READING PICKS {Winter '18}
About a year ago, I started to get really into the whole YouTube, vlogger scene. And by "really into" I mean after finding one vlogger I like, I got hooked into watching videos, and ultimately inspired to launch my own channel. One vlogger I follow introduced me to the 50 book challenge: The goal? To read 50 books in one year. While 50 doesn't initially sound like that many, and I am an avid reader, it comes out to a little over 4 books a month. A doable amount but a challenging amount if you're living a fairly busy life (you know, like if you're working a full-time job, blogging, YouTubing, race training, and attempting to not be a hermit). It didn't take me much thought to decided I was up for the challenge though, so January 1, '18 marks the beginning of my 50 book challenge! Wish me luck.
While I'll be attempting to read closer to 12 books over the winter season, I'm only going to talk about a handful of the books on my list in this post. After a very fiction-heavy Fall reading list, I've found myself being drawn to more autobiographies this coming season. (I'm also reading loads of more informational books that deal with subjects like photography, animation, blogging, and branding. If you're interested in reading up on any of those subjects, please let me know in the comments section).
Here are my Winter '18 reading Picks:
Talking as Fast as I Can From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls & Everything in Betweenby Lauren Graham. This came out in hardcover I think late 2016 and I picked it up in softbound when it was released this past summer/fall. I am a huge fan of Gilmore Girls and super excited to read up on Lauren Graham's adventure and experiences.
Unfiltered No Shame No Regrets Just Meby Lily Collins. I bought this book over the summer and read the first two chapters immediately. I love it so far but ended up putting it aside to get a few other things knocked off my list. I really enjoy her brutally honest style and find myself really identifying with topics in the book. I'm looking forward to finishing this book up. Thus far, I think it's a particularly inspiring book to read, and wish I this book was around to read when I was like, 22 years old.
The Princess Diaristby Carrie Fisher.If you haven't figured it out yet, my theme for my reading list this season is strong females I admire. I've heard nothing but amazing things about this book and with the new Star Wars coming out in a few days, I'll definitely be needing to fill the void I'll be feeling after seeing Fisher in her last appearance in Star Wars. While I remain sad to be living a world without Carrie Fisher, I'll treasure everything she helped create, her spunky personality, and all the life lessons she taught me.
Scrappy Little Nobodyby Anna Kendrick. Yes, another biography from an actress I love. I follow Anna Kendrick on social media and she has such a fun infectious personality. I also enjoy many of the movies she's been in, so I'm excited to read her book. I actually picked this up about a year ago in hardcover but it's now also available in paperback.
Secrets for the Mad: Obsessions, Confessions, and Life Lessonsby Dodie Clark. Dodie is British YouTuber I follow. I enjoy how frank she talks about life issues, growing up, and depression. Much like I do, she talks a fair amount about mental health. After watching so many of her videos, I'm really interested to see how the themes translate into a written medium.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Childby J K Rowling. Another book that's been on my list that I haven't had time to read. I recently reread the entire Harry Potter book series as part of my fall reading list and am looking forward to reading this new installment to the story. (As a side note, I really hope J K Rowling does a spin off series about James and Lily and that whole generation. I'd be so down to read all about their adventures.) In addition to the Cursed Child, I might squeeze in a reading of JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. I rather enjoyed the movie and wouldn't mind revisiting the story.
The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers. This is a book I've been allowed the privilege of reading as a pre-release. It goes on sale January 30, 2018, though you can pre-order your copy from Amazon now. I am so thrilled to have an opportunity to read this early. This story weaves coffee history with a real-life account of living in Yemen. Because I both love coffee and try to support humane farming practices, I find this story particularly interesting. I will be doing another blog post as well as a video post that focus specifically this book and my thoughts after reading in late January.
As normal, I also have a few selections from my Book of the Month subscription:
Bonfire by Kristen Ritter. Already a fantastic actress, Kristen Ritter has expanded into fiction writing. This book is a psychological thriller with small towns and a girl coming face-to-face with something from her past. As you might already know if you read my Fall Reading List, I love a good pyscho thriller. I'm really excited to read this.
Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002by David Sedaris. Love is work. Probably one of my all time favorite writers. I'm expecting this collection to be as funny and well written as all his past work.
These are just some of the books I'm planning on reading over the next 3-4 months. Have any book recommendations for me? I'd love to here them! Leave your recommendations in the comments section below and remember to keep an eye out in January for my review of The Monk of Mokha.