Off-Topic Sunday: End of the Month Reflections

Welcome to Off-Topic Sunday, a tag that I'm using to post whatever is floating in my head that I want to chat about. For the most part, they'll be book-related but you may occasionally see some non-book-related posts/rants as well.

So at the beginning of my year, I listed my bookish resolutions, in which I reduced my Goodreads Reading Challenge because of a multitude of reasons. The two reasons in particular I listed was I wanted quality over quantity and I was to reread some of my favourite novels again. Last  year, I felt quite pressured and rushed by my GR goal of 150 books (which I did accomplish!), often picking shorter books or pushing through with books even though I knew quite early on I wasn't going to enjoy them. Plus, whenever I had a momentary fancy or urge to pick up an old favourite, I couldn't because I was always needing to push through and read new books.

It's been 31 days since the new year (I'm shocked at how quickly this year is running away from us), I can already say honestly that I am really enjoying my new reading style. Reading is about reading again. I have time to think about which book I am most excited about to read next. And instead of pushing ahead with the next book in a series even though I have forgotten what happened in the previous books, I get to reread the series from the beginning. I am right on track to my GR goal of 52 new books this year and yet I still had plenty of time between books to jot down some thoughts of the book I just read.

Obviously, I still haven't utilized the extra time to their full potential. Ideally, as this year progresses, I hope to use some of that extra time to be a bit more consistent with blog posts, comment more on fellow book blogs, amongst other things. 

What about you guys? How has the year started off for you so far?

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Series: The 5th Wave #1

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Release Date: 7th May 2013

Read Date: 25th December 2015

Tagged Under: 2015 read, 2015 favourites, favourites, book review, 5, science fiction, YA fiction, dystopian

Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @GoodReads

Book Summary

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. 

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The begins who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother - or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Top Ten 2015 Releases I meant to get to but didn't

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

2015 was a great year when it came to book releases. There were so many books that I wanted to read and not enough time to read them in. Story of my life. Below is the top ten 2015 releases that I am absolutely dying to get to soon because I didn't get to them last year.

Off Topic Sunday: Resisting Spoilers

Welcome to Off-Topic Sunday, a tag that I'm using to post whatever is floating in my head that I want to chat about. For the most part, they'll be book-related but you may occasionally see some non-book-related posts/rants as well.

Today, I want to talk about a really bad habit of mine - reading spoilers for a book I'm currently reading just to see what is coming up ahead. It's one thing to get accidentally spoiled for a book that you are reading (or about to read) by (well)-meaning friends or the Internet - you know who is to blame there. However, to self-willingly go hunting for spoilers is another matter entirely. I'm not sure if anybody else have that problem but it certainly plays a big role in my reading experiences.

2015 End of Year Book Survey

Tag created by the Perpetual Page Turner

2015 is well and truly over and overall, I have had a great reading year. I have thought long and hard how to best capture my reading experiences in 2015 and then I discovered the End of Year Book Survey created by the Perpetual Page Turner. This idea is amazing as it not only captures your top books for the year but also all other aspects of your reading journey. So without further ado, let's begin!

Book Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Series: Howl's Moving Castle book #1
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: 1986
Read Date: 14th December 2015
Tagged Under: 2015 read, book review, YA fiction, fantasy, 3
Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @Goodreads

Book Summary

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl - and herself - than first meets the eye.

Getting Organized for 2016 Part 2 Weekly Spreads

Following on from my previous post about hoping to get organized this year, I went ahead and created some weekly planner printables too in the same style as my monthly spreads. I really like the cursive writing and the black and white style. As much as I love my Kikki K cute diary, when it comes to on-the-go planning and at work, black and white just works so much better. Plus, I can really use this as an on-the-go planner and jot down whatever comes to mind, and not worry about messing it up or that my pen colour will not match the rest of the page.

2016 Bookish Resolutions

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

2015 is well and truly over and we are already edging our way into the new year. And no new year would be complete without new year resolutions. So without further ado, let's look at my bookish resolutions for 2016 and also how I fared on my 2015 resolutions.

Happy 2016! And a reflection of the year that was

Happy New Year guys!!!!! I hope everyone had a great festive season with their friends and family and I wish you all the very best for 2016!!!!!

Looking back on 2015, I must say I have had a great reading year. It was stressful meeting my reading goal of 150 books but I managed to make it just under the wire by finishing my 150th book on the 29th of December. And after all that reading (47,537 pages according to GoodReads), there are a few lessons that I took away from my reading experiences in 2015.