Happy Vlogidays 2017!

Another December has somehow come and gone which means Happy Vlogidays 2017 is over! I wanted to share the vlog playlist with you all here on the blog so you can have a one-stop shop for all things related to my holiday 2017 experience! (It was great, to say the least. I mean Christmas at the beach? What beats that?) You might want to grab a snack before hitting play because the majority of these videos are about a half hour long. How? Who knows. Probably because I don't know when to stop talking. :P Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful end to your 2017! <3

Vacation TBR! | Holidays in Florida & the Bahamas!

I am leaving for a much needed 2-week long vacation on Friday and I am SO PUMPED! Brett and I are traveling down to Florida to visit my parents for Christmas and to spend a week with them, for New Year's we are headed to Miami to party with our dear friends Erin & Cullen, and then the four of us are going on a cruise to the Bahamas for a few days in the new year! We are thrilled to be taking a break from our crazy lives, and *of course* I needed to think up a stack of books I wanted to take along with me!

I didn't want to take too many big, bulky, physical books with me so I settled on 4 physical books and 3 eBooks to work on while I'm relaxing. By no means do I think I'll get through all of these in the two weeks I'm away because my main goal is to just relax and have fun, but I'm hoping that these books will be a perfect beach/poolside companion over these next two weeks!

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn
It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

This One is Mine by Maria Semple

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Black Friday 2017 Book Haul!

GUYS. STOP LETTING ME BUY BOOKS. This is definitely going to be my last book haul of books that I purchased myself (aside from BoTM) for a WHILE. I do not need any more books for a long time. I have so many that I'm excited to read! Check out the list below and the video above to see the books that I picked up around Black Friday!

Paperback Swap

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Phantoms by Dean Koontz

Book Depository

Body Positive Power by Megan Jayne Crabbe

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

All That She Can See by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Warcross by Marie Lu

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Euxupery

Book Outlet

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

2AM at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Christine by Stephen King

Insomnia by Stephen King

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

Lucky Few by Kathryn Ormsbee

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

Want by Cindy Pon

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Amazon

With Malice by Eileen Cook

Lumberjanes, vol. 6: Sink or Swim by Noelle Stevenson et. al.

Lumberjanes, vol. 7: A Bird's Eye View by Noelle Stevenson et. al.

21 Proms edited by Scholastic

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater

Book of the Month

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

Audible/Kindle eBooks

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Audiobook

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

Kindle eBook

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Kindle eBook

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Kindle eBook

#GrinchAThon TBR!

I am so pumped for this readathon!

So my BookTube pal Izzy decided to come up with an alternative to the holiday readathon and I am so thrilled to take part. It's called the #GrinchAThon and it's going to take place December 17-23, 2017. It's aimed at folks who do not enjoy the holiday season OR for folks who might have a harder time with the holidays than others. I fall into the latter category for sure.

While I love the idea of the holidays and love the decorations and movies and traditions, I alwayalwaysalways have a really difficult time constantly being out of the house. As an introvert, having no time to recover between work every day during the week and social gatherings every weekend really impacts my mental health in a negative way. Not to say I don't enjoy spending time with my friends and family (because I absolutely do!), but unfortunately the reality of my experience with anxiety is: more exhaustion = more anxiety. It's really not a super fun time.

That's why I'm so thankful that Izzy came up with the #GrinchAThon. It's going to be a nice way to relax in the week leading up to Christmas and focus on some non holiday-related reads and *hopefully* distract from the stress. If you're interested in joining in with this readathon (and I totally recommend you guys do!) then check out the challenge announcement video and the GrinchAThon Twitter page for more information!

Here's what books I'll be reading next week and the challenges that they are corresponding with:

1. A book you've been meaning to get to

Popular by Maya Van Wagnen

2. A mental health related book

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

3. A feel good read

Lumberjanes, volume 6: Sink or Swim by Noelle Stevenson et. al.

4. A book with a black cover/A dark book

The Shining by Stephen King

5. A warm book

Lumberjanes, volume 7: Bird's Eye View by Noelle Stevenson et. al.

6. A diverse book

Wing Jones by Katherine Webber

Dear Santa...

I say it every year, but I absolutely love to do these blog posts, especially since I've gotten older. I've found it more difficult in recent years to answer the question "What do you want for (insert gift-giving holiday here)?" I find that being on the spot with that question, I can never actually remember things I'm actually interested in owning that I wouldn't typically go out and purchase for myself. This blog post every year kind of forced me to really think about the items I'm interested in receiving, and I think they're so much fun to pull together AND to read from other folks' blogs! Here's what I have on my radar for this year's holiday season:

1. Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

I've been eyeing this book for a couple months now. It's an adult horror novel that has some themes that are very reminiscent of Scooby Doo and I am SO INTRIGUED. The only thing that has been holding me back from purchasing this book myself is the price. I haven't seen this book go under $19 since it released, even on Amazon, so I continue to wait to read this beauty until it falls under a price that I can justify. I would LOVE to find this under the tree Christmas morning, though!

2. Luna Lovegood with Lion Head Funko Pop

This has got to be hands-down the cutest Harry Potter Funko Pop I've seen to date! Luna is, of course, a fan favorite and I feel like her Lion Head scene is iconic. I would love to add Lion Head Luna to my Funko Pop collection, especially to put near all of my editions of Harry Potter! <3

3. Scrubs the Complete Collection

For some reason, NETFLIX KEEPS REMOVING ALL OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS THIS YEAR. As someone who prefers to watch the same 5 shows on repeat, this is heartbreaking for me. Scrubs was one of the casualties this year, and I would absolutely love to own the series so I can watch it anytime I'd like. (I also wouldn't mind 30 Rock and How I Met Your Mother, two more of my favorites that got the ax from Netflix in 2017!)

4. Dobble

I don't remember who I saw this from, but I was watching through Instagram stories one day and someone I follow was playing this game and it looks SO FUN! I don't want to spend the time explaining how to play it, so here's a quick handy video if you're interested in how it works:

5. Ever Oasis

Another game that I'm super interested in owning. I stumbled across it when Brett and I were in GameStop one day and it looks so cute and fun! I would love to own this for my 3DS and maybe it can rekindle my love of video games. It's been a long time since I've played and I want to get back into it!

6. Planet Purse

Amazon keeps suggesting such fun statement purses and I gotta tell ya - I LOVE IT! I found this one as I was perusing through the site and absolutely fell in love. I tend to wear solids and neutrals, so I would love to have something bold and fun that I can add to a plainer outfit. I think something like this would be perfect for a night out!

7. Pikachu Nintendo DS Pouch

I saw this in GameStop a few weeks ago and was immediately like, "NEED". Like I mentioned above, I haven't been playing my 3DS as much as I'd like to. I still love my 3DS and love playing it, but it often get put on the back burner when I have free time because I'm usually reading! However, I'd still like to get games and accessories for my 3DS because they're just so freaking fun and adorable! <3

8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling and Illustrated by Jim Kay

And you can't go a Christmas as a Harry Potter fan anymore without wanting to get one of these amazing illustrated editions from Santa. I absolutely love the fact that these are being produced and 100% want/NEED the Prisoner of Azkaban to keep my collection up to date! :D

What do you want for the holidays this year?
Let me know in the comments!

Check out my Dear Santa posts from previous years!

2016

2015

2014

BookTuber BookTuber Tag! ♥

When I originally saw this tag I knew I had to do it despite not being tagged. This is a tag for BookTubers to shout out other BookTubers, and I have felt so much love from the BoookTube community so I wanted to spread a little more! Take a look at my answers for each of these questions and especially make sure you check out the BookTubers that I mentioned in this video because they are all so awesome! <3
People I Mention/People I Tag:
Kristina, Sophie, Joce, Lauren, Simon, Julie, Dana, Chelsea, Christina Marie, Alyssa, Michael, Izzy,Morgan, Becky, Anita, & Andie!

Original by Peter Likes Books

December 2017 TBR!

BLAAHHH IT'S THE LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR! Time to scramble to get all of our reading goals completed for 2017! I have quite a few books that I definitely need to read in order to meet all of my reading goals for the year and if I'm being honest, I'm panicking a little bit. O_O But it's okay! We'll make it through! I'm actually very excited to finally be getting to some of these titles, so hopefully that will make scrambling to the finish line all the more fun! :D

The Shining by Stephen King

Kindle book for December, Group read with Becky, Michael, & Anita

Series to Finish/Catch Up To

Lumberjanes, volume 6: Sink or Swim by Noelle Stevenson et. al.

Lumberjanes, volume 7: A Bird's Eye View by Noelle Steneson et. al.
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Reading Challenge Picks

A book set during a holiday: Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

A book by an author that is no longer living: It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

The first book you see on your shelf: Maus, vol. 1: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman

2017 Goal Picks

Non-Fiction: Popular by Maya Van Wagenen

Classic: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Diverse: Wing Jones by Katherine Webber

TBR Jar: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

November 2017 Reading Wrap Up!

Okay, I'm just going to cut to the chase - I read a shit ton of books in November. After feeling slumpy AF through the end of September/beginning of October, my reading came back with a vengeance in November and I read ALL THE THINGS! I'm just going to let my wrap up and stats speak for themselves. Let me know if you've read any of these books and let me know what you thought! :D

READING STATS FOR NOVEMBER

Participated in 2 readathons (#BorrowAThon & #ContemporaryAThon)

Completed diverse, TBR jar, classic, and nonfiction reads

Completed 4 reading challenges

Continued 1 series

5,453 pages read

21 books completed

BOOKS COMPLETED

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Physical copy, 3.75/5
Buddy read with Megan

Lumberjanes, vol. 5: Band Together
Physical copy, 4/5
Continuing a series

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery": the Authorized Graphic Adaptation
Library book, 4/5

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Library book, 4/5

Kill My Mother by Jules Feiffer
Library book, 1/5

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
Library book, 4/5

Bitch Planet, vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Library book, 4.5/5

March: Book One by John Lewis
Library book, 5/5
Non-fiction pick for November

Wonder Woman: Love and Murder by Jodi Picouly
Library book, 3/5

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
Library book, 2/5
Classic pick for November

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Physical copy, 5/5
Traveling book

The One-Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
Library book, 5/5

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Physical copy, 4/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: The newest book to your shelf

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Physical copy, 4.75/5
Diverse pick for November
Buddy read with Michael

How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
Physical copy, 3.5/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a green cover

The Bear by Claire Cameron
Physical copy, 4.5/5
TBR Jar pick for November

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Physical copy, 1/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: The book that has been on your shelf the longest

Member of the Family: My Story of Charles Manson, Life Inside His Cult, and the Darkness That Ended the Sixties by Dianne Lake
Audiobook, 3.75/5

More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera
Physical copy, 4.5/5
Traveling book

Snow White by Matt Phelan
Library book, 4.5/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a color in the title

Barefoot Gen, Vol. 3: Life After the Bomb by Keiji Nakazawa
Library book, 4/5