December 2017 Recap // Bye, Hiatus & Hello, Blogging World

I can’t think of a non-awkward way to start off this post except to say…

WOW I LOVE HIATUSES SO MUCH AND I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT BLOGGING AT ALL AND IT WAS GREAT.

Not gonna lie, this hiatus was great & I didn’t really miss blogging as much as I expected to. It was still stressful without blogging because, of course, blogging isn’t my only source of stress but wow. I feel so much better about returning.

(Except I hope that December doesn’t count as a month of blogging in terms of stats because if it does I will cry.)

I’m so happy to return to blogging though! Honestly there was a period of time that I didn’t really care about returning to blogging?? BUT I REALIZED I DO WANT TO RETURN SO HAHA I AM RETURNING.

I’m sure kingdoms* are rejoicing because of my return.

Anyways, since I didn’t really blog… at all this month, I’m going to do my recap of December a little bit differently? Aka I probably will just cut out the blogging section and expand on the life section.***

ALSO!! I am going to write a 2017 recap because WOW that year was kind of a mess but it was also interesting blogging-wise! I think I’m just going to sum up each month of blogging and also note down other non-bloggingverse things that happened as well.

YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS POST WHERE I TALK ABOUT HIATUSES:

*Okay maybe like, 3 people max.**

**BUT I STILL COUNT IT AS A KINGDOM.

***This is literally just going to be bookish stuff & life stuff because DID I WRITE?? NO.

BOOKS I READ

*recalls the time my smol self thought I could read 25 books in December*

Three is a large enough number, right?

    

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou  // 4 stars

• This was a very interesting memoir. (Yes, this is a School Book but honestly I was just trying to meet my freaking GR challenge.*)

As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti // no rating

• Yeah, okay I admit that I DNF’d this book. And also I was just trying to meet my GR challenge, once again. BUT EVERYONE HATES THIS BOOK and it seems a bit problematic soooooooo I feel like I’m not missing out on much?

Everless by Sara Holland // 3 stars

• Okay, wow, this was… such a fantastic concept, but this book was nothing really special. THE ROMANCE WAS KIND OF LIKE INSTA-LOVE AND ANNOYING AS HECK. [review]

*I didn’t meet my GR challenge. 😦

favorite book?

Haha this month sucked in terms of reading sooo I don’t really have a favorite, but I guess if I had to choose it would be I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

least favorite book?

I feel like it’s unfair to say As You Wish, seeing as I DNF’d it, so then Everless. (I only have three to choose from ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

BOOK HAUL

• Renegades by Marissa Meyer // Ahh I got this for Christmas from my TBTB Secret Santa and I’M SO EXCITED even though apparently for many people it was disappointing, I still have faith in Marissa Meyer. And also I’m not that picky, so still hoping.
• Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu // SKDFJKJ I WON THIS FROM A GIVEAWAY AND IT ARRIVED TWO DAYS BEFORE RELEASE DATE and omg omg I love Marie Lu and I’m so ready for this book.
• The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty // THANK YOU SO MUCH MAY for sending me this it’s so beautiful. I’m seriously way too excited??? For this book??
• Along the Indigo by Elsie Chapman [arc] // Thanks Abrams for sending me this! THE MAIN CHARACTER IS CHINESE WOW and I think she finds dead bodies by the river or something?? Honestly, not too sure but I think there’s death so obviously I’m ready.
• The Accidental Bad Girl by Maxine Kaplan [arc] // Thanks so much to Abrams for sending me this! IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THOSE THRILLER CONTEMPORARIES WHERE EVERYTHING GOES WRONG. Obviously, I need it.
• My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma [arc] // Thank you to Penguin for sending me this book! I’m so excited to read it, especially since it’s centered around Bollywood film and from the viewpoint of an Indian girl!
• The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan [arc] // YES THIS IS ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED OF 2018 WOW. The main character is a half white, quarter Taiwanese, and a quarter Chinese. ALSO THAT COVER IS SO PRETTY.

 

• SO I STARTED WATCHING TEEN TITANS AND WHOA I LOVE IT. I also read the Teen Titans Go! (2003) comics because the day I finished binge-watching Teen Titans, I was in a state of shock because apparently these shows?? Don’t go on forever?? Despite my desperate pleas??? Which is obviously disappointing. 0/10 on that factor, 10/10 on everything else. (OK IF YOU WATCH TEEN TITANS PLS HMU I NEED FRIENDS TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH.)
• I had a fantastic Christmas Secret Santa exchange with May, Jackie, and Ilsa! Well it was supposed to be a Secret Santa but then we decided that international shipping would be too expensive, so May and I would just exchange presents and so would Jackie and Ilsa! THIS WAS SO FUN WOW. (Although the goodies I gave May sucked, but hahaha whatever.)

thank you may ❤

• The City of Brass hardcover // I’M SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK WOW. It has Muslims??? In fantasy??? AND THE INSIDE IS SO PRETTY
• Model Magic Clay // haha pls don’t fault me for my obsession with clay IT’S SO FUN TO PLAY WITH
• A bar of soap // Ok so I specifically asked for soap you guys, because in case you were wondering… MY FAMILY HAS NO HAND SOAP. I usually just use body wash or dishwasher soap to wash my hands haha..ha.
• A Yankee Candle // AHHHH THE SCENT OF THIS IS “STRAWBERRY LEMON ICE” AND I LOVE IT. IT SMELLS SO GOOD and I really want to light it, even though I am completely terrified of matches.
• A Letter // May was honestly so sweet and her letter was so nice! LSKFJSLDKFJDSLKF
• A Handlettered Quote Card // The quote was by J.R.R Tolkein and IT WAS CUTE and also I used it in my bookstagram (which you should 100% follow) soooo multiple purpose, obviously.
• A bunch of Lindor chocolates! // Tbh May and I basically did a Lindor chocolate swap because I gave her all of my dark chocolate ones, and she gave me… everything else. I dislike dark chocolate, pls don’t judge me.
• A Snickers bar // And this was one of the BIG Snickers bars, so you know that May is serious about her gift-giving.

Honestly this was so fun and I love it and *points directly in your face* if you have the chance to do a Christmas gift exchange, DO IT.

BOOKISH

PAST GOALS

• Read 24 books this month. ㄨ no comment
• Write at least 5 Goodreads reviews. ㄨ Yeah, no, I didn’t go on Goodreads uhhhh at all.
• Read all of my January ARCs. ㄨ I READ THREE BOOKS TOTAL. And wow I completely forgot I even like,,, had goals for December? My #1 priority was to just to chill.

CURRENT GOALS

• Read at least 5 arcs this month, publishing in January-February. Wow I have to get out of the freaking habit of reading arcs publishing in May or some other date, like in the year 2087.
• Write at least three Goodreads reviews for already read books. I SWEAR EVERY REVIEW IS MARKED AT RTC AND I NEED TO STOP.

BLOGGING

PAST GOALS

• Write at least three posts. ㄨ OKAY WELL AT LEAST I RELAXED.
• Relax. ✓

CURRENT GOALS

• Write 11 posts. I literally counted the amount of posts I could post if I started posting regularly today.
• POST ON SCHEDULE. Is this a hard goal? IT SHOULDN’T BE *glares at self*

WRITING

PAST GOALS

• Write at least ten more pages of my rough draft. ㄨ Yeah, noooooo. Honestly what did I expect from myself at this point.

CURRENT GOALS

• Think about my novel for at least 9.12 seconds. The real question is, HAVE I THOUGHT ABOUT MY NOVEL EVER?

LIFE

PAST GOALS

• Start studying better for class. ㄨ Ughhhh.
• Generally be better at not procrastinating. ㄨ Hahahahahahaha.

CURRENT GOALS

• Drink water from the fountain and not from a plastic water bottle! #SavingTheEnvironment
• Stop going outside wearing like a t-shirt and pants when IT’S SO FRICKING COLD WOW. Why am I Like This.
• Try?? To?? Be?? Self-confident?? And also I should stop comparing myself to others.
• Stop biting my fingernails. THIS IS SUCH A BAD HABIT I NEED TO STOP.

In case anyone was wondering, this post was 1.4k words long. And honestly I completely forgot about how I added the “Goals” section of the wrap-up. I kind of just added that section because my post wasn’t long enough, but GUESS WHO SUDDENLY HAS ALL THE WORDS TO SAY. (me)

ALSO I REALLY WANT TO REVAMP MY BLOG, BUT DESIGNING NEW GRAPHICS IS SO HARD AND ANNOYING SOMEONE HELP.

Also guys I’m going to take a minute to promote my social media:

• TWITTER // I tweet a lot about the most random things honestly and this is probably the best way to connect with me because I GO ON THIS PLATFORM TOO MUCH.
• INSTAGRAM // Hahahaha I got a new theme recently so GO FOLLOW ME I LIKE MY THEME.
• GOODREADS // Yeah I love Goodreads.

<big>WHAT DID YOU DO IN DECEMBER? Did you blog? Did you take a hiatus? I honestly have zero idea, I was not in the blogosphere at all during December. Do you think my title is cheesy? Because I do, too.