2017 Reading Goals!

Hi guys! Long time no post. It's been a crazy couple of months, but I truly think it's time to kick my butt into gear and get back to posting on this more regularly. I haven't really felt the urge to book blog a lot recently because I just haven't been reading a lot. So, I had nothing to talk about. In the midst of just life things and participating in NaNoWriMo, there was over a month where I didn't finish a single book. In November, I don't think I even picked up a book. But that's just the way things go. 

As we crest over into the new year, it's always good to think about goals for the coming year. 2016 has been a decent year of reading for me, but also the worst in many years. I took long gaps and I had to half my reading goal in order to actual complete it. But I'm hoping for a better 2017! So, I've compiled a few simple goals I'd like to complete.

1. Read 75 books.

This year, my goal was to originally read 100 books. With my reading speed, this seemed entirely possible at the start of the year. By about the middle, I started to doubt. As we made our way towards the end, I knew my best bet was 50 books. So, I don't want to shoot that high from the get-go this time, but I don't want to bring it down to 50. So, middle ground, we're going with 75. 

2. Get TBR under 75 books.

My owned-TBR is getting out of control. It's currently sitting at ~145 books, but I'm not 100% sure if that number is correct. But either way, it's a bit much. I'd ideally like to get it under 50 but that doesn't seem like it'll happen so I'm hoping for 75. I know I have a good lot of books I plan to unhaul so hopefully that will help. 

3. Read at least 10 classic novels.

As I try and push myself to read more widely, I want to really try and get some more classics under my belt in the new year. Key authors I'm eyeing off are Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Charles Dickens. But I have many I'd like to get to. Setting the minimum at 10 books seems doable.

4. Read at least 5 non-fiction novels.

I have so many non-fiction novels I want to read and I feel like I'm always pushing them aside in favour of fiction novels. So, again in my push to read more widely, I'm adding this goal to prioritise the genre a bit. Of course, I'd like to read more than 5, but I don't want to over-shoot these minimums.

5. Get at least to book 5 of the Wheel of Time series.

I started this series at least 2-3 years ago but I've only completed two novels. I'm about 300 pages into the third book, but I put it down a long while ago because I just wasn't in the mood to finish something so dense. But I really, really want to complete this series. So, it's becoming a goal. I'm not going to be crazy and set the goal at finishing the series (for those who don't know, it's 14 books long), but I want to make some progress on it. And, considering I'll definitely have to start the third again, this goal puts me at having to read at least 3 of the books by the end of the year. Not too much pressure. 

6. Read more diversely. 

This is a really vague goal, but something I want to prioritise nonetheless. I'm very critical of representation and such in novels, so it's always a goal for me to seek out more diverse content. There's seems to be a lot of promising queer lit coming out in 2017 that I'm keen for, and more general diversity across the board as it becomes more of a highlighted topic. I'm excited to not only read new diverse books, but also ones already out there in the book world.

So, yeah, those are my main goals for the year. Having had not the greatest reading year, I'm not making too many crazy goals and I feel confident in my ability to complete all of these. Let me know down in the comments what some of your goals for 2017 are! :)

Until next time!

J, xxx

BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSION: EMPIRE OF STORMS BY SARAH J. MAAS (Spoilers!)

Title: Empire of Storms

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Goodreads Summary: The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Rating: 2.75-3 out of 5 stars

Review: 

Okay, we're five books in now. This non-spoiler section is going to be short. If you saw my review for Queen of Shadows, you'll know that I wasn't a big fan of it. As someone who really enjoyed the first three books of the series, it was heartbreaking to have an installment be so disappointing. Having said that, I did enjoy this book more than QoS, but it still doesn't feel the same as the earlier books of the series. The series took a big shift in QoS and we kind of just have to deal with it now, but I also just don't enjoy it as much anymore. I really like how the world has built and the complex plots that have surfaced, but the characters feel harder to connect to (some moreso than others, of course) and I am pretty tired of a lot of the romances occurring. I've decided I can still enjoy some parts of this series if I accept this difference but it's just never going to spur the same love I had for it in the beginning. I also feel like some of the plot points mirrored those in ACOMAF (which I wasn't fond on either), which bothered me a lot because it shows SJM struggling to keep her two series separated. 

Okay, onto spoiler stuff so I can actually discuss my feelings instead of being super vague! Warning: this will probably be long. I have a lot to talk about!

BOOK REVIEW: NEVERNIGHT BY JAY KRISTOFF (No Spoilers!)

Title: Nevernight [Goodreads Link]

Author: Jay Kristoff

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Goodreads Summary: Destined to destroy empires Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death. 

Six years later, the child raised in the shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything. 

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult. 

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student. The shadows loves her. And they drink her fear. 

Review: 

BOOK REVIEW: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (No Spoilers!)

Title: Illuminae

Authors: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads Summary:  This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. 

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Review:

If you've seen reviews of this before, basically everyone mentions how unique the reading experience for this book is and I really think it was a great part of it. I've read things told entirely in correspondence before but this goes beyond that, telling the story in bits and pieces of different things. It's also laid really interestingly, with the text sometimes going all over the place. While this made things really cool (and also made reading it quick), the fault that I feel always arises with this technique is that it takes a bit longer for the reader to get into the story. It's  harder to work out all the characters and create a bigger picture when you're only shown little glimpses of everthing. Having said that, though, I think Illuminae only struggles with this the first 100-200 pages and after that it is a complete non-issue.

The story itself is pretty unique and took turns I really wasn't expecting. It was definitely darker than I had thought it to be. I was amazed at how tense everything gets as the story progress. The pages were just flying by. I was also surprised to find out that this book was a part of a series (I don't know why, but I thought it was a stand-alone) but the more I think about it, the more excited I am for it. This first book has left quite a few threads hanging and I also just want to know more about this world. So far it's been almost entirely in space so there's a plethora of possibilities. 

Overall, this book was really, really fantastic! My only issues have to do with the beginning but the rest of it is honestly just great. Highly, highly recommend and can't wait to see where this story goes! Let me know down in the comments your thoughts on Illuminae :)

Until next time!

- Jess, xxx

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY: Characters I Defend

Hey guys! It's been awhile since I did a T5W but I really liked this week's topic - top 5 characters you defend. I took this to mean characters which are popularly hated upon by people for things that I believe are dumb, or they were treated poorly by writers. I also included two TV characters bc Why not? If you don't know what Top 5 Wednesdays are, it was created by gingerreadslainey but currently hosted by ThoughsonTomes and here's the Goodreads group for any more info :)

#5: Bellamy Blake from The 100 (TV show)

I guess this is a book as well but I've only watched the show. Also, this is a two parter defense. Bellamy is one of my absolute favs from this show but the writers honestly made so mistakes with his character in the latest season, which also caused a lot of hatred from the fans towards him. But I still think he is genuinely a good person at heart but the world of The 100 would mess with anyone's moral compass, so I will continue to defend him forever.

#4: Martha Jones from Doctor Who (TV show)

I don't see much of this nowadays (probs bc Martha's season was so long ago now), but back in the day, people really hated Martha. I think the main reason was she was the companion that followed Rose, whom so many people loved. But honestly, I never got it. Martha is one of my all-time favourite characters. She was so strong, complex and intelligent, and also put up with all of the Doctor's shit. Honestly, I will fight anyone who thinks little of Martha Jones.

#3: Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series

Now I used to be this person but then I changed my mind. Harry gets so much hate for being angst-y and impulsive and just in general people crap on his decisions, particularly from OotP onwards. But what people forget to consider is the PTSD Harry is probably suffering, the emotional and physical abuse he endured growing up and the basic shitshow that his life is. So yeah, I don't think he deserves the hate he gets.

#2: Susan Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia

OKAY SO LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT HOW MAD I STILL AM ABOUT SUSAN PEVENSIE. I will honestly never forgive C.S. Lewis for what he did at the end of The Chronicles of Narnia. If you haven't read The Last Battle and care to not know how it ends, I would suggest skipping this. So anyway, it makes me so mad that Susan wasn't allowed back into Narnia (and also assumedly Heaven) basically because she grew up a little and enjoyed girly things. As if it was the greatest sin that she should do so. And on top of that, she loses her entire family because they all die at the end but she's still demonized by the narrative. Honestly, I'll never be over that shit. #SusanPevensieDeservedBetter

#1: Sansa Stark from the A Song of Ice and Fire series

If you know me at all (or have followed my posts for a bit), you should have guessed this was coming. I love and will defend Sansa Stark to my dying breath. I absolutely cannot stand the amount of hate and dismissal she gets from the fandom for being just a "naive little girl". Well, I hate to break it to you but she was, what, 13? When the series began, and it's sadly ironic how the is called naive for dreaming of gallant knights and great tsles by the same people who are literally reading a fantasy story about just that. I also think people don't understand her in that they don't see that she doesn't fight with swords but with her wits and inner strength. She's such a complicated and interesting character but the fandom often disregards her in favour of Arya who's more conventionally badass. Why can't people appreciate how great both of them are? 

Okay, I went off on some tangents there but I just have a lot of feelings, haha. Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the characters I chose or even which characters you always defend.

Until next time!

- J, xxx

BOOK REVIEW: ME BEFORE YOU (SLIGHT SPOILERS)

Title: Me Before You [Goodreads Link]

Author: Jojo Moyes

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Goodreads Summary: Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Review:

Let me begin by saying that I recommend people go into this novel knowing as little as possible. It's not because there's huge twists or its stark originality, I just think it's a really wonderful story that could possibly not be as much enjoyed with prior expectations already put on it. In general, I think most books are best delved into on a clean slate but I'm just pushing it with this novel because of the movie coming out. Do as I did and watch the trailer after reading the book. The movie looks amazing but let yourself enjoy the story before learning too much like I believe the trailer shows.

Anyway, onto the actual review! THIS BOOK, GUYS. THIS. BOOK. 

I don't know if I've ever cried as hard in a book as I did this one. Moyes has a real knack for capturing emotions so authentically and beautifully that I was just a puddle at the end (even though I guessed what would happen). But it wasn't just the end. It was the anxiety in the maze scene and the anger at Will earlier on. They were written so truthfully and everything felt so real, like I was there in Lou's shoes. So when the end came, it was the same deal and I spend a good while consoling myself.

I also think it's wrong to reference this story as a romance book. There's elements of romance but what this book is really about is Lou and her trying to figure herself out. The story is about her trying to find out who she is and be able to take on the world. But even though that's the main thread of the book, it doesn't cheapen everything else that occurs. The relationships she forms and the other characters involved never feel like devices to further the story but actually important parts of the story itself.

Now this last part I'm going to get into a really big spoiler so please skip this paragraph if you intend to read the book!

What I've found differs among people is how well I thought this book dealt with the hard topics or the topics a lot of literature tend to shy away from. It was a book that involved romance but didn't romanticise severe disability. It also dealt with a topic that I've never seen in a book: assisted suicide. I give Moyes praise for doing this because as much it pained my heart to see Will die at the end, I loved that she highlighted the importance of allowing people to have full bodily autonomy in such cases and emphasised that it was Will's choice, not anyone else's. I know it's a contentious topic so I won't go deeper into my opinions but this was a real great thing to explore in a novel of this genre.

So, overall I absolutely adored this book. I would highly recommend it, but also make sure you grab the tissues beforehand. For those who have read, let me know how you found the book. Some people feel like it was ableist, do you agree or disagree? Also, have you read the sequel and if so, would you recommend it? Discuss in the comments!

Until next time,
- J, xxx 

BOOK REVIEW: RED QUEEN BY VICTORIA AVEYARD (SPOILER-FREE)

Title: Red Queen [Goodreads Link]

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Goodreads Summary: The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

Review: 

I'm going to start off by saying that I enjoyed Red Queen a whole lot, but, in saying, it's hard to ignore how much the book relies on tropes and cliches to further the story's development. This probably made me shed half a star from the rating because I literally predicted every twist and turn the story took. BUT. I still stand by the point that this book is a lot of fun and didn't take long to captivate me and make sure I didn't put it down. It's not unique, but I don't think that's always a bad thing. 

There's also a bunch of interesting and complex characters in this story. The idea of "anyone can betray anyone" runs deeps in the story and I think that makes you always look a bit closer into what characters are doing and see different sides to everyone. I enjoyed that Mare was really headstrong and sure of herself, but I did think that made her a little hard to read from at times. Sometimes she was so passionate about her opinions that had very quickly developed and it was difficult, as a reader, to rationalise her decisions. But overall, the characters were A+.

As for the setting, Aveyard really captures the scenes that are directly present in the story but I hope that in future books we get some more world building for everything else. I would also like some more information of the war and why it's happening/how it started. I think these things need to be developed more to strengthen this series. 

Overall, this book is a fun ride, that's both compelling and emotionally captivating. If you, like me, really enjoy the elemental stuff from Avatar: The Last Airbender, you'll really enjoy some of the fight scenes we get in this book (seriously!). I can't wait to see where this series goes and hope it only gets better from here. Also, I'm rooting for Cal/Mare #soznotsoz (also, who wants to see them duel as much as me???)

Let me know in the comments your thoughts on Red Queen. How'd you find the shock ending?

Until next time, 

- J, xxx

BOOK REVIEW: SNOW LIKE ASHES BY SARA RAASCH (SPOILERS!)

Title: Snow Like Ashes [Goodreads Link]

Author: Sara Raasch

Goodreads Summary: Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Review: 

I enjoyed so much of this book but I can't help but feel that it was just missing a little something that could've made it amazing. Before I pick it apart in detail, I want to quickly say that this book wasn't overly unique or original but it had a really well-developed world, an interesting premise, complex characters and really lovely writing (seriously, this has some really great quotable lines in it!), so I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It's a really solid high fantasy novel that I thoroughly enjoyed, I just think it had a little more room to grow to make it even better. Since it is only the first in the series, perhaps we will see this happen in future books.

CONTINUE READING FOR SPOILER-Y CONTENT!

Book Review: The Chimes by Anna Smaill

Title: The Chimes

Author: Anna Smaill

Goodreads Summary: The Chimes is set in a reimagined London, in a world where people cannot form new memories, and the written word has been forbidden and destroyed.

In the absence of both memory and writing is music.

In a world where the past is a mystery, each new day feels the same as the last, and before is blasphony, all appears lost. But Simon Wythern, a young man who arrives in London seeking the truth about what really happened to his parents, discovers he has a gift that could change all of this forever.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review:

My feelings upon finishing this novel were so conflicting because I equally loved so much of it that I wasn't fond of other bits. I will praise it for its originality, first and foremost. It has been a long time since I've read a narrative so unique. The liked that it was definitely an England the reader can be somewhat familiar with, but also not at all. There's references all throughout the book of recognisable things (the Shakespeare reference sticks out), which I didn't expect. It was nice because it helps the reader get an idea of where this place exists on a hypothetical timeline. But in saying that, it was still so far away from a reality we could know and it was fascinating! It was so interesting reading about a world so intrinsically grounded in music.

The writing was also just superb. Smaill honestly floored me with her prose in this book. I will say that at points this might have been to her fault but I can't look down on it too much because of how much I enjoyed it. Seriously. Some lines I literally read so many times because they were just so lovely. It never felt clunky and almost flowed with a rhythm that matched the music within the novel. It was a very nice touch!

As much as I want to shower this book with praise, I do have some issues with it (hence the rating). Let me say that I thought the second half of the book was spectacular! The first section, however, was a bit...confusing. Now I realise that this was on purpose. As the story deals with memory loss, it makes sense that you can't quite get your grip on the story for awhile, but while I can appreciate the intent of that decision, I don't think it worked completely. It made getting into the book really difficult and I felt like I must not have been reading it properly. Sure, it pays off in the end but I think it's risky to have a beginning like that. I also think some of the finer details of the world and story fell a bit flat.

Ending on a positive note though, I really, really loved the romance. I loved that it was subtely interwoven within the story. And queer representation, heck yes! For most of the book, I felt like I was reading too much into their interactions and that it definitely wasn't going to happen (because I'm always surprised when queer relationships actually happen, to be honest). But then I was so relieved to find out that it was actually there and they do end up together. It was just really sweet and I'm so glad that their ending wasn't as tragic as you're lead to believe for a few pages there.

Anyway, have you guys read The Chimes? If so, what were your thoughts? Did you like the confusing beginning or do you agree with me? Let me know down in the comments below :)

Until next time!

Jess, xxx

TAG: TOTALLY SHOULD'VE BOOK TAG

Hey, guys! Today I was meant to be putting up a Top 5 Wednesday but I wasn't really feeling this week's topic so I decided to do a tag. I wasn't tagged in this tag but I saw Katytastic's video and thought it was really cool so I'm doing it anyway. It's the "Totally Should've" book tag, created by emmmabooks (original video here), and goes through a bunch of different scenarios you think totally should've happened with certain books/series.

1. Totally should've gotten a sequel

For this one I'm going to have to go with The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead. Now, I get it, this world has gotten 12 books so far, do we really need any more? Well, I think yes. This book was a pretty big disappointment for me but I think my biggest issue with it was that there was a huge about the world revealed and it kind of got pushed to the side and I think it really needed to be explored. It's hard to go into without spoilers but I think this world needs a little bit more to deal with that big plot twist. 

2. Totally should've had a spin off series

Everyone I've seen has said the same thing for this so this is pretty unoriginal but I'm gonna have to say the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling. Now most people say that they'll just take any spin-off, but I'd have to disagree. While I'd probably read any spin-off, sure, the one that I really, REALLY want is a Marauders era spin-off. I need it like air.

3. An author who totally should write more books

Erin Morgenstern. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure The Night Circus is, currently, her only released novel? I thought that book was honestly so wonderful and imaginative. Then once you consider it was only her debut novel, you can see all the possibilities of what she has left to achieve. I really hope she releases more books because she can (hopefully) only improve.

4. A character who totally should've ended up with someone else

So as not to repeat books (because lbr, I would say HP again and Harry/Ginny, ugh), Aelin/Celaena from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I know the series hasn't ended yet but it seems Maas is trying to make it clear who Aelin is going to end up with and I'm not about it at all. 

5. Totally should've ended differently

I didn't want to go with an obvious answer but it still annoys me so much that I have to use it for this, and that is: The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Mockingjay was a mess and I didn't think it was a satisfying ending at all. Also, that epilogue was so, so bad.

6. Totally should've had a movie franchise

The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness! I'd be very, very hesitant about it if it was made into a movie because characters being able to hear each others thoughts and I'm always worried about how that will translate to screen. But otherwise, I think this series would make such a good movie franchise. It's really fast-paced and gripping and just everything it needs to be translated really well into movie format.

7. Totally should've had a TV show

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I know we already got a movie (which I actually loved a lot, to be honest) but that flopped and I'm still hoping for it to get the same second chance as The Mortal Instruments with a TV show. I think so many elements of the story would work so, so well in an episodical narrative and I just NEED IT. PLS.

8. Totally should've had only one point of view

I honestly can't think of anything for this question. All books that I have read with more than one perspective have had a good reason to do so and I can't imagine them working otherwise. So I'm just gonna skip this question, oops.

9. Totally should have a cover change

I've mentioned her so much in this tag but I just can't not use her for this question but literally ALL of Richelle Mead's books. Okay, Soundless and the Age of X series covers aren't actually that bad but basically all of her other ones just aren't that great. The Vampire Academy/Bloodlines covers are truly horrible, though. I would give so much to have good cover changes for those books. Everytime they re-design them, they essentially keep the same design and change the colouring or crop of it. 

10. Totally should've kept the original covers

The Curse of the Bond Riders trilogy by Karen Brooks. I've literally never heard anyone talk about this series. It's a small series by an Australian author but I loved it (well, the two books I've so far read of it). The first book came out with this really lovely, simple cover design and I really loved it. Then not long after the release of the second book, the covers got re-designed and it is impossible to find them in the old covers. The new ones aren't bad but I just loved the old ones so much. It saddened me greatly.

11. Totally should've stopped at book one

I'm gonna go with a series I haven't finished (and that's kind of the point). The Divergent series by Veronica Roth. I read the first book and enjoyed it a whole lot. Got to the second one and stopped halfway through and have still never found the drive to pick it up again. From what I've heard, the third book is even worse. Despite issues with the idea of the story, the first book was quite compelling and all of that flat-lined in the second novel so I definitely wish it had just ended on book one.

And finally, I tag anyone wearing a purple item of clothing, go!

Do you agree/disagree with any of the things I thought totally should've happened? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

- J, xxx

A Clean Slate + T5W: Fandoms!

Hi all! Happy new year!

I thought I'd start this by talking about my lack of activity on this blog (feel free to skip right to the T5W though). My last post was almost 2 months ago! What! And before that, my posts were sporadic at best. I had a very, very busy last semester and honestly, I just wasn't reading so I didn't have much to talk about on here. As soon as I was done with that, I went right into doing NaNoWriMo and once again, didn't read much. I think in October and November, I read a combined total of 5 books. So yeah, it wasn't great. You shouldn't be surprised to know I also failed my 2015 reading challenge, as well. After that I was working a lot and Christmas was hectic and yeah, basically just life happened. 

But now it's 2016 and time for a clean slate. I'm starting fresh and not concerning myself with what happened in 2015. I'm focusing on maintaining my reading (and hopefully reaching my 100 book goal I failed last year) and being more active on this blog. I'm going to try and work out a schedule. I figure it's better to do this now while I'm still on holidays from uni and can try and find a rhythm before having to add studies on top of that. Let's hope this all works out!

Anyway, now onto the Top 5 Wednesday portion of this post. I'm a little late on this week's but better late than never. T5W is always a good way - for me, anyway - get back into the swing of blogging. And this week's is focused on top 5 fandoms and that's basically perfect for me! I will add that I am taking this as top fandoms I've been active/very invested in, rather than which fandoms I think are the best. As always, Top 5 Wednesdays was created by gingerreadslainey and for more info, here's the Goodreads group! So, without further ado:

#5: Vampire Academy

I can't not include this series. I mean, I have a tattoo dedicated to it and I have literally read most of the books more times than I can count (I tend to re-read them at least once a year). I can't even explain how much I love this series. It was also one of the first ones I ever read fanfic of so that's an interesting fact. It's also one of the series I read in my early teens that I still love dearly now. 

#4: Star Wars

The release of The Force Awakens has just re-awakened my love of Star Wars and reminded me how much I love this series/franchise. I can't remember a time before Star Wars for me. My Mum is a big sci-fi fan so I grew up watching the movies. The prequels were being released when I was quite young and they were what made me fall in love with the series, so say what you will about them but they are very special to me. But yeah, the whole franchise holds a special place in my heart and I'm pretty sure they are why I love sci-fi so much.

#3: Harry Potter

I don't feel like this one needs explaining but I will. Harry Potter was the first series I ever got really, really invested in. I literally grew up watching the films and reading the books and they're just so tied to my childhood that I will love it to pieces no matter what. From a fandom stand point, though, my first fanvideo I ever made (oh yeah, I made a lot of those fyi) was of HP. The fic in this fandom is endless and amazing. I went to the midnight screenings of the last two movies and there was a really wonderful atmosphere created amongst the fandom there and I loved it.

#2: Lord of the Rings

While I do absolutely love the books, I was introduced to LOTR via the movies. I mean, I was about 6 when Fellowship of the Ring came out so can you really blame me? But like Star Wars got me into sci-fi, LOTR is probably the reason I love fantasy so much. Despite being so young, for some reason I was allowed to watch the movies when they first came out and I was absolutely obsessed. I adored everything about them. I read the series when I was about 8. Of course, things went over my head but for an 8 year old to stick through those dense books, I think you can see how in love with the story I was. The movies are literally my favourite movie series ever. I've seen them multiple times and I never get bored. Also, I have a tattoo in Elvish, aw yis.

#1: BBC's Merlin

This show, guys. THIS SHOW. Look, I can talk at length about how I think this show missed it's potential and how the writing quality dwindled over the course of it's five seasons but that doesn't take away from the fact that I was OBSESSED with this show. Like I have never been obsessed with anything before. I started watching when it was in its second season and it hooked me in from then until it finished. It finished over 3 years ago now and I still can't get away from it. I made and watched so many fanvids. I read SO much fanfic. I even wrote ones too. To this day, the only fanfic I've ever published online was a Merlin fanfic (no, I will not link it, haha). I was also very active within the fandom on Tumblr. I have fanart from it on my wall. This show and the fandom that came with it are so, so special to me so that's why it got #1 place.

So, there you go, guys! I could really mention so many more fandoms (*cough* Star Trek, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Teen Wolf, The 100 *cough*) but we will be here for awhile. I've been in the fandom game for a long time now. But what are some of your favourite fandoms? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

- J, xxx