Books I Started But Didn't Finish In 2017

(Okay so this isn't really a best-of list, but I'm too lazy to make another graphic)

We've all been there before: You start a book but you get distracted by another read and never open it again. You're not in the mood for your current read. Maybe it's just not hooking you. Unfortunately, starting books but not finishing them happens, and in 2017 it happened quite frequently for me.

The following books, I do not necessarily consider DNF books because I do want to finish them one day, but that day was not in 2017.

1) Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman 

Everybody loves this book. And it's a contemporary. And it has an interesting premise. And a disabled love interest. It sounds like this book would be a total love match for me, but I just wasn't connecting to it when I was reading it. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it at the time???? I got 25% of the way through it. 

2) Duplicity by N.K. Traver

I got a free audiobook from the author for review. I would listen to it as I walked or laid out by the pool but one day I just never went back to it. Granted, it wasn't the best book or narrator, at least so far. However, my fitire holds a lot of bus & train rides so maybe I will give it another shot on one of those rides. 

3) The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

I hate having this one on the list because this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2017. I read only the beginning, and I reallllllly liked it, but it was the summer and I was lounging by the pool and I just wanted to read quick contemporaries. And then I never resumed this one. BUT 2018 WILL BE THE YEAR I READ IT. 

4) 26 Kisses by Anna Michels 

Speaking of quick contemporaries, this, apparently, was not the one I was after. It's not that it was bad...it just wasn't speaking to my heart, so I just forgot to pick it up ever again. I would like to read the entire thing one day, though, just for the sake of completion. 

5) Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Oh lordy I was PUMPED for this novel. I got about halfway through it before I just...stopped reading it. It's not that it was bad, but I think I was expecting a more fast-paced, addicting, romantic read like Ahdieh's other work. It just wasn't giving me what I wanted at the time, but it is still probably a worthwhile read and I think going into it with adjusted expectations will help. 

6) Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me by Carrie DiRisio

When I first discovered the Brooding YA Hero twitter account, I thought it was satirical gold, but by the book came out, I think I was just over it. It stopped being clever and became redundant, and reading the book was just a bit much. Also, I received an e-galley that had some really awful formatting, so that made the experience even more unpleasant. This is one I really truly don't know if I'll ever read in its entirety, but I'm sure it's quick and requires very little brain power, so who knows.

7) Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

This one is the most recent, having started it in the later half of January. I wanna love it so bad because everyone loves it and it's about JACK THE RIPPER, who I find fascinating. I just was not connecting. I am 100% going to try again, and probably soon. 

There you have the books I started but never finished in 2017! There might be more, but I took them off my Goodreads shelf, so I don't remember?

WHAT BOOKS DID YOU START BUT NEVER FINISH? DO YOU THINK I NEED TO GIVE ANY OF THESE ANOTHER SHOT IMMEDIATELY?

Favorite New-To-Me Authors in 2017

Sometimes it is so nice to sink into a book by one of your favorite authors. To go into a book knowing it's going to be wonderful because it's written by someone you trust. On the other hand, though, there's something exhilarating about falling in love with a new author's words.

So.

Here are some authors I read for the first time in 2017, whose books I adored, and who I will definitely be on the look out for in the future.

1) RILEY REDGATE

What I read: Noteworthy 

My review

Other books by this author: Seven Ways We Lie

Coming June 12, 2018: Final Draft 

2) BONNIE PIPKIN

What I read: Aftercare Instructions

My review

3) STEPHANIE GARBER

What I read: Caraval

My review

Coming May 29, 2018: Legendary

4) JENN BENNETT

What I read: Alex, Approximately

Other books by this author: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart

The Arcadia Bell series

The Roaring Twenties series

Coming April 3, 2018: Starry Eyes

5) JULIE BUXBAUM

What I read: What to Say Next

My review

Other books by this author: The Opposite of Love

After You

Tell Me Three Things

Coming May 14, 2018: Picture a Blue Sky

No available cover

6) AMIE KAUFMAN AND JAY KRISTOFF

What I read: Illuminae and Gemina

Coming March 13. 2018: Obsidio

7) SANDHYA MENON

What I read: When Dimple Met Rishi

Coming June 5, 2018: From Twinkle, with Love

THOSE ARE MY FAVORITE NEW-TO-ME AUTHORS IN 2017! DID YOU READ ANYTHING FROM THESE AUTHORS? WHICH FANTASTIC AUTHORS DID YOU DISCOVER IN 2017?

My Favorite Books of 2017

I know, I know. We still have a couple days left of 2017 so I could potentially still discover a new favorite to add to the list, but I don't know how much reading I'm going to be doing, so I figured I'd take my chances. Here are my top ten favorite books of 2017 (in no particular order).

1) What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum | (MY REVIEW) - This books gave me so many emotions. It was sweet and heartbreaking all at the same time. This is a beautiful contemporary novel and features a character on the autism spectrum. ★★★★½

2) Caraval by Stephanie Garber | (MY REVIEW) - This was an absolute roller coaster of a read. It had my emotions ALL OVER THE PLACE. And it certainly kept me on my toes. It was a wild, all-consuming ride and I loved every single second of it. ★★★★★

3) Noteworthy by Riley Redgate | (MY REVIEW) - A SINGING BOOK!! And a good one at that. This novel was so fun and explorative, a novel that stands out among the trillions of YA contemporary books at our disposal. ★★★★¼

4) Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - Holy shit this book (and its predecessor) is such an exciting, crazy read. It starts out a little slow, a little confusing and then it picks up speed and flies. I could not turn the pages fast enough. The characters are great and it's told in such an interesting format and I cannot wait until book 3. ★★★★★

5) Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin | (MY REVIEW) - This one certainly took me by surprise! It's a bit gritty and complicated and left my feelings all sorts of confused. It alternates between standard formatting and play formatting, between past and present. It was a truly wonderful reading experience. ★★★★★

6) Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - Morgan Matson is an expert at characterization. I fell in love with all the characters in this novel and cried so many tears. Everything she writes is beautiful and relatable and speaks to my heart. ★★★★

7) Heartless by Marissa Meyer | (MY REVIEW) - I fucking love this book and I will never stop loving this book. It was so fun and interesting and exciting until it broke my heart into five gazillion pieces. Freaking incredible. ★★★★★

8) Once and For All by Sarah Dessen | (MY REVIEW) - Sarah Dessen is the queen of all queens, okay. This book was both lovely and tragic. And very Sarah Dessen. Let's just leave it at that. ★★★★½

9) Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples - I read the first half of this graphic novels series last year, but I re-read it this year and continued on and it's SO GOOD. The art is incredible and the story is addicting and the characters are so bad ass. ★★★★★

10) Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett - This book is very much in the vain of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson, so of course I adored it. It's cute and emotional and so real. ★★★★

Those are my favorites of 2017. WHAT ARE YOURS? DO WE HAVE ANY  IN COMMON?