Hello, all!

Welcome to my first monthly wrap-up! What better way to close out the decade than trying new things, right? That’s what I’m looking to do in the new year: I want to try a lot of new blog ideas, and dedicate more time to my reading and writing! I figured I should get a head start, so let’s dive on in.

This December, I dove headfirst into YA, and managed to sneak a classic into the mix as well. My TBR initially consisted of Reverie, Crier’s War, The Things She’s Seen, and What If It’s Us. For once, I had a new book when it was still brand new–imagine that! As for the others, it was like playing catch-up with some of the most popular LGBTQ+ YA novels of 2019. Finally, I can fully understand some of the mass-hype across the book community!

Reverie was SUCH a strong start for December: I adored it! I want to share it with all of my friends, but I *also* don’t want to share my copy because I love it so much and I’m a covetous little grub who wants to just curl around my hoard of books like a dragon with gold. Seriously, I couldn’t get enough of Kane and his friends and the world that Ryan La Sala created. It reinvigorated a child-like love for reading in me! It is exactly what I would have obsessed over as a teen reader, had it existed, had I known I was gay at the time.

After Reverie, I started Crier’s War, which has been sitting on my TBR pile since its release earlier this year, judging me, and with good reason! I should have started this when it first came out, like everyone else did. I mean that in a bittersweet way. The book received so much credit and well-deserved hype, most of which pitched the novel as a romance. With that in mind, I started the book looking for instant crushes, girls being swept off their feet, hella gay stuff. And while the book eventually gets there, it starts as a political game, which is AMAZING! The book proved itself to be thrilling and suspenseful; I just had to temper my expectations for romance! I really, really can’t wait for the sequel!

And then came the beautiful blip of a book called The Things She’s Seen. While this wasn’t a deep read, I found myself incredibly wowed by the heartbreaking implications and commentary on colonizers’ treatment of Australian Aboriginal peoples. The concept of ghosts and half-alive girls exploring the crimes committed against their people created such an eerie examination of who, exactly, worries about violence against Indigenous women. Though the story took its time to grab me, I found myself incredibly moved and hurt on behalf of the story’s victims. I won’t say I found anything new (to me) in the story, but I adored the care with which the authors handled awful, dark elements, as well as the infusion of Aboriginal stories and myths into the narrative.

At the end of my December TBR, I FINALLY read What If It’s Us, which I simply devoured. SO cute. SO sweet. SO necessary. Honestly, I’ve not been a fan of strictly-romances in a while. They just seem gooey, unrealistic, and a little too sweet for me. However, this was exactly what I needed! I don’t know if it’s my excitement about moving to New York City, or if it’s just time for me to reinvest my time in romance stories, but UGH! I finished this book in two days! And I never wanted it to end! But also, can we talk about the ending?! I won’t spoil it, since it’s still a new-ish book, but I really, really loved it! It’s just so realistic, and so mature, and so achingly gorgeous. Love it, love it, love it.

Currently, Fahrenheit 451 has my attention, as I attempt to squeeze in *just one more* book before 2020 (which, let’s face it, ain’t gonna happen–I’m 35% through it on the 31st)! I’ve only had a handful of brief opportunities to sit down to read since starting Fahrenheit, so it took me a moment to get invested, but now I think I’m in the thick of it, and I’m enjoying myself! Honestly, it’s a bit shocking to see how many wacky science-fiction devices Bradbury came up with that I can find in my bedroom now, nearly seventy years later. The “wasps” Mildred wears to sleep? Airpods. The immersive plays? TV shows available in every room of the house, interactive Netflix specials, VR games. It’s a bit of a, “oh damn” moment to read something you’ve got access to pitched as a far-off silly invention. I’m thoroughly enjoying my reactions to this book!

So! There we go! Aside from these books, I’ve been doing a lot of work and cleaning, as well as a hefty amount of driving! I’ve seen a lot of my good friends this month, so it’s been a great time for socialization (not so great for my car’s gas tank, though). I’m excited to go into the next month, the next year, the next DECADE! GAH! Can y’all believe the 2010s are over?!

Since I started blogging and ‘gramming late this year, I don’t have a lot of “top __ of 2019” posts. But! BUT! I’m so READY to go into 2020 with these posts in mind! I can’t wait to cultivate these lists in a year! I want to read more old series, more new series, more popular books, more obscure books — truthfully, I just want to read more! I also want to work on my Bookstagram photos and presence. My pics have been better lately (at least in my opinion), but I still want to challenge and better my work!

And…that’s it for December! I really enjoyed this wrap up — it’s like happy-ranting! I’ll be trying to do this monthly, like so many other blogs I love, and I hope you’ll enjoy them and join me! Happy New Year, y’all!