Bookish Post #2

Here we are with another book-related post! I can't help myself. #sorrynotsorry #yesijustusedahashtaginablogpost

Anyway, books. I'm actually writing this sort of spontaneously, which is not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, some of the best things are created spontaneously. However, this particular spontaneity stemmed from recovering from being sick. I somehow got pretty darn sick the last couple of days and basically have not been in the mood or health to do anything except lay down, eat pretzels, and watch tv. It was torturous.

But thankfully, this evening I could feel my immune system bouncing back, and I'm pretty much back to normal. So to celebrate, the first thing I thought of was writing another book post. Because writing, books, feeling better? That's where it's at.

Now, before actually getting into the topic of today's bookish post, allow me to share with you some of the most accurate statements in the book community. I've come across these gems on Pinterest, and they are pure beauty. There's of course, that wonderful feeling you get when finishing certain books:

#allthefeels

Those late-night read-athons to finish a book that's just too good:

We've all been there, bro

And those friends that just don't understand the habit mentioned above:

And let's not forget that never-ending TBR pile...

#thestruggleisreal

Of course you are, book. Of course you are.

Anyway, onto the book topic for today! I thought that since the new year is almost here, I'd do a small recap on some of my favorite books of 2016! There may be some repeat titles in this post that were also mentioned in my previous book post, but... what can I say? Just so happens that a book or two I read this year made it into my favorite series' list.

 Now, for starters, I didn't get around to reading as much as I wanted to this year. I set really high goals on how many books I would read, but then college and summer happened, and my reading list as a result, did not. So goes the life of adulting.

However, I still had the pleasure of reading SO MANY fantastic books this year. I actually had a small mason jar I was collecting titles of books I've read this year in (didn't actually successfully keep up with that). The idea was to hopefully open it and have fun looking back on all the books I've read this year, but only a few actually made it in. Oops. #ohwell There's always next year, right? Right.

Anyway, enough rambling! Here are my top favorite books of 2016. (take note that I don't remember too much about some of these titles, only because they were read near the beginning of the year.)

These are in no particular order, so to start off we have...

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas!

This book... is one of the ones I don't remember a whole lot about. I read it in February or March, and I absolutely loved it! I definitely remember how sucked into the book I was, and that it was an instant fantasy favorite. The characters were amazing and believable, and you know how I am with my characters! I love my good characters, and these guys were so easy to connect with and support, and I wanted them to get their goals, and I was feeling everything they were feeling, and that's really important when it comes to character development. Which, was definitely there! I really regret not being able to finish the trilogy this year! The next two books, The Perilous Sea and The Immortal Heights, were immediately added to my TBR after I finished this book. But, other titles caught my attention and took priority, and I never got around to finishing these guys up, which I really regret. However, I've already made a resolution a couple weeks ago to finish any series' I haven't finished, and this one is very close to the front of the line!

Book number two is...

Ah, look at these beauties from Kasie West!

Obviously, there are multiple books here. The single title I had in mind was The Fill-In Boyfriend, but as I thought more about her books and what I read, these three titles kind of went hand-in-hand for me and fit much better as a collective favorite. These books are all contemporaries, full of cute friendships, romance, family, and the hilarity and wit that Kasie West possesses in all her writing. The Fill-In Boyfriend was the first Kasie novel I read, and the whole story takes off from the beginning plot point: Gia Montgomery gets dumped by her boyfriend in the parking lot of her high school prom, and she hires someone last-minute to go in with her, posing as her boyfriend. Pretty dramatic, right? It makes for a very humorous, light, and fun read, and I fell in love with Kasie's writing. Thus, the pile of books above. Easily a favorite!

Book number three...

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson!

Oh my goodness, THIS BOOK. I could go on for ages about how much I loved this book. I've been a fan of Morgan Matson for a while, but this book was just extraordinarily fantastic! The whole premise of the book is based on friendship, which this beautiful cover accurately represents. (Seriously, this books is not only good on the inside, but the outside is GORGEOUS). I really appreciate a good book on friendship, especially since I love my friends and how special they are to me. What's cool about how I read this book is that my best friend read it before I did, and then pushed me to read it ASAP because of how much she loved it! Such a beautiful irony. Anywho, the book. The main plot point is about two best friends, Emily and Sloan. Sloan mysteriously leaves town with no trace of where she went, except for a list she left for Emily; a check-list of things to do, some of which that would really stretch her out of her comfort zone. So throughout the book, each chapter is an item on the list, and it follows Emily's life from her perspective as she's trying to figure out where the heck Sloan went, as well as her accomplishing each activity on the list. There is a romance in this book, and it is SO BEAUTIFUL, but it doesn't take over the focus of the book, which is Emily and Sloan's friendship. I was just so happy reading this book, I loved every minute of it. It's fun, touching, relatable, the characters are bomb.com, and it's just such a great contemporary. A+, 5 out of 5 stars, totally recommend.

Book number four...

Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling!

Well, looky there, book number four is also book number four in the HP series! Wish I could say that was intentional, but... anyway, the book. As I said in my previous post, I was not able to finish all of the books this summer when I was reading through them because of how busy I got once I went back to college. However, out of the Harry Potter books I've read this year, this guy was my favorite! I just loved where the characters conflicted, grew, and were taken as well as their relationships with each other. And of course, the Tri-Wizard Tourney is not to be missed. It was just all-around such an enjoyable read! I barely noticed the fact that it was 700+ pages long.

And lastly, book number five...

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas!

Okay, okay, so I'm cheating a little on this one. I haven't actually finished the book quite yet, but I've read into it far enough that I know for sure it is a favorite and a definite standout. I've heard multiple reviews talking about how the ending will make me so mad, but... I look at it this way. The book as a whole is what makes the actual judgement on how good or bad it is. And honestly, any book with an ending that makes me mad only shows more clearly how attached I am to the characters and the world, and we all know how important that is for a book to be deemed great. For those who do not know, this book is the fifth installment in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, and it's on my list of favorite series' ever! If you're into fantasy, magic, and characters with good chemistry and believability, pick these beauties up.

And there you have it, folks! There were so many titles to choose from this year, so these five books were picked as some major standouts to me. Let me know in the comments below if you have any favorite books of 2016! Until then, enjoy some tea or coffee, relax, and have a Happy New Year!