5 Hyped Books I Haven’t Read Yet

Being on Instagram and Goodreads, I see a lot of books being raved about. Sometimes I’m scrolling through Instagram, and I notice that I’ve seen the same book about 5 times in a row. In a month, I might see the same book 20 times. A lot of these books are incredibly popular with readers, and I have yet to read any of them. I thought about some of the books I see a lot, and thought I would share what hyped books I haven’t read yet, and if I’m willing to do so.

7 Books You Have To Read This Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is only a few days away, and I thought I would share some romantic stories that you could read! Not all of these stories have the same cookie-cutter approach to love stories, and that’s why I love reading them. I’m not a huge romance reader, because I don’t like reading something that is predictable. I usually see predictability in love stories, so that’s why I shy away from the genre. That could also be said for YA novels. I find the love triangle trope overdone in YA, so I don’t get curious about these books.

2018 Reading Goals

I’m excited for 2018 because I get to start another year of reading. After seeing how my reading went last year, I decided I want to scale back on how much I read. I definitely don’t want to force myself to read a large number of books just to say that I can. If I naturally get to a large amount of books read, then I’ll be happy. However, I want to read just one book a week to really enjoy what I’m reading, and fully grasping the story I have in front of me.

Best of Beauty 2017

Apart from books, I accumulated a lot of beauty favourites in 2017. Last year, I discovered new companies, and new products, that have become instant favourites of mine. I feel like 2017 was the year I became the most comfortable with the makeup I wear. Throughout my life I felt self-conscious about what makeup I wore, but last year I always felt confident in all the looks I did. Throughout this year of beauty, here is what I fell in love with.

My Favourite Books of 2017

The year is finally over, and with that, I accumulated a lot of new favourite books. In 2017, I intended to read 60 books, but that didn’t happen. For many months, I felt like I was rushing through books, and picking books I didn’t want to read, just to meet my goal. It was frustrating reading books only to get to a large number of books read. That’s why I changed it to 52 books closer to the end of the year. Although I did feel rushed with a lot of the books I read, I still found many books that I loved. Here are my 10 favourite books of 2017:

1. The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
I loved this collection of poems. It felt very personal, and intelligently thought out. Every poem was meaningful, and moved me greatly. If you want a more in depth review of this book, I have a review here.
2. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
When I first started reading this book, I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did. The book really develops the world, and science, behind the plot brilliantly. Its plot was captivating, which kept me glued to my book for hours. I didn’t want to put it down. Every part of the book was amazing, and I know for sure I’ll reread this book many times in the future.
3. Books For Living by Will Schwelbe
I love to read, and what’s better than reading a book about reading? The whole premise of the book centres around the lessons we learn from reading. Every chapter is about a book that changed the life of Schwelbe, and just how important reading is in someone’s everyday life. As an avid reader, I felt this book really demonstrated the power books can have on people’s lives.
4. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer
I haven’t read many historical fiction books in my life, but this one wants me to read more. This books was amazing from start to finish. I became attached to the two main characters, and loved following their story develop throughout the years. Although the story takes place in WWII, it showed the resilience of people during this horrific time.
5. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
I think this was one of the more creative books I’ve read this year. The story weaved together Dominican culture, magical realism, and nerd culture. It was hilarious to read, and just an overall delightful read. I really want to read more books by Díaz, because the way he writes is so unique and fresh.
6. Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson
I would probably say this was my favourite book of 2017. I loved Mara Wilson growing up, and once I discovered she had a book, and a twitter, I was super excited. While reading the book, I felt like I was talking to a friend describing their life story to me. There were also parts of the book I related to a lot, and made me feel less alone in the world. This book has a special place in my heart, and will stick with me forever.
7. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
I love Mindy Kaling in general, so reading one of her books is almost instantly going to become a favourite. I found this book a bit more enjoyable compared to her first book. I felt she was a lot more personal and relaxed while writing this book. I also laughed a lot more with this book.
8. Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson
Although it didn’t end up winning the Scotiabank Giller Prize, it’s still one of my favourites of the year. I would say this story is closely similar to Oscar Wao, but centres around First Nations people in Canada. The novel is absolutely hilarious, yet also brings important topics about the treatment of First Nations people to the forefront.
9. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I think Atwood created a dystopian world that can really strike fear into anyone. The novel left me shocked and fearful of the society she created with Gilead. Atwood writes many classic Canadian literature, and I feel like I need to read more of her work in the upcoming years. Her writing is enviable, and creative.
10. Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen 
I follow Sarah Anderson on Instagram, so naturally I was going to love this book. Her comics are very relatable, and really funny. I laughed a lot with this book. I love having this book to look back on some of my favourite comics when I feel like having a good laugh.

Those are all of my favourite books of 2017. Although this year felt like a rushed reading year, I definitely found a lot of new favourite authors and books. I know that 2018 will probably bring me a lot of other books that I’ll love, and rave about. What were some of your favourite books in 2017?

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Project Pan 2017 Results

The year is almost over, and I have completed my first project pan! I decided to do this with the intention of using up the makeup I own. I may not have a lot of makeup as other people, but I still think it’s important to be using the products you buy. What’s the point of having a whole bunch of makeup if it’s just collecting dust? After a few months of the project, I actually finished a few items! Yay!

This is a picture of the products before. I can’t believe how much I used!

What I finished:
1. Too Faced Creme Lipstick in Honey Bear
2. Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Honey Bear
3. Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara (x3) (always repurchasing)
4. L’Oréal Brow Stylist Definer in Dark Brunette (x2) (always repurchasing)
5. Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer in Fair

What I panned:
1. Too Faced Semi Sweet Palette – Shades: Coconut Creme, Butter Pecan, Nougat
2. Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer in Light Bronzer
3. Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder in Porcelain (almost done!)

I’m proud of myself for being able to finish a few makeup items this year. I didn’t end up panning, or finishing, everything I intended to, but I did use them more often! Some things I decluttered because I didn’t like the ingredients. The whole project taught me what makeup products I like, and what I really should skip on. For example, I loved the Too Faced lipstick, but I didn’t like the smell at all. Now, I know that I like sheer lipsticks, but I need to buy one that smells nice! I also figured out that I don’t like face powders that make me look powdery, and the Maybelline one does just that.

I hope that in 2018, I will be able to purchase some items that work better for me. It can be difficult to find your favourite makeup item, but after a few trials and errors, you might just find the right thing. That’s what I’m hoping for next year, that I’ll find a few more holy grail items to replace some of the things I have panned. And, who knows, maybe I’ll be doing another project pan next year.

What are some makeup items you have finished?

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November 2017 Favourites

November is gone, and with it, I accumulated a bunch of favourites. I thought to myself, why not make posts about my new favourite things? People on YouTube do them all the time, and I love watching them. They’re quite addicting. So from now on, I’m thinking of doing monthly favourites, or seasonal favourites based on what I really enjoyed.

November Wrap Up and December TBR

I can’t believe it’s already December! I feel like 2017 went by faster than I thought. Last month, I decided that I wasn’t going to complete my 60 book reading goal. A lot of the books I read this year felt rushed. I wasn’t enjoying my reading as much, and I felt like I needed to finish a ton of books to be satisfied. I have now reduced my reading goal to 52 books, which I’ve already almost completed. I feel better taking my time with books, and giving them the time they deserve. I typically read about 50 books in a year anyway, so already reaching that a month before the year ends is pretty amazing.

13 Ways to Get Out of a Reading Slump

Every once and a while, it happens to the best of us. A reading slump. It’s not something we want to happen, but it almost always does. I’m an avid reader, and I usually read about 50 books a year. So how do I get in a reading slump? There’s many reasons, actually. I sometimes become bored with the books I read, or I’m just not in the mood to read at all. GASP! I know, shocking. Although this happens, there’s always ways to jump back into reading. After a little bit of thinking, I gathered a few tips and tricks to get back on the reading train.

Book Review: The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

Last month, I had the pleasure of reading the second poetry collection by Rupi Kaur. The Sun and Her Flowers was everything and more of what I wanted to read. In a similar organization to Milk and Honey, Kaur divides her book into sections to emulate the different themes she discusses. Her book is divided into Wilting, Falling, Rooting, Rising, and Blooming to depict her struggles and growth. I think this organization structures her poems to allow a better understanding of her work.