Year-End Round Up for 2020

Top 9 images for 2020

Happy almost-2021, friends! Whelp, it's been a year. It's strange to think the year is ending when most days felt like they lasted a week. But time flies whether you're having fun or not, and it does almost seem like I blinked in March and when I opened my eyes it was December.

Since it's been so quiet around here (by which I mean the blog), I thought I'd give a month-by-month snapshot of what happened in my life in 2020:

January: Went to Portland for a week for work-related training. Fulfilled my 2019 goal of visiting Bisbee, Arizona. It was everything I was hoping and more; however, by the time I came home I was so tired and broke I swore I would spend my next vacation at home. LITTLE DID I KNOW.

February: Saw Josh Gates in Denver, another bucket list item! But again, driving up to Denver was a lot of time and stress, and we didn't even get to have him sign our books, so I questioned whether this was truly worth it.

March: Started shopping for a new mattress. Then everything went into lockdown. Moved to working 100% remote.

April: Had an emotional breakdown during Easter.

May: Bought a mattress; however, it was not in stock and they said it could be up to two weeks until it came in due to COVID-19. 

I also had a series of stressful Zoom job interviews. One would think interviewing over Zoom would be easier than in person; one would be wrong.

June: Still no mattress; now they say it won't be on the truck until the end of July. 

Also, got the job I interviewed for.

July: Returned to working on-campus 2 days a week. Saw a movie in theaters for the first time in 4 months. New CRM we'd been working on since January went live.

August: Went down to the mattress place to demand my money back, since this whole mattress thing clearly wasn't working out. They pulled a mattress out of their asses and swore it was mine. I have my doubts.

September: The mattress is a brick.

October: Turned 40. Had an okay birthday by global pandemic standards.

November: Campus closed down and everyone moved back to 100% remote. They gave us all of Thanksgiving week off, which was good since I was starting to feel like the living embodiment of the Hang In There cat meme. 

Wrote a negative review of the mattress place and they said they would "try" to make it right.

December: Christmas was surprisingly nice. One of my friends took pity on me and gave me enough money to buy a new mattress somewhere else. In sadder news, the store I've been working at since 2014 closed permanently.

It was a very not-normal year, but some good things did happen. I got to see Bisbee, as mentioned previously, and I got another job with more responsibility. And stress, don't get me wrong - but on the plus side I'm not bored anymore.

Overall I feel very grateful this year, for the fact that I can keep my job and work 100% remote, as well as for the support of my family, friends, and colleagues. 2020 brought unexpected blessings, and while I still have the occasional emotional freakout at how weird things are, I think I also learned some important lessons. Like don't complain about how tired I am after a vacation.

The Year in Books

I wish I could say quarantine led to me reading more, but that's simply not the case. I've finished 33 books so far, about the same as last year. But my reading habits did change a bit in response to current circumstances. Here are some of the highlights:

Longmire Series

I listened to 5 Walt Longmire books by Craig Johnson on audio. Some of the books are better than others. So far my favorites are Hell Is Empty and An Obvious Fact.

Twilight

As mentioned in my August Sunday Snapshot, Twilight was my go-to comfort read and watch this year. I re-read all but the first book (and the year isn't over), and then I read Meyer's new release, Midnight Sun. Which was long. Good. But very, very long.

Rom-Coms

Nearly all of my favorite reads of the year were contemporary rom-coms. Red, White, and Royal Blue is a delightful story about a romance between the son of the US president and the prince of England. 

Boyfriend Material is a completely hilarious romp that I bought by accident and then was too lazy to return. It's about the son of an aging rock star who's trying to patch up his public image by dating the most boring person he can think of.

500 Miles from You isn't so much of a haha comedy as a happy ending comedy (the first few chapters are honestly kind of a downer), but it offered total escapism to the Scottish Highlands, which was exactly what I needed when I was reading it.

Reading by the Numbers:

Total books: 33

55% of those books were by women

42% were audiobooks

36% were romances

15% were by POC

Year In Movies

I watched 56 movies this year, about 30% more than in 2019. Obviously only a few of them were new releases and even less were in theaters. Here are some of the favorites 2020 brought us:

Hamilton

DUH. It was everything I wanted and more.

Tenet

Not as layered and thoughtful as some of Nolan's other movies, but definitely cool. Well worth watching, imo.

Palm Springs

A super-duper smart twist on Groundhog Day that's also funny and sweet. Not to mention 100% appropriate for a year where all the days feel like they blend together.

The Invisible Man

This is Elisabeth Moss owning it.

Enola Holmes

The beginning is boring and the ending is rushed, and Henry Cavill as Holmes is pretty hard to buy into. But overall a very enjoyable movie I would watch again. I'm hoping they release more movies in this series!

Looking Forward to 2021

Hopefully 2021 will bring a return to life more normal and more improved for all of us. I believe it will, though I'm not sure how long it will take.

I don't have any reading goals for next year, but I would like to buy a house. I've managed to save up enough for a down payment and have been pre-approved for a mortgage, so now I just need to find a Realtor and start looking!

I would also like to start a new hobby. I need something non-work related to obsess over and get myself out of my own head. I'm just not sure what yet.

Here's wishing all of you a Happy New Year and bright 2021.

What were some of your favorite reads of the year? Do you have any resolutions for 2021?

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Year-End Round Up for 2019!

My top 9 of 2019 are kinda creepy.

Happy New Year's! According to the Gregorian calendar, it's that time of year wherein we take stock of the past 12 months (or ten years? Let's not go back that far) and look ahead to the next 12. Welcome to the Year-End Round Up!

To be honest, I'm approaching 2020 with mixed emotions. As you may recall, at the end of 2019 I started a new job at a university that was very boring. I'd committed to giving it a year, however, and now that I'm at the 13 month mark I have more to do, but I'm still not super engaged with it.

Don't get me wrong, it's an okay job. I don't dread going into work and I like the people I work with, but it's definitely not something I want to be doing for an extended period of time.

To that end I applied for another job within the university that feels like a huge jump up. It's a supervisory position in another department. Is that something that I'm 100% confident I will be able to pull off? I'll be honest, no. But I was 100% confident I could do my current job, and now I'm bored, so perhaps a challenge is what I really need. Also, I've suffered from imposter syndrome for a long time, not realizing until recently that that was what was going on, and honestly I'm done with it.

Either way, I'm stressing out about the interview and the prospect of getting the job and the prospect of not getting the job all simultaneously, so I've basically been like this all break:

My seasonal depression has also been really bad this year, which is probably another reason why I'm finding it difficult to put myself in the holiday frame of mind. It doesn't seem like I do a lot of what I used to enjoy anymore, like taking photographs, traveling, writing, visiting blogs, finding new cocktails to try, going through Insta, or reading.

Year in Reading

And speaking of, let's get off the personal track and move on to my year in books in 2019! This year I read just 31 books, compared to last year's number of 51. Not great! Here are some stand-outs:

Favorite Mystery: The Melting Clock by Stuart M Kaminsky

Wartime PI Toby Peters is hired by Salvador Dalí to find three missing paintings by the artist. This book is so much fun! I loved the surreal elements and Dalí was hilarious. If you're into Old Hollywood, the Toby Peters series is totally up your alley.

Favorite Romance: The Earl I Ruined by Scarlett Peckham

Technically my favorite romance of the year was a reread of The Chocolate Touch, but for new-to-me books, this was a highly enjoyable historical romp with a smart, vivacious heroine and a tortured hero. You know I loves me some tortured heroes. His Dark Secret was completely crazy pants, but for some reason that didn't bother me too much.

Favorite Non-Fiction Read: Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner

If you've ever wanted to, or tried to, learn a language, this book is for you! There is a ton of interesting information about learning and memory, and Wyner has an excellent set of tools to help people learn and remember language. I used his method this past semester for my Italian class, and I think it really helped. I started having dreams in Italian the second week! Plus I love what a word nerd Wyner is.

Year in Movies

I watched 43 movies this year (not counting Hallmark movies... haha), and I have some Definite Opinions about them.

Favorite Movie: Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood

This should come as no surprise! I was walking on air for days after seeing this movie; I loved it. I want to live in it. I've listened to the soundtrack so many times I have the commercials memorized.

Favorite Movie, Runner Up: Knives Out

This twisty mystery is so much fun and you can just tell everyone on the film is having a blast. Will definitely be rewatching this one!

Favorite Documentary: Bisbee '17

A surreal and super-relevant film about the Bisbee Deportation of 1917, this film proves that the more things change the more they still the same. I still want to go to Bisbee because of this movie.

Favorite Cameo, possibly of all time: Always Be My Maybe

This romcom was already awesome, and then Keanu Reeves showed up and made it one of greatest things I've ever laid eyes on.

2019 by the Numbers

• 31 books total
• 74% of those books were by women
• 41% were romance
• 50% were audiobooks
• Only 4 were authors of color :(

So clearly for 2020 I need to read more books, read more AOC, be more confident, and travel more so I can take more photos to share with y'all on Insta!


What were some of your favorite reads of the past year? Any New Year resolutions you want to share?


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Last Sunday Snapshot of 2018 + Year-End Round Up!

My top 9 Instagram pics of 2018

Currently reading:

Hercule Poirot's Christmas and that's about it. I finished Christmas on the Island yesterday morning after sitting up reading until 6:30 am and haven't settled on a new book yet.

Movies:

The Mule, starring Clint Eastwood

Not what I was expecting. I thought this would be yet another depressing Eastwood movie à la Gran Torino or Million Dollar Baby. Instead it shoots for more of a classic cat-and-mouse crime movie vibe. It's not about drug running per se, but about an old man who's looking for human connection, especially with his estranged family. Eastwood does a fantastic job, of course, and there are humorous moments to lighten it up. Overall quite entertaining, if predictable.

The Man Who Invented Christmas, starring Dan Stevens

I have my doubts this is an accurate portrayal of the life and times of Charles Dickens, but whatever. It's a little muddled and a bit too long, especially since it's basically an unnecessary rehashing of A Christmas Carol, but I'm not going to complain about watching a movie with Dan Stevens in it.

Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda

I mean. It was okay. There were moments of magic and joy–I enjoyed the balloon scene at the end–but other parts felt formulaic and beyond recycled. Which is sad considering there's only one other Mary Poppins movie. Blunt had some good lines ("We're embarking on an adventure, children, let's not ruin it with so many questions!"), but Miranda was in there WAY too much for no reason other than, I guess, he's Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Also, I was completely distracted trying to figure out what time period this is set in, AND the woman next to me kept treating the theater as her own personal living room, checking her phone and constantly explaining the plot of the first Mary Poppins to the person next to her. 1. IT'S NOT THAT COMPLICATED A PLOT, and 2., maybe you should have broken it down before seeing this movie.

Anyway. I'm not sad I saw it, but I have no desire to watch it again.

This year in heidenkindom:

What a year! If you'd have told me 12 months ago I'd close out the year with a full-time (and so far deadly boring) job that started at 8 in the morning I would have said you were cray cray. But it happened.

Some major events from this year:

I went to Paris! (In case you couldn't tell by all the photos of the Eiffel Tower, above.) This was truly an epic trip where I fell in love with Montmartre, kicked a few things off the bucket list, and drank champagne every day. Nice work if you can get it. I didn't meet the love of my life or anything (sorry, romantics), but it did make me do some revaluation of where I was, emotionally speaking, and what I really wanted.

I also got really into budgeting this year, thanks to YNAB. It's kind of like The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up but for money. In just six months it's helped me get and stay clear of credit card debt! I was able to pay for all my Christmas gifts with cash I'd saved up, and I saved up for a new windshield for my car. I also started an investment fund for a new computer a few years down the line. I can't recommend this system or the book enough!

In sad news, my last living grandparent died in September, and I can't help but think that now the various branches of the family will go their separate ways, especially since we live in a different state. It's crazy how one person can hold a family together.

Year in Books

As for my year in books, last year I complained that I only read 80 books. Well, this year was even worse: I read a whole 51 books. Pa.the.tic.

On the plus side, I had the same number of 5-star reads this year as I did last year, and one less 4-star read (10 and 13, respectively), so percentage-wise that's a huge jump in quality! Here are some of my favorite books from the past year:

Best Paris Guidebook: Rick Steves Paris

With unique walking tours, humor, and spot-on advice, this is definitely the one guidebook to Paris you should buy if you can only buy one.

Favorite historical/YA novel: Speak Easy, Speak Love

This adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing set in 1920s Long Island is absolutely perfect. PERFECT. I adore the setting, the romance between Beatrice and Benedict is hilarious, the romance between Prince and Hero is swoon-worthy, and there are gangsters and speakeasies and government agents and jazz singers and everything you could want from a book set in the 1920s. Highly recommended!

Best book to read while traveling: Kissing Tolstoy

Penny Reid can be hit-and-miss for me, but I read this book while traveling to and from my grandmother's funeral and it was absolutely delightful. Short, smart, irreverent, funny–basically Reid at her best.

Life-changing non-fiction read: How Not to Die

I've seen docs on Netflix about how eating meat is terrible for you, but for some reason this book scared the bejesus out of me way when the documentaries didn't. It's stuffed full of a ton of information, all cited out the wazoo with peer-reviewed scientific studies.

And yes, I know the title is click-baity and sensationalistic. Admittedly the more accurate How Not to Die of Completely Preventable Diseases by Changing Your Diet just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Favorite new series: Summer Seaside Kitchen by Jenny Colgan

Colgan, take me away! I took a chance on The Cafe by the Sea after reading Angie's review this year and I'm so glad I did. Colgan is brilliant at telling a story and building characters who are flawed but you come to love. The setting is a remote island in northern Scotland and I have never wanted to visit someplace so cold and dark before. Perfect escapist reading! (Although the whole thing with Saif and Lorna is beyond irritating at this point.)

Favorite romance: The Wedding Date

Perfect balance between swoon-worthy romance and a completely plausible story that feels grounded in reality. Not an easy combo to pull off. A definite must-read.

Favorite non-romance novel: The Other Woman

Another winner from Silva, and an indictment of Putin and the Russians' grab for power across the globe. On par with The English Girl imo.

---

That's my year in short! What books did you read or movies you watched this year that you loved? Have any New Year's Resolutions?

A happy New Year and wonderful 2019 to all my readers! See you on the flip side.




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Sunay Snapshot is Getting Ready for a New Year

Visual approximation of current plans.

Currently reading:

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie: The first Miss Marple book. Not what I was expecting, but Richard Grant is doing a fantastic job narrating the audiobook.

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid: Almost finished! Thank god.

Posted:

A reading list for those of us who want to get more vegetables and whole grains into our diet. Plus my 2017 Reading Round-Up.

Happy New Year!

I hope you all have a safe and fun New Year's Eve! I have a bottle of bubbly on ice and ambitious plans to crush the whole damn thing.

Since it is that time of year, I've been thinking about my New Year's Resolutions. Last year my resolutions were to exercise more (how creative), pay off credit cards and save money, practice languages, and finish The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I totally failed on the last one, but marginally succeeded on the others. This year I'd like to:

Save money for Paris: According to Rick Steves, one should budget about $140 per day for a Paris vacation, not including the hotel room. This seems like a lot, but better to err on the side of overestimating I guess. Hopefully I'll get a tax refund (??? who really knows at this point) and that will help to fund the trip in addition to saving money.

Write more better: 2017 was not awesome for the writing career. I lost two of my regular clients and didn't have enough time to hustle for new clients to replace them. I think it's probably a good time to reevaluate and refocus and inject some new energy into writing.

Eat more plants: According to a documentary I watched on Netflix, a plant-based diet can cure everything from heart disease to dandruff. I know we all have to die of something, but I'd rather it not be dandruff.



Do you have any New Year Resolutions?

Happy New Year to all, and as the Germans say, Glück soll uns das neue Jahr gestalten und wir bleiben hoffentlich die alten.

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2017 Year-End Wrap-Up

My top Instagram pics for 2017, featuring Sofie, an old Brownie camera, and lots of sunsets.

Oh 2017. You were exhausting. I've already shared my feelings on the year in general (apparently I'm so looking forward to a new year I labeled that post Christmas 2018 instead of '17), but I didn't have a chance to round up my year in reading. Until now!

The number of books I read in 2017 was honestly pathetic, by my standards anyway. I've only read 80 books so far. I may be able to bump that up to 81 before the year is out, but either way I've read less books this year than I've ever read since I started tracking my reading on Goodreads.

On the positive side, I did pretty well on my Around the World In Books challenge. I managed to read books by authors from 14 non-US countries, including Taiwan, Malay, and South Korea. In terms of numbers, the US made up the vast majority of my reading–no surprise there–with the UK and Japan (thanks, manga!) coming in a distant second and third.

Here are some memorable reading highlights and lowlights from the year:

Favorite romance: Act Like It by Lucy Parker

My review from Book Riot's January Round-Up:

There is literally nothing not to love about this romance. You’ve got London’s West End theater scene, a sweet-but-tough heroine, tons of trouble generated by larger-than-life characters in the supporting cast, and a hilariously grumpy-ass hero who makes “Mr. Darcy look like the poster child for low self-esteem.” The story is perfectly paced and even when they’re fighting–which they do for most of the first half of the book, and very entertainingly too–Richard and Lainie have incredible chemistry. I think what I adored most about this novel, though, was the peek into the world of the theater (“The theater, the theater, whatever happened to the theater” <–what plays in my head whenever someone says the word theater), with all its glamor and politics and fancy dresses and gossip and sexism. Very dramatic, and so much fun! A must-read for anyone who enjoys contemporary romance, imo.

Biggest disappointment: Pretty Face by Lucy Parker

Well, they can't all be winners. Here is the review I wrote for Pretty Face here and then decided not to publish (although I did post a nicer version on Book Riot. Yes, that's me being nice):

Lily Lamprey is a television soap star, but what she really wants to do is work in the theater. Luc Savage's new play in London's West End is her big break, but should Lily risk her career and reputation on their mutual attraction?

I do not get the love for this book AT ALL. It basically exemplifies why I stopped buying romance novels last year: 1. it's not romantic; and 2. it's boring AF. I feel like it sucked five weeks out of my life and I only spent a week and a half reading it.

Here's the thing: Luc and Lily spend very little time together during the course of the book, and whenever they do manage to find themselves alone in a room together, they're immediately interrupted by someone's who's like, "I SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE, HANKY PANKY!" So over the course of 150 pages, they do little more than hug, stare at each other, and get to first base. If they were *really* that attracted to one another, don't you think they would make more of an effort to actually, I don't know, be together?

All that wouldn't make me too grouchy if there was another plot to follow, but there's not. Luc and Lily are it. So instead of a romance novel, we get an endless series of scenes that do nothing to drive the narrative forward. Most of these scenes consist of people standing around and talking about Luc and Lily's relationship. What relationship? People assuming you're sleeping together is not a relationship!

Add to that some truly lazy descriptions and the fact that the potential for drama is wasted at every opportunity, and by the 60 percent mark I was getting pretty damn impatient and cranky with this pile of nothing. I can't believe I wasted so much time reading this book when I could have been reading literally anything else. If you do read this novel, please only read the scenes where Luc and Lily are together and then tell me how long it took to finish; I'd be interested to know.

Favorite series: The Poor Relation by Marion Chesney

I read all six of these books in 2017, quite an accomplishment for someone who struggles to make it through series like myself. This charming series focuses on group of older poor relations in Regency England who decide to take matters into their own tentacles and open a hotel that caters to their wealthy families. Along the way there's romance, drama, and misadventure. These books aren't going to win any literary awards, but I loved the poor relation characters and how Chesney tied their stories together.

Most questionable cover: Trust Me by Laura Florand

From another grouchy review I wrote here but never published:

Let's start with the whitewashed cover, shall we? Trust Me's fearless heroine, Lina, is of Algerian/Syrian descent and is described as having golden skin dark enough to hide a blush and black, curly hair. Meanwhile, the woman on the cover doesn't even look vaguely Mediterranean. Out of curiosity, I Googled "Algerian women French" and got a bunch of pictures of women who were brown- to olive-skinned and absolutely gorgeous, including this photo of French-Algerian actress Sabrina Ouazani, who looks pretty close to how I was picturing Lina in my head:



I just wonder why Florand decided to whitewash her own damn cover. It's bad enough when publishers do it, but Trust Me is self-published. Did Florand think the book wouldn't sell if there was a brown person on the cover? Maybe don't write about one either, then.

Favorite non-fiction book: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Memoirs and I usually don't get along, but when Trevor Noah said on The Daily Show that he was "born a crime" in South Africa, I wanted to know more about his story. I'm so happy I stepped out of my comfort zone and read this book because it is ALL THE THINGS. Gut-busting hilarious, sad, poignant, thoughtful, and entertaining. Noah sure as fuck knows how to tell story, and I learned a lot about a country and culture about which I was more or less completely ignorant. Not just that, but what it means to be hungry, grow up in the hood, and be mixed race. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Biggest pleasant surprise: Malice by Keigo Higashino

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but it sucked me in from the word go and led me down a crazy-twisty rabbit hole. Maybe a little *too* twisty for belief right there at the end, but I sure as hell enjoyed the ride.

Favorite mystery: The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett

This book has everything: religion, faith, libraries, humor, romance, the legend of the Holy Grail, billionaires with questionable motives. Everything just works, even the stuff that usually annoys me.

Best overall (audiobook, historical, romance, adventure): The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

This book, you guys. THIS BOOK. Again, this is a book with everything: pirates, Versailles, Venice, alchemy, highway robbery, evil dukes, bluestockings, absolutely swoon-worthy romance. I wish I lived in this novel so that I could hang with Monty, Percy, and Felicity all the time. It's a romp, a romp I tells ye!

Favorite cookbook: Simple Green Suppers by Susie Middleton

2017 was the year I got serious about eating more plants (TM), and this was the perfect book to help. The suppers are filling and satisfying, flexible, and delicious. I actually crave several of the recipes in here now, and I've never found myself saying that about vegetables before.

2017 by the numbers:

• 80 books total
• 45 of those books were by women (men are catching up! usually the percentage is usually closer to 60/40)
• A little more than 1/4th of the books I read were romance (or at least had a romantic subplot)
• Only 16 books were mysteries
• As for classics, those took a nosedive: I only read 1 classic this year
• According to Goodreads, the most popular book I read this year was Graceling by Kristin Cashore, a book I don't even remember reading. Go home Goodreads, you're drunk.

How was your year in reading? Any favorites?




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2016 Year-End Wrap-Up

My most liked Instagram pics of 2016. From top left: A used bookstore in Jimbocho, Tokyo; a new keyboard; crackers and cheese for the Readathon; The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan; a Sherlock word poster; southwest sunset; moi at the Hollywood Roosevelt; Calypso wants a cookie; and geisha in Kyoto.

The end is nigh... The end of the year, anyway. I know a lot of my internet peeps are happy to see 2016 out, but personally I had a pretty good year. I got to go to Japan (!!!), which was amazing; I published my first cocktail book, The Introvert's Guide to Drinking Alone; and my friends and family are all healthy and happy (insofar as the existential horrors and toil of daily life allows, of course). All told, 2016's probably been one of the better years I've had in awhile.

My personal favorite photograph that I took in 2016.

But enough of that, let's talk about something we really care about: books! I did not read many books this year at all (according to Goodreads the count is currently up to 85), but on the plus side there were more high points than there were last year. Some books of note:

Favorite Romance Novel: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

This is by far the best romance I read this year, maybe even in several years. I'm a sucker for books where the hero and heroine fight all the time, but Thorne takes it to another level by making Lucy and Joshua's "games" hilarious and ridiculously entertaining. These two had crazy-ass chemistry and their romance was so intense I never wanted to put the book down. Plus the entire world of Lucy and Joshua and their office is wonderfully realized and fleshed out. If you're wondering if the hype about this book is true, it is. Read it!!

Favorite Sherlock Adaptation: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

I read quite a few Sherlock adaptations this year (shocking, I know), but my favorite of all was A Study in Charlotte, a YA novel narrated by the modern-day descendant of John Watson, Jamie Watson, and featuring the misadventures of Sherlock Holmes' great-great-great granddaughter, Charlotte Holmes. There was some pretty dark stuff going on in this book, but it never turned dour, thanks to Jamie's self-deprecating humor. There were also a ton of fun easter eggs for fans of the original Conan Doyle stories. Can't wait for the next volume!

Best Binge-Worthy Series: Drops of God by Tadashi Agi

I spent most of July mainlining this manga series, which follows the adventures of Shizuku, son of a famous wine critic, and Miyabi, his friend and a sommelier-in-training. The plot revolves around Shizuku trying to figure out what the "12 Apostles" of wine are before his rival, Issei Tomine, does. It sounds like a nutty basis for a manga, but it totally works. I love the multi-dimensional characters, the storyline feels like it moves organically, and the art is absolutely gorgeous. Even if I didn't enjoy learning about wine, I'd still be all about this series.

Tasting DRC Richebourg, Drops of God, art by Shu Okimoto

Favorite Classic/Audiobook: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I'm not a huge fan of Agatha Christie, but after watching And Then There Were None on PBS, I was curious enough to give the audiobook a try. First of all, Dan freaking Stevens. It's so nice to hear his voice. I missed him so much! Second of all, even if you're completely familiar with the plot, the story is still a compulsive read. It's not about ten strangers stranded on an island so much as it is about moral ambiguity and facing personal demons. All of the characters deserve what they get, yet there's a sense of horror in their comeuppance nonetheless. While I would have preferred it if Christie had left the question of whodunnit unanswered, this is one of those deceptively simple novels that nearly anyone can get into.

Biggest Disappointment: Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

This was probably my most anticipated book of 2016. I loved Cold-Hearted Rake, Kleypas' previous novel in this series. But what I loved MOST about that book was the romance between Lady Helen and the department store magnate, Rhys Winterborne, which ended in a cliffhanger to TBC in this book. I was all set to be swept up in their romance, but it's hard to be swept into a story when NOTHING FREAKING HAPPENS. I swear to god I felt like I was watching paint dry. For the first half of the book, every other paragraph was exposition and backstory. DO. NOT. CARE. I nearly DNF'd it and I have never said that about a Kleypas book, not even the ones I thought were stupid. Total waste of time.

Runner-Up: The Black Widow by Daniel Silva

I'm not even sure I should count this one, since I kind of abandoned it 50 pages in. Not in a firm DNF way, more of in a I-don't-really-want-to-read-this-right-now-and-oh-look-it's-due-at-library-shrug-oh-well kind of way. Usually Silva can pull me right into a story, but that didn't happen with this book, and I think part of the reason was the politics. Of course all of Silva's novels are political, but in this one it felt like the political aspect overshadowed everything else, including the plot and character development. I just wasn't in the mood to deal with it. This might be the book where Silva and I part ways.

Favorite Mystery/Debut Author: A Lady in the Smoke by Karen Odden

Finally, I have to mention A Lady in the Smoke, a book that has pretty much everything I could ask for from a Victorian mystery: trains, romance, aristocratic ladies hiding their true identity, family secrets, crusading journalists, a scrappy pickpocket that could give Artful Dodger a run for his money. There were a few boring sections, but by the end I was an extremely satisfied reader. The romance subplot was really well-done, too. I hope Odden publishes more books in the future!

2016 By The Numbers:

• 85 books total (a lot less than I wanted to read, tbh)
• 17 of those books were romance (probably the first time since I started keeping track on Goodreads that romance hasn't accounted for at least half of my reading)
• 19 books were mysteries
• Only 3 were classics. Compare that to 2015, where I read 19 classics
• 23 books were by male authors, 56 were by female authors, and 6 were either a male/female team or idk–pretty much the same percentages as last year
• Of those 23 books by male authors, nearly half were nonfiction reads: 10
• 22 books were published in 2016, less than last year

Tell me about your reading highlights this year!




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