#2018readingchallenge

Jan 10

Oh, drumroll please. Ready? Here we go.

I’ve ready a total of 71 books in 2018.

*Thank you, thank you, you’re too kind.

(Okay, I assume you were clapping when you read that.)

Twenty eighteen has been such an enriching year to me, in terms of reading. I’ve never read that many books in one year before, and I have to say that I’ve tried my best to read widely, from fantasy, memoir, fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, and more. I’ve decided to pick up books on topics I usually didn’t, and they are all wonderful. Even when they’re bad reads, they still teach me something in return.

In December, I’ve read seven books and they are all recommended. Really. All four nonfictions are great, especially Gourevitch’s story on Rwandan genocide and Westover’s story on growing up uneducated as a Mormon. The fictions are equally great, and I especially love to read the sequel to Mitch Albom’s Five People You Meet in Heaven, which used to be one of my favourite books growing up.

I’m going to do another Goodreads reading challenge in 2019. Thanks for reading my reviews and I do hope you get a few good recommendations on what to read and what not to. I’m always delighted when I post these reviews and one of you reaches out to me to talk about a book.

So without further ado, here are December’s books~

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Dec 08

Can I just say that this year is going by too fast? I suppose it’s true what people say: the days are long but the years are short.

This month, I read both nonfiction and fiction books, and all has different genres. Sort of. The highlight is definitely Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere. I’ve been wanting to read that book for so long, but it has a long list of reservations at my local library. Then I got a job at another library (more on that on another post), and I’ve gotten the book almost straightaway. It’s oh. so. good.

I’d also recommend picking up the Villains series by Serena Valentino. (For this month, I read the third book: Poor Unfortunate Souls.) While this one is not super great, but I just feel like there are very few people who know of these series, and all in all, it’s awesome. Published by Disney Press, these are the stories of Disney’s villains, giving them background and voice, telling why they are who they are and do what they do. For a Disney lover like me, it’s a wonderful revelation.

So here are November’s books.

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Nov 08

One fiction and three memoirs. Well, in my defence, nonfiction books are much easier to read than fiction ones.

I’d say that the fiction one (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine) is the highlight though. It’s beautifully written, and I find myself being really drawn into the story, in a way that only a good fiction can do. Needless to say, it comes really highly recommended. I’ve heard that the book’s movie adaptation is coming out soon, so make sure you read the book first before hitting the cinema.

The other three memoirs are a hit and miss, or more precisely: one hit, one miss, and one somewhere in the middle. I love There Are No Grown-Ups—it’s the second book by Pamela Druckerman, who wrote about French parenting I’ve read a few months back. I’m quite disappointed with Everything Happens for A Reason, which despite its strong story and lots of marketing, just fell flat for me. I can’t quite connect with the writing. The last book—If You’re in My Office, It’s Already Too Late—is quite good, but it’s the sort of book that you enjoy but doesn’t leave a lasting impression on you.

So without further ado, here are October’s books.

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Oct 03

This month’s books are all about nonfiction.

I read two memoirs and one medical/health nonfiction book, and I honestly would only recommend one out of the three. But before I dive in to talk about those books, I do have a confession: for the first time ever, I DNF (did not finish) a book.

I’m quite… a finisher, in terms of books. No matter how boring, or how I detest a book’s subject, once I started I would make an effort to finish it. Lately, though, I feel like time is such a precious commodity that I decided not to finish a book. And that book goes to Mary Roach’s Packing for Mars.

I honestly love Mary Roach, and my reason for not finishing the book is simple: I do not care about the subject that much. I’m interested, but not too much. I guess space life only interests me if it’s science fiction. So instead of being bored and forgetting everything anyway after I finish a book, I shelved it, probably forever, and that’s okay.

So let’s talk about September’s books.

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Sep 05

Spring is finally here. But oh it’s still so cold!

That aside, August is the month where I have officially finished my reading challenge. I have now read 50 books out of 48, and I really feel like I’m cruising through the challenge this time. I will keep on reading until the end of the year—there are still so many to read on my to-read-list!

This month, I read three books: Why We Get Fat, a nonfiction book on the ‘science’ of, well, why we get fat; The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller (remember that I read Circe last month? TSoA is her first book); and Bringing up Bébé, a nonfiction/memoir book of French parenting.

…And no, it’s not what you’re thinking. Definitely not.

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Aug 01

I can’t believe it’s already August. Only five months to go till the new year.

I know, I feel like I haven’t updating the blog much (or at all?) apart from these books that I’m reading. I’m currently at that phase in life where writing takes a backseat, choosing to do other things that I love as well instead (cooking, baking, and lots of reading). That being said, I think taking a break from writing does do me good. Hopefully I’ll come back into the groove soon(ish).

In July, I’ve read four more books. That means: I’ve read 47 out of 48 books! I actually can’t believe that I’m cruising through this reading challenge, and I haven’t lost the will to read yet. There are still plenty books on my to-read list, to-borrow list, or just sitting there idly on my bookshelf. 2018 is the year where I read indeed.

Here’s an overview of the books I read: one historical fiction, one Greek mythology, one fiction, and one cooking book. All four are good books, but Circe by Madeline Miller is definitely the highlight. It’s so good that I feel like I’m still living in the story, despite having moved on to reading two other books. If you love Greek stories, this one is a must-read.

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Jul 06

Despite only reading three books last month, I have officially finished 90% of my 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge.

The total count is 43 out of 48 books. I’m cooling down, but I definitely enjoy doing all these readings.

The three books are all great, and I especially love The Handmaid’s Tale. I know, it’s a classic, and a book that I should have read way back when. I’ve gained a new reading friend (it’s so hard to find friends who do read, you know?), and she recommended this book endlessly. She even let me borrow her book! Needless to say, it’s highly recommended.

I also like Bonk. It’s a scientific book about about sex, and honestly it’s hilarous. I’ve read her book on human cadaver, and I have definitely put her as one of my favourite authors. Recommended as well!

The other book, I am Malala, is highly recommended by a lot of people. Malala’s story is one that we’ve heard a lot in the news these past few years. This may come across as an unpopular opinion, but I really can’t relate with her writing at all. The story is mindblowing, but it all falls flat on her writing. Not sure I’ll recommend this one.

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Jun 08

Well, it’s official: I’m cooling down a bit.

This month, all the books I read are nonfiction: a few about plants, others about homemaking, one about human cadavers—which easily is the book of the month. Granted, it’s not a book for everyone, but the author (a science journalist) is just so, so good. Two thumbs up.

So without further ado, here they are!

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May 02

I started the month strong, but read considerably less nearing the end of the month.

Instead, I borrowed heaps of books on gardening (bonsai, indoor plants, propagating, herbs etc) and flipped through the pages. Heh. Yet I still finished nine books in total!

(Btw, you can access the books I read in January, February and March.)

After reading several heavy fictions, I’m in the mood for nonfiction. In fact, I read exclusively nonfiction this month, half of them heavy and half of them very light reading. From the pile, I really, really recommend Evicted by Matthew Desmond (about poverty in the US), The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee (about a North Korean defector), and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat (about the science of cooking). They are all wonderful!

So without further ado, here they are!

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Apr 05

Another impressive total of 7 books. I still think I’m on a roll.

(You can read the books I’ve read in January and February too!)

I’d have to say that so far, the books I’m reading are that good. I only had given one book a two-star rating—the others four and five. I really love the first three fiction books I read: Never Let Me Go, Salt to the Sea, and The History of Love. They are too good, and the words stayed with me long after I finished the last page. The other fiction, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, is wonderful as well, although in a different way.

Oh by the way, I read a full book on vagina. And it’s highly recommended.

So without further ado, here they are.

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2018 Reading Challenge: December

2018 Reading Challenge: November

2018 Reading Challenge: October

2018 Reading Challenge: September

2018 Reading Challenge: August

2018 Reading Challenge: July

2018 Reading Challenge: June

2018 Reading Challenge: May

2018 Reading Challenge: April

2018 Reading Challenge: March