Local Book Nook #3: British Columbia, Canada

I am very excited to have the first Local Book Nook installment of 2018! Local Book Nook is a blog series I started last year, where I feature readers from all over the world talking about their favourite local books and authors.  If you want to read previous posts or learn how to participate, click here. 

Today on the blog to share her favourite local books is Shvaugn of The Borrowed Bookshelf. Shvaugn's blog has quickly risen from the ranks as one of my favourite blogs, as she consistently features lesser known books and great, diverse CanLit. One of my favourite posts is her Women in Translation Month Bingo, but really, all of them are great so go check out her blog when you're done here.

Where are you from?

Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta

My name is Shvaugn and I'm from a bunch of places. I grew up in various places along the BC coast and a small city on unceded Secwepemc territory in BC. I went to college in Kelowna on unceded Syilx/Okanagan territory, and university in Ottawa on unceded Algonquin territory. Now I live in a small rural town in southern Alberta, which is Treaty 7 territory, traditional land of the Blood Tribe, Piikani Nation, Siksika Nation, Stoney Tribe and Tsuu T'ina Nation.

Because I've moved a lot, it's hard to identify as being solely from one place. I largely identify as British Columbian, specifically from the Shuswap region.

Lilooet, BC

Growing up in the Shuswap, there's a strong literary scene. Word on the Lake is the local writer's festival in Salmon Arm and has been going strong for over a decade. Bookingham Palace is the local bookstore, and there are also two used book stores, Hidden Gems and Book Nook. The library branch is also pretty kickass. 

Ottawa, ON

Living in Ottawa, there's a number of adorable second hand book stores, a strong (and slightly pretentious in my opinion) literary scene in both French and English. The Ottawa library is also fantastic with great branches and programs, and strives to serve areas without a branch by bookmobile.

The town I'm living in now doesn't have a bookstore at all. The only places to buy books are the thrift stores, Walmart and the grocery store. Thank goodness for the library. Alberta has a number of fantastic library systems and if you can't find the book you're looking for in your local system, you can order it online through interlibrary loan through the Alberta Library which covers the whole province.

Salmon Arm, BC

What are some of your favourite local books or authors?

Whenever I feel homesick for BC, I turn to one of these books or authors. 

Skin Like Mine by Gary Gottfriedson is a fantastic collection of poetry. Gottfriedson is a member of the Secwepemc First Nation and a lot of his poetry is set in the area surrounding Kamloops. 

Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan Coyote. Coyote is one of my favourite storytellers and has an amazing ability to craft stories that are beautifully centred on people. They're also an oral storyteller so I recommend checking out the audiobook which Coyote narrates themself.

Salt Spring Island, BC

Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson is a beautiful, heartbreaking, moving coming of age novel that blends history, mythology and family. I lived in a different area of the BC coast, but Robinson's description of the Pacific and the coastline really connected with me when I was missing BC.

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki is a recent favourite of mine. It's a really interesting and compelling read about time, quantum physics, island living, zen buddhism, depression and writing. 

Trauma Farm: A Rebel History of Rural Life by Brian Brett. This book is part memoir, part history of Salt Spring Island, part poetry collection. Which doesn't sound like a fantastic sell but it's such a beautiful book. I lived on Salt Spring Island for a couple of years as a kid and still long for the arbutus trees and the beaches.

Shvaugn is a book lover who reads a lot, drinks too much tea, and owns a cat who only half loves her. She currently lives in rural Alberta in a small town without a bookstore. Her main reading interests include CanLit, fantasy, sci-fi, and queer books, but she'll read just about anything. Except westerns, she's never really liked westerns unless they're contemporary romance. A long-time supporter and lover of libraries, the majority of the books she reads and reviews are library books. You can find her reviewing books at the borrowed bookshelf.

3 Books I Read Because Other People Made Me

HA just kidding as if anyone could make me read books that I don't want to read (sorry, dad). But sometimes a nudge from a friend really helps to push me out of my comfort zone, or actually sit down and read a book I've been meaning to read for months. Here are a few books I've read recently based almost solely on the recommendations of others!

1. Waking in Time by Angie Stanton

Recommended by: I can't remember who recommended this to me... it may have been Lara? Someone on Twitter, anyway, when I asked for romance recs.

Well, whoever recommended it to me said it was cute, fun romance and they were so right. It was exactly what I needed after the crazy month that is November for university students. It was a simple, fluffy read, featuring romance and time travel and centred around a super sweet family story.  It was such a fun, relaxing read. ...Although I was trying to figure out the age logistics of someone from the 2010s dating someone from the 1920s. Like, is age just inconsequential when you hop from time to time? How does that work? (This is why I love time travel. So many questions. So many possibilities.)


2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Recommended by: A school friend of mine who is getting an English degree. She read Frankenstein for an essay she was writing for class, and said that Frankenstein reminded her of herself in some ways, which I thought was intriguing. I've also been meaning to read Frankenstein for forever, and this was just the push I needed to actually sit down and read it.

It was... a lot different than I expected. I didn't know much about it, aside from the usual cultural connotations of Frankenstein, and that it's considered the first sci-fi novel. It was much starker and sadder than I thought it would be, and a lot of it takes place more internally than the sci-fi I'm used to reading. It was still good though, just made me think. (And also weirded me out a lot...) I'm not sure if I'd recommend it, necessarily, but it was interesting.

3. Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs

Recommended by: A friend of mine that I worked with this past summer, who reads almost exclusively thrillers, which I would not have guessed upon first meeting her. She said it was one of her favourites of the genre.


If you aren't aware by now, I don't really read thrillers at all. I read Melina Marchetta's Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil, but that's it (and it was so very familiar and similar to the rest of MM's work that it wasn't that strange). So reading Monday Mourning was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I gave my friend Jellicoe Road to read in return so I had to read it. It was really good! It's amazing how no matter the genre if there's good, self-aware and empathetic characters then I'm hooked. My favourite part of this book is how Reichs weaved in a message about the utter sadness of women being victims of violence into her mystery story. And it ended so, so well, despite being unexpectedly sad in places.

This recent experience with reading books outside of my comfort zone has made me want to read even more widely and outside of my reading comfort zone. What should I try reading (maybe a genre you haven't seen yet on the blog)? What books have you read solely because of others' recommendations?

5 Graphic Novel Recommendations

I love graphic novels (although after reading this article, not quite sure what to call them... comics novels? [also, there's a lot in that article that could just as easily be directed to those writing YA criticism. Fav line: "The most 'rampant bibliophiles' I know don’t dismiss a potentially great book just because of its format or genre."]) There's something about graphic novels that is really enjoyable, but at the same time they can delve into certain issues in a way that novels without illustrations can't.

Stitches by David Small

This was the book that started my fascination with graphic novels, and in particular memoirs. It's a memoir, about David Small's life and all the weird and terrible things that happen to him, including getting cancer and his messed up family. It's done so well, and perfectly depicts the intense emotions of the story. Since it's been a few years since I've read it, I don't really remember it well but I do remember how I felt reading it: completely caught up in a sort of disturbed fascination, and identifying completely with the utter bleakness the protagonist was feeling, conveyed largely through the art.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson 

My book log review for this book has lots of exclamation points in it, so apparently I liked it!!! It was great - the characters were extremely well developed, it turned various tropes on their head multiple times, was humorous and tragic, and was also just a super fun fantasy story. All of my favourite things!

Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography by Chester Brown

I don't know why but for some reason it is way more appealing to me to read biographies or memoirs in graphic novel form. Maybe it's because it's easier to read? Or maybe the pictures can get across events or emotions in a more direct way than through words? Anyway, this was a great introduction to the strange character and personality that was Louis Riel. It also did really well at portraying the ambiguity and messiness of history, rather than presenting it as a straightforward narrative. This book also led me to Maggie Siggins' wonderful book Riel: A Life of Revolution, which is absolutely fascinating.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 

Another memoir! This is about the author growing up in Iran in the late 1970s and 80s. It was interesting because it was told through the perspective of a young girl trying to figure what was right when everyone around her had so many different views. It was interesting to see how her opinions changed throughout the book as she was exposed to different views through her parents’ friends and family, as well as her school. It was absolutely fascinating, and I definitely need to read the rest of the series (also I think there is a movie of it as well?) 

Lumberjanes by  Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters and Brooke A Allen

I think Lumberjanes would technically be categorized as comics, but I don't care what matters is that they are GREAT. I'm so jealous of all the little girls and teens that get to grow up with the Lumberjanes in their lives. The series is about a group of friends who spend a summer at camp (the Lumberjanes), and do normal camp things like collecting badges, but also run into a whole bunch of strange creatures like yetis, three-eyed wolves, and other insane creatures. The characters all great, and there is such a wide range of different kinds of girls in this series, and their friendship is at the centre of the series which of course I love. And the adventures they get into every volume are so entertaining. Everyone need these comics in their life.

What are your favourite graphic novels? What are your favourite comic memoirs or biographies? Recommend me some in the comments!

TBR Tuesday

Since I talk about books that I'm reading and/or have read already most of the time, I thought today I'd talk about some books that I would like to read. So here are some books that are currently on my TBR that I have not gotten around to reading quite yet:

1. Queen of the Clueless and Icon of the Indecisive by Mina V. Esguerra. These are the sequels to the first book, Interim Goddess of Love, which was recommended by Chachic. I kind of thought I'd read books like this before with humans-turned-goddesses, but it didn't go in the direction I expected and was super cute. The MC is also fairly sure of herself and has a super fun voice. But it was way too short! I need to read the sequels yesterday.






2. mitewacimowina: Indigenous Science Fiction and Speculative Storytelling by Neal Mcleod is an anthology of short science fiction written by Indigenous authors. It sounds fascinating, and I have yet to read any Indigenous sci-fi so I'm curious to see what it's like. It's also not a very popular genre as far as I can tell at the moment.

3. Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson. I've had this on my TBR list for awhile, but this review of Eden Robinson's work by a blogger I like further convinced me that I should read some of her work.

4. The Abominable Mr. Seabrook by Joe Ollman, which I found on one of 49thshelf's amazing lists. I love graphic novels, but what I love even MORE is graphic novel memoirs or biographies, which is what this is. It sounds so cool.

5. Unbuttoned by Christoper Dummitt, which is a history of a former prime minister of Canada, Mackenzie King, and his "secret life." He sounds like an interesting guy, so I would be interested to read more about him. (This book I also found via 49thshelf.)








6. Glass Beads by Dawn Dumont. I loved Nobody Cries at Bingo, so I'm definitely going to put her next book, out in April, on my TBR.

7. Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand. I put this on my TBR after reading about it on Laura's blog, and now I keep hearing more and more good things about this author. Also it's MG, which I haven't read much of for awhile now, and I miss it!

8. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. I think I saw someone recommend this on Tumblr, and they said it was unexpectedly amazing and had great characters, so since I love good characters, I was of course hooked.

 9. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. This has been on my TBR since it was called something else, because I am a sucker for alternating POV romances. It comes out in May!

10. The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis. I loved The First Third, so I definitely want to read Will Kostakis' next book. I wasn't able to get my hands on this for awhile because I couldn't find a way to get it in Canada, but since it's being published in the U.S. I think I can find a way now!








So, these are just 10 of the books on my TBR. I have at least four and a half more pages of books I'd like to read, but I won't bore you by talking about all of them.

Which book should I read first? What books are on your TBR? 

13 Books With Stories of Immigrants

Happy Wednesday! Here are some good books I've read that feature immigrants as characters, or are about the experience of immigrating that I think you should check out:


Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam
Adult fiction, US

"A vibrant debut novel, set in Brooklyn and Bangladesh, Bright Lines follows three young women and one family struggling to make peace with secrets and their past."  This book was different, absolutely full of emotion and discovery.






Intolerable by Kamal Al-Solaylee
Memoir, Canada

"Intolerable is part memoir of an Arab family caught in the turmoil of Middle Eastern politics over six decades, part personal coming-out narrative and part cultural analysis. This is a story of the modern Middle East that we think we know so much about." A fascinating and extremely relevant story.






Ru by Kim Thuy
Memoir, Canada

"In vignettes of exquisite clarity, sharp observation and sly wit, we are carried along on an unforgettable journey from a palatial residence in Saigon to a crowded and muddy Malaysian refugee camp, and onward to a new life in Quebec." This book is absolutely beautiful, and made me cry multiple times.

Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz
YA, US

A story about a daughter of Filipino immigrants in the US who finds out she doesn't have proper documentation, and how her teenage life is affected by that realization. There's also a fun romance in it if you like that kind of thing. 







Kay's Lucky Coin Variety by  Ann Y.K. Choi
Adult fiction, Canada

"A unique and imaginative debut novel, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety evocatively portrays the life of a young Korean Canadian girl who will not give up on her dreams or her family."






Citizens of Nowhere by Debi Goodwin
Nonfiction, Canada

A story that follows 11 refugees from Somalia for a year as they come to study at universities in Canada on scholarships, and all of their struggles in trying to figure out a new country.







The Lucky Ones by Anne Mahon


Nonfiction, Canada

A collection of stories of African refugees, told in their own words. Each of the stories is a small snapshot of the experiences of immigrants to Canada, each one unique.

Cockroach by Rawi Hage
Adult fiction, Canada

One of the darkest, most fascinating books I've ever read about immigration. I think I'd have to read it again to get all of the meaning out of the various images the author uses.








Beauty Plus Pity by Kevin Chong
Adult fiction, Canada

An enjoyable, quiet and slow paced book about family and relationships. "Written with a winsome yet plaintive eye, Beauty Plus Pity is about a young man who's forced to reckon with the past as he works through his lifelong ambivalence toward his hyphenated cultural identity, and between two parents holding intolerable secrets."




 
Listen, Slowly by Thanha Lai
MG fiction, US

A super adorable story about a young girl going back to Vietnam to visit her family who lives there, and all the trouble she gets into and friends she makes along the way.






Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
YA, Australia

A heartwarming story about a family of Italian immigrants living in Australia, in particular the dramatic Josee Alibrandi.








Drive by Saviours by Chris Benjamin
Adult fiction, Canada

"Moving gracefully between Canada and Indonesia and through the two men’s histories, Drive-by Saviours is the story of desire and connection among lonely people adrift in a crowded world." Read my full review here.






Everything Was Goodbye by Gurijinder Basran
Adult fiction, Canada

"Heartbreaking and beautiful, Everything Was Good-bye is an unforgettable story about family, love, and loss, and the struggle to live in two different cultural worlds." I loved this book, and I think Meena is one of my favourite female characters. 



Recommend some of your favourite books about or written by immigrants in the comments! 

For some more recommendations, check out 49thshelf's list of books about Canada from an immigrant's point of view. 

What I Read This Year: 2016 End of Year Survey

I did this end of year survey for the past two years, and I'm doing it again! The survey was created by Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner.

 2016 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 65, a lot less than last year.
Number of Re-Reads: 11
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy and contemporary remain my favourite genres... YA Fantasy, with 11 (most of which were rereads), adult contemp with 9, and YA contemp with 7 (wow is that the first time it's been more adult than YA??).

1. Best Book You Read In 2016? I read a lot of good books, but they were all so different I can’t pick a best book this year... see below for some of my recommendations. 

2. Book You Were Excited About and Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? I've loved all of Stephanie Kuehn's books, so I was super excited for her new book, The Smaller Evil, but it was probably my least favourite book of hers, maybe because it was similar to another book I read by her. She's still an amazing author, though, and Charm and Strange was one of my best books of 2014.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (recommended by someone on an episode of Witch, Please). You'd think a book that takes place over not very long about the mundane life of an English butler would be boring, but it was the most fascinating thing ever.  There is so much going on under the surface, and the narrator's voice is sooo well crafted. Ishiguro is a genius.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? I don't know if anyone read it, but I definitely brought up Rebecca Traister's All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Birth of an Independent Nation a lot. So fascinating, so relevant.

5. Best series you started in 2016? I started, finally, to read Throne of Glass because my best friend was reading it. It has been on my TBR forever, but I honestly don't think I would've liked it as much if I'd read it sooner. I love Celaena, she's great. (Although now I'm reading Crown of Midnight and... aghh Sara J. Maas is mean.)

Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016? The Raven King, for both! So good.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016? E.K. Johnston! Well I knew about her before, but I'd never read any of her books, and I fell in love with her book Exit, Pursued by a Bear (I even did a book pumpkin of the cover!) Hermione is the best, and I'm so happy there are YA books like this now.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? Probably Boring Girls by Sara Taylor, which is an adult thriller, I think. So out of my comfort zone, but I loved it. I also did a review here.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? Either Boring Girls or The Raven King!

9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? I mean, it was already a reread this year, but definitely The Queen's Thief series since BOOK FIVEEE

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2016? Made You Up by Francesca Zappia has a fun cover (and was what initially attracted me to the book, way back before it was published, didn't get around to reading it until now...) but I liked the covers of most of the books I read this year.

11. Most memorable character of 2016? Bish from Melina Marchetta's Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil. MM does her characters soo well.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?  Ice Diaries by Jean Mcneil had so many gorgeous turns of phrase, and depicted the Antarctic beautifully (also, a great book if you're doing the book-from-every-continent challenge... too bad I didn't find it last year!!)

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016? Another book I have pushed at a lot of people: Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of New Hollywood by Mark Harris (recommended by Literary Disco). It was about the Oscars of 1967 and how Hollywood was changing (and failing to change), intertwined with the history of the sixties and its effect on Hollywood. SO fascinating, I could not put it down by the end, and even though it's like 800 pages it was too short. Also, even though it was published in 2008, it is interesting how incredibly relevant it still is. Everyone should read this book, it is so great. You should also listen to the episode of Literary Disco on it.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas... I think I've had it on my TBR list since I started blogging when I was fifteen.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016? I don't know if it's my favourite, but a passage I like that I wrote down, from Expecting Adam by Martha Beck:

“He looked back at me with steady eyes, and I knew what I had known – what I should have remembered – all that time: that his flesh of my flesh had a soul I could barely comprehend, that he was sorry for the pain I felt as I tried to turn him into a “normal” child, and that he loved me despite my many disabilities.”

16.Shortest and Longest Book You Read In 2016? Shortest is probably North End Love Songs byKatherena Vermette, a gorgeously written book of poetry about growing up in the North End in Winnipeg. Longest book is either Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris, or Riel: A Life of Revolution by Maggie Siggins.

17. Book That Shocked You The Most I read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, and I just kept thinking, how does he survive this!?!? And then he did. What an incredible story of survival.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) Since I read Queen's Thief I can count Eugenides and Attolia :), but I'll also say Chaol and Celaena from Throne of Glass.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year The friendship in Wish Girl by Nikki Loftin.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta! Of course. Even though it's her first adult novel, it's so very, very Melina Marchetta.

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure: Throne of Glass, haha.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016? I can't pick! :)

23. Best 2016 debut you read? I don't think I read any debuts this year... I just can't keep up.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. Maggie Stiefvater knows how to build beautiful places into her stories, and not just in the sense that they're aesthetically pleasing, but also that they just mean so much to the characters (and, by extension, the readers).

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? Tell Me How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan. :)

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016? Swing Low: A Life by Miriam Toews. If you ever want to cry, just read something by Miriam Toews. She knows how to write humor, but also deeply sorrowful stories.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year? Wish Girl by Nikki Loftin. I love fun, magical MGs. :)

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul? Swing Low: A Life by Miriam Toews. It doesn't help knowing it is a true story about Miriam Toews’ family.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016? The Miracles of Ordinary Men by Amanda Leduc. Such an interesting concept, and it was done super well. I wasn't super satisfied with the ending, though, but the rest of it was good.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? Couldn't think of anything, then remembered that I had to read The Shunning by Beverly Lewis for a class last semester. So mad that I had to read it (and do a presentation on it).

Book Blogging

1. New favourite book blog you discovered in 2016? I haven’t really kept up with reading very many blogs... recommend me some!

2. Favourite review that you wrote in 2016? Probably my review of Boring Girls by Sara Taylor.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog? I like my post, Why I’m Glad I Wasn’t a Teen Author and my post on Growing Up.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)? I don’t think I participated in any events this year... oh except I did this annotation project of a Queen’s Thief book with some Queen’s Thief fans. I’m excited to do some more things with that fandom in the new year in anticipation of the new book!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016? The Thick as Thieves announcement, definitely. I mean when you’ve been waiting five or six years for another book, and an announcement is finally made, it’s a big deal!!

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year? Well I've talked about how I have trouble finding books I can really get into, so that’s one thing. I also found it hard to do all of my 2016 reading goals, apparently. I find it really hard to challenge myself in my reading when it’s so much easier to read fun books, especially when I’m busy with school.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)? Funnily enough, my review of Boring Girls by Sara Taylor, and my review of Life Among the Qallunaat by Mini Aodla Freeman, which also happen to be in my opinion the best posts I wrote this year.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love? My post Why I’m Glad I Wasn’t a Teen Author, as well as my post about accomplishing my goal of writing 50,000 words before the end of December!

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? Probably the podcast Witch, Please!, a podcast with two (Canadian!) feminist lady scholars discussing Harry Potter. Soo interesting and funny, and relevant, considering all the stuff going on with JK Rowling and the Harry Potter universe these days. They just did an episode discussing the Fantastic Beasts movie.

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? Uh... I did really terribly with my reading goals this year, although I did read quite a bit of CanLit, and a lot of diverse #ownvoices.

Looking Ahead: Books

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017? Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo! I loved Shadow and Bone and its sequels, but I’ve put off reading Six of Crows and its sequel (mostly because there are like 30 holds on it at the library). But I want to read it!!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)? Thick As Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner!!

3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? After the Fall by Kate Hart! I have wanted to read her book since I read a first chapter excerpt on her blog years ago, and I’m so excited she’s finally being published! She also has consistently over the years had great blog series, from her cover analysis, to her Badass Ladies You Should Know series.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017? See #2!

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017? I want to actually accomplish some of my reading goals next year. I was looking back at previous blog posts, and my reading challenge posts have always been the most well received so I think I’m going to do that. And I’ve been saying this for years, but I’d love to actually have a blog post schedule, even if it’s only once a month or something. I want to have written more than 13 blog posts by the end of next year (okay so that would mean more than once a month... whatever)!! I have also been thinking for awhile about completely redoing the layout of the blog. We'll see how that goes.

Stay tuned for my 2017 reading goals!

What are your best books of 2016? Goals for 2017? Any suggestions for how I can spruce things up around here?