It's the most wonderful time of year: the time of year when I review the books I've read. To see the list in full, click here. Here is last year's book review.
And now for the stats:
Numbers
Under 250 pages : 7
Between 400-449 pages: 0
Between 450-499 pages: 1
Over 500 pages: 2
Over 1000 pages: 0
Audiobooks: 0
Re-reads: 0
DNFs (did not finish): 4 (Toby, The Curated Closet, DK Eyewitness Travel: Egypt, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up)
Five Star Rating: 1
One/Two Stars Rating: 1
Authors met in 2018: 0
Book events attended in 2018: 1 (Annie Leibowitz)
Books read in one day: 0
Books that made you cry: 0
Book reviews posted this year: 0
Most books read by one author this year: 1
Longest & shortest…
By page number: A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnel, Mary McScary by R.L. Stine (40 pages), DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: California by Jamie Jensen (640 pages)
By title: How to Get Dressed: A Costume Designer's Secrets For Making Your Clothes Look, Fit, and Feel Amazing by Alison Freer; Mary McScary by R.L. Stine or Evelyn, After by Victoria Helen Stone
From buying to reading: Fatal Descent: Andreas Lubitz and the Crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 by Jeff Wise (right away), Carry Her Heart by Holly Jacobs (6 months)
First
Read of 2018: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: San Francisco & Northern California by Barry Parr
Series you picked up & series you quit: no series this year
Book Post of 2018: none
Review of 2018: none
Best & worst… + Favorites
Average rating on Goodreads: 3.5 stars
Most disappointing & biggest pleasant surprise: A Traveler's Wine Guide to California by Robert Holmes; A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell
Most lenient & harshest ratings: Fatal Descent: Andreas Lubitz and the Crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 by Jeff Wise and The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Captain Underpants, #1) by Dav Pilkay
Best Book You Read In 2018? A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell, Mary McScary by R.L. Stine (I didn't read much that was good.)
Book that became an instant go-to recommendation: A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell, Mary McScary by R.L. Stine
Forced yourself to finish: Carry Her Heart by Holly Jacobs
Best series you started in 2018? I didn't start a series.
Favorite new author you discovered in 2018? Diane Chamberlain
Best book from a genre you don’t typically read? all of the children's books!
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Book You Read In 2018 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read? A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell
Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously: surprisingly even R.L. Stine was new to me!
Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation: The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Captain Underpants, #1) by Dav Pilkay
Best 2018 debut you read? The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Hidden Gem Of The Year? How to Get Dressed: A Costume Designer's Secrets for Making Your Clothes Look, Fit, and Feel Amazing by Alison Freer (So many useful tips!)
Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018? A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell
Most beautifully written book read in 2017? Mary McScary by R.L Stine
Random
Book read furthest away from home (vacation reads?):
Fatal Descent: Andreas Lubitz and the Crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 and Carry Her Heart (I read while at work, so not actually on vacation.)
Book that took you the longest to read: Fatal Descent: Andreas Lubitz and the Crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 (5 months)
Book that you personally connected with the most: Mary McScary by R.L. Stine (I used to do what Mary was doing to her cousin to my brother! Ha!)
Book that made you love the villain: none, there weren't too many villains in the books I read
Book you said you’d come back to but still haven’t picked up again: The Curated Closet
Book you read waaaay before it’s publication date: The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Book you read on your birthday: none; I read Evelyn, After closest to my birthday though.
Book you read that is red: How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
Starts with X, Y, or Z: none
Book you hugged when you finished it: none
Book you wanted to throw across a room (not necessarily because it was bad): How to Walk Away by Katherine Center (the main character was super annoying!)
Food you craved while/after reading a certain book: nothing?
Furthest out of your comfort zone: The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Series or author’s works you binged (whether all at once or throughout the year): none. I was good and read a variety of different books/authors throughout the year.
Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read? The Curated Closet, because it was really helpful.
Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2018? The Curated Closet, The Secret Magic of Tidying Up and How to Get Dressed: A Costume Designer's Secrets For Making Your Clothes Look, Fit, and Feel Amazing
Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
A Traveller's Wine Guide to California by Robert Holmes
Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2017? The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Book That Shocked You The Most: Carry Her Heart by Holly Jacobs (It was so boring.)
The most memorable character of 2018? Mary from Mary McScary (HA!)
Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year: the friends in Captain Underpants (Who wouldn't want a best friend that could get into trouble with?!)
Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018? none. I didn't like any of the couples. (Or guys.) Maybe the neighbor from Carry Her Heart just because he was so intuitive. But, after having finished the book, I just think he was too perfect. Unbelievably perfect.
Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? all of the travel guides were super helpful in planning itineraries for the places we went
Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? Mary McScary by R.L. Stine (I liked children's books this year!!)
Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry? none
Book That Crushed Your Soul? none?
Most Unique Book You Read In 2018? none. If you look at the context of my year, everything seems to fit. No one book stands out as "most unique"
Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? Evelyn, After. The main character was very dislikable.
Books & Blogging
Post with the most views (posted in 2018): Oddly enough my A-Z Laptop Update (1680 views). I wish I had been able to finish A-Z. And even more so wish I had been able to complete all of my goals for getting extra hard drives set up. I feel like my blogging kind of fell apart after May of this year.
Post you wish you could re-write: I have no idea. All of them? I was really on a roll with my A-Z posts until my laptop died, so I would probably finish those posts more than re-write another post.
Favorite review that you wrote in 2018? I didn't write too many reviews in 2018. Maybe the Maui Ocean Center? I love all of the pictures.
Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog? Did we discuss anything serious on my blog? I can't even remember…
Best book-related event that you participated in? Seeing Annie Leibovitz talk about her book made me interested in actually reading it AND (bonus points!) got me interested in looking through other books she has put together.
Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018? Editing pictures for A-Z Hawai'i. Specifically I loved the images in these posts: 1 (overhead shot of the "Pink Palace"), 2, 3.
Most Popular Posts This Year On Your Blog? (Or the ones that had the most views.)
1. Turtle Bay Resort – A Hotel Review (1045)
2. The Friday Five (975)
3. IWSG #6 (975)
4. IWSG #5 (968)
5. The Friday Five (963)
Post You Wished Got A Little More Love? Either the Road to Hana post or Day One: Haleakalā Sunrise. I spent a lot of time editing the pictures in those posts.
Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? Annie Leibovitz books. Who knew she was so entertaining?
Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? YES! The GoodReads challenge. I finished 13 books out of the 12 book goal I set for myself. (Though some were children's books…)
The Upcoming Year
One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019? ANnie Leibovitz At Work
Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut)? not sure
2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? None. I have no idea!
Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019? none. I don't follow series'.
One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019? Go to more author events. It's always interesting hearing the author talk about their book(s).
A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone: …
Did you read anything particularly noteworthy in 2018? Did we read any of the same books? Do you have any book recommendations for me?
