2017 Reading in Review...

Last year when it was time for everyone to figure out what kind of goals and resolutions they wanted to set for themselves, I chose to really focus on my reading. Amongst other things like getting healthy and setting aside more time for myself to chill and relax, I really wanted to read more. And I did!

In 2016 I read a total of 61 Books. My goal for this year was to either match that number, or surpass it. I am thrilled to announce that I totally beat that number!! I read a total of 127 books in 2017!!!! Ok, ok... but before we get too excited about that number, here's a little breakdown:

Novels- 20
Children's Books- 31
Manga- 89
Plays- 5

So, yeah, when you look at the actual count it doesn't seem like much, haha. I didn't do a breakdown of my 2016 reading list I really should, though, but I'm sure it's going to be similar. Now, you may think that it's easy to read a ton of books when they're solely for children, or have a lot of pictures, but even so, I read them. Most of the Children's Books I read were apart of the Magic Tree House Series but I also continued exploring my dear How To Train Your Dragon universe. As for the novels, I thoroughly enjoyed discovering new authors and new stories, as well as rediscovering the magic from some of my old favorites. I got to complete a number of series I had never heard of, in the novels &&& manga collections, and finally had the chance to read some that I've just never been able to pick up. Let's just say, my library card has become my best friend.

2017 Reading List:

Battle Royale by Houshun Takami
Madoka Magica 1-3
Magic Tree House Series 8- 27
MTH Series Companion Books 1-10
D. Gray-Man 3-25
"The Wayside Motor" Inn by A.R. Gurney
Insidious by Catherine Coulter
Rurouni Kenshin 1-2
Kiss Him, Not Me 1-5
A Silent Voice 1-3
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
How to Speak Dragons by Cressida Cowell
Yu-Gi-Oh GX 1-5
Love*Com 1-3
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Backstage Prince 1-2
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories)
Dragonball 1-3
Goosebumps Most Wanted: Planet of the Lawn Gnomes by R.L. Stine
Naruto: Shikamaru's Story
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Neon Genesis Evangeleon 1-4
Kingdom Keepers II Disney at Dawn by Ridley Pearson
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds by Rick Riordan
How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell
"The Dining Room" by A.R. Gurney
Naruto: Kakashi's Story
"What I Did Last Summer" by A.R. Gurney
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
Gengaku Picasso 1
The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan
Poke'mon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Poke'mon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan
Camp Half-Blood Confidential by Rick Riordan
Poke'mon XY Series 1 & 2
Poke'mon Adventures Black2 White 2. 1-4
Poke'mon Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire 1-3
Poke'mon Adventures Heart Gold & Soul Silver 1 & 2
Zelda Twilight Princess 1 & 2
Yo-Kai Watch 1 & 2
"Medea" by Euripides
K-On! 1-4
Fruit's Basket 1
Dengeki Daisy 1-4
Kuroko's Basketball 1-4
My Hero Academia 1- 13
The Story of Moana by Kari Sutherland
Gurren Lagann 1-3
"1984" by George Orwell

The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere
Kingdom Keepers III Disney in Shadow by Ridley Pearson

Started the year off strong with the classic, Battle Royale, which I LOVED & ended with one of my current favorite series, and hard to find, Kingdom Keepers. It was definitely a great year for Manga! haha. This year, though, I hope to read a lot more Plays and Novels to balance that out. And, of course, complete most of the series I began last year.
Here's to another year of solving mysteries and traveling through imaginary worlds!

61 Books of 2016...

As I mentioned previously, I am very proud of the number of books I managed to read last year. 61 Books! I love to read all sorts of genres, although I have my favorites and certainly a preferred type, I've learned. Of course, I love my series like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, and I'm very happy that I was finally able to start re-reading the Magic Tree House Series, even if it is for children. I was able to get my hands on several Sherlock Holmes stories, picked up new series and authors I hadn't heard of before, and I started reading new and old Manga series, as well as picking up a few lesser known plays in order to feed my Theatre brain. I've learned that I'm not a fan of Romance novels, I got bored every time I walked through the section, and (surprise, surprise) I love Murder Mystery Thrillers..!
Although I can just post a list of all the books I read last year, as I started at the beginning of last year, I'd really like to post about each of them separately (the series, at least), and if they have a movie counterpart, how do they compare?? It may take awhile, especially with all of my current reading list, but I'd love to get it done!

2016 Reading List:

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
Stuart Little by E.B. White
When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket
The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale
Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne
The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson
The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
PJO: The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan
Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osbourne
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osbourne
EAH: The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Ghoulfriends Forever by Gitty Daneskvari
Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osbourne
Afternoon on the Amazon by Mary Pope Osbourne
Ever After High: A Wonderlandiful World by Shannon Hale
Flawless by Sara Shepard
Shouldn't You Be In School? by Lemony Snicket
EAH: Once Upon a Time by Shannon Hale
Fooly Cooly 1-3 by Yoji Enokido
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Ace Attorney: Miles Edgeworth 1-4 by Kenji Kuroda
Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell
Attack on Titan: No Regrets 1-2 by Gun Snark
Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? by Lemony Snicket
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Big Hero 6 Manga 1-2 by Haruki Ueno
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Sunset of the Sabertooth by Mary Pope Osbourne
The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
Children by A.R. Gurney
Is It Wrong to try to Pick Up Girls in A Dungeon 1-3 by Fujino Omori
Richard Cory by A.R. Gurney
The Middle Ages by A.R. Gurney
Idol Dreams 1-2 by Arina Tanemura
D. Gray-Man 1-2 by Katsura Hoshino
How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell