2017 FAVORITES

I set out to read 100 books this year, and I accomplished this goal, yay. I read a varied selection, found new favorites, and rediscovered the magical library. I also had a book crisis-I own a lot of books that I don't like and wasted excessive money on! I reread some of them, and plan to reread more-2018 book goal. Without further ado, here are my favorite reads of 2017:

1) Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Oh. My. Gods. I love this book; it is my second favorite book, EVER. I was invested in this novel because I related to the main character on such a personal level. Kiko is an Asian American, just like me, and we shared the same insecurities. It's difficult to fit in when you look different, and it's even more difficult to love yourself because you don't conform to society's definition of beauty. It broke my heart to see Kiko's struggle to embrace her Asian heritage, so it brought me great elation when I saw her love and accept herself. Her heartwrenching narration and character growth is beautiful and will engross you. Akemi Dawn Bowman is a marvelous writer. Her prose is beautiful, artistic, and enhances her novel - Kiko is an artist. This is a light contemporary romance, which I commend. This easily could have been another "boy's love magically transforms girl" plot, but it wasn't, yay! It was incredibly refreshing to read an own voices/diverse book.

2) Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Most of you already know how much I loved this book; you can read all about it in my AUGUST WRAP-UP. I have a weakness for Russian Folklore and Beauty and the Beast [retellings,] which is why I loved this novel. The novel starts off somewhat cliche-rich noblewoman that has almost everything, but only want to go on adventures. The story vastly improves when Yeva encounters the Beast. Her development, the magic, and her interaction with the beast were entertaining. Sorry for not being more descriptive, I read it three months ago. I might reread this next year with new eyes to see if I still love it. (April 25, 2018 edit: quite similar Beauty and the Beast 2014, but Yeva is more bad-ass.)

3) Vicious by V.E. Schwab

It has zero romance! Bless this novel. That is selling point for this novel. The hype surrounding this novel is well-deserved. When your friend recommends this to you, you immediately buy it and read it. Don't wait two years like I did. The concept is wholly fascinating with the exploration of "good" and "evil." I love the writing and the relationships (friendships.) It's an intense game of chess with skilled players-it's very smart. If you like X-Men, I think you'll enjoy this novel.

4) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
I did not expect to like this novel as much as I did. Interesting factoid, the Swedish title is Man Som Hatar Kvinnor, which means Men Who Hate Women, and it's an apt title for this novel that shouldn't have been changed. While reading, I often complained about the slow development, but I am glad that I continued reading. The plot has a lot of layers and intrigue. It's fascinating, dark, and incredibly disturbing-definitely not a novel for the faint of heart. 

5) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
A fun novel that's ruined by an unnecessary romantic subplot. It's jam-packed with pop-culture references, but dense-explained. As much as I loved the nerdy-goodness, I will not be watching the movie.