New Year, New Books

What I'm Reading in 2018

Well, we somehow survived 2017 and have made it almost a month into the new year and I still haven't written my 2018 reading goals post, so here I am. Last year, I struggled with reading slumps, not really completing any of the challenges that I set out to do, and didn't read as many books as I did the year before. Total reading failure! But that's okay; one thing I'm resolving to do in 2018 is to not take my reading life to seriously. Instead, I'm reading what feels good, setting a lower overall goal for the year, and just doing one challenge (for now). I'm also aiming to read longer books (over 500 pages; I read a lot of super short novellas last year which was fine but I want to get invested in something over time), and to work on finishing more series. My total goal is 75 books for the year, which is way lower than usual, but that is 100% okay! Hopefully the ones I read are ones that stick with me.

Starting off my 2018 Reading Year like

What I'm Most Excited to Read in 2018

              

           

              

               

Plus, like, roughly a million more. Okay, maybe not a million, but pretty close. My TBR is rapidly increasing and I don't know how to feel about it. Basically, I'd like to read the latest from a few of my favorites, like Alyssa Cole, Becky Chambers, and Lisa Kleypas, as well as continue a few series, check out some debuts, and keep reading diversely from a range of authors who write about a wide variety of experiences.

What I Hope is Different in My 2018 Reading Life

Last year, I had quite a few moments when I didn't want to read anything. Or I would pick something up and just read it for the sake of finishing a book. That is not an enjoyable way to read!!! While I read some amazing books last year, I hope this year I will explore more works by the same author to get a better feel for their writing, dive into some lengthier books that make me sit down and pay attention for longer periods of time, and finally find out what happens at the end of series that I started but never completed.

What goals do you have for your 2018 reading life? What do you hope will be different? 

No matter if you're aiming to read one book this new year or 100, I wish you happy reading!

Review: The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Title: The Way You Make Me Feel
Author: Maurene Goo
Genre: Contemporary YA
Release Date: May 2018
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Maurene Goo is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary YA authors! I loved I Believe in a Thing Called Love and, to be honest, when I first started this book, I wasn't sure if it would live up to my expectations. Our main character is Clara, whose best friends are two prankster guys, and she loves joking around, playing pranks, and basically distancing herself from emotions and just having a good time. When one of her pranks goes too far, she's sentenced to work on her dad's Brazilian-Korean fusion food truck all summer long with her apparent enemy, Rose, who is a high achiever that Clara can't relate to at all. Meanwhile, a cute boy who frequents the food truck may make the summer a little more interesting.

At the start of the book, I straight up could not stand Clara. She was so obnoxious!!! And why didn't she have any female friends? But then, as I kept reading, I got to experience Clara's growth and see how she evolved throughout the story, and her relationships changed and grew, I found that I related to her quite a bit. I don't want to spoil the story so I won't elaborate much more, but basically this book has all the feels, and has a good balance of a romance but also focuses on friendships and family relationships, too. I always get a little annoyed in YA books when the parents are basically non-characters and the teens just live their lives-- it's so unrealistic! Goo does an excellent job including the familial relationships and giving depth to her characters, even to minor ones. Also, this book will make you incredibly hungry so make sure you have snacks handy while reading.

All the feels

I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of contemporary YA, readers who love stories about characters finding their identities, and lovers of feel-good romances with a good dose of comedy and emotional moments. Ahh it was so good! I can't wait to read more books by Maurene Goo. These are 100% books that I wish I could give to teenage me.

Me as I finished this book

Note: this ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.