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2014 Resolution Recap

Dec 26, 2014


1. Read 125 books.
I dominated this resolution! I read 196 book this year, and I think I'll make it to 200 by the end of 2014. For some reason, I was on a reading binge all year! I kept waiting for a slump, but it never happened.

2. Read one non-fiction book per month.
I'm proud of myself because I read 26 non-fiction books this year. I'd actually met my original goal by the time I was halfway through the year, and I'm happy that I continued to make a dent in my non-fiction TBR!

3. Finish seven series.
I completed this resolution and actually finished 15 series this year. Seven were series that I started prior to 2014:
  • The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth 
  • The Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi 
  • The Under the Never Sky Series by Veronica Rossi
  • The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series by Laini Taylor
  • The Split Second Duology by Kasie West
  • The His Fair Assassin Series by Robin LaFevers
  • The Anna and the French Kiss Series by Stephanie Perkins
And eight were series that I read in their entirety this year:
  • The Bronze Horseman Series by Paullina Simons
  • The Deep Valley Series by Maud Hart Lovelace
  • The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
  • The Katie Parker Production Series by Jenny B. Jones
  • The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series by Maggie Stiefvater
  • The Lynburn Legacy Series by Sarah Rees Brennan
  • The Sevenwaters Series by Juliet Marillier
  • The Boleyn Trilogy by Laura Andersen
I love series, so I'm not surprised that I finished a decent number of them this year. But I was a little shocked to realize that I binge read so many series from the very beginning!

4. Request no more than two review books per month.
I'm not sure how successful I was at this resolution. I only "requested" around 20 or so review books, so fell within the two per month limit. So, I was successful in that regard. But that's only if you look at what I requested.

Overall, I read more review books this year than I intended - 60 total. Accepting books from publishers and attending BEA are the two things that definitely tipped me over the edge! I have something planned that will hopefully help me get this under control. I'll count this as completed, but I need to make changes.

5. Read at least five debut novels.
As I said in my resolution check-in at the six-month mark, I should have aimed higher with this goal I completed this one by the end of January! I actually read twenty 2014 debuts, one 2015 debut, six 2013 debuts, and six US debuts for international authors. I didn't realize I'd read so many! 


6. Participate in one reading challenge.
FAIL. I signed up for the 2014 Prequel & Sequel Challenge, but I never participated. I read a lot of books in a series (as you can see above), so I technically met many of the reading goals I set for the challenge. BUT STILL.

7. Write one discussion post per month.
This is probably my favorite resolution to make - and to accomplish! This will continue to be a priority for me next year, too, because they're my favorite to write and often get the most traffic. In 2014, I wrote:
Honestly, I didn't realize I'd written 21 discussion posts this year! I'm proud of myself because these also represent some of my favorite things I've written for this blog. 

8. Leave 5 comments per week on other blogs.
Overall, I think I did okay with this resolution. I had weeks where I didn't leave any comments, but there were others when I left a lot more than five. It averaged out in some ways, but I think the real success with this resolution was that I stopped stressing about commenting. The purpose of this resolution was to free myself from comment guilt, and I definitely feel like I accomplished that this year.

9. Respond to comments that ask a question or provoke a discussion within one week.
Hmm... I will often respond to questions on Twitter or via email, so it's not like I ignored those comments completely. But I didn't kind of stop responding to comments (for the most part) this year. Honestly, I'm okay with it. I love reading and leaving comments, and responding to them just isn't my priority.

10. Start a new feature on my blog.
Done! I started my Series Speed Date feature this year, which I've loved writing. Since I binge read a lot of series, it's a nice way to highlight them without writing individual reviews. 

This year, I also co-hosted my first event with another blogger - Fall Into Fantasy with Alexa from Alexa Loves Books! Next year, I'm co-hosting The 2015 Re-Read Challenge with Kelly from Belle of the Literati. I can't wait! And in 2015, I'll also be starting a new feature with Estelle from Rather Be Reading called You Make Me Feel So Young where we'll revisit some of our favorite childhood reads.

8 Out of 10 Resolutions Completed
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Merry Merry

Dec 25, 2014

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Merry Christmas, y'all!
I hope your day is filled with love, laughter,
and lots of books under your tree.

xo,
Hannah
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The Captain & The Rebel With a Cause

Dec 24, 2014

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Release Date: December 23, 2014
Publisher: Hachette | Disney Hyperion
Pages: 390 pages
Source & Format: Borrowed from Alexa; ARC
Series: Starbound #2
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Summary (from Goodreads)
Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met. 

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion. 

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Thoughts on This Shattered World
Last December, I pre-ordered These Broken Stars (the first book in the Starbound Trilogy) without knowing very much about it. I heard bloggers I trusted raving about it, and I decided to give science fiction a shot. When I finally read it earlier this year, I fell in love! There was something Lilac and Tarver - their survival story and their relationship - that just worked for me.

So, I picked up This Shattered World excited to dive back into this universe... but also a little sad that it wasn't focused on the characters I'd come to know and love. I typically adore companion series, but I'll admit that there was a part of me that wanted this book to pick up where the last one left off. Either way, I went into this book with high expectations.

This Shattered World introduces two new characters: Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac. Lee is a captain sent to Avon to subdue rebellious colonists, and all Flynn knows is rebellion. He's grown up on Avon and knows firsthand that things aren't right on this terraformed planet. His people were promised a better life, but Avon hasn't progressed as planned. He doesn't know what's happening - just that something isn't right. Taking Lee as his prisoner should give him the upper hand, but is he prepared for what this spark will ignite?

I couldn't wait to read This Shattered World, especially since I loved These Broken Stars so much, but I ended up finding it hard to connect to these characters. One thing that I loved about Lilac and Tarver was the progression of their relationship. It felt real, and it felt earned. I believed that they'd fallen in love, and I was rooting for them every step of the way. With Jubilee and Flynn, I wasn't buying it.

The whole relationship felt too rushed to me, and it became one of my biggest frustrations with the book. There's this huge war going on, and Jubilee and Flynn are on opposite sides. With all that stands in their way, I felt like there should have been more to their story... or maybe even less. There were so many things going on in the world - huge, threatening, life or death things - and the romance seemed like a distraction. Characters from the previous book make a reappearance in this one, and it didn't help that it just reminded me of all the reasons I'd loved that relationship.

Unfortunately, the world and pacing didn't help either. There are lots of elements of the world that are either introduced or revisited: a dangerous Fury, mysterious green whispers, a greedy terraforming corporation, deception and power, a deadly war, etc. Sadly, everything just felt so complicated and confusing to me!

For example, each chapter opens with these ghost dream things... and I don't really know what they were because I started skipping those pages. They felt too deliberately vague and never seemed to add anything to story. Their purpose is revealed later in the book, but I was a little checked out by then. That's probably also the reason that the climactic scene didn't wow me. It reminded me in a way of the ending in These Broken Stars, but without the emotional investment.

The pacing was so slow, and it took forever for me to get hooked on the story. It seemed like nothing was happening or, at the very least, being explained. This world requires patience as you wait for all the puzzle pieces to fall into place, and I'm not sure I have enough of it. I wanted to love it, but I found myself just skimming certain passages when it got too boring.

When I finished This Shattered World, I felt mostly positive about the book. But after thinking on it for a bit, I have to admit that it just didn't work for me. I was disconnected from the world, the characters and the conflict. I'm still intrigued by a few things in this world, but I'm won't be rushing to see how it all plays out.
*I read a copy of this book meant for review consideration. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review.
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Stick These Books In My Stocking

Dec 23, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/top ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so it makes perfect sense that I'd love this feature!

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me


Because I Keep Hearing So Much About...

1-3. The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson | Box Set
In the last few years, I've fallen for fantasy. Most of my reading choices have been Young Adult, which has been an amazing introduction to this genre. But after discovering the Sevenwaters series, I find myself dying to try more adult fantasy. I've heard SO MUCH about this trilogy, so I think it's time to try it!


And Because I Can Never Have Too Many Copies...

4-11. Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery | Tundra Hardcovers
If I get this set, it will be the THIRD one I've gotten this year alone. For years, you could only buy the mass market paperbacks. There were a number of gorgeous editions of Anne of Green Gables, but never the complete series. I don't know what changed this year, but I've been unable to resist bringing them all home with me.
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May Your Days Be Merry & Bright

Dec 22, 2014

My True Love Gave to Me Edited by Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: October 12, 2014
Publisher: Macmillan | St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 321 pages
Source & Format: Bought; Hardcover
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Summary (from Goodreads)
If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.

Thoughts on My True Love Gave to Me
I don't read a lot of holiday-themed books or any short story anthologies, but I knew I HAD to read My True Love Gave to Me the minute I first heard about it. I mean, do you see how many of my favorite authors contributed to it? This is like the YA author jackpot right here! There were a few new-to-me authors on the list, but I was sold just by the fact that Stephanie Perkins edited all of the stories in the collection. And it didn't hurt that the cover is absolutely adorable! This is a book you want on your shelves. I debated whether or not I wanted to just highlight my favorites, but I decided to share a few thoughts on every story included. Since the stories are short, I've tried to keep my thoughts concise and mostly just share how I felt about each one.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell | So Loved It
As expected, I loved Rainbow Rowell's story. This story centered around New Year's Eve, and it was an amazing way to open this anthology. Rowell plays with time and structures her story a little differently, and I absolutely loved that aspect. One of my favorite parts of this story was the way Rowell captured what it's like being around high school friends after you've all gone away to college.

So Quotable
"Everything was the same, and everything was different. Same people. Same music. Same couches. But they'd all grown apart for four months, and in wildly different directions."

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link | So Over It
It would be hard for any story to follow Rowell's, but I was particularly let down by this one. It started out so promising, too! There is a fairy tale quality to this story that sweeps you away at first... but the story just fell flat in the end. I felt like I was missing information! The magical tone was lovely, but I needed more from the plot.

So Quotable
"I just don't think it's very smart, standing out here because you're in a mood. But maybe you aren't very smart. My mother says good-looking people often don't bother."

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Peña | So Enjoyed It
I'd been meaning to read one of de la Peña's stories ever since I read an article he wrote about how reading changed his life. I was so moved by what he wrote! Well, Angels in the Snow made me that much more determined to grab one of his books. I loved that this one was from a male perspective, and the narration just captured me. The writing, the characters, the story... I was hooked!

So Quotable
"We both stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. It was like we'd ripped open our chests and revealed our beating hearts. And how do you transition back to small talk after that?"

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han | So Okay With It
Jenny Han's story was sweet, but not that satisfying - like those mini-size packs of candy. This was set in the North Pole, which made it kind of fun. The concept was cute, but it just wasn't as fleshed out as I would have liked. And for some reason, the narrator annoyed me too much for the story to hit home.

So Quotable
"Living where I live, it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between magic and make believe."

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins | So Obsessed With It
AHHHH! Stephanie Perkins' story is tied with Laini Taylor's as my favorite in the collection. Seriously, it was so adorable. AND THE SWOON. It was the perfect short story... and yet, oh how I wish I could read more about these two characters in a full-length novel. I've only been to Asheville once, but I loved how Perkins captured the setting, too. I see myself re-reading this story quite frequently. PERFECTION.

So Quotable
"North could have kissed her. He could have done it, he could have swooped in, but he was being respectful. It made her want to devour him whole. Or be devoured whole."

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan | So Over It
To be honest, I was confused by Levithan's story. It read like an excerpt to me. It didn't seem to really go anywhere, and the characters' motivations didn't make sense to me. I wasn't a fan of this story because it just felt so incomplete. I haven't read anything by Levithan before, and this didn't make me want to pick up more.

So Quotable
"He says presents aren't important, but I think they are - not because of how much they cost, but for the opportunity they provide to say I understand you."

Krampuslauf by Holly Black | So Liked It
I've only read one book by Holly Black, but this story was something I would have expected from her: imaginative and kind of crazy. I liked that this story was so different from all the others in the collection. Plus, I'd never heard of Krampus before reading this short story. But it was just a little too weird for me and wasn't something I'd care to read again. It's memorable, but mostly because it's so odd.

So Quotable
"It was too bad. My fake boyfriend was the best boyfriend I'd never had."

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman | So Loved It
I loved Gayle Forman's story, which was no surprise. I adored that it was a college setting, and the way Forman portrayed how you can form an impression of someone that isn't accurate. I also thought that Sophie's realization about what she's been blind to (and how some things take time before you feel like you belong) were so relatable. That was my favorite part of this story!

So Quotable
"There really was no such thing as a minor miracle."

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire | So Enjoyed It
I haven't read anything by Myra McEntire before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But I really enjoyed this story! I liked that it was a male narrator, loved the humor and was so intrigued by the premise. This was one of the funnier stories in the collection, and that was such a nice change of pace. I took note of a few quotes, too!

So Quotable
"Shame leads to secrets, and secrets lead to lies, and lies ruin everything. Especially friendships."

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White | So Loved It
I fell in love with Kiersten White's writing when I read Illusions of Fate a few weeks ago, and this just sealed the deal. I loved this so much! I was grinning like a fool, and then I felt teary a few times while I was reading. Who knew a short story could make me so emotional?! It reminded me a bit of Sarah Addison Allen - it's not magical realism, but it sure gives me those same feelings.

So Quotable
"The idea that something - food, traditions, an arbitrary date on the calendar - can be special because we decide it should be. Because we make it special. Not just for ourselves, but for others. I've had people around my whole life to make things special for me, even when I didn't notice it."

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter | So Okay With It
I liked the writing in Ally Carter's story, but I found the story itself just a bit too implausible. It had an interesting premise, but I felt like there needed to be more to the story (especially for it to end the way it did). It was cute, but I had a hard time suspending my disbelief so I never connected to it while I was reading. Maybe if there had been a little more background?

So Quotable
"So it turns out that if you swap tickets with a girl who doesn't want to go see her boyfriend, then there's a good chance said boyfriend will meet you at the airport."

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor | So Obsessed With It
Holy cow! Laini Taylor's story was STUNNING. It was a perfect way to close out this collection! This was probably my favorite story overall. There's something about her gorgeous writing and the way she infuses her story with magic and wonder. This imaginative story was romantic, gorgeous and utterly captivating. I will absolutely read this story again and again!

So Quotable
"But what if... what if... there was some other future lying up ahead for her - one without any misery in it at all - and even now it was trailing its way backward in time to meet her, and take her hand, and show her how to find it?"
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