2018 Wrap Up

One of my goals this year is to post three times a week and I couldn’t very well go and fail in week 1 of 2019. So here we go. A 2018 wrap up. The big two-oh-one-eight.

It’s been a crazy year for me. So much has happened. My life has completely changed since last year, I’ve jumped from university to life in one fell swoop and barely processed that.

What I Read

Honestly I’ve no idea how many books I’ve read this year… I should probably have done better at keeping track of these things but oh well. I just thought I’d give a few categories:

📚 Favourite Book: To Kill a Kingdom but this was impossible to pick and can I just list them all?!

📚 Least Favourite: The Fandom, I loved the premise just the novel wasn’t really for me!

📚 Biggest Surprise: All Quiet on the Western Front I did not expect to love this novel as much as I did!

What I did

I’ve had some very good moments this year

🎓 I graduated university!

✍️ I started this blog 😮

🏠 I moved out!

📝 I got my first job, and am loving it.

✈️ I went to Munich, Scotland and Brussels on holiday!

And some less good moments

🏗️ I lived on a building site for three months: our flat was being redone so I spent all summer with no shower. Suffice to say I visited the local pool a lot.

📝 Third year of university was tough! I stressed about dissertations and job applications and life and urg.

And I’m going to leave it there since the good happily outweighs the bad!

Posts I wrote

And now a quick summary of what I’ve written this year on my blog! Or rather, since April when I started this blog!

Most Viewed Post: The Ten Best Novels I Read While at Uni

Favourite Post to Write: Top STEM Female Book Characters – I loved describing some of my favourite bookish role models and can’t plead with authors enough to give STEM girls some page time, they won’t disappoint!

Trickiest Post to Write: Books I didnt Like but am Glad I Read – it was really challenging picking books that have impacted me in some way yet weren’t actually enjoyable to read.

What I’m looking forward to

And finally let’s look to the future and what I’m excited for 2019!

📚 YALC– as always another year means another YALC!

✍️ Continuing with my WIP I started a novel during NaNoWriMo and I’m excited to keep at it this year!

🎂 My Blogs Birthday– can’t wait to see what my little blog is like after a year, I’ve learnt so much already!

✈️ Visiting Australia- I’m planning on visiting my older brother in Australia, the first time I’d have been back since I left!

🎭 Hamilton– I have been excited about this for so long! I can’t wait to see the play with my friends in February 😍

Let’s Compare Notes

So there you have it! My 2018. What have you done last year? What was your favourite read? Do you have a wrap up? Would love to read it!

Best Books I Read in 2018

Can you believe it’s 2019?! 2018 was such a rollercoaster for me, with striking university lectures, stressful dissertations, panicking about jobs, the roller coaster that was the world cup, house hunting, living in a building site for three months and finally being where I am now. It’s mad to think back on it all and it feels sort of unreal, so much has happened.

But if one things stayed pretty stable it’s my love for books. So here’s a Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader, listing my top ten reads of 2018.

1. Children of Blood and Bone

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Easily in the top ten and possibly first place, I adored this novel and can’t wait for the second one to come out in 2019. This novel was so big it defined my start of summer reading. I read it in an Air B and B in Brussels, between goals while watching the world cup, on the hot and stuffy replacement bus to YALC and while doing my summer job, waiting for kids at airport terminals.

2. To Kill a Kingdom

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If you read my review you’ll know I loved this novel. It was fantastic, enchanting, funny, well written with a plot that will always keep you on the edge of your seat!

3. All Quiet on the Western Front

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This emotional rollercoaster of a book saw me through several long train rides into work. It showed me a perspective on the First World War that I’d never read or understood before.

4. Traitor to the Throne

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How can this author make politics this entertaining to read?! This novel drew me into reading when I was drowning in dissertation stress and wading through job applications. A great read but a less fun memory.

5. Caravel

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Beautiful descriptions, intriguing characters and an intricate plot made this novel amazing. It’s also the novel I decided to take up to Manchester with me on my first visit so I distinctly remember it for that.

6. Ace of Spades

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The first novel I read since starting my first full time, permanent, real life not ending and is now my life job on that long train ride up for my first day. I remember feeling just as lost as Ennie stepping into New Reynes on my first day at the office.

7. The Exact Opposite of Okay

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This funny yet important read was short and light hearted, perfect for the stress of my dissertation and exams. While panicking about striking lectures, impending deadlines and postponed courseworks all appearing at once I could at least comfort myself with Izzy’s humour and staple love of milkshakes.

8. Flawed

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I read this dystopian on many a replacement bus, since I read it on the week the trains stopped running, and it will do nothing but remind me of large busses turning in small country villages.

9. The Bone Season

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It was during the cold March snow that I read this action packed gem. I followed Paige through the dingy halls of Oxford colleges while I was freezing in my cold student house and wishing my stingy housemates would put the heating on. Luckily the university library always had my back.

10. Hero at the Fall

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Because I adored the conclusion to the novels that ensured my love of reading during university. It may not have been perfect but it was good enough.

Let’s Compare Notes

So there you have it! Ten reads I loved in 2018. I can’t wait to see what magical books 2019 will present me with. Any 2019 releases you’re excited for? Or books you’re planning on reading? What was your favourite read of 2018? Feel free to drop an opinion or link to your post in the comments section!