Rewind & Review #100

Created by Shae Has Left the Room.

~It's my 100th Rewind & Review post?? 
~Christmas has come and gone.
~Only one week left before I head back to school. D:
~I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but I think I want to this year. I want to: follow through on the scenes I write (that is, finish them before I go on to write another scene), visit at least one place I haven't been before (whether it's another state or country), and read at least 250 books (I'm going to set my Goodreads goal lower than that but raise it as the year goes on, if I'm keeping up).

Books I Received for Review

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian (from Random House via NetGalley)
Always Forever Maybe by Anica Mrose Rissi (from HarperCollins via Edelweiss)
Local Flavor by Jean Iversen (from Northwestern University Press via NetGalley)
Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen
More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer (from Bloomsbury)

Books I Won/Traded for/was Gifted
Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
Shakespeare's Sonnets and Other Poems by William Shakespeare (from my parents)
The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner
Once and for All by Sarah Dessen
A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess (from my aunt and uncle)

Books I Bought

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills
In a Perfect World by Trish Doller
This Is Our Story by Ashley Elston
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
Interference by Kay Honeyman
Sunset Lullaby by Robin Jones Gunn

Books I Read

Twelve by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (4 stars)
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia (reread)
Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes (3 stars)
Matilda by Roald Dahl (4 stars)
Lucky in Love by Kasie West (reread)
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf (3.5 stars)
Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen
This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills (reread)
Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers (3 stars)
Sisterchicks series by Robin Jones Gunn (3.4 stars)
The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz (3 stars)
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West (reread)
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West (4 stars)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed in the Last Few Weeks

   (from 12/18-12/23)

• So You Like... #64
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Hope I Get for Christmas
• Review: Meet Cute by various authors (3 stars)
• Random Friday: Favorite Movies of 2017

   (from 12/24/-12/30)

• Merry Christmas to the Book Characters Year Five
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2018
• Looking Back on My Seventeen 2017 Reads
• The Best of My Bookstagram 2017
• End-of-the-Year Reading Challenge Updates

End-of-the-Year Reading Challenge Updates

So it's been quite a while since I told y'all how my reading challenges were going. And, not gonna lie, I definitely slacked off this fall. I had way too many new releases to read (plus reading for class). But I've managed to read a few, so here we go!

The Rory Gilmore Challenge

I'm going to start off by saying I've read 44 out of 225 books/plays/whatever. I have also straight up removed a couple books from the challenge because I decided they wouldn't be worth my time.

Next! Month(ish) by month(ish) updates:

I read Anna Karenina at the end of June, and I think that deserves an award. I think the only longer fiction book I've read is Les Miserables. 

Since I own The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, thanks to my Shakespeare class, I read another Shakespeare play in August: The Merry Wives of Windsor. It was interesting. Not my fave, but interesting. 

At the end of September, I tried to read the memoir Wild, which inspired Lorelai's trip in A Year in the Life: Fall, but it definitely wasn't to my taste, so I DNFed it. But I gave it a try, so I counted it.

In November, I read The Poetry of Emily Dickinson. It wasn't the same edition Rory read, but I think it counts all the same. I also read The Great Gatsby for the first time ever. Fitzgerald is so extra at times, good grief, but it was definitely an interesting read.

At the beginning of December, I read A Girl from Yamhill, which is Beverly Cleary's memoir. The style of it was interesting but a bit dry. I followed that with Henry IV, part II and Othello in the middle of the month. Now I have only four Shakespeare plays to finish for the Rory Gilmore Challenge. 
I continued the Shakespeare theme and read his sonnets, thanks to my parents, who gifted me the Word Cloud Classics edition for Christmas. It's gold and shimmery and very pretty.

All in all, I'm 19.5% of the way through the challenge. Here's to hoping I'll be at least 25% through by the end of 2018!


The Newbery Challenge

I am ashamed to admit it, but I read zero Newbery winners from June to the middle of December. Go ahead and scold me.

I should point out that there are fewer books on my Newbery challenge than in my Rory Gilmore challenge, so it's not terrible if I spread it out a little and take my time. But I did read Ginger Pye right before Christmas. I thought maybe I'd read this when I was a kid, but I have no recollection of the storyline, so I'm thinking I didn't.

I'm 64% done with this challenge, hooray!


Do you have any reading challenges you're working on?

The Best of My Bookstagram 2017

I've been on Bookstagram for a year and a half now, and I think my skills have maybe improved a bit! As evidence, here are some of my most popular Bookstagram posts from this year, as well as the ones I consider the best.

Few things pair more perfectly than Since You've Been Gone and Taylor Swift polaroids. #sinceyouvebeengone #morganmatson #taylorswift #polaroids #1989 #ya #bookstagram

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on Jan 13, 2017 at 10:05am PST

"Tonight I could write the saddest lines." What could be better than a YA book that revolves around Neruda? #crazymessybeautiful #carriearcos #neruda #poetry #youngadult #bookstagram #bookworm

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on Mar 3, 2017 at 3:58pm PST

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel jus as men feel." #janeeyre #charlottebronte #lavender #purple #canterburyclassics #wordcloudclassics #mrrochester #coverlove #bookstagram

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on May 8, 2017 at 7:43am PDT

It's a very rainy day here, so I thought it was perfect timing to share a (lopsided) book rainbow. 😊🌈📚 #bookstagram #rainbow

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on May 12, 2017 at 8:46am PDT

One of my favorite historical fiction series! Rebel Mechanics is an alternate history raising the question of, "What if the upper British classes had magic and so the American Revolution didn't happen?" These books are so much fun, and there is a delightful ship.

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on Jun 26, 2017 at 10:08am PDT

Sometimes when I read, I feel like I've traveled to another place and am living another life, and it's a fascinating feeling.

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on Jul 7, 2017 at 9:17am PDT

Lara Jean is one of my faves, forever and always. 😊

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on Aug 31, 2017 at 4:24am PDT

TGIF! I'm gonna reread one of my fave @emerylord books this weekend to celebrate making it through a long, busy week. What are you going to read this weekend? #thenamestheygaveus #emerylord #summercamp #canterburyroadco #candle #bookishcandle #fox #foxes #coverlove #bookstagram

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on Sep 29, 2017 at 7:33am PDT

Now here are some of my posts that got the most likes this year.

The top of one of my bookcases is looking prettier every day. 😊 #canterburyclassics #wordcloudclassics #thecompleteworksofwilliamshakespeare #littlewomen #hanschristianandersen #senseandsensibility #emma #peterpan #janeeyre #thesecretgarden #sherlockholmes #lesmiserables #blackbeauty #shelfie #bookstagram

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on May 19, 2017 at 7:31am PDT

Some of my favorite books so far of 2017! For the complete list, check out the link in my bio. Ft. mini Feyre from @happyhelloart and an @angryhareco Hamilton candle that smells scrumptious.

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on Jun 27, 2017 at 1:21pm PDT

My second #owlcrate arrived this weekend, and I am so very happy with it. I got it primarily because of the book, but everything else is so wonderful. (The coaster. The flower seeds! The candle! That mug!!!) #wildbeauty #annamariemclemore #forbiddenforest #cabeswater #bookstagram

A post shared by Emma (@awkwordly_emma) on Oct 23, 2017 at 4:16pm PDT

Are you on Bookstagram? How was your year over there?

Looking Back on My Seventeen 2017 Reads

I have to say, I feel like my Seventeen 2017 Reads were, for the most part, a let-down. Not only did I DNF/not like most of them, but several got pushed to 2018 (or even 2019) release dates. But let me break it down for y'all. (You can read this post for thoughts on the Seventeen 2017 Reads picks I read in the first half of 2017.)

READ AND LOVED/LIKED

Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski (4 stars)
Dear Martin by Nic Stone (4 stars)

Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett (4 stars)

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert (4 stars)

Someone Else's Summer by Rachel Bateman (4 stars)

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman (4 stars)
That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston (4 stars)
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore (4 stars)

READ AND WAS NEUTRAL ABOUT

Between Two Skies by Joanne O'Sullivan (3 stars)

The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke (3 stars)

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo (3 stars)

Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas (3 stars)
Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm (3 stars)

Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourn (3.5 stars)

Who's That Girl by Blair Thornburgh (3 stars)

READ AND DISLIKED

A Dangerous Year by Kes Trester (DNF)

The League of American Traitors by Matthew Landis (2 stars)

Meant to Be by Julie Halpern (DNF)

REMOVED FROM TBR LIST

Neighborhood Girls by Jessie Ann Foley

STILL NEED TO READ

Nutcracked by Susan Adrian

PUSHED TO A LATER RELEASE DATE

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saaed

Lost Causes by Jennifer Lynn Barnes


Thoughts? Eager to see what I think of my Eighteen 2018 Reads?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2018

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I've already shared 54 books I'm looking forward to in 2018, so there's gonna be some overlap between those posts and this list, but I'm so excited for these books, and I hope they don't let me down.


1. Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed


2. Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare


3. The Beloved Wild by Melissa Ostrom


4. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland


5. My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows


6. Furyborn by Claire Legrand


7. Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West


8. Save the Date by Morgan Matson


9. For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig


10. The Vanishing Kingdom by Laura E. Weymouth


What 2018 releases are you looking forward to most?

Merry Christmas to the Book Characters: Year Five

Merry Christmas, everyone! It's time for my favorite annual post where I "gift" books to characters. I really want to spread the bookish love this year, so everyone's getting a ton of books. (This is basically what my friends are going to have to look forward to each year, if I ever become rich.)

We're going to start off with a girl I've gifted books to before, just because I want to continue to bolster her library.

To Rachel from Devoted...

I've chosen tons of great books that I think she'll like. A couple are 2017 releases, one is from an older series I think she'd love, one's about a homeschooler, and one is an anthology full of strong women.

 

 

Next up on my list is Eliza Mirk from Eliza and Her Monsters.

Eliza definitely deserves some epic fantasy titles.

 

Another girl who's going to receive some books out of this world is Elliot Lawrence Gabaroche from Not Now, Not Ever.

Since she wants to go to Rayevich for science fiction literature, I'm gifting her some YA sci-fi classics.

 

 

To Diana Prince from Wonder Woman: Warbringer, I gift...

 

For Tash Zelenka from Tash Hearts Tolstoy...

I've chosen two retellings of books/plays, maybe to help her brainstorm her next web series idea.

 

Next on my list is Jade from Piecing Me Together!

I'm gifting her...

And the final girl on my list is Miss Lucy Hansson from The Names They Gave Us.

I think she'd enjoy reading...

 

What books would you gift to which characters this year?

Random Friday: Favorite Movies of 2017

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following:

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my blog.
• Blog about this week's topic (or a variant of it).
• Add the link to your Random Friday post at the bottom of this one.

I didn't see a lot of movies this year, but the three I did see in theaters were hits.

1. Wonder Woman

Diana Prince is queen.

2. Thor: Ragnarok

So funny and great plot twists. (I saw it twice, just like Wonder Woman, so it really was great.)

3. Murder on the Orient Express

One time I'm glad I didn't read the book first because otherwise I would've seen the plot twists coming, which would've been no fun.

What movies did you enjoy this year? Can't wait for 2018 - the year of the YA adaptation! :D

Review: Meet Cute

Meet Cute by various authors
Grade: C
Release date: January 2, 2018
An e-galley was provided by HMH Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of "how they first met" from some of today’s most popular YA authors. 

This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I really do love this boom of YA anthologies. It introduces me to new writers, and I get to read more from my favorites. Most, however, have stories that seem too short. I didn't feel this was the case with Meet Cute. However, there were stories I didn't enjoy for other reasons. I'm going to highlight some of my favorites and my least favorites with a shout-out to a couple I neither hated or loved, just to give y'all an idea of whether or not you'll like this anthology.

My favorite stories were "Click" by Katherine McGee (it was really cute, and the writing was good), "Oomph" by Emery Lord (it was Emery Lord, so I mean?? but also, the main character referenced Peggy Carter, so I had to love her), "The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love" by Jocelyn Davies (I liked the blending of math and fluff, but Camilla needed a little more substance), "The Dictionary of You and Me" by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Cute with a cute boy, and I liked the premise), and "Print Shop" by Nina LaCour (I liked how they "met," and it had a cute premise).
I also wanted to highlight "Hourglass" by Ibi Zoboi. I liked the plotline with Cherish's goals, and then how she met the boy. The parents felt underdeveloped, though, which kept this story from getting 4 or 5 stars. I also didn't hate "Something Real" by Julie Murphy. The premise was super fun, but the execution was a little rough. It fit the genre length really well, though.
Stories I didn't like: 

• "Siege Etiquette" by Katie Cotugno - I've never really liked Katie's books, and this one got 2 stars for being written in second-person POV and a cheating main character.
• "Somewhere That's Green" by Meredith Russo - I felt like the relationship/meet cute thing moved way too fast. Spoiler alert, but the couple in question kiss at the end of the story, and I felt like that needed more time to develop.
• "259 Million Miles" by Kass Morgan - Skimmed most of it. The narrator didn't sound like a guy, and I didn't find the premise interesting.
• "Say Everything" by Huntley Fitzpatrick - Pretty boring. 

The Verdict: This anthology was kind of hit-or-miss, so it's ultimately not one of my favorites. I'll probably check it out of the library if I ever want to read the stories I did like again.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: It's unlikely.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Hope I Get For Christmas

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Happy almost-Christmas, everyone! [Or Happy Hanukkah! Or Kwanzaa. :)] Here are some of the books I asked for for Christmas that I hope I get.

1. Shakespeare's Sonnets and Other Poems (WCC)

2. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (WCC)

3. Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler

4. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

5. The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

6. Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers

7. In a Perfect World by Trish Doller

8. Once and for All by Sarah Dessen

9. A Million Junes by Emily Henry

10. Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills

What books are you hoping to get this holiday season?

So You Like... #64

After carefully considering books for about a month, I'm finally ready to recommend books for if you like...

REPUTATION.

You should read...

Did you like reputation? What's your favorite song off of it? What other books would you recommend for this post?