Did I Accomplish My 2017 Reading Goal?

When I was in high school, I used to read somewhere around fifty-ish (I never counted and wasn't great at keeping track on Goodreads) books a year. I was constantly going to the library and picking out new titles to read, whether I was seeking out certain books or just grabbing things off of the shelf because of pretty covers and interesting summaries. And then I got to college and my reading dropped off to only three or four books a year if I was lucky. A lot of it came down to not having the free time, but I also definitely lacked the motivation too.

I wanted to rectify that, so my goal for this year was to start slowly getting back into the whole reading thing. I decided that one new book a month was a doable task. Twelve books for twelve months was a seemingly achievable goal for me, so I set out in January to see if I could get myself back into reading. Clearly, if you've been keeping up with my blog (especially over the summer), I've done it! Words can't describe how happy I am that this is one of the accomplishments on my 2017 to-do list that I could cross off as a success. As fun as it is completing any goal, I think this one was really for the better too. I'm always happier when I'm reading, so it was great to get back into a hobby that I once enjoyed so much.

Because I've already talked about a majority of these books on the blog already, I'm just going to list all of the books I read in 2017 down below. I'll also add the links to the blog posts where I talked about them if you want to read more in-depth about my thoughts. Also, just for funsies, I'll give them a rating out of five, just in case you're curious.

1. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. This is a YA book that has a plot twist that still haunts me to this day. You can read my original post here, but this is for sure a 4/5 for me.

2. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. This is a fiction book that has semi-feuding co-workers, so you know all of the fun that can lead to. You can read my original post here, but this is a solid 5/5 for me.

3. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I didn't talk extensively about this on the blog, but I bought this book when it first came out and never got around to reading it. It's just as crazy as you've probably heard, so if you enjoyed Gone Girl, you'll probably really like this. It's a 3.7/5 from me!

4. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. This is a YA book in which the narrator thinks she has a disease where she can't be exposed to the outside world. This was also a really cute movie with Amandla Stenberg. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 3/5.

5. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. This is a YA book about a "mean girl" who gets into a car accident and keeps reliving the same day over and over again until she figures out how to make it right. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 3.5/5.

6. Yes Please by Amy Poehler. This is a memoir and book of essays by Amy Poehler, obviously from Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation. You can read my original post here, but I give it a 3/5.

7. Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han. This is a YA book and the third in Han's series (following To All the Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You). It follows Lara Jean on her college hunt and all of the complications that come along with relationships and the end of high school. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 4/5.

8. The Girls by Emma Cline. This is a fiction book based on the Manson family/cult and that's really all there is to say. You can read my original post here, but I give this book a 3.7/5.

9. Once and For All by Sarah Dessen. This is a YA book about the daughter of a famous wedding planner who has become quite a cynic due to her upbringing and a particularly tragic event that happened in her life not long before the start of the story. You can read my original post here (and a mini-rant about the negative connotations with adults reading YA fiction), but I rate it a 4/5.

10. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This is a fiction book about some batshit crazy nonsense. Honestly, we all probably know the plot and twist to Gone Girl by now, but y'all...this book is going to make you question people's sanity. You can read a small snippet from the original post here, but this a 4/5.

11. Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett. This is a YA fiction book that's a modern-day retelling of the movie You've Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. You can read my original post here, but I give it a 3.7/5.

12. How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore. This is a YA fiction book about a mean girl who starts feuding with fellow mean girl best friend after she catches her boyfriend cheating with her. This story is a mess from start to finish, yet you can't stop turning the pages. You can read my original post here, but I give this book a 3/5.

13. Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler. This is a YA fiction book about a high school student getting the opportunity of a lifetime as an intern at Shift magazine. Unfortunately, it's as the dating editor, something she's never had experience with. You can read my original post here, but I give it a 4/5.

14. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. This is a YA fiction book about soon-to-be-college-students Dimple and Rishi who end up at the same app development camp over the summer. Dimple is there because that's her passion, Rishi is there to introduce himself to the girl that he's arranged to marry. You can read my original post here, but I unfortunately have to give this a 2/5.

15. The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne. This is a YA fiction book about the daughter of a social activist being outed as a presidential candidate's daughter, unbeknownst to both of them. It follows their life on the campaign trail and how much you can learn when you listen to family. You can read my original post here, but I give it a 3.7/5.

16. The Big Life by Ann Shoket. This is a career book from former editor-in-chief of Seventeen magazine. You can read my two posts about this book here and here, but I give it a 3.7/5.

17. Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham. This is a memoir and book of essays by Lauren Graham that discusses her life pre-Hollywood, life on the set of her most famous TV shows, Gilmore Girls, and Parenthood, and also some sneak peeks into what it was like to film the revival of Gilmore. You can read my original post here, but I give it a 3.7/5.

18. A New Model by Ashley Graham with Rebecca Paley. This is a memoir and book of essays by famous model Ashley Graham about the industry and making it as a plus-sized model. You can read my original post here, but I give it a 2/5.

19. The Unlikelies by Carrie Firestone. This is a YA book about five "unlikely" teenagers that come together to do something nice for the community and their peers. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 3.7/5.

20. 180 Seconds by Jessica Park. This is a kind of YA fiction book (it's based in college) about a guarded college freshmen who becomes unlikely friends with a social media star on campus. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 4/5.

21. Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index by Julie Israel. This is a YA fiction book that follows Juniper Lemon in the months following her sister's death. She sets out on a mission to figure out who the "You" was in a love letter that she found in her sister's room. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 3.5/5.

22. Everything All At Once by Katrina Leno. This is a YA fiction book about the niece of a famous author (a fictional version of J.K. Rowling, basically) who is given a series of tasks by her late aunt after she passes. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 3.7/5.

22. The Child by Fiona Barton. This is a fiction book about a twisted web of unsolved crimes that digs up tragedies from the past. If you're a fan of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, and true crime, this book is for you. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 4/5.

23. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. This is a YA fiction book about the popular (and mysterious) author of one of the most popular webcomics and her accidental friendship with one of the most popular fanfiction writers of her webcomics. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 4/5.

24. Almost Adulting by Arden Rose. This is a book of essays about how to "adult" by Arden Rose, one of my favorite YouTubers. She discusses living on your own, mental health, internet friendships, and plenty more all while telling it in her very distinct and comforting voice. You can read my original post here, but I give it a 3.5/5.

25. You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein. This is a book of essays and humor book about the ups and downs and trials of life. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 3/5.

26. My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella. This is a fiction book about Katie Brenner, a girl from the countryside who just wants to be a London city girl. It explores entry-level employment, the struggles of wanting to "make it," and that everything isn't always as great as it looks from the outside. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 4/5.

27. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. This is a YA fiction book about Aza and her anxiety. Other nonsense ensues of course, but at the root of it, it's about Aza and how her anxiety affects her own life and relationships with others. You can read my original post here, but I give this a 5/5.

28. Everything Is Awful: And Other Observations by Matt Bellassai. This is a book of essays by Matt Bellassai, a former Buzzfeed contributor that we all know for drinking wine at work and tweeting to Harry Styles. You cannot read my original post here because I haven't talked about it yet, but I give this book a 3.7/5 but I'll round it up to a 4/5 because he very kindly took a picture with me at Harry Styles' Radio City concert and didn't have to do that. Also, because this book was fucking hilarious.

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Guys...I had no idea I read this many books this year. I feel like I'm missing some, but!!!!!!! I hope that this was...helpful? I don't even know, I'm just really proud of myself for doubling my goal for the year. If you have any book suggestions for me in 2018, please let me know!

What was your favorite book you read this year?