once i finally got through the shadow rising i was able to finish nearly a book a week this month. i read a few new ones i was excited about as well as a classic that had previously slipped through the cracks.

sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground and start over. after the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. people are like that, too. they start over. they find a way.

little fires everywhere by celeste ng. i was so excited when i saw celeste ng’s new novel as a book of the month selection that i didn’t even look at the other choices before selecting this one and shipping my box. i was such a fan of her everything i never told you, and i loved little fires everywhere even more. it’s a complicated, intricate story of how our seemingly small choices, thoughts, and actions can have a profound impact on those around us. i could not put this down, and as soon as i finished i loaned it to alex, who has also already sped through it. it is one of the best books i have read this year, and i have not stopped thinking about it // 5 stars

your now is not your forever.

turtles all the way down by john green. green’s latest was also a book of the month selection, and i sped through it in two days. it wasn’t as riveting as the fault in our stars, but then again, what is? turtles all the way down was interesting in its own right, and i appreciated that one of the main characters is such a star wars junkie. it was a quick, easy read that kept me engaged until the end // 3.5 stars

there is so much we don’t understand. and so much unhappiness comes because of that.

the color purple by alice walker. i somehow never read alice walker’s national book award winner in high school or college, so when i found out the show is coming to the orpheum in january, i knew i wanted to read the book beforehand. i knew nothing of the content going into it, and i was blown away by it, both by the characters and by the story itself. walker’s writing reminded me so much of maya angelou, and i was not ready for it to end. i got a little confused with the timeline in parts, but otherwise it was an extremely interesting, thought-provoking novel // 4 stars

‘this is our most desperate hour. help me, obi-wan kenobi — you’re my only hope.’

wishful drinking by carrie fisher. i purchased two of carrie fisher’s books at the beginning of the year, and i decided i wanted to read one now since the last jedi releases in two weeks. wishful drinking is a collection of short anecdotes from fisher’s life, ranging from her parents’ relationship to her addictions to her life with her daughter. one of the things i most appreciated about this book was fisher’s honesty: it’s brutal at times, and she holds nothing back, but you know what she writes is exactly what she thinks. it was hilarious at times and heart-wrenching at others, but it was pure carrie fisher // 3.5 stars

currently reading: cs lewis’ the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe, because i’ve somehow never read it. and after that i’ll only need one more to meet my goal of reading 30 books this year!

what was your favorite read of 2017?

xx