2018 WRAPPED UP IN BOOKS – A Book Blogging Year In Review (Delicious Pie Charts, Evil Authors That Make Me Cry & Favourites)

2018 was a strange book blogging year!

I admit. I didn’t post as much so my stats dropped by loads, I didn’t read many good books if i’m being perfectly honest, and the year, in general, wasn’t that great. But there were some highlights! And some downfalls. Which I’m going to talk about today! Let’s goooo.

2018 READING STATS

Number Of Books You Read: 68 books on 29th December 2018
Number of Re-Reads: 10
Genre You Read The Most From: FANTASY! I know over here Fantasy and Contemporary are TIED but I read two more fantasy books after I made these pies so ha. I AM A FANTASY LOVER!!!

 

FAVOURITES OF 2018. 

I read a lot of great books in 2018 – but honestly, It didn’t FEEL that great of a reading year. Maybe because I was in a reading slump for most of 2018? Who knows. But here are some of my favourites in no particular order.

DISAPPOINTING BOOKS

• Can you believe Radio Silence is up there for favourites and I Was Born For This is on the disappointing list? I wish it weren’t true. Alice Oseman wrote one wonderful book and then a not so great book? 
• And is it surprising that THREE books about Muslim teen girls disappointed me? Whew. 
• Girl Made of Stars was probably the BIGGEST disappointment since May hyped it up So much and so did everyone else and it just wasn’t that good? 
• AND SEIGE AND STORM?!?! Leigh Bardugo is a QUEEN and then she decided to write THIS piece of trash. the audacity. 

Most surprising book

The Summer Of Us FOR SURE! I had no idea what to expect from this strange fluffy contemporary and I ended up really, really enjoying it and I have no idea how. ROMANCE IS NOT MY THING. And yet I loved this with my whole entire heart, HOW!?

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read

ACE OF SHADES BY AMANDA FOODY! I’m not sure if I persuaded anyone to read it, but I definitely let people know about how GOOD it was, and maybe some people picked up because of my screaming? WHO KNOWS. it was SUCH a good book and you should read it right now.

Best Sequel of 2018

LEGENDARY. I have already screamed about this book in other blog posts but it WAS…*whispers* so good. Like my mind is blown. The writing is so magical, and the plot is so sinister and it’s such a beautiful and intricate and elaborate world I AM IN LOVE. 

Best book out of your comfort zone

To All The boys I’ve Loved Before – the entire series. I hardly read romance-focused books that are all fluffy and goodness and cookies. But THIS? This was miles out of my comfort zone and I enjoyed the series SO MUCH. I genuinely smiled and laughed countless times throughout the books. It was so much fun and I highly recommend. (The movie was great too!)

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Can I just say the whole of the Shatter Me series? I got through the whole series in less than a week, and every book was a whirlwind and had me HOOKED. I couldn’t put them down, and I was SO incredibly invested and flew through the pages like they were nothing. I need to read Defy Me so bad and the snippet we got the other day. *hyperventilates*

Book You Read In 2018 That You Would Be Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

UHM. I have to mention The Astonishing Color of After because I do want to re-read but not so soon after I have finished. If my love ever dwindles for this book, I shall re-read it and give it all my affection BECAUSE IT’S JUST SO fhdysgfshdgf!!!??

Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

THE NIGHT CIRCUS is SO beautiful. The prose is dripping with golden magical and dreamy adjectives and you’re practically drowning in clouds of wonderful words. I honestly wish to write like her one day. 

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

 

OTP OF THE YEAR (One True Pairing) 

I shall pick the angstiest relationships; I have to pick two – it’s too hard to decide.

JULIETTE AND WARNER are everything. Warner cares so passionately about Juliette and they love each other so much and it’s so beautiful. Jude and Cardan won’t admit they like each other AND THE TENSION between them is real. They are both so cruel and hopelessly in love. 

A favourite post you wrote in 2018?

HAHAHAHAHHA I HATE ALL OF THEM. Okay, just kidding!  I really like this post because it was really damn honest. It got more than 100 comments, which is a record for me in terms of 2018 posts, and I just felt it was the first time I really opened up about how I was feeling.

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

I don’t think I had something amazing happen to me this year in terms of blogging. I mean V.E Schwab retweeted my tweet which was like, wild. 

I think I’m really proud of myself for…coming to terms with the fact that I don’t want to blog that much anymore (?). I know it sounds strange but I don’t know, blogging has been central to my life for 3+ years. That’s a lot. It has become something I rely on. And suddenly, letting it go in a weird sort of way where I didn’t post a lot or obsess over my site, was one the most freeing and best moments of my blogging life. It allowed me to feel less stressed about life in general and start enjoying books again. 

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

Oh, Muse of Nightmares for sure! I just reserved it from my library so I should be able to read it soon. I’m so excited, I love Laini Taylor’s writing so much and I’m so excited to drown in words again.

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak. I loved The Book Thief and got approved for an e-galley of this book which is like WOW!! And i’m so excited to read it, I know it’s going to be amazing. 

The Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman because I’ve been meaning to read it for so long AGH. And it’s so pretty also. I have loved and read His Dark Materials so i know I’ll love this. 

A Thousand Splendid Suns because I’ve promised so many people I would read this and THe Kite Runner made me cry for 3 years so like, yeah. 

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019.

• Agh Finale by Stephanie Garber – I need the conclusion to this amazing and addicting series.
• Oh and King of Scars because of NINA!! ZENIK!! Also, i will read anything Bardugo writes. 
• THE STARLESS SEA by Erin Morgenstern. I just found out about this book today and I KNOW it’s going to be better than the Night Circus which means I’ll love it even more and I’m crying and screeching.

I mean…most of this post was just me screaming about The Astonishing Color Of After but can you blame me? Also, if you haven’t read it, you’re really missing out folks.

But that’s the end of my post! And also the end of 2018, somehow? I hope you guys have an awesome 2019 but let’s be real, it’s gonna be another hectic and strange year and I’m excited but scared to see how life turns out? Tell me about your favourite books that you read this year and some that disappointed you? And what’s a book you can’t wait to get your hands on in 2019?! Tell me how your year went, I’d love to know.