We talked about the good...now to talk about the bad.
And by bad, I mean the WORST reads I read in 2018. Obviously, this is all ~my OPINION~ so if any of these are your faves, more power to ya! These just were not the books for me. (Plus I read tons of trash so you can roast me about that).
So grab your teacups kids, because it's gonna be a doozy.
In no particular order...
10. Things I'm Seeing Without You by Peter Bognanni
This book...was trash. I'm sorry. The characters were awful and the story was so boring that I was almost gave up on it about 50 different times. I could barely make it through a page without getting tired because absolutely nothing in this book was interesting. Not only that, the things that did occur were so wildly unrealistic that it just made no sense to write about them. Just not a great read.
9. My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier
I feel like this book was more disappointing than anything else. I went in expecting a creepy thriller a la Gone Girl and instead I'm just given an annoying protagonist, bad parenting, and nothing interesting. The book got better towards the end but it took so long to get there that it couldn't save the story for me.
8. None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio
Ugh this book...so this book was just really...something. I'm not intersex so I can't really speak for the representation provided in it, but it came off pretty derogatory. The main character, who is intersex, uses a lot of slurs even after being told to like, not. Also this book normalizes not getting a period as being okay because you are an athlete. Which is not accurate and super dangerous.
7. Scream All Night by Derek Milman
This book wasn't the worst book I read, but again it was more of a disappointing read than anything. I had been really excited to read this book in October hoping for some spooky story but instead got a lot of angst and oddness. I loved the background cast but the book was just a miss for me.
6. Reality Check by Jen Calonita
This book did not go through an editor or a proofreader or anything. Besides a really weak plot and 2-dimensional character, so many grammatical errors took over this book and many times there were passages printed twice within two pages, just worded slightly differently. i.e. she walked through the door to the cafe sighing....*three pages later*..Jane walked through the cafe door, sighing to herself. WHAT EVEN??
5. Jay's Journal by Beatrice Sparks
Okay, okay I do not read Beatrice Sparks' books, ahem I mean ANONYMOUS, books for good writing but more to read some sad after-school special and just enjoy it. Well...this book was actually compiled from a journal and the editor turned this depressed kid into an occult member on drugs. Besides that insanity, the book was just incoherent and had no real timeline. If you want to look more into the scandal behind the real story of Jay's Journal, you can read more here.
4. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me by Julie Anne Peters
Not gonna lie, I had to look this book up again to remember what it was about. Basically, it follows a girl whose girlfriend dies. After her death, she finds out her girlfriend had been cheating on her with another girl and then more starts to come out about who her girlfriend really was as a person. All the characters were absolutely terrible, and Swanee (yep that's her name) was abusive and manipulative even before the cheating. Plus one of the characters is in a pretty sketchy situation that is just swept under the rug and the story is so ridiculous.
3. Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira
I really wanted to like this book. I loved the main character and really connected to her bookish tendencies. However, this book DRAGGED so much. I felt like it was almost over and then realized I was only halfway through it. Which, in a good book, would be great to have more story. But so much of this was filler. The love interest was absolutely terrible and the book had tons of grammar issues as well so it was just not for me.
2. Top Ten by Katie Cotugno
Katie Cotugno has been kind of a hit or miss (I guess they never miss huh?...sorry...) author for me and I wrote a full review of this book here that you can check out, but in short, this book was just...meh. Nothing great about it, the characters were the absolute worst, and they were always fighting. It had some high points but not a real winner for me.
And the worst book of 2018...
1. Ship It by Britta Lundin
Honestly, did you guys not see this one coming? I DESPISED this book which sucked because I was so, so, so hyped for it. I wrote a full review here about it, so I won't rant too much here, but iasudhfaisdhfakljsdfh this book was just a huge NO from me. In the review I said I gave it 2 stars but I had to drop it to one because I am still so salty about this book and it's been months since I read it. So there's that.
Those were my worst reads of 2018. Did I roast any of your faves? What were your worst reads of the year? Let's chat about it!
Always Raineedayze
Let's all pretend that I'm not super late to this post okay? Cool.
2018 was a pretty great reading year for me overall. I was able to read so many different books and genres and even though I didn't hit my reading goal (by 7 books!!! *sobs*), I still had a total blast pushing myself to read books that were out of the box for me.
So, to honor some of the best books I read in 2018, I decided to name my top 10 reads of last year! These aren't books that were exclusively published in 2018, just books that I happened to read in 2018.
And don't worry, my salty readers...I will also be making a Most Disappointing Reads of 2018 post VERY SOON, so keep an eye out for that!
In no particular order...
10. Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
This book was one of the last books I read in 2018 and it was absolutely fantastic. I love fairy tale retellings and the story was so wonderfully written. It was dark and heart-wrenching and dramatic and overall just a fantastic read.
9. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
Grady Hendrix quickly became one of my absolute favorite writers in 2018 and I am so stoked to read more of his work. This book sounded hilarious and weird and like a perfect Halloween read and I absolutely devoured it. It was creepy and spooky and wacky, just like a cheesy horror flick.
8. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I know this is a huge book but until last year, I had never read it. This book was haunting and Ray Bradbury is just an incredible writer. As a person who works in maintaining free speech, this book really tugged at me and I was in LOVE with it as soon as I read it. The movie was pretty disappointing so I definitely recommend picking up the book instead.
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell
Again another book that it seems like everyone but me has read. I was in an alternative school when my class covered this book in high school so I never got the chance to read it until last year but as a MASSIVE Orwell fan, I knew I had to finally read it. I am so glad I did. Without getting too political, I feel it really summed up a lot my feelings towards modern day America and was a great, chilling read.
6. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
This really was the year of reading books on my forever TBR and I was so grateful to get through so many of them. This book was SO beautifully written and I could not put it down. I experienced an immense mood shift when I finished the book, so much that I had to just lie down for a bit. This book hit me hard and I loved it so much for that.
5. IT by Stephen King
I really love Stephen King and I wanted to make sure I read the book after seeing the new film last year. This book was absolutely incredible and is probably one of my favorite books of his. One thing I like about his books is that the normalcy of things makes them so much more disturbing. If you are looking to pick up a Stephen King novel, I highly recommend this one.
4. Save Me, Kurt Cobain by Jenny Manzer
It's no secret, I am a HUGE Nirvana fan. They've been my favorite band since I was young and I have always been fascinated by Kurt Cobain. This book was a fictional tale of a girl who reminded me so much of me in middle school/high school and it brought back so much nostalgia for me. This is probably one of the most personal choices on this list for me, as it wasn't impeccably written or an instant classic like the other books here, but it resonated so much for me personally that I had to include it.
3. All We Have Left by Wendy Mills
I still think about this book so much. I went into this book knowing nothing about, just picked it up from the library with no prior knowledge. This book deals with 9/11 and is told in dual narrative from different time periods, so even though you know part of the ending from the beginning, you cannot put it down just to see how the story will play out. Also, it made me ugly cry.
2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is essentially THE writer extraordinaire. You guys know my love for him is insane so I finally read this and was so in love with the story, the characters, the setting....everything. I really love books based in mythology so this was already going to be a huge winner for me, but his writing style just immediately gets me. Plus the show is FANTASTIC and I can't wait for Season 2.
1. Geekerella by Ashley Poston
This list wasn't really in any order but this was absolutely my favorite read of the year. I fell so hard for this book and wrote a more detailed review that you can check out here, but in short, this book was everything a fangirl could ask for. I needed so much more from that universe when I read it and definitely consider it one of my favorite books of all time.
Have you read any of these? What were your top books of the year? Let's chat about it!
Always, Raineedayze
Happy February!!!
Now, I may be a little bit biased because my birthday is in February, but I absolutely adore the month of February. Valentine's Day is my absolute favorite holiday, and I love how this month is when we actually start getting into the swing of things. January is always the trial month, but February is really where you can see how your year is going.
That being said, I spent so much time working on this list of monthly goals, and I can definitely say they build up from last month's goals.
Last, month I focused on goals in terms of 4. I used this because it gave me a chance to complete one item on the list per week. Since most of those goals went by pretty successfully, I wanted to add a little more to my plate. February is a shorter month but I think I can handle it.
1. Draw 4 digital pieces (and upload one!)
It's no secret that I have been working hard on my art. Now that I am nearing the end of my academic career, I wanted to focus on what I actually enjoy doing and I have a huge passion for art. I want to build up my work ethic with it and hold myself accountable for completing pieces I am proud of, so hopefully you guys can see a piece this month!
2. Read 9 Books
My goal for the year is to read 100 books. In January, I read 9 books and I want to keep the streak up and stay ahead. I am nearing the end of my tenth book and one of my books came off hold at the library so I am pretty stoked to finish them by the end of the week.
3. Drink a bottle of water a day
I have a huuuuuge issue with not drinking enough water. I really need to take care of myself because kidney issues are no joke and I have already had a few health problems stemming from my poor water intake. A bottle of water is still lower than the recommended amount, but I need to start somewhere!
4. Post twice a week
I managed to successfully keep the blog running last month, but I could feel the urge to slack off in the back of my head. I'm not sure why I have been in a super meh mood, but I want to make sure this blog is productive because I love connecting with people through it!
These are my main goals for the month and I'll be checking in with you guys later in the month to see if I was successful!
What are your monthly goals? Let's chat!
Always, Raineedayze
It's the first day of February and I am posting this January Goal Wrap-Up late because....
I did a dumb thing.
A few days ago, I posted a Goals Check In where I discussed my monthly goals and how successful I was at them in January. (You can check that post out here!)
I have no idea where my brain was because I talked about my yearly goals in that post instead of my monthly goals. So if you were confused, I totally get it.
WHOOPS.
I edited the post but man, I felt pretty silly. So here is my check in for my January Mini Goals!
1. Read My 4 TBR Books
On my TBR for January I had The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Warcross by Marie Lu, Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo, and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Unfortunately, The Cruel Prince was all cleared out at my local library, so I wasn't able to get it this month. However, I read the other three books and loved them all! I was also able to read a few other awesome books (you can check the full list on my Captain's Log for January).
2. Draw 4 Things
Holy moly, did I rock this goal. I drew daily this month, and nearly cleared out a sketchbook! I moved my sketchpad to right in front of my computer, so I spent many a day sketching out random doodles while watching Supernatural or random Youtube videos. I was super proud of how much I actually got done!
3. Make 4 Blog posts.
Woohoo!! I was pretty happy that I uploaded 3 times that amount this month! I want to keep this blog running because not only is it a great escape for me to get all my thoughts out, I get to connect with so many people in the blogging community. Plus, I can look back at these posts as a digital scrapbook and see all the great memories of the year!
4. Walk 4 Miles
I have to be honest. I didn't keep track of this goal at all. While the start of school meant more walking around the campus, I don't think I moved around much more outside of that. Although I did head to the park trails a few times with Jonathan. So I guess this was a half-success?
Overall, I think I rocked my January Goals and I am super excited to build upon these for my February goals. I also loved keeping track of them in the spread I made in my planner, so I plan to continue that since it helped me keep track!
How was your January? Let's chat!
Always, Raineedayze
It's my first wrap-up post of the year and I am so stoked to talk about all the awesome stuff I did this month.
I'm super happy actually, because I did so much awesomeness this month and got so much done that I wanted to. I think it really set the tone for the type of person I want to be and I am LOVING my life.
Yes, Please by Amy Poehler | Geekerella by Ashley Poston | They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera | None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio | Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo | The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas | Warcross by Marie Lu | Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn | 99 Days by Katie Cotugno |
I had a pretty awesome start to the year in terms of reading. I read 9 books total and started American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Most of these books with an exception of two, were books that I really enjoyed. I also read a whole bunch of new authors like Marie Lu, Adam Silvera, and Leigh Bardugo. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more new authors this year!
Feel the Snow (Steam) | Fortnite (Xbox One) | Cuphead (Xbox One) | Hearthstone (Tablet) | Heroes of the Storm (PC) |
This month I didn't spend a whole lot of time gaming. Jonathan got me a ton of games over the winter break so I have a pretty full library but I haven't been able to lose myself in a game lately. Hopefully, this will change pretty soon. Especially with the new Overwatch skins!
American Housewife (Hulu) | Supernatural (Netflix) | Black Mirror (Netflix) | The Good Place (Hulu) | South Park (Hulu) |
Murder on the Orient Express | Harry Potter (rewatch) | Ingrid Goes West |
This month, I started watching shows I had been putting off instead of rewatching old shows (except for South Park, to wind down). I'm trying to finally catch up on Supernatural, since I dropped off after season 5. The rest of the shows are current so I have stuff to look forward to watching every week, which is really awesome and allows me to do something with my time other than sleep.
Movie-wise, I started a Harry Potter rewatch since Jonathan hasn't seen all of them (I know...I was shocked). I'm super excited to have him experience this with me.
Other Cool Things This Month
I started my last semester of college!
Jonathan and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary!
We spent more weekends out and about instead of at home with Netflix!
All in all, I feel this month was an excellent start to an excellent year!
Always, Raineedayze
Hiya guys!
This year, I made monthly mini-goals and 4 big yearly goals. I'll be posting about my mini goals later this week, but here is my progress for my 4 long-term goals!
1. Play More Games - FAIL
I cover this more in my wrap-up post, but I really didn't play too many games this month. I have a pretty large library of shame, or games that I need to get to but I haven't found myself heavily immersed in any game lately. Though, I hope that changes soon with the new games coming out.
2. Get Out More - SUCCESS
This month I wanted to start getting out of the house, whether it was going to the park, for a drive, or just grabbing some lunch. I can definitely say I did get out of the house a bit more. Jonathan and I spent more time at the park, and I tried to make it a priority to leave the house.
3. Create - SUCCESS
Out of all my goals this month, this was the one I was most excited about. I wanted to get back into creating more art and crafting more and I can definitely say this was a success. I got multiple comics done, including a special anniversary comic. I also made it a point to draw every day and filled up my sketchbook with some really awesome stuff. I also made some bookmarks, themed towards fandoms like Geekerella and Harry Potter. I'm pretty happy with how much I created this month and definitely hope to create more.
4. Treat Yo' Self (Better) - SUCCESS
This month, I really wanted to treat myself a lot better. Whether it was healthwise or self-care, I wanted to make my life a life worth living. I think I actually did pretty good! I drank more water, took a lot more time to myself, and indulged myself in things that made me happy.
I can't wait to see how I progress in February! Check out that post next month and be sure to check out the monthly goals post coming later this week!
Always, Raineedayze
Morning, my dudes!
I totally was not tagged in this but I thought it was super cool. I haven't done a book tag (or any tags) in a while, so I thought this would be a good place to start!
1. How many books are you planning on reading in 2018?
I set my Goodreads Goal this year at 100 books. Last year, I read 62 books but only really started reading a ton starting in June. I know I can hit 100 and if I can go over, that would be awesome!
2. Name 5 Books You Didn't Get to in 2017 but Want To in 2018
Warcross by Marie Lu, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, Replica by Lauren Oliver, and The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han
3. What Genre Do You Want to Read More Of?
Sci-fi! I love sci-fi movies and shows and I want to read more good sci-fi books!
4. Name 3 Non-Book Related Goals for 2018
To create more things, to catch up on more TV shows, and to graduate college!
5. What's a Book You've Had Forever That You Still Need To Read?
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott. This is Jonathan's favorite book and I feel so bad because I haven't read it all the way through, even though it is actually super interesting! I definitely want to read it this year.
6. One Word You're Hoping 2018 Will Be?
Productive. I want to create more and stop procrastinating!
7. Tag a friend!
I tag Becca over at My Life As A Sports Fangirl!
I really enjoyed this tag and definitely hope to do this more in the future!
Always, Raineedayze
This trend has been around the blogosphere for quite a while at this point. At the beginning of every year, you are to choose a word that will be the theme for your year, my word last year was Do, because I felt stagnant and wanted to do more things that fulfilled my life.
This year, there was only one word that came to mind and it felt like the most obvious choice.
My word for 2018 is...
I want to create so much more content this year whether it be in blogging, Youtube, art, food...I want to be able to put all this pent up self-expression out into the universe. I realized this past year that I truly enjoy my life most when I am creating it. I want to actually finish what I've been putting off for years and produce more content not only for myself, but for the internet. I'm still lucky enough to have the time at this point in my life, and I want to be able to use it to my advantage.
I want this to be the year I can finally create something I'm proud of and love doing. Last year, I accomplished so much I wanted to do by having Do be my word of the year. Let's rock this.
Always, Raineedayze
Fun fact about me.
I love setting goals.
I love vision boards, planners, goal lists, lists in general, personal spreadsheets....I'm like an organization nerd goddess.
However, this can tend to get me a little overwhelmed and I will set 500 goals that have to be done RIGHT THIS SECOND. I then fail miserably, and drown my failure in a gallon of Rocky Road ice cream.
So this year, I decided to keep it pretty simple. I set monthly small goals, goals I can accomplish and that will keep me motivated to continue. I also modified my yearly goals to be a little less stressful but also something that would require work.
Each month I have a section in my planner titled "How Did You Work Towards?" with my list of yearly goals and space for me to write down how I worked towards achieving them. I hope to see some progress and be able to look at the little actions that helped me overall become a better me.
So without any further ado, here are my goals for 2018.
1. Play More Games
In 2017, I was asked to help co-admin a female-based gaming community. I was so honored to be asked because it let me connect with so many gamers on a personal level and helping foster an awesome community. Plus, being an admin of anything is just so much fun. This year, I really want to amp up that and play more games that I've left in my Steam Library of Shame or in my Xbox Cabinet of the Forgotten (great names, right?). I really want to be more well-versed in a variety of games than my typical walking sims.
2. Get Out More
It's no secret that I am a homebody. I have my special DragonWarm blanket (it's Skrim themed...get it?) and my sweatpants and I'm more than happy to spend a day in front of my computer or in bed with a book. However, I've been thinking about how much of the outside world I've been missing. I'm 22 and I would like to see it while I'm still healthy and not blind. Jonathan and I went for a walk in the park the other day and just talking outside while sitting by the lake was so calming and just felt so much more personal than sitting in front of one of our screens, talking over our headsets.
3. Create
Obviously, this would be on here as Create is my word of the year (post coming soon). I want to create more content whether it be videos, art, blog posts, or personal journaling. I love creating new things and I have the time. I really want this to be the year I create more content not just for the internet, but for myself and my own happiness.
4. Treat Yo' Self (Better)
I am REALLY bad at treating myself too good *gestures wildly to the zillion books and makeup products cluttering my life* . So I modified this one a little bit (Sorry, Tom and Donna). In 2018, I want to do things that make me happy, stop doing things that don't, enjoy myself, and overall make myself a better version of me. Health, spiritually, general fulfillment. I want to just feel better about myself and about where my life is at this time.
These are my yearly goals. What are some of yours?
Always, Raineedayze
I love the new year. With it comes new goals, aspirations, and ideas for the future.I know that the old "new year, new me" cliche is a trope often times made fun of, but it's the perfect time to start small habits that can set up the rest of your year!
This month I have 4 mini-goals that I would like to accomplish. I set them slightly lower than usual because I hope to surpass them. I noticed this year that I tend to overestimate my goals, get overwhelmed, and do none of them. This year, my mini-goals are all about the basics.
1. Read My 4 TBR Books
My Goodreads Challenge for 2018 is set at 100 books, so I know I will have to read more than 4 a month to reach it. But, because I have so many books that I bought that are unread and I feel super guilty about it, since I typically get them from the library, I plan to prioritize these four books before I read anything else this month.
2. Draw 4 Things
Last year, I struggled with creating art. I would be on a good run for a bit and kind of die out near the middle. This month I am hoping to draw at least 4 things, just to get that sense of accomplishment that will hopefully carry me on to creating more things.
3. Write 4 Blog Posts
I know I slacked off a ton near the end of the year in 2017, so this year, I am aiming for 1 blog post a week. I will try to post more than that, because I'd eventually love to build to 3 times a week, but to get back in the swing of things, once a week should set up a manageable path.
4. Walk 4 miles
I know this sounds so bad because apparently we are supposed to work out 30 minute/3 times a week (oops), but I know myself. If I can actually commit and walk 4 miles in a month, it will be way better than making a super high goal I will never accomplish. Plus, baby steps right?
These all somehow revolved around the number 4, but I'm pretty excited to see if I can accomplish these and if I can exceed them.
What are your goals for January?
Always, Raineedayze
Happy New Year you guys!
I actually have a TBR this month, which if you've been following this blog for a while, you guys know I never do.
There are just so many books that I have unread around the house and one of my most anticipated releases comes out in the first week of January. Obviously, I hope to read more than just these four, but these are definitely top-priority!
1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
I love Holly Black so much. I have heard so many good things about this book from people who have read ARCs and honestly, anything with fairies gets my blood pumping! This book comes out January 2nd, so it will probably be my first bookish purchase of the year. I can't wait!
2. Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
I actually bought this book in November and read the first few pages. I had also borrowed the audiobook even earlier, but audiobooks are so hard for me to get into. I hope this month to actually finish this because the small section I did read was fantastic. Plus, anything Wonder Woman is my jam! Batman: Nightwalker comes out in January and this will be a good related read as well for it
3. Warcross by Marie Lu
I have been so stoked to read this book as soon as it came out and I bought it immediately. However, I still haven't opened the book, which is such a shame because it sounds amazing! It has been taunting me from my nightstand and I hope to dig in pretty soon.
4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Becca actually got me this book for Christmas (I love her!) and I can't wait to read it because I have heard so many amazing things about it. I feel so bad for not being able to read it yet so it might be one of the first books I read in 2018.
I have high hopes for all these books and definitely hope to read more than just these four, but these are the ones I will try to get to first!
What's on your TBR? Let's chat about it!
Always, Raineedayze
