reviews.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

I feel like I always have ideas for discussion posts, but I never have the motivation to write them, or I'm just kinda worried that I won't have anything valuable to say or that people won't care, but there are a couple discussion posts that I'm fairly proud of and that others seemed to like. 

What I've Learned From Bookstagram

and

Goodreads As Social Media

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

I think this year I've branched out quite a bit in the book community, so I've participated in all sorts of fun blogging/reading events. I think the Summer Blog Promo Tour (created by The Book Bratz) is my favorite out of all the events, though. I got to meet new bloggers, create fresh content that I might not have thought about myself, and feature different perspectives on my blog. I truly believe this event helped me grow as a blogger.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?

I can't pinpoint the exact moment, but I was overjoyed when I realized that I was making friends in this community. That people were reading what I had to say and ENJOYING it. That some people considered my little corner on the internet among their favorite blogs. That some people paid attention to the stuff I tweeted and remembered it and brought it up again later. Realizing that I had a voice in this community, no matter how small it may still be at the moment. 

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

I absolutely did not maintain my blog when school was in session. 

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

Flashback Friday #5: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I'm gonna list a few here because it's my blog and I can do what I want. 

YA Look Book #1: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

The Eclectic Corner #4: Scary Movies

61 (Non-Spoilery) Thoughts I Had While Re-Reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver

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

BookTube!!! 

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

Um, well, no. The only goal I'd officially set for myself was to read 50 books this year, which I didn't quite reach. That's okay, though, because I read more this year than I have in previous years. But while these were never official goals or anything, I'd also wanted to create more original content and creative content on the blog, and I wanted to branch out a bit in my reading habits. I think I've done a decent job of both of those things this year and I can only hope to keep improving next year. 

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?

ONCE AND FOR ALL BY SARAH DESSEN omg omg omg omg

3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?

A few casual goals I have are to be more consistent when the semester starts again, to read more classics, and to make more friends in the community.