My 2016 in Review & 2017 Resolutions

Hello, friends! I began blogging in the late summer and I’m incredibly happy with the direction my blog is taking. It started out as a writer’s travel blog and has slowly morphed into a bookish blog with the occasional story, rambling, and travel pic. In the short amount of time I’ve been on WordPress, I’ve met some amazing bloggers and I’ve had a wonderful time sharing my reviews and bookish thoughts. So, here’s my 2016 in review and a few of my 2017 resolutions!


My 2016 Reads

2016 Goodreads Goal: 50

Number of Books I Read: 65

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Top 5 Favorite Books

See my top 10 favorite books of 2016 here!

Favorite Debut Author/Book

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Kerri Maniscalco | Stalking Jack the Ripper
Favorite Male and Female Characters
Kaz Brekker and Nina Zenik | Six of Crows

Honorable Mentions:

  • Rhysand | A Court of Mist and Fury
  • Jesper | Six of Crows
  • Penryn | Angelfall
  • Shazi | The Wrath and the Dawn
Most Action-Packed/Thrilling Read

gemina

Honorable Mention:

Crooked Kingdom | Leigh Bardugo

Most Surprisingly Good Read

The Immortal Rules

Most Surprisingly Not So Good/Bad Read

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Most Beautiful Cover

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Favorite Series I Began and Finished in 2016
Book/Book Series That Almost Made Me Cry in 2016
Favorite Standalone Book

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Favorite Quote

“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you’ll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won’t matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart.” – Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo

Favorite/Most Fun Book Reviews I Wrote

Six of Crows | Leigh Bardugo

Illuminae | Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Lady Midnight | Cassandra Clare

Top Bookish Post

I was so happy that my Dream Panel Book Tag was received so well!

Top Non-Bookish Post

My most recent Rambling #6 | Looking at the Smaller Picture and Imagining the Smaller Things in Life has done much better than I had hoped! Thanks to all those who took a chance and clicked on my little rambling 🙂

Top 3 Favorite Images of the Day

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Book Blogger Shout Outs

There are so many amazing bloggers that I’ve had the pleasure of “meeting” these past few months. But I’d love to give a special shout out to Sammie, Catherine, McKenzie, Jasmine, Melissa, Liam, Beth, Megan, Gretchen, Lia, Marta, and Jacquie for helping me to feel more than welcome in the bookish community. You are all such talented bloggers and I continue to look up to you every day.


My Goals/Resolutions for 2017

January TBR
Some Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2017
Blogging Goals for 2017

Stay on Top of my Reviews: I’ve done horribly writing my reviews on time, especially this month. I’m reading so quickly that I barely have the time or the motivation to write my reviews. And I’m not the type to write my reviews immediately after finishing up a book. Sometimes it takes me weeks to get my thoughts in order. So, I’m thinking that for next year I should…

Reduce my monthly TBRs: I’d love to binge read each and every month, but I’m returning to university and work in about a week, I’ve got other hobbies, and I have a social life I should continue to nurture. If I read a little less each month, I won’t feel so pressed for time, and my blog will feel less like an obligation and more like a hobby again.

Begin Blog Hopping: Occasionally I’ll stumble across a new blog here and there, but I’d love to meet more bloggers next year. So, I may need to actually pick a day or carve out a set period of time in which I dedicate my time to discover new bloggers

Leave More Comments: Sometimes I’m on top of this, but most times I’m not. I’ll probably set aside some time in the morning or evening each day or every other day to leave a comment or like on my fellow blogger’s sites!

Try out a challenge/buddy reading: I’d love to do a challenge, like Bookish Bingo, to expand my reading horizons. And I’d also love to buddy read with some of my fellow bloggers in order to reach out and interact more with you guys

Life Goals/Resolutions for 2017
  • Graduate university with a 3.75 GPA or higher
  • Participate in more community service events
  • Apply for an internship for one of the Big 5 publishing companies (I’m looking at you Penguin Random House)
  • Plan out the possibilities for graduate school and an MFA program
  • Find a job (hoping for one at a bookstore or library)
  • Spend more time with friends and family
  • Treat myself to dinner and a movie more often (is it weird to love going to the movies by yourself??)
  • DO NOT PROCRASTINATE UNTIL THE VERY LAST MINUTE


And that was my 2016 crammed into one long post! Have you read any of the books I posted? Which books have you enjoyed/not enjoyed this past year? What are some of your blogging goals? Your 2017 resolutions? I need to know!!!

I seriously can’t thank you all enough for showing your support for my blog. You’ve helped me fall in love with book blogging and I’ve had a blast getting to know you! Thanks for all the likes, the comments, the follows, and the kind words you’ve sent me. I couldn’t have asked for a better welcome than the one you’ve given me. I wish you all luck in achieving all your bookish and life goals.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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39 thoughts on “My 2016 in Review & 2017 Resolutions

  1. I loved your look at 2016/2017 Azia! You read some amazing boos, congrats on surpassing your Goodreads challenge as well, and some of your favourites are mine as well. I am a massive fan of the Illuminae Files, the Six of Crows duology and ACOMAF as well! Also I really need to check out Stalking Jack the Ripper as well, it sounds like a brilliant read.
    I still have the Half Bad series on my to-read list, and I hope you enjoy all the books on your January TBR list, they all sound amazing and I love the Throne of Glass series so I hope you do too.
    Thanks for mentioning me as well. I’m glad I could help make you feel welcome to the WordPress community, and glad you enjoyed my book as well.
    I hope you have an amazing 2017 Azia! 😀 ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much, Beth! ❤ Those books gave me life. I'm so glad I have them on my shelves 😀 And yes! I highly recommend Stalking Jack the Ripper. It was surprisingly good. The Half Bad trilogy turned out to be insanely dark and sad, but really good. I hope you enjoy them!

      And of course! I love how much you support your fellow bloggers by leaving comments and striking up a conversation 😀 Thank you! And happy 2017! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      1. That’s all right! 😀 They’re amazing books, I’m glad I have them on my shelves too! 😀
        I’ll be sure to check out Stalking Jack the Ripper soon then, and the same with the Half Bad series, hopefully I’ll enjoy them as much as you did! 🙂
        That’s all right, half of the fun for blogging for me is talking to other people on here! Happy 2017 to you too! 😀 ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Wow, it’s so awesome that you surpassed your reading goal! I didn’t quite hit mine, so I’m very impressed. Yesss Crooked Kingdom gave me life this year! I also keep seeing that book Caraval for next year all over the blogging community already, and I must say I’m quite intrigued.
    Your TBR looks so cool, I’m excited to see what you think about ToG, especially the overall series progression. I’m so honored that you mentioned me, and I’m so so happy that you’ve been loving the blogging community. I hope you an AWESOME 2017 😁

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I was surprised I actually managed to surpass my goal. Maybe reading so much contributed to my record-breaking level of procrastination this past semester LOL. I’m so happy that I managed to read both Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom this year. They legit made me so happy to be a bookworm haha. And Caraval keeps floating around in the blogoshphere. Can’t wait to get my hands on it. Happy 2017 and I hope January proves to be a wonderful reading month for you! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  3. It looks like you had a wonderful 2016, especially in terms of reading! We have a lot of the same favorite books, and I’m looking forward to many of the same ones you are. 😄

    I hope your 2017 is just as great, and that your goals work out! I’m really excited to see what you think of the Throne of Glass series, because it’s my #2 favorite. The only one I love more is ACOTAR. 😉

    Also, your images of the day are so gorgeous! 😍

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes! I was so happy with my return to the bookish community 🙂 And thank you! I hope you achieve all your goals this year too, and I can’t wait to finally get to GoT. No more backlisting haha 🙂

      Thank you! ❤ 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Aw, I’m sorry to hear that blogging has started to feel like an obligation; that’s such an easy feeling to fall into, and hopefully cutting back on your monthly TBR will help.

    And wow, you have some awesome goals for next year! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for all of them. Keep us posted.

    Can’t wait to read all your upcoming reviews! Happy 2017! =)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I hope so, too. I really love blogging and I think the misery of last semester started to make me feel a little overwhelmed with everything, including my blog. But this semester is shaping up to be a bit more chill and I’m hoping to have more time to blog and interact with my fellow bloggers 🙂

      And thank you! I’m excited to keep up with all your posts/reviews this year, too! Happy New Year! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Good luck on all your goals! Especially that last one is something I should work on too (procrastinating is just too easy!). Happy New Year! I wish you all the best for 2017!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Lia! And it really is. I basically procrastinated on every assignment this past semester. I can’t handle that level of stress anymore LOL. Happy New Year and I wish you luck on achieving all your goals this year, too! ❤

      Like

  6. ACOMAF ❤ ❤
    Hi, I have just found your blog. It looks awesome, I followed you 🙂 would you mind checking my blog and maybe follow back?
    Thanks

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Congrats on reading 65 books!! I’m in the middle of Heartless and I can already feel it becoming a new favorite. And I definitely have to read the Throne of Glass series as well. I also relate to your goals of staying more on top of reviews and procrastinating less, which, in my case, go pretty hand in hand. (And it is definitely not weird to love going to the movies by yourself)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you! And I’m so glad that you’re enjoying Heartless so far. It took me a while to realize how much I actually liked it. Had to give it some thought after finishing it up. And yes, procrastination is one of my most ridiculous skills. I procrastinated to the nth degree this past semester and was so stressed out. I gotta stay on top of things to avoid such misery LOL. And yay! I don’t think so either. Thanks for supporting me haha ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Congrats on surpassing your GoodReads goal! I completely failed at mine and ended up lowering it at the last minute just so I could see the little finished thing on my profile 😂. It looks like you read a lot of great books in 2016 and I am with you on all things Six of Crows because I love that book. Also, I’m really looking forward to ACOWAR and Lord of Shadows too. Both of the endings and a year wait. I need them! And I love how you have in giant letters not procrastinate because that’s me too LOL. I wish you luck on all of your 2017 goals!
    And thank you so much for the shout out. I’m glad I could help you feel welcomed around the blogging community and that I met you on here. 💕😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. LOL. Don’t worry. I’ve done that several times before haha. Sometimes it just needs to be done XD May is going to break my bank account (Lord of Shadows, ACOWAR, AND Flame in the Mist!). And I procrastinated so much this past semester, it’s not even funny. I can’t put myself in a pit of misery like that again LOL. Good luck on achieving all your 2017 goals! And me, too ❤ 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Same! Not just in May though, there are so many great new releases being released in general. I’m trying to stick to not buying too many books this year but all of the new releases. 😂😂
        I know what you mean haha. Hopefully we can both break our procrastination habit!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. 65 books is a great number, congrats!! 😀
    I need to work on my levels of procrastination as well, but it’s so easy to get distracted when you don’t really want to work haha
    Good luck with your 2017 goals 🙂

    p.s. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT SHOUTOUT!! When I saw my name there pewkjrwedejeod *sorry* You just made my week ❤ I'm really happy that I could help you somehow, and I need to thank you too for your endless support ❤ ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Marta! I’d say procrastination is my greatest talent LOL. I get distracted so easily XD Thank you! And of course! I really enjoy our conversations. Thanks so much for supporting my blog as often as you do ❤ I'm really happy to have "met" you this past year 😀

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Thank you for the shout out! That means a lot to me 😊 Congrats on exceeding your Goodreads goal last year! There are a couple books on you TBR that I’d like to read too… like Falling Kingdoms and Caraval. January will be pretty busy for me probably, so don’t know that I’ll be able to get to them. Great blogging goals for the new year, too! Good luck with them. And I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! 😘

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Of course! And thanks so much! ❤ Caraval seems to be on everybody's TBR this month, so I'm really excited to see how it turns out 😀 And I hope your January goes well, even if it does get pretty busy! Thank you and you too! ❤ 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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