New Year's in Miami & the Bahamas | Vlog & Photos

So a few weeks ago, Brett, Cullen, Erin and I all met up in Miami to spend New Year's together, and early into the New Year we went on a cruise to the Bahamas! I have a bunch of photos that I haven't shared yet, and while I did post a vlog on my channel (which you can find at the end of this post!), I haven't share it here yet. So, without further ado, here are some of our memories from the trip! :)

DECEMBER 31ST - NYE in Miami!

While we waited for Erin & Cullen to arrive, we got lunch with my parents and watched the Patriots game. We actually saw quite a few Pats fans down in Miami and on our cruise, which was super awesome! :) We stayed nearby Gulfstream Park, which is an active horse track and casino, and it had a lot of restaurants and options for us to go out during the evening. They were having a big free NYE party that night, which made deciding what to do that night really easy! 

JANUARY 1ST - Coconut Grove (Miami, FL)

Of course, New Year's Day was spent recovering from the night before. Erin & Cullen found this cool little ~oasis~ spot called Coconut Grove where we laid out and relaxed for a few hours. I, of course, was loving it and spent most of the time just chilling reading my book. We stopped in town to grab burgers for a late lunch at this place called Lokal which was pretty delicious, and later in the evening we went to the arcade at Gulfstream Park which I didn't get any photos of but is featured in my vlog!

JANUARY 2ND - Cruise Day #1, Enchantment of the Seas

We finally set sail! Spending time on the ship was a blast, but our first night was ROCKY AF! Rough seas made everyone sea sick, but we made the best of it becuase it was OUR VACATION, DAMNIT. Apparently I didn't take a ton of pictures on the first night because we were just focusing on having a good time/trying not to puke :P but here's a photo of us having lunch on the ship while we were still in port:

JANUARY 3RD - Cruise Day #2, At Sea

Bad weather over the Bahamas forced the cruise to skip our first stop which was scheduled to be at Coco Cay, but we were at least able to enjoy some 80 degree weather on the pool deck and took serious advantage of all the ship had to offer. We eventually got to Nassau in the evening and we were able to hop off the ship and explore a little bit. We went to Senor Frogs and did a bit of dancing and drinking which was a blast. :)

Windy AF on the top deck of the ship!

Mimosas on the pool deck!

Hiding from the wind with my book.

We got a towel elephant! I named him Horatio.

With CAPTAIN ANGEL!

~couple pics~ with our ship!

JANUARY 4TH - Cruise Day #3, Nassau, Bahamas

Finally a day at port! We got to see the gorgeous blue of the Caribbean ocean and while our original plan of snorkeling got canceled due to high winds and rough seas, we managed to change our excursion to visit Atlantis and their aquarium which was loads of fun! I wish we had the chance to spend more time in Nassau and in the Bahamas in general, but I was happy to be able to explore a bit with everyone and see all of the brightly colored scenery that the islands had to offer.

Back on the ship, we (and by we I mean Erin & I) decided to have a ~fancy night~ and dress up! We spent time together as a group of four and tried to participate in as many of the activities as possible. It was a fantastic final night on the ship and honestly, any time the group of us is together we have an absolute blast no matter what we're doing. Hopefully we get to go on another trip together soon!

A LOT more of our trip is featured in my vlog, so I highly recommend checking it out to see more of what we got up to. I think this really captures the entire trip really well and I'm so happy we have these memories to look back on! :D

Vlog: #24in48 January 2018

Over the weekend I participated in one of my favorite readathons, the #24in48 readathon! The aim of this readathon is to read for 24 hours over the course of 48 hours. This readathon is so much fun and allows you to read SO MUCH! I had a ton of fun (despite feeling sick), got through a LOT of books, and I can't wait for the next round! :D Click play on the video to see how I do during the readathon!

And on Wednesdays I Make Blog Posts

Guys... it's been a while. It's been a long while since I've actually sat down and written blog posts on a consistent basis. Yes, I still make sure I post all of my videos I post to YouTube wind up here so you all can see them, but it has been quite some time since I've fallen out of my rhythm of posting written blog content and I miss it. While I've never had a *huge* blog following, blogging is where I'll always feel most at home on the social internet and I'm ready to  make an effort to post more consistently here on FivEleveNinety.

I've been sitting down and trying to brainstorm blog post ideas that aren't just my YouTube videos and I feel like I had a solid enough list where I can post a written blog entry at least once a week - like the good ol' days! I've decided that since I tend to post my YouTube videos on Tuesdays and Thursdays, why don't we sneak a little blog post right in the middle on Wednesdays? So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to start making a serious effort to write something and have it posted for you each and every Wednesday. Mark your calendars!

If you haven't been keeping  up with my life via YouTube, maybe now is a good time to get you up to speed. I'm still working at Mount Holyoke and still love my job dearly. I definitely feel very comfortable in my role and still enjoy coming into work every day to spend time with my students and colleagues. I'm still reading as much as I can whenever I get any opportunity (if you haven't noticed). It's been a bit since I've trained for a marathon (my last one being the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY in October), but I'm hoping to find either a spring or summer marathon to run next. Who knows where I'll end up running but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless!

All in all, things are generally the same. No major life updates at this moments but I'll of course try my best to keep you up to date either here or over on my channel. I'm looking forward to this writing project and I hope you all are as well! :D See you next Wednesday!

#24in48 TBR {January 2018}

One of my favorite readathons is making a comeback this upcoming weekend! The #24in48 readathon will be taking place between January 27 & 28, 2018 and the goal of this readathon is to read for 24 hours within that 48 hour period. My TBR might seem really large, but you can actually get through a surprising number of books when reading for 24 hours! I'm hoping to finish a decent amount of these books (though I'm fairly certain I will not get through all of them) and ultimately, I'm just looking forward to battling the clock with my books! :D
#24IN48 READATHON TBR Dark Places by Gillian Flynn My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologizes by Fredrik Backman 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira Artemis by Andy Weir Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimanada Ngozi Adichie Barefoot Gen, Vol. 4: Out of the Ashes by Keiji Nakazawa Pregnant Butch: Nine Long Moths Spent in Drag by A.K. Summers The Only Child by Guojing

Vlog: #ReadYourFaceOff 24 Hour Readathon | 1k Subscriber Celebration!

In case you missed it, over the weekend I ran a 24 hour readathon called #ReadYourFaceOff in order to celebrate the 1,000 subscriber milestone I hit back in November! I had a great day of reading as much as possible. It was nice and cold outside making this readathon extra cozy! I picked up several great books and had an absolute blast chatting with the other folks that participated along with me. Thank you to everyone that is subsribed to my YouTube channel - this wouldn't have been possible without you! 
Click play on the vlog above to see how I did! :D <3

Reading Statistics, Reading Goal Review, and Every Book I Read in 2017!

One of the coolest things about reflecting on yearly reading is looking at your statistics and how they broke down throughout the year. I think it's so interesting to see how my reading progressed throughout the year and I feel like a lot of what the statistics tell me makes a lot of sense. I managed to read more when I had more time, and less when I had less time. Nothing too strange in 2017! Keep reading to see how everything breaks down AND to see every single book I read this year, including my star ratings and what goals or challenges they corresponded with.
STATISTICS
Number of Books Read: 148 Number of Pages Read: 45,887 Month with Most Books Read: November (21 books) Month with Least Books Read: April & May (7 books) Month with Most Pages Read: August (5,549) Month with Least Pages Read: April (1,779)
GOALS IN REVIEW (For reference, check out my 2017 Goals Blog Post!)
Read 70 Books: Completed & doubled! Read Infinite Jest: Completed *Begin 3 New-to-Me Series: Completed Throne of Glass Spinster Club Princess Diaries *Complete/catch up to 3 series: Completed The Lunar Chronicles Chaos Walking Trilogy Lumberjanes *Complete a diverse, non-fiction, classic, and TBR jar book a month: Completed *Complete Reading Challenge: Completed *see the "Every Book I Read" section to see what books corresponded to each of these goals!
EVERY BOOK I READ IN 2017
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Library book, 2.5/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a blue cover Buddy read with Shannon
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce Physical copy, 4/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a name in the title
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Review) Library book, 4/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a title that stars with your first initial
The Call of the Wild by Jack London Physical copy, 3/5 Classic pick for January
What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World by Cat Warren Physical copy, 3.5/5 Non-fiction pick for January
You by Caroline Kepnes Library book, 4.75/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a one-word title
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (Review) Physical copy, 5/5 TBR Jar pick for January
We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge Library book, 3/5 Diverse pick for January
Buffering: Unshare Tales of a Life Fully Loaded by Hannah Hart Physical copy, 4/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book that features one of your hobbies
Japanese by Spring by Ishmael Reed Physical copy, 3/5
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Review) Library book, 3.75/5 Sweet Tooth: Out of the Deep Woods by Jeff Lamire Physical copy, 5/5 TBR Jar pick for February
Octopus Pie: There Are No Stars in Brooklyn by Meredith Gran Library book, 4/5
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer Physical copy, 3.75/5 Continuing a series
Saga, Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples Physical copy, 5/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A graphic novel
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adieh (Review) Physical copy, 2/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a red cover
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding Physical copy, 3.5/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A used book
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Physical copy, 4/5 Classic pick for February
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin Physical, 4/5 Diverse pick for February
We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang (Review) Library book, 5/5 Non-fiction pick for February
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Library book, 3/5
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick Physical copy, 4/5 Non-Fiction pick for March
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Physical copy, 5/5 Classic pick for March
You in Five Acts by Una La Marche (Review) Physical copy, 4.5/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book picked out by a friend
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot Physical copy, 3/5 Start 3 new series (fulfilled 1 of 3)
Saving Montgomery Sole by Mariko Tamaki Physical copy, 4/5
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire Physical copy, 4/5
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn Physical copy, 5/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book under 150 pages
I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan Library book, 4/5
A Game of Thrones, vol. 1 by George R.R. Martin Borrowed book, 4/5
The Marvels by Brian Selznick Library book, 4/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book a violet cover
The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan Library book, 4.5/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A short story collection
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie Physical copy, 3.5/5 Classic pick for April
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country by Helen Russell Physical copy, 5/5 Non-fiction pick for April
My Story by Elizabeth Smart Physical copy, 3/5 TBR Jar pick for April
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee Physical copy, 3/5 Diverse pick for April
Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley Physical copy, 5/5
Giant Days, volume 1 by John Allison Physical copy, 5/5 Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a yellow cover
Lumberjanes, volume 3: A Terrible Plan by Noelle Stevenson Physical copy, 5/5 Continuing a series

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

Physical copy, 1/5

TBR Jar pick for May

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Physical copy, 4/5

Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with a title that starts with "the"

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong

Physical copy, 4/5

Classic pick for May

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Review)

Physical copy, 5/5

Reading challenge fulfilled: A 2017 release
Buddy read with Michael

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Physical copy, 4/5

Diverse pick for May

A Dog's Journey by W. Bruce Cameron

Physical copy, 4/5

Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with an animal on the cover

Hamilton: the Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McArter

Physical copy, 5/5

Non-fiction pick for May

Cress by Marissa Meyer
Physical copy, 4.5/5
Continuing a series

The Martian by Andy Weir
Physical copy, 5/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with an orange cover

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
Physical copy, 4/5

Replica by Lauren Oliver
Physical copy, 3.5/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book over 500 pages

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
Physical copy, 4.25/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A YA contemporary novel

Giant Days, vol. 2 by John Allison
Physical copy, 4/5

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne (Review)
Physical copy, 4/5
Start 3 new series (fulfilled 2 of 3)

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Physical copy, 2/5
Classic pick for June

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (Book Talk)
Physical copy/audiobook, 3/5

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini
Audiobook, 4/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book that features a character of a different religious background than you

Swing Time by Zadie Smith (Review)
Physical copy, 4/5
Diverse pick for June

You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventure and Tales of Debauchery by Mamrie Hart
Physical copy, 3/5
Non-fiction pick for June

Surrender the Pink by Carrie Fisher
Library book, 4/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book that was published the same year you were born

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
Physical copy, 3/5
TBR Jar pick for June

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
Physical copy, 4.5/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book by a celebrity you love

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (Review)
Audiobook, 5/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book set in a country you've never been to

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern (Review)
Physical copy, 1/5
Diverse pick for July

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwoood
Physical copy, 5/5
Classic pick for July

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (Review)
Physical copy, 3/5
Buddy read with Anita

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
Physical copy, 5/5
Non-fiction pick for July

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
Physical copy, 4.5/5
Buddy read with Michael

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Physical copy, 4.75/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book that features an LGBTQ+ character
Buddy read with Shannon

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
Kindle e-Book, 3.75/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book set in multiple states or countries

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Physical copy, 3.5/5
TBR Jar pick for July

Lumberjanes, vol. 4: Out of Time by Noelle Stevenson et. al.
Physical copy, 5/5

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde
Physical copy, 4/5

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Audiobook, 3/5

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Physical copy, 5/5

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
Physical copy, 3.5/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book by an author you know you enjoy

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
Physical copy, 3/5

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: the Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
Physical copy, 4/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book to movie adaptation (read the book and watch the movie)

Mooncop by Tom Gauld
Library book, 4/5

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Physical copy, 2/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book with an indigo cover

Barefoot Gen, volume 1 by Keiji Nakazawa
Library book, 5/5

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
Physical copy, 3/5
Buddy read with Andie

The Unseen World by Liz Moore
Audiobook, 4/5

Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Physical copy, 5/5
Buddy read with Becky

Barefoot Gen, volume 2 by Keiji Nakazawa
Library book, 5/5

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Physical copy, 4/5
Buddy read with Michael

The Way We Bared Our Souls by Willa Strayhdorn
Physical copy, 2/5
Buddy read with Shannon

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Physical copy, 4/5

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Physical copy, 5/5
Diverse pick for August

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Audiobook, 2/5
TBR jar pick for August

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Review)
Physical copy, 2/5
Star 3 new series (fulfilled 3 of 3)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Audiobook, 3/5

Release by Patrick Ness
Physical copy, 4.5/5

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Physical copy, 3/5
Classic pick for August

Mad Women: the Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the '60s and Beyond by Jane Maas
Physical copy, 3.5/5
Nonfiction pick for August

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling & Illustrated by Jim Kay

Physical copy, 5/5

Reading challenge fulfilled: A re-read

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Physical copy, 3.75/5

Continuing a series

Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green

Physical copy, 4/5

Classic pick for September

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Physical copy, 4.5/5

Buddy read with Michael

Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox

Kindle e-Book, 3.5/5

Non-fiction pick for September

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Physical copy, 4/5

Finish/catch up to a series (fulfilled 1 of 3)

Chemistry by Weike Wang

Physical copy, 5/5

Diverse pick for September

The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois

Physical copy, 3/5

TBR Jar pick for September

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Library book, 4/5

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Library book, 5/5

The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck by Sarah Knight
Kindle e-Book, 4/5
Non-fiction pick for October

Final Girls by Riley Sager
Physical copy, 4/5
Buddy read with Becky & Michael

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Physical copy, 4.5/5

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Physical copy, 5/5
Classic pick for October

It by Stephen King
Physical copy/Audiobook, 4/5
Buddy read with Becky & Michael

Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years by David Litt
Audiobook, 4.5/5

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Physical copy, 3/5
Diverse pick for October

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison
Physical copy, 4/5
TBR Jar pick for October

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

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Physical copy, 4/5
Finish/catch up to a series (fulfilled 2 of 3)

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Physical copy, 3.5/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book set during a holiday

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Physical copy, 4/5

Classic pick for December

Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Speigelman
Physical copy, 5/5

Reading challenge fulfilled: The first book you see on your shelf

Lumberjanes, volume 6: Sink or Swim by Shannon Watters et. al.
Physical copy, 4/5

Continuing a series

Wing Jones by Katherine Webber
Physical copy, 4/5

Diverse pick for December

Lumberjanes, volume 7: A Bird's Eye View by Shannon Watters et. al.
Physical copy, 5/5

Finish/catch up to a series (fulfilled 3 of 3)

Popular by Maya Van Wagenen
Physical copy, 4.5/5
Non-fiction pick for November

The Shining by Stephen King
Kindle eBook, 4.25/5

Buddy read with Becky, Anita, & Michael

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Kindle eBook, 4.25/5

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Physical copy, 4.5/5
TBR Jar pick for December

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Kindle eBook, 4.5/5

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
Physical copy, 4/5
Reading challenge fulfilled: A book by an author that is no longer living

Favorite Books of 2017

Today I'm finally sharing my favorite books of 2017! I read a total of 148 books in 2017 and it was so tough to narrow down my favorites. I managed to get it down to 15 books and I can honestly say that these are the books that have stuck with me since reading them and will likely stick with me for a long time. I hope you all have the opportunity to read these books sometime in the future because I loved them so much! Watch the video to hear more of my thoughts on each title, and also be sure to check out my blog reviews below of the books I ended up reviewing last year. :)
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Review) You by Caroline Kepnes The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (Review) You in Five Acts by Una La Marche (Review) The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Review) The Martian by Andy Weir Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Attachments by Rainbow Rowell Geekerella by Ashley Poston The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Chemistry by Weike Wang Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

#ReadYourFaceOff | 1,000 Subscriber 24 Hour Readathon TBR

You might remember that in November I tweeted out a poll of what I should do for hitting 1,000 subscribers and the option that won was a 24 hour readathon & vlog! Since announcing that would be my ~celebration~ for hitting 1k, some folks have mentioned they wanted to join in on the fun. In an effort to help folks find each other, I created a hashtag for the readathon and it is now dubbed the #ReadYourFaceOff readathon. It's going to be super chill (no challenges, sprints, etc.) and will take place on Saturday, January 13th at 9AM through Sunday, January 14th at 9AM in your timezone. Hope you can join me! #ReadYourFaceOff TBR

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

Stitches by David Small

March Book 2 by John Lewis

March Book 3 by John Lewis

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Books I Want to Re-Read in 2018

I have so many books on my shelves that I have considered to be favorites of mine for such a long time, but I haven't read in YEARS. I thought that with the new year, this would be a great opportunity to compile a list of books that I'd really like to revisit in 2018 and see if I would still consider them to be my favorites. I'm honestly pretty nervous to see if any of my thoughts or feelings have changed on these titles, but I'm also very intrigued to revisit old favorites and remind myself of the stories. 
Keep reading to see the list of books I will be re-reading in 2018, and watch the video above to see what I think of them now, before I start re-reading!

My John Green Collection including:

Looking for Alaska

Paper Towns

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

The Fault in Our Stars

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Holes by Louis Sachar

Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple

The Book Theif by Markus Zusak

10 Book TBR #1

Hooray for setting the first TBR of the New Year! If you're confused as to what I'm talking about in regards to a "10 Book TBR", be sure to check out my 2018 Reading Plans post where I explain EVERYTHING! Once that's cleared up, come on back here and check out the first batch of books I'll be focusing on in 2018. I'm excited to get to all of these as many of these have been a long time coming! :)
10 Book TBR #1

1. TBR Jar Book: My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologizes by Fredrik Backman
2. Re-read: Looking for Alaska by John Green
3. Kindle eBook: The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

4. Book of the Month Book: Artemis by Andy Weir
Buddy read with Anita
5. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Buddy read with Shannon

6. 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger
7. Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
8. Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

9. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Buddy read with Michael
10. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Reading Plans for 2018: The 10 Book TBR & Series Read Throughs

Happy 2018 y'all! It's, of course, the time to set some new goals for my reading and in 2018 I really want to make reading a more relaxed activity than it was in 2017. I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself in 2017 to read certain books (and honestly I often prefer to have goals and deadlines to achieve), but it became more stressful than I would have liked in 2017, so I really want to change that up in the new year. So, with that in mind, I present to you the 10 Book TBR!

Throughout the course of 2017, I found myself a bit stressed toward the end of each month and felt the need to scramble to get all of the books I set out to read during that month finished. I also felt this need to *still* read the books I didn't get to, and I found myself rolling over books from month to month and felt a ton of pressure (albeit, this was all pressure I was putting on myself) to get those books I was "behind" on completed.  It became exhausting and while I found so many excellent books through setting monthly TBRs for myself, toward the end of the year I did feel a bit of burnout with trying to get everything completed for the month.

Over the past few months, I've been trying to figure out a way to strike a balance between keeping myself motivated with my reading without stressing myself out. I'm a very goal-oriented reader and I thoroughly enjoy setting TBRs for myself to try to accomplish, but I really hate that I sometimes felt stressed that I wasn't able to finish all of the books I set out to read during the month. That's not the point of reading! I came up with an idea that I'd like to try out for 2018 that will hopefully combat reading stress for myself: The 10 Book TBR!

During the course of 2018, I'm going to set 10 Book TBRs. These TBRs will not be monthly TBRs, but books that I want to focus on before moving onto my next group of 10, if that makes sense. Basically, what I'll do is pick 10 books that I want to get to next and focus on getting those read, no matter how long it takes me to get through them. Once I get through those 10, I'll pick my next 10, and the cycle will repeat itself. There may be times when I'm able to get through more than one 10 Book TBR in one month and there might be other times when one 10 Book TBR takes me a few months to complete and both are okay! I really want to find the books on my shelf that I'm the most excited about and actually focus on them instead of worrying about whether or not I can get through them in the course of the month.

There are a few caveats to this plan as it's far from perfect, but here are the things I'm going to keep in mind as I take on this new reading plan:

1. Each 10 Book TBR needs to have at least one book in the following categories:

• Kindle eBook
• TBR Jar Pick
• Book of the Month Book
• A re-read

2. I'm planning to take on several series read-throughs during 2018 (find out which below!) and because I'm not sure at what pace I'll be reading those series and I'm buddy reading a few of them, I'm not going to include them in the 10 Book TBRs.

3. You all know I love participating in readathons and sometimes those readathons have challenges or themes to adhere to which may fall outside of the current 10 Book TBR I'm working on. I'm going to be extremely flexible with myself on this so I can enjoy myself as much as possible during readathons which - again - are meant to be fun!

4. While I'm not going to be posting monthly TBRs, I'm still planning to post monthly wrap-ups because I think it's fun to reflect on how many books you can get done within a designated period of time, so be on the look out for those!

Aaand those are all of my "rules" surrounding this idea for a 2018 reading plan! I'm hoping this will let me feel a little less restricted and stressed with my reading for the year. It's not a perfect plan, I'm sure, but I'm excited to try it out to see how I like it! :D

I'm also planning on reading through several series this year which I'm definitely looking forward to doing. I tend to focus my reading on stand alones, but I do really enjoy sticking with a group of characters and seeing how a story develops over several books. The following series are the ones I will be focusing on getting through in 2018:

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling*

The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff*

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

Children's Books by Roald Dahl*

*re-read

And those are my main goals for my reading in 2018! I really hope that this year is a bit more relaxed and I'm really exceited to see what my reading year has in store! Let me know what your reading goals for the new year are in the comments and I hope you all have a fantastic 2018!