Last year I set my reading goal to 24 books and read 58, so this year I set my reading goal to 52, but I only read 39. However, I’m still proud of myself for reading even that much, and I’m even prouder of myself to simply be in the habit of reading. Furthermore, consider that I read 27 books in 2016 and 28 in 2015! If you, like me, didn’t reach your reading goal, do not see it as a failure; the only failure would be to not read at all.

Related: Another way to build a habit

Collections (short stories, essays)

Gmorning, Gnight! by Lin-Manuel Miranda (all quotes): It’s just a collection of tweets, but they’re Lin’s tweets, and they’re accompanied by Jonny Sun’s playful illustrations. Some pep talks felt like empty words, but from what little I know about Lin through media and social media, I can feel how genuine he and his words are. Some pep talks were exactly what I needed to hear. I think that this is a nice collection to read in one go when you first get it, and then keep around to randomly flip open when you need a lil pep talk. // ★★★★☆

• Gmorning.
  In your corner,
  even in the roundest of rooms.
  On your side,
  even if it makes this seesaw kind of boring.

Here is New York by EB White (all quotes): White is a marvelous essayist, and I’ve been meaning to read this and his other works since high school. // ★★★★☆

• No one should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky.

Hits & Misses by Simon Rich: This was more like a collection of bits rather than short stories. It has a particular kind of humour, mainly nodding to themes regarding media, entertainment, and fame, some of which I got, some which I didn’t get so much. My favourite story of the collection was “Riding Solo: The Oatsy Story.” // ★★★☆☆

• Growing up horse, I do not expect much from life. My ten older brothers all end up in stable. My sisters become glue.

Fantasy

Circe by Madeline Miller (all quotes): This novel didn’t live up to the hype for me, but to be fair, there was a lot of hype. I thought this would be an epic, but it just felt like subplot after subplot with no greater adventure. But perhaps that’s what eternal life is like for a goddess. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the novel and breezed through it. If you’re a Greek mythology nerd, you’ll surely appreciate exploring Circe’s character as you never have before. // ★★★★☆

• When we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world.

The Crowns of Croswald by DE Night (on the blog): If you’re a Potterhead and looking for another magical world to dive into, check out the magical school Halls of Ivy in The Crowns of Croswald. This novel is suitable for middle school, but is still a fun, light read for older readers in high school, college, and above! // ★★★★☆

• More strangeness, she mused. She was getting used to everything being odd, all the time.

Fiction

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata: Some might find this novel a little slow or boring, but I think some of that can be forgiven if you consider that this novel is about conformity. This novel provides an opportunity for social commentary about what is considered “normal,” but the novel itself is a bit too plain to contain the discussion within its pages. From the novel, we simply take Keiko’s observations. // ★★★☆☆

• You eliminate the parts of your life that others find strange–maybe that’s what everyone means when they say they want to “cure” me.

Normal People by Sally Rooney (all quotes): I was looking forward to a “sentimental romance,” as one Goodreads reviewer put it, but the novel didn’t turn out to be what I expected. This novel was about troubled lovers who could have saved themselves the heartache with better communication, but who doesn’t need to improve their communication skills? However, I never ended up symapathising with them. I found the style of writing a bit dry, whereas others found it packed with intense emotion. I feel like I’m in the minority though, so I’d say to give this novel a shot if the blurb intrigues you! // ★★★☆☆

• Life offers up these moments of joy despite everything.

Memoir

Crave by Christine S O’Brien (all quotes): The main reason why I didn’t enjoy this memoir was because the blurb set an inaccurate expectation. Rather than it being about O’Brien’s eccentric family growing up in The Dakota, it seemed more about O’Brien’s mom and her eccentric dietary habits. Her parents were portrayed in a very distant way, which I didn’t expect from a personal memoir. // ★★★☆☆

• In my world, effort is spent toward being important in some way. My father is a television executive. My mother restored our prestigious apartment. What would it be like to live in a world where stringing bead flowers would be enough?

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton (on the blog): Even though I feel like Dolly Alderton’s opposite, reading her memoir was like chatting with a close girlfriend and gossiping about her love life, which was wild enough for the both of us! This memoir isn’t just about romantic love, but also about the journey of life through all types and phases of love. Would recommend for ladies in their twenties who are on their own journey trying to find out who they are and their place in the world (me). // ★★★★☆

• A week into my big New York adventure, I realised that places are kingdoms of memories and relationships; that the landscape is only ever a reflection of how you feel inside.

The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee (all quotes): This is a memoir by North Korean defector Hyeonseo Lee, and she gave a TED Talk too! // ★★★★☆

• This is when I understood that we can do without almost anything — our home, even our country. But we will never do without other people, and we will never do without family.

Mystery/Thriller

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (on the blog): The novel explores two interesting concepts. However, I wasn’t very immersed in the story. I found it a bit slow, but it did pick back up in the last 15%, and the end was surprising, but I almost didn’t make it that far into the book. // ★★★☆☆

• Tomorrow can be whatever I want it to be, which means for the first time in decades, I can look forward to it. Instead of being something to fear, it can be a promise I make myself. A chance to be braver or kinder, to make what was wrong right. To be better than I am today.

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (on the blog): The blurb reminded me of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Just as with the Stanford Prison Experiment, the morality experiment conducted in this novel was flawed from the get go. There must have been something blinding the doctor and I was intrigued to know what that was. This was a solid psychological thriller, but I felt like it would have been even more compelling if the protagonist wasn’t prematurely paranoid and if the antagonist was portrayed more like a human than like an empty shell of a human/a machine. // ★★★☆☆

• His absence feels like a theft.

All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire (all quotes): This novel was marketed as a YA novel. However, I think this novel would have been more effective if it was written as a thriller rather than as a small town life kinda story. I was annoyed whenever Juniper or “the secret” about Juniper was brought up because it felt like there was something there, but it kept getting glossed over, and so I wasn’t able to empathise with Catherine’s fear/anxiety surrounding it. There was suspense that could have been nurtured and drawn out, but I don’t think it ever reached its potential. // ★★★☆☆

• Have the day you deserve.

The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum (on the blog): I was really intrigued by the blurb, but the story and the characters ended up falling flat for me. It’s rated highly on Goodreads though, so I’d say to give it a shot yourself if you’re intrigued by the blurb. // ★★★☆☆

• The difference is simple: happy people look at their lives and see a series of choices. Miserable people see only a series of sacrifices.

Final Girls by Riley Sager: This is a solid thriller with a good amount of suspense that’ll keep you plowing through. My only complaint, if I’m being picky, is that the narrative felt very leading (in the right or wrong direction is for you to find out), which is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to mysteries/thrillers, but it wasn’t any more leading than most. // ★★★★☆

Murder on Millionaires’ Row by Erin Lindsey (on the blog): Hint: Mr. Wiltshire’s disappearance is just the tip of the iceberg! This novel is a solid historical murder mystery involving NYC’s most elite with a touch of paranormal activity. The protagonist is a strong female lead, but my only qualm is that she has a weakness for a man. // ★★★★☆

• Funny, isn’t it, how the days that change your life forever start out like any other?

Rust & Stardust by T Greenwood (on the blog): This novel is based on the true story of the kidnapping of Sally Horner, but it is not a true crime novel. Greenwood did a lot of research, but of course, nobody will know exactly what happened during those two years that Sally Horner was captured. Greenwood did a good job filling in the blanks to tell a story though. I started this book in the late evening and didn’t put it down until I finished it in the early morning because I couldn’t bear to stop in the middle of the story and be stuck in that world. // ★★★★☆

• It didn’t matter where they went, the stars followed. A map of the universe spread out before her.

Nonfiction

Creative Selection by Ken Kocienda (all quotes): However you feel about Apple, there’s no doubt that they have made some revolutionary products. Kocienda talks about his involvement in major projects such as Safari and the iPhone keyboard, but this book extends beyond even that, teaching valuable lessons that you can apply to life and other challenges beyond tech. Though I have a technical background, I think this book is actually geared more toward non-technical people, as Kocienda makes an effort to use plain English, elaborating with accessible metaphors when necessary. // ★★★★☆

• Get busy. Decide what it means to do great work, and then try to make it happen. Success is never assured, and the effort might not be easy, but if you love what you’re doing, it won’t seem so hard.

Devil’s Mile by Alice Sparberg Alexiou (on the blog): If you’re into history, into New York City, or into the history of New York City, this book is up your alley. I’m not big on history, not in class and not in books, but I was curious to see whether it would read as a historical fiction, which is a genre I enjoy. It doesn’t quite read like that, but it isn’t as dry as a history textbook. // ★★★★☆

• Nothing, after all, is forever. Especially in New York, the city that never stops demolishing structures and rebuilding and where new people arrive daily in pursuit of their dreams.

Don’t Make Me Think by Steven Krug: This book was assigned for my Art of the Web class, and I loved it! I love how Krug always got straight to the point and it was so easy to read. Academic papers and textbooks should take note; stop being so wordy and be more readable! // ★★★★★

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondō (all quotes): While I can see why this book was such a phenomenon, there were times that I thought Kondō was a bit kooky. Nonetheless, it was an interesting, fast read. // ★★★☆☆

• Life becomes far easier once you know that thins will still work out even if you are lacking something.

The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts (all quotes): This is a book that I would recommend reading slowly to digest. Even if you don’t agree with everything Watts says — I have a feeling people either find his message life-changing or pretentious — he makes you consider things you might not have before. // ★★★★☆

• Free from clutching at themselves the hands can handle; free from looking after themselves the eyes can see; free from trying to understand itself thought can think. In such feeling, seeing, and thinking life requires no future to complete itself nor explanation to justify itself. In this moment it is finished.

Play

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, and JK Rowling (all quotes): Hardcore Harry Potter fans will not be a fan of this script, but it’s a fast read and maybe you’ll find it fun to hate. The script doesn’t do justice to the show; don’t let this script deter you from watching it live! I watched it and the production was, well, magical. // ★★★★☆

• Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human as to breathe.

Sci-Fi/Dystopia

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh (all quotes): The blurb sounded so interesting and for some reason I imagined a virtual Texas like how it worked with San Junipero in Black Mirror S03E04, but The Blinds (the town) was simply in the middle of nowhere in Texas. That realisation made the novel a little less compelling for me, but I also think it wasn’t fair of me to make that Black Mirror comparison because Black Mirror is next level. Overall, The Blinds wasn’t anything crazy, but it was a quick, solid read. // ★★★★☆

• What will keep you going every day? What gets you out of bed? The answer is simple: the same thing that keeps any of us going–hope. The hope that you’re different. That you’re special, somehow.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman (on the blog): As soon as I finished this novel, I knew I’d have to finish the series (there’s one more out and another one coming some time in 2019). I found the cavalier attitude toward death hilarious (it’s set in a world where humans have conquered death), loved how the protagonists were both so strong in character, and this story kept me guessing. // ★★★★★

• The future comes whether we want it to or not.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (all quotes): The second book of the Arc of a Scythe series. Would recommend reading the series in order. Fans of Scythe will enjoy this follow-up. // ★★★★☆

• If we were judged by the things we most regret, no human being would be worth to sweep the floor.

Tell the Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams (on the blog): This novel had a lot of potential and I was excited about the Black Mirror vibes I was getting from the blurb, but I don’t think that potential was quite reached. I would have been interested to see the characters and themes explored more deeply, but it felt too broad and unresolved, leaving me wanting. // ★★★☆☆

• They think every true part of me is just another symptom of my condition. What they don’t understand is that my condition is a symptom of me.

Vox by Christina Dalcher: I had high hopes for this novel because the premise was so interesting, but I simply didn’t like the characters and the dystopian society wasn’t believable. I particularly didn’t like the protagonist Jean, who was so angry, petty, and self-righteous. Sure, she had good reason to be angry, but her approach to it was unproductive; her anger didn’t mean anything. // ★★★☆☆

Young Adult

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: Picked this up for a fast read and it’s pretty much what you’d expect of any YA novel. The context is an American sent to boarding school in Paris who falls for an unavailable dude with an English accent. Definitely lots of American/French stereotypes and miscommunication due to dramatic jumping of conclusions, but enjoyable nonetheless. Teens will be teens. // ★★★★☆

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (all quotes): I thought this would be an easy YA novel to breeze through, but the topic was so heavy (especially in this political climate), so I had to take my time through it. This book offers such a candid and human perspective on police brutality, and I’ve never read another book like it. // ★★★★☆

• Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo (all quotes): Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about what it’d be like if your life were a k-drama! This is a typical YA novel elevated with Asian representation, though still every bit as frivolous as you’d expect a YA novel to be. But sometimes we need just that. // ★★★★☆

• I believed, and still believe, that you can build your dreams brick by brick. That you can accomplish anything with persistence. Even falling in love.

In Paris with You by Clémentine Beauvais (on the blog): When the blurb said it was “written in gorgeous verse,” I thought it meant metaphorically, but In Paris with You is actually narrative poetry and it’s translated from French. If it were a plain old novel translated from French to English, I wouldn’t have any doubts, but I feel like poetry often has a special quality that can’t be accurately translated between languages. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this story and it reminded me of One Day by David Nicholls. // ★★★☆☆

• People always feel too young for responsibility.

One Day in December by Josie Silver (on the blog): This was the holiday read of the year for me. I texted my friend when I finished it, vouching for the novel but warning her that it might ruin love for her forever. Others (on Goodreads) say that it will make you believe in true love. Would recommend for fans of One Day, Love, Rosie, and Love Actually. // ★★★★★

• Close is enough for some people, for a lot of people. The world is full of close-to-perfect couples.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (all quotes): This is the third book I’ve read in which Arthur Aron’s infamous “36 questions to fall in love” made an appearance in. For that reason, I found this YA novel solid but nothing extraordinary. It’s pretty much what you’d expect from a YA novel, though, disclaimer, I always read these sort of love stories skeptically, so maybe that accounts for my blasé attitude. I know that many avid YA readers thrive on this stuff, so if that’s you, this could be the read for you! // ★★★★☆

• Because everything looks like chaos up close. Daniel thinks it’s a matter of scale. If you pull back far enough and wait for long enough, then order emerges. Maybe their universe is just taking longer to form.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (all quotes): I’ve come to realise that there’s not always a lot that happens in John Green’s stories, but I love his writing style and I get wrapped up in the characters. I wasn’t all that taken by Aza though, and her cracked finger pad made me feel icky. A lot of the story was Aza spiraling in her thoughts, which I guess was the point, but I never really got into it. // ★★★☆☆

• We were looking at the same sky together, which is maybe more intimate than eye contact anyway. Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.

Rereads

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (all quotes): ★★★★★

• There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (all quotes): ★★★★★

• Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (all quotes): This is my favourite book of the series! // ★★★★★

• …but they don’t need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they’re all trapped inside their own heads…

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (all quotes): ★★★★★

• You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be!

Favourites

One Day in December by Josie Silver (Young Adult)

Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Sci-Fi/Dystopia)

Honourable mentions: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton (Memoir), The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Young Adult), I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo (Young Adult)

What have been some of your favourite reads of 2018? Or what are you currently reading?

PS: 2017 reading challenge, 2016 reading challenge, 2015 reading challenge

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