Yearly Wrap Up! Booktag
December 31, 2020Since it's already the end of the year, i decided to do this booktag that i made myself in order to keep track of my reading progress yearly. I've been wanting do to a wrap up for this blog, but i don't think a monthly wrap up is suitable since i don't really read that much in a month, plus i already do a review for each book i've read so i don't think i would give you a fun content for you to read. So i decided to do this yearly instead of monthly, PLUS i would give you some recommendations by books i've read according to the theme.
I also have post the Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag back in july, so i will try not to made same questions as i did in that post. In case you missed it, you can read it by clicking this picture below.
Please note that this list only for books i read this year, doesn't matter if the book released before this year. And probably in the next year the question will be more than 25 questions, or probably less, we'll see how it goes by the time. So without further ado, let's go!
A Yearly Recap
My Reading Goal This Year : 40 Books
Number of Books I've read This Year : 80 Books
Physical Books added to My Shelf This Year : 88 Books (2 of them i got from friend as a gift)
Number of books I've bought but still on the way to me : 31 Books
Number of TBR books in my physical shelf right now: 92 Books
1. List Of Genres I've Read This Year
Memoir / Autobiography
Middle Grade
Romance
YA Contemporary
YA Fantasy that consist of
· Retelling
· Sci-Fi
· Sci-Fi with AR
· Urban Fantasy
· Dystopian
· High Fantasy
· Paranormal Fiction
· Video Game
· Historical Fiction
2. Genre That I Think I’ve Outgrown Of
Romance, YA contemporary with lots of drama, i got by reading The Broken Hearts & Revenge series, also Rebel Belle series, which added with lots of drama. Also The Thousandth Floor included in this category but since it's set in futuristic world and got some mystery to solve the story is more bearable in some part.
I also read (continue to read to be exact) The Fifty Shades of Grey series in Grey's POV which are Grey and Darker which i think i've outgrown of. I did like Grey as the charming mysterious character but erotica just somehow triggers a lot of bad side i think? Maybe i'm just being old lol!😂
3. New Genre That I Discover This Year
I finally start Historical Fiction by reading the Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. With help of magic in it i guess it's an easy start. Also i start book with video game with Warcross duology, and as i expected i like it a lot. Not only because i like watching people playing video game in real life (yes, i would sit down beside my bro for hours watching him playing game, i know, i'm that weirdo) also the book set in futuristic world with sci-fi added. Just by the way i describe it, you probably already know how much i like it.
4. Book That I've Read To Challenge Myself
Non Fiction. This time memoir by Nic Sheff called Tweak and by his father David Sheff called Beautiful Boy. Which both i find fascinating. I finished them in super speed in my opinion for non fiction / memoir books.
I also tried to read again Traveling to Infinity : My Life with Stephen by Jane Hawking which is her memoir talking about her marriage with Stephen Hawking. I find this one is harder to read due to lots of aspect and struggles she encounter that i feel a bit dragging.
5. Book That Took The Longest For Me To Finish
I would pick Moby Dick as the answer for this one. I haven't post the review about this book and consider to reread the book again before doing it. As the first classic, well maybe not the first, i think i tried some books but i didn't finish them yet i didn't remember their title since it was years ago (read : decade ago) when i tried to read them.
I started the audio book of this Moby Dick back in 28th March 2019. The book is 24hrs long, and i finished (finally, with a struggle) in 20th December this year, and yes, it almost took 2 years to finish this 24hrs audio book which i find it super slow progress. I didn't count it as book that i've put down since i listen to the audio book from time to time whenever i did something else like doing laundry, washing dishes, cleaning my bookshelf (which made the most progress in the reading, or should we call listening progress?) also when i can't sleep (i remember i keep repeating the same chapter in 3hrs 24mintes for couple times because that's the last scene i remember the most before i fall asleep), so yeah this one took the most and longest time to to finish.
6. Book That Took Me The Shortest Time To Finish
7. Book I've Put Down Before And I Finally Finish It This Year
I got some books that i've started long time ago and put it down, then i decided to give it another try to finish it again (thanks to my OCD that wouldn't let me DNF book i've started). I guess this year become the year where i finish all the unfinished books.
First i started City of Bones back in 8th August 2014, i put it down after reading the first few chapter of it, (actually, i think the first chapter of it, since i only read the scene in pandemonium where Jace kills the demon) i put it down because i just can't really relate to Urban Fantasy books that time (honestly, i still struggle a lot with this genre up until now).
I also tried to read the Maze Runner series back in 2014 when the movie was booming, but i put it down right away because of the slang language they use in the maze just so hard to me to digest. I gave it a second try this year because i've been trough the language slang in another Chaos Walking series before and i just fine with it (probably because my English is getting better?)
I also started Traveling to Infinity : My Life with Stephen by Jane Hawking back in 19th March 2018, put it down after reading few chapters of it, then start rereading it from the beginning this December and finally finished it in Christmas which i would like to count as a blessing because of how much will power i got to use to finish it. I will definitely made the review later so please keep an eye for it.
8. Book I’ve Started But Haven’t Finished This Year
This would be Jane Eyre by Charlote Bronte. I start listening audio book of this book in Christmas eve while i was cleaning my apartment, also when i was cleaning my whole bookshelf. It took almost 4 hours to finish but i still got about 12hrs remaining, probably gonna listen to it more while i'm doing something else like cleaning and when i can't sleep in next year. Hopefully it won't take long to finish it.
9. Book That I almost DNF (or already DNF)
Again, we will talk about this City of Bones. I tried a lot not to stop in the middle of reading while i tried for second time to read this. It was really hard to fathom the magical being in real world that set in new days. In the end i finish the whole TMI and TID which i would say i'm proud because the first book of TMI (which is this City of Bones) just sucking my will to finish this whole series.
I also read the Mein Kampf by Aldof Hitler in this January. I was expecting an autobiography of him since he wrote that book himself, turns out it's more like his manual for his political affair which indeed become the "bible" for Nazi (or so they called, if i'm not mistaken). The book is too heavy for me to read, i struggled a lot specially because i intent to finish it as my 80th book which would be my last book in 2020. Thank God i finished it!
10. Book That I Felt Hesitant To Start at First
This would be Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C Dao. It has been siting in my shelf for years. I got to say sorry for the reason why it has been there for years. Actually i don't really like the cover, snake in the cover just feel so venomous? I know that's so silly, but well.. i do judge book by its cover, and i know i shouldn't but in the end i enjoy the book tho. So refreshing.
11. Book I read because I watch the movie first / had been adapted to the movie
This would be all Timothee Chalamet related. I watched Little Woman that leads to binge watch all his movie, including Beautiful Boy and Call Me by Your Name, which lead me to read Call Me by Your Name and Find me by Andre Aciman and also Beautiful Boy by David Sheff and Tweak by Nic Sheff. I would say i don't regret it, after all the main reason why this blog exist is because of him anyway.
12. Book That I Would Reread (If I Have Time)
Apart from the Moby Dick that i mentioned before, I would like to read Rogue from the Talon Series by Julie Kagawa , since I only listen to the audiobook of it and kind of not really like it. I have the physical copy in my shelf, so i would read it (maybe) in the future.
I guess that's the down side of reading it (or listening it) in audio format, since i have trouble in remembering what's in that book. But in other side, i tried to listen to the third and fourth book of this series, which i would call it as a good experience tho, so i guess i just need more time to adapt for audio books.
13. Book That I Keep Talk About It / I Recommend A Lot To My Friends
This definitely will be Call Me by Your Name. This one took me to the emotional roller coaster, I keep spamming people in my bookstagram with stories ranting about this book and the sequel of it : Find me.
I think this series just give me all the feels, the helpless for being in love. The purity of the first love that usually doesn't really work out. The beauty of coming of age kind of book and also the struggle for being in love with person in same gender with you while the world just can't accept it, not as easy as we can in these days.
I cried a lot while reading Find Me, feeling as frustrated as Elio and Oliver for their forbidden feeling, well not forbidden i guess, the uncapable of being together just feels so sad.
The one that Oliver said when he said that he's living in the parallel life when he lives with his wife and children while in the other side still love Elio. And how Elio feels like been sleeping in coma while living without Oliver. Okay, i shouldn't do another review in this post, but well...
14. Book That I Read Because People Keep Suggesting Me To Read It
This would be the last series i read this year, which is the ACOTAR Series by Sarah J Maas. I read it because my bestie Nuphie asked me to readalong with her while i usually didn't do it if the series is still ongoing, but again since i bought the book because of the curiosity by how much she love the series (she got multiple copies of that series, not by different edition, just multiply.) so i decided to read it anyway since i already count the fourth book as the next season of the series because the main POV is no longer from Feyre.
15. Book that I Bought / Got this year that I've Read
Since i always late in the game and because of my OCD i tent to wait the series to be finished before i start reading it. But this year i got some books that are freshly bought and i read it within this year because probably by the time i start collecting it the series is already finished or because it's standalone. Of course it doesn't necessarily have to be released this year.
I got some series that i read this year yet i just bought it this year, which is the ADSOM series and also ACOTAR series. But also i read Rebel by Marie Lu which is the book that i just bought this year yet i read it right away because i've been wanting to have it since its release because Legend is one of my favorite Dystopian Series.
I also bought The Kingdom of Back also by Marie Lu, and i love it. I got to say for my first historical fictions, with the help of magic added in the book, i'm proudly say that i enjoy reading the book.
16. Book That I Wish Had The Sequel Of Prequel Or Any Continuation Of It
If you are an avid reader of my blog you probably know the answer already for this one. I would be happily receive another good news if Maria V Snyder decide to continue The Chronicles of Ixia. I just need more of the next generation of this chronicles which the team who would definitely continue Valek and Yelena's path to keep the peace between Ixia and Sitia. Fisk with his squad, Teegan and his sister Reema, Valek's younger sibling Zethan and Zohav, and probably Baby Liana in the future, i would happily read their adventure.
17. Newly Discovered Favorite Author
This one would be not your newly discover author but for me it's VE Schwab. I finally started the famous A Darker Shade of Magic this year, which as always, late to the game. But I can understand why the book is such a hype and why she's the author that got lots of love from the reader.
I usually skeptical with hype books because i tend to disappointed after reading it due to a high expectation, but VE Schwab didn't fail me in the end. I can say the ADSOM series become one of my fave series this year, since i enjoy reading them, PLUS i finished them in quite fast pace, i started the first book at 25th September and finished the third book at 3rd October.
18. Favorite Cover
I was intrigued by the first book at first because of the title and the crown, but the second book is just.. BEAUTY! I mean!!! look at the color! i really like the color of that greenish blue (or should we call it Turquoise?) I just loove the cover.
The third cover tho... i usually hate the snake in the cover (remember about The Forest of Thousands Lantern that i talked before?) but again!! the color combination is just sick! I was gasping when i unboxing the book when it arrived. Plus the broken crown is just.. Ugghhh!!
19. Top 3 Favorite Characters
It's usually a hard thing to do just to pick 3 favorites, but with lots of consideration, this year winner will be Janco from The Chronicle of Ixia because of his witty comment, Lila from A Darker Shade of Magic Series because i always love a strong-headed, badass female character and lastly would be Hideo Tanaka from Warcross Duology. I know that somehow he's kind of the morally grey character and too cliche for a male character, smart, rich and charming, but i just can't resist his charisma. I even fell for him before he actually appeared in the scene, just from the phone call scene.
20. Top 3 Favorite OTPs
Since i don't really into an OTP because i rarely fond of couples in series, maybe because i always want the epic adventure lots more than the romance, but if i have to choose, i would pick Kell and Lila from ADSOM series because i love how they both interact, how they talk to each other are just special in some way, fun and in some part kind of heartwarming and...sexy? i dunno maybe i'm being weird.
I also like Valek and Yelena from The Chronicles of Ixia a lot, not to mention the way Valek can vanish in a second when he knows that something's wrong, and Yelena knowing that Valek is actually around and believe that he will definitely rescue her if she's in danger is just one of favorite trait of them.
Lastly but not least Oliver and Elio from Call Me by Your Name, i won't be say much more about this couple, i just feel them. For every struggle, frustrating first love and the forbidden love, okay i like i said, i won't say more because i've said much already.
21. Favorite World Building
I would pick Warcross world as my fave one. I think I’ve mention it a lot in
my review, but I’d love to live in such futuristic world. Maybe that explain a lot with how much i love to travel to Singapore, since it's such a clean country with really good transportation system if i compare it to Indonesia (i haven't visit much other country but i do keep Japan and Korea in my wishlist because of the modern vibe of it). Anyway, i would be happy to see the future with augmented reality added in the layers of our vision, seems quite fun.
22. Favorite Quote
As you might know already, i always put my fave quotes in the beginning of my review (well...most of my review to be exact). Usually i'm not a person who fond of quotes, inspiring quotes that i would annotate my book (which i didn't and can't because i hate the way it looks in the book) but i do like some of quotes, the one that when i read it sparks to me, you know what i mean?
And the one that i like the most in this year, that probably can relate to our real world is the quotes from Nadia, the AI in Thousandth Floor series.
"What is the right thing, exactly? It seems like every human has a slightly different version of right and wrong." ― Nadia ―
I mean it's true thought, somehow in our lives, right and wrong doesn't show in black and white, sometimes it's grey depending of our perspective, don't you agree with me?
23. Favorite Romance
As a fan of Fantasy books you probably already can guess that i'm not really fond of romance but i do appreciate a good romance within the story in the adventure. I would say the most balance one for fantasy and romance i will definitely pick TID series by Cassandra Clare.
I think the love triangle between Will, Tessa and Jem is the best and perfect love triangle i've ever read. I think you guys will agree with me for this one.
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