What I’ve Been Up To:

It’s pretty apparent that I’ve been struggling to keep this blog updated this year. Initially, that was because I set myself a goal of writing a novel this year. Then it was because some stuff happened (both good and bad), and I lost focus. I didn’t read or write. I’ve started reading again, and I hope to start writing again too, because reading is getting the creative juices flowing again. Mostly, I’m just trying to be nice to myself, and not get angry at myself about not getting writing done like I promised I would. All good things in time.

For the last couple weeks, I have been posting consistently, and I’m scheduled out a bit, so I think I may have this part figured out…for now. I am going down to three posts a week, and I’m (mostly) only posting positive reviews. I’m no longer including a star rating with my posts either. Because I’m coming at them slightly differently, I’m calling them “book talks” not reviews. The difference is probably mostly in my own head tbh, but whatever. I’m trying out a new system on my monthly round-up post, so let me know if you like it. Also, kudos to Lenore for the idea.

Music:

I’m still in a phase of mostly just listening to stuff I already know, but here’s my 2018 playlist, if you want to follow along.

Movies & TV:

Because I’ve been in need of easy brain candy, I’ve mostly been watching America’s Next Top Model (again) and Project Runway (for the first time). I love both a lot.

This year, I’ve seen a lot of recent movies (at least for me), so here’s the quick recap:

Black Panther: excellent, the most epic of the superhero movies (that I’ve seen)

A Wrinkle in Time: pretty cheesy tbh, could not stop laughing at giant Oprah

Get Out: really fascinating concept, very well done, not particularly scary because I was able to handle it

Annihiliation: horrifying, I actually got so scared I couldn’t eat my food 🙁

Love, Simon: so, so sweet, not quite as good as the book, but what could be tbh?

Reviews Posted:

This sections links up all the book reviews from these months, in case you missed them. Check the next sections for deets on everything I’ve read so far in 2018. Keep in mind that most of these reviews are for books I read last year.

• [1 Jan] First and First by Santino Hassell ★★★★
• [1 Jan] Interborough by Santino Hassell ★★★★½
• [3 Jan] The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera ★★★★
• [3 Jan] A Taxonomy of Love by Rachael Allen ★★★½
• [5 Jan] When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot ★★½
• [5 Jan] Code Name Cassandra by Meg Cabot ★★★
• [5 Jan] Safe House by Meg Cabot ★★★
• [5 Jan] Sanctuary by Meg Cabot ★½
• [5 Jan] Missing You by Meg Cabot ★★★
• [8 Jan] Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot ★★★½
• [8 Jan] If the Duke Demands by Anna Harrington ★★★½
• [10 Jan] Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan ★★★½
• [10 Jan] Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan ★★★
• [10 Jan] Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan ★★★

• [7 Mar] Concourse by Santino Hassell ★★★★
• [7 Mar] Third Rail by Santino Hassell ★★★★
• [7 Mar] Citywide by Santino Hassell ★★★½
• [9 Mar] Renegades by Marissa Meyer ★★★½
• [9 Mar] Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James ★
• [9 Mar] Your Wicked Heart by Meredith Duran ★★
• [9 Mar] That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran ★½
• [12 Mar] Moonraker by Ian Fleming
• [16 Mar] Menagerie by Rachel Vincent
• [16 Mar] Spectacle by Rachel Vincent

• [6 Apr] My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
• [10 Apr] Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally
• [13 Apr] Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell
• [16 Apr] Rising Strong by Brené Brown
• [20 Apr] Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
• [23 Apr] World War Z by Max Brooks
• [27 Apr] Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne

Christina Books:

These are the books I loved. They’re absolutely Christina books, and I recommend them most highly. These are the ones I loved, and which gave me the feels.

Excellent Reads:

These are not quite Christina books, but they’re really good. I absolutely recommend them. Likely the subject matter was less my thing.

Liked:

I enjoyed reading these, but they either weren’t as memorable, as original, or as much my thing. They are good though, and worth reading if they interest you.

Not for Me:

These books didn’t work for me. They might work for a different reader.

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