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Sum it Up: 2018

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Sum it up Sunday is a feature post we have been doing on the closing Sunday of each month. In these posts we’ve detailed various things that have excited or upset us over that month.

This is a very special Sum it up Sunday because it is our sum it up of the whole of 2018!

If you’d like to join us in our summing up, please feel free! Just please, provide a link back to our blog. Thank you.

Favourite book you read this year:

Paein:
That’s a hard choice! But I think I’ll go with The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green as this is the first of a series.

the smoke thieves the smoke thieves

Ms4Tune:

The Cruel Prince
By Holly Black
Paein has always spoken highly of Holly Blacks work but this was the first book I have picked up by her.
I will definitely be reading more by her in 2019.

the cruel prince

Least favourite book you read this year:

Paein:

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero – It was just so disappointing, but also there was some dodgy female character writing going on
Also IT by Stephen King, for dodgy female character writing, but also for sexualising an 11 year old girl

meddling kids it

Ms4Tune:
Probably Isla and the Happily Ever After
by Stephanie Perkins
I was really disappointed by this finally instalment. I just expected so much more as I loved books 1 and 2.

isla

Most beautiful addition to our collection:

Paein:
The special Edition of The Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
Aww, wait, did I add that to my books received in December?!

queen of air and darkness

Ms4Tune:
Oow that’s a difficult one…
Maybe Circe by Madeline Miller
Or Ink by Alice Broadway
(I do love a bit of Copper Foiling)
Or possibly by Illumicrate special edition Vengeful by V E Schwab

circe ink Vengeful

How did our challenges go this year?

Paein:
Horrific, I haven’t even read 80 books this year! Let alone completing the challenges

Ms4Tune:
Really badly.

The cons we faced while tackling the challenges:

Paein:
I hit some serious reading slumps this year. I’m not sure if it had anything to do with the challenges though, but when I want to read but I HAVE to read a specific book, it does mean I procrastinate doing it.

Ms4Tune:
Not being able to read as much as I used to.
WIth work, baby and new college course I’ve hardly been able to read at all.

The pros we discovered while tackling the challenges:

Paein: I paid attention to the books on my shelves more (especially when they fell on me) and I actually read some that came in book boxes!!

Ms4Tune:
As I tried to read older books for the Unread Book Shelf Project I found some good gems that I’d had for ages.
I think I’ll definitely continue with that challenge in the new year.
I also bought less as I was trying to read what I bought. It meant I only bought books I actually want to read.
Must do that again in 2019 but be a bit more strict with myself.

What will we be doing differently next year??

Paein:
No book boxes for me next year! It probably means I won’t be keeping up with new releases a I got out of the habit, but hopefully I can concentrate on what I already have.

I’ve also came across a reviewing system by Book Roast called the Cawpile system (link to video explaining it) and that looks interesting and I think I’m going to give it a deeper look, see if I can get some quicker reviewing going on.

Ms4Tune:
Not set as many challenges.
I think I’ll aim for a book a month and any more than that will be amazing.

I’m also not going to request anything on Netgalley next year. I think I need a break. I will aim to read the books I already have from Netgalley, regardless of how long I’ve had them. I would like to clear my list if possible. But even if I don’t I don’t need the added pressure of  new review dates.

I’d like to start reviewing again, but only for books I enjoy or have something important to say about. Any other book can be reviewed in a mini format.
Maybe as a Mini Monday post or a Throwback Thursday? Or a First Impressions Friday..??? I will have a think.

Our Highlight of the year:

Paein:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen read by Rosamund Pike. I cant tell you how many times I listened to this book because I have no idea! Whenever I wanted something familiar, or I didn’t want to start something I needed to pay attention to, when I was feeling a little down or I was having trouble with the voices of other narrators reading other books.
Who ever came up with this plan was a genius.
A Discovery of Witches the tv show was actually a pretty good adaption too. Watched that quite a bit, and now I have it on DVD!

Ms4Tune:
Finding so many books for my little girl.
While I may not have had time to read myself. I have made sure I read at least one book a day with Cas. (Most days we’ve read 3-5!)
She loves to read and I’m so happy about that.

Some of our favourites this year…

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pam id pics paeinpam id pics andpam id pics ms4tune

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