Favorite Books of 2019

Welcome back! I hope you all had a  very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or great general holiday season! While the year may not be quite over yet, I'm pretty sure none of these answers will change in the next 4 days. And since I can never answer the "best book you read all year" question, I decided to pick my faves in different categories. 


Best sequel you've read this year?
I don't believe I've read any sequels... clearly we're off to a great start! 

New release you haven't read yet, but want to?
Wayward Son- Rainbow Rowell

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?
Children of Virtue and Vengeance- Tomi Adeyemi

Biggest disappointment?
I read quite a few disappointing books this year, but I had such high hopes for Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want To Come: One Introvert's Year of Saying Yes by Jessica Pan. Same goes for Bossypants by Tina Fey (an unpopular opinion I'm sure!). 

Biggest surprise?
I'm Not Dying With You Tonight- Kimberly Jones
Runner-up: Nine Women, One Dress- Jane L. Rosen

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)?
Christina Lauren!

Book that made you cry?
The Tattooist of Auschwitz- Heather Morris

Favorite book-to-film adaptation you saw this year?
The Art of Racing in the Rain- Garth Stein

Most worthy of all the hoopla?

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows- Balli Kaur Jaswal

Best non-fiction?

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search For The Golden State Killer- Michelle McNamara

Runner-up: The Little Book of Hygge- Meik Wiking

Favorite book you read in 2019 by an author you’ve read previously?

Two Can Keep a Secret- Karen McManus

Runner-up: The Sun is Also a Star- Nicola Yoon

Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc.) 

The Silent Patient- Alex Michealides

Runner-up: The Girl He Used to Know- Tracey Garvis Graves

Book you can’t BELIEVE you waited until 2019 to read?

Long Way Down- Jason Reynolds

Runner-up: Flowers in the Attic- V.C. Andrews

Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2019 (be it romantic, friendship, etc)?

Josh and Hazel from Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Runner-up: Deja and Josiah from Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

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And, just because Goodreads tells me (and I like statistics), I've read 71 books this year across 19,047 pages, 10 of which were non-fiction. 8 were by authors I've read in previous years. 

The longest book I read in 2019 Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (483 pages) and the shortest was Zenith Man by Jennifer Haigh (23 pages). 

The first book I read in 2019 An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe, and the last will most likely be My True Love Gave To Me: 12 Holiday Romances since I started that the other night. 

I also included a few graphs (because I'm very visual person) on my male to female authors read ratio, the type of books read this year, and how many I read by month.

You can see my favorite books of 2018 here!

What were some of your favorite reads this year?

Linking up with Steph and Jana!

Winter Bucket List

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Back in November (gosh, that feels so long ago!), I posted my Fall Bucket List outcomes and promised to do one for Winter. While it isn't officially winter yet, today I'm sharing that list! This is different from monthly or seasonal goals (which I posted earlier this month) because they include more fun and/or social things rather than things that I feel should or need to be done. I keep needing to remind myself that everything doesn't have to be done by NYE, as the season runs until March 20th. So without further ado, let's see what's on deck for the Winter Season! 

Winter Bucket List

Shop at a holiday/outdoor market
See a play or musical on Broadway

Drink a frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity

Deck the halls
Make a holiday/Christmas wreath

Go see Star Wars

Have a holiday movie night- complete with hot cocoa and footie pajamas

Read Little Women

Re-evaluate 101 in 1001

Complete 5 101 items


Do you have a holiday or winter bucket list? I'd love to check it out!
Linking up with Leslie! 

TTT: Winter TBR

Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday- the Winter TBR Edition! Usually in winter I like to read a few holiday reads, a few with a wintry theme, and then get started on one of my favorite reading challenges, Book Challenge by Erin since it runs January 1- April 30. (To learn more about this challenge, click here! The ones I'm reading for the challenge are marked with an asterisk.) Another "challenge" I'd like to complete in the new year is to work through my extremely backlogged Netgalley reads, starting with most recent first. 

Christmas in Wine Country- Addison Westlake (Kindle Unlimited): Picked this up since nothing was really grabbing my attention, I wanted a light, holiday romance, and it was free! 

My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories (library hardback): Honestly I picked this up because it included a short story by Rainbow Rowell whom I adore, but I've heard of the other YA authors listed too and I just picked it up last night, so I'm excited to dive into this one on a snowy night! 

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances- John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle (library hardback): I don't exactly love John Green (I know, gasp!), but I'm drawn to this because the description said the three stories were intertwined, and I love that. I also want to read it before watching the Netflix movie! 

Children of Virtue and Vengeance- Tomi Adeyemi (library hardback): I have been wanting to read this since I read her first book, Children of Blood and Bone, last year, and then hearing her speak at BookCon! Honestly, I didn't think I would love it because I'm not really  a fan of fantasy, but it drew me in and now I'm anxious to read this one! (Though to be completely honest, I'm going to need a refresher because I forget some parts of the last one- this is why I don't love reading series before they're all published!) 

The Golden Principles of Feng Shui- Rinoie Yuchiku  (Netgalley- due 12/27/19): I love the idea of feng shui and am familiar with some of the principles, but I wanted to incorporate a few more before the new year... can't hurt if doing something like putting a fountain near the doorway can increase wealth, amiright?! I started this one but am not loving it because instead of simple ideas and changes, it's very very specific. For example, I knew that getting rid of old pictures of an ex would promote healthy and positive relationships to blossom, but this book si saying that you shouldn't just "throw out" the pics... you must do it in the morning between 9-10AM on the day after a full moon, blah blah blah. We'll see how far I get with this one. 

Holly Banks Full of Angst- Julie Valerie (Kindle Unlimited/Netgalley- due 12/29/19): This just sounded cute and I was looking for fluffy. Mom to a Kindergartener is having a rough time fitting in with the other moms- hilarious disasters ensure. Sign me up! 

Saint X- Alexis Schaitkin (Netgalley- due 2/18/20)*: Though marketed as a thriller, one of my blogger friends mentioned that this was much more literary, and dealt more with family and trauma, and how one incident affects many lives (thanks, Dara!). I'm much more interested in that description than another thriller.

In The Dark- Loreth Anne White (Kindle Unlimited/Netgalley- due 12/15/19)*: I needed a book for the category "locked room mystery" and got access to this one- huzzah! 8 lucky guests are invited to a secluded wilderness spa but a storm rolls in and cuts off all communication and... it's a trap! I think I may have originally learned of this from a link-up, and the premise certainly sounds intriguing. 

Sweetgirl- Travis Mulhauser (Netgalley- was due 1/17/17, oops!)*: Choosing to read this one now because it takes place during a blizzard. A girl goes looking for her missing mother in a cabin buried deep in the woods of Nothern Michigan and instead finds a newborn... dun dun dun! Will they make it through the storm alive? I have to know! 

Little Women- Louisa May Alcott (Kindle Unlimited) 
Ahh, a classic I've been meaning to read for years! Not sure if this one actually takes place around Christmas or if I'm just imagining it that way, but it always seemed like a "winter" read in my head. 

What are you planning to read this season? 

Linking up with Jana! 

Happy Birthday To Me!

**singing** Hey shawty, it's your birfday, we gon' party like it's your birfday!

I've always loved my birthday, and I truly do not understand those who do not. I've never "feared" getting a year older. To me, it's always been something to be celebrated. I mean, hello, you get free Starbucks and other food and drinks, and discounts! Just kidding (mostly)! One thing I've been doing on my birthday for the last couple of years is taking off from work. It's the best gift I could give to myself. And that means I get "Dani Day." What happens on "Dani Day" you may ask? Whatever I want! Mostly I just sleep in, eat cereal, read books while listening to 90's hits like "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia and "Never Ever" by All Saints, watch terrible TV, and eat too much takeout. So basically, I like a quiet day to myself. This time I will add in a bit of house cleaning/straightening up since my Mountain Mamas may stop by on Friday after my birthday dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant. Friday is also our work party, and on Saturday my mom is taking me out, location TBD. 

I was going to post some things I want to learn this year, or beliefs, but I did that last year. So today I'm sharing some birthday prompts borrowed from Tanya.

What is your favorite birthday cake?
Ice cream cake (with extra chocolate crunchies!)

What is Your Favorite Birthday Gift?
Events, hands down. Concerts, musicals,... one year my friend took me out for a paint night where we painted wine glasses- that was so much fun! When I was 9, my mom took me on a Big Red Boat Disney cruise from Florida to the Disney island in the Bahamas. I don't remember too much besides the Midnight Breakfast with Chip and Dale, "pirates" on the island, and not wanting to leave the Embassy Suites Hotel pool and room service in Florida to go to Disney World (even after sitting through an hour of timeshare sales to get the free vouchers!).

What is Your Favorite Birthday Meal?
Chicken Parmesan, and more specifically for the last 5 years at my favorite little BYO restaurant around the corner from my apartment :) 

Who are Your 5 Dream Birthday Party Guests?
(People you don’t know but admire or would possibly stalk if stalking wasn’t wrong)

Hmmm, this is a hard one. I don't want to seem unintelligent so women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg are out. Reese Witherspoon for sure... Leslie Mann is hilarious... J. Lo, Julia Roberts since I've loved her since Pretty Woman annnnnd... Kelly Clarkson? Mindy Kaling? Melissa McCarthy? They all seem real, so they can come too! (I was going to add some favorite men like Joe Manganiello, Jason Momoa, Dwayne Johnson, but they'd be too distracting!)

Do You Have Any Birthday Traditions? 

YES... I take off from work! (And if it falls on a weekend, I take off either Monday or Friday!) Also for the last 5 years I've taken a birthday vacation with Blue. It's perfect because my birthday falls right before Christmas so it's like getting a break before the "craziness" of the holidays really sits in, and though it's not always to a "warm" place, it's still time away! Recent trips have been The Bourbon Trail in Kentucky, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Nashville, and Jamaica!  

What is Your Favorite Birthday Memory?
The cruise mentioned above, my 17th when I got my (used) dream car (black Mazda Protege with a sunroof!) with a giant red ribbon on it, my 21st where I made the bartender check my ID and my first legal drink in a bar was a muff dive (!), my 25th at a hookah lounge, 30th, 32nd, and 35th birthday dinners, and all of the birthday trips, but particularly singing/screaming at a Lady Gaga concert with Blue and one of my besties, Marissa in Vegas (also 35th).

What is Your Birthday Wish for This Year?

I had a birthday wish for a few years but it never came true, so I don't make that wish anymore. So I guess just another year of good health, love, and happiness (generic I know, sorry-ish!). 

What do you like to do on your birthday? 

November Reads

I mentioned that last month was a slow reading month for me, which was a bit disappointing. Luckily I was able to get out of that slump, but now without a few bumps in the reading road! Netgalley finally started sharing with me again, so I made sure to read those immediately, but unfortunately only 1/3 really grabbed me. I plan to read even more from my backlogged list in the new year, but here's what I got through this month. 

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight- Kimberly Jones: 4 Stars
library e-book

I picked this up on a whim as it was featured on my Overdrive app homepage as a Library Big Read, and it was available. Man, am I glad I did! I read this in one sitting. This fast-paced YA novel focuses on two high school girls who couldn't be more different and how they get through a night of fights and riots in Atlanta, GA together. I'll admit some of the slang bothered me in the beginning, but I quickly got over it as it gave a distinct voice to the alternating characters' POV. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a quick YA read that includes racism and classism in a very realistic way with a touch of high school drama. 

November 9- Colleen Hoover: 4 Stars
library paperback

I've been wanting to read this on November 9 for a few years now, and I'm so glad I finally did! When we first meet Ben and Fallon, it seems like insta-love. After backing her up against her asshole father at an awkward lunch before she jet sets off to NYC, telling her repeatedly and unequivocally that she's beautiful and making her feel comfortable in her own skin, and making the cynical sweetheart even laugh, he seems like the perfect boyfriend. But is it all an act? Fallon still feels the need to "find herself," and believes she can only do that solo in NYC. So they make a pact to meet every year on the same day for the next 5 years (by which time, according to her mother and her 18 year old self, she'll have "found herself"). But then, *PLOT TWIST!* I'd been wondering about the fight between Ben and his brother Kyle had it early on, but I never would have expected what it was about! I'm not sure I really believed the ending, but I do see myself reading this again in the future. 

Snug: A Collection of Comics About Dating Your Best Friend- Catana Chetwynd: 4 Stars
Netgalley (expected 2/4/20)

I've never heard of this comic, nor have I read anything by the author before. This was really cute, and I found myself nodding and smiling along with almost all of the comics. Definitely gave me the warm and fuzzies and made me feel *snug*. I just wish it was in Kindle format because the formatting didn't fit well or read easily on Adobe Digital Editions. If you have a chance to read it, I hope you do! 
The Roxy Letters- Mary Pauline Lowry: 1 Star
Netgalley (expected 4/7/20)

I really wanted to like this book, and the premise sounded very promising. I even enjoyed the fact that it was written in a series of "letters" to Roxy's ex-boyfriend. However this completely missed the mark for me. There were 3 (possibly 4, if you count sex addiction) VERY SERIOUS issues that this book touched on, without much resolution. I felt like they were used as a crutch to keep the story moving along. Mental illness and addiction(s) are not topics to be breached lightly, especially not in today's world. If the author was going to even mention these issues, she needed to put some work into understanding and resolving them in a meaningful way, and not just like some passing fad. 

[Spoiler- highlight for more] I was hoping Roxy's relationship with Texas/Sam would be a saving grace, however she jumped ship because he was a "real adult" with real life baggage? She's 28 years old and acted like a 22 year old twit. The "woe is me/I'm blocked artistically/please mommy and daddy bail me out again" was just sad and depressing. And I think if I saw the words "Oh my Goddess" or one more mention of Venus or "fingerbanging" (which was a whole other cult issue that I'm not even going to go in to) one more time I would have quit the book entirely. 

Heathcliff Redux: A Novella and Stories: Lily Tuck: 1 Star
Netgalley (expected 2/4/20)

A lot of the negative reviews I saw for this had to do with the fact that it wasn't Wuthering Heights. I never read that, so that wasn't an issue for me. However all of the quotes and dialog from the original were downright distracting (particularly the "footnotes" in red). I also didn't like the author's voice. Everything was so monotone! This happened, and then I said this, and he said that, and then this other thing happened.... BORING! Where was the passion? Where was the connection? I swear, one minute Cliff and the housewife (is her name Cathy? I don't even remember even though I finished it last night) were standing in the kitchen talking, and the next he's kissing her. And the very next, the author is telling me the multiple places where they had sex, and that her husband is also having an affair, which she seems to have absolutely no feelings about. WHAT? That doesn't make any sense. It was also weird that she couldn't tell her own kids apart. 

So that was the main story, or novella. The rest were shorts. I enjoyed the one with the photograph a bit more- it seemed to have more of a story to it, though most of it seemed very suggestive. I wish there had been more imagination used basing it off of a single picture, or maybe not mention the picture at all and write a purely fictional story about four new friends out for the night in Capri.  I wanted to know more in the Dead Swan short. I feel like I missed something in Carl Schurz Park, and that there could have been so much more to that story, especially since it had dual narrators at one point. I think I was confused because in the synopsis it said "returns to haunt the present"... but the guy recalls his dog making  a mess of a statue and nothing else? And I would not have known what The Natural State was about at all had I not read the Goodreads description. 

All in all, I'm just glad it was short. 

Holiday on Ice- David Sedaris: 2.5 Stars
library e-book 

I feel like I was expecting... more? This was my first Sedaris and I think he's been hyped up to be laugh-out-loud funny but for the majority of this I wasn't laughing, I was depressed and at times disgusted. I think I would have cut this short had I not been pulled in by his first story where he's dressed as a Macy's elf. Though completely self-deprecating, it was pretty funny. The rest? Not so much. The one about the two competitive families has stayed with me to this day- it was so grotesque. Maybe I just prefer his antidotes to his fiction. Perhaps he's an "acquired taste" that I wasn't quite ready for, as I was expecting some funny festive stories. Or maybe I'm just missing the humor- here's a look at one called Jesus Shaves (or you can watch it here). What do you think?


I'm currently reading a holiday short (Miss Christmas by Gigi Garrett, available on Kindle Unlimited) before diving into The Bromance Book Club, which I just received from the library last night! 

What are you reading lately? 

Linking up with Steph and Jana! 
And don't forget to check out our favorite books of the year on Friday, Dec. 27th!

What's New With Me

Hello, sweet friends! I’m coming to you live from Jamaica, so I’m keeping it (fairly) short and sweet this time around, but I didn’t want to miss out on one of my favorite linkups! 

The month started with an authentic Haitian Friendsgiving with my Mountain Mamas. The menu included turkey, jerk oxtail, curried goat, grilled conch, rice and peas with gravy, and lots (and lots) of wine. It was all absolutely delicious!

Michael invited me to a pop-up “Book Fair for Grownups” in NYC. We had a blast! On the main floor were different publishers and vendors selling books and bookish gifts/accessories. On the lower level was “Recess,” complete with inflatable chairs, old school snacks like Cool Ranch Doritos, Cheetos, Smarties, and Nerds, and a cocktail bar where the bartenders wore screened Tiger Beat magazine cover shirts, which I loved! 2 cocktails were included with the ticket, so after that we headed back upstairs and I purchased more than I would have sober! I got a “Book Nerd” canvas pouch for my Kindle, Star Wars pins, bookish socks, The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney, and We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  

That wasn’t all for books last month. I finally read November 9 by Colleen Hoover ON November 9 which I’ve been meaning to do for years, because I love nerdy things like that, and my library must have done a Fall Cleanout since their “for sale” section was overloaded this time around, and I took full advantage! How can you go wrong when hardbacks are 50 cents and paperbacks just 10 cents?! I also got a free ARC of “Snug,” a comic/graphic novel, from Netgalley. It was really cute, funny, and realistic, and now I want the physical copy.

Blue and I made our own craft brewery crawl with her brother and sister-in-law. We checked out 4 local breweries, this time remembering to bring (bougie) snacks and games. None of the places served food, but her SIL made pretzels in honey mustard and garlic mix, and we picked up prosciutto and bacon wrapped mozzarella. Nom!

Blue’s friend came in to town with her new girlfriend and we had a delicious brunch in NYC. We had a “fiesta” at work celebrating our new renovated office space, Blue got me flowers for no reason, and we attended a benefit for our friend’s brother, who passed too young of colon cancer. It was a poker tournament, but they also had a full buffet, open bar, Bingo, and raffles for different gift baskets. I won for the first time, an awesome Spa Basket, with a robe, fuzzy slippers, and a spa gift card which I’m itching to use soon! Maybe I’ll treat myself to a post-holiday massage. 

Blue and I exchanged ONE (big) Christmas gift early, since we both wanted to give the other something for vacation. I got her a pair of Air Pods Pro, since she was still living that wired life. She loves them, saying that not only do they fit snugly, but they really do cancel out all other noise and deliver great sound.  She got me my first Kindle, a Kindle Paperwhite! I love how compact it is, and it truly does cancel out any glare. I also like that it automatically updated everything from the Kindle app I was using and connects to Goodreads! The first book I read on it was The Roxy Letters which I didn’t love, but more on that next Tuesday with Steph and Jana for Show Us Your Books!

Thanksgiving Day came and went without (too much) incident, which is all I really wanted! My mom and I met early in NYC and headed out to Long Island to visit my grandmother’s grave; that’s what we usually do since her birthday would have fallen within this time. It takes longer to travel there and back than we actually spend there, but a free shuttle takes us right to the spot and back, and it gives time to catch up. We stopped at Penn Station and grabbed Thanksgiving sandwiches- turkey and stuffing with a cranberry aioli which fit the bill perfectly! We then headed to the movies- another old “tradition” of ours. We watched Charlie’s Angels, which was actually better than I expected! We planned to get a “real” Thanksgiving Neal at a local restaurant, but they were just closing up when we got there! I wasn’t too bummed since we had the sandwiches earlier. So we ended our “festivities” at Subway lol. Overall, it was a fairly perfect day!

How was your Thanksgiving?

Linking with up Kristen! 

Best Purchases of 2019

Lalala! Today I’m sharing my favorite purchases of the year... so far. I’m not listing any Christmas presents except the one I already gave, just in case anyone is reading this that I don’t know about!



Yootech "wireless" charging pad: I was pretty mad when I received this, because in NO WAY, SHAPE, or FORM is this wireless! It has to be plugged in to a USB to work. However, it has come in quite handy when I’m working at my computer, and now I’m thinking of getting one for at work. 

CND Vinylux nail polish in Pink Leggings because I found it for 75% off at my Rite-Aid and it's pretty (I may have purchased one for myself too!). It’s also my favorite brand as it lasts longer than a lot of other ones I’ve tried. 

I treated myself to this Fossil Scarlette Mini Stainless Steel and Leather Strap Watch from Lord and Taylor, which was marked down from $115 to $65. I love Fossil, and I hardly ever wear watches not because I don't like them, but because my wrist is tiny and they always look too big. I took a chance on this one, and I'm so glad I did. I love it! 



Car phone mount recommended by Heather: I got this for Blue because she kept her phone in her cup holder when using it for directions, and it would always fall out. It adjusts to fit your phone and it has great staying power- it’s clipped on one of the air vents. 

Our cat Keebler prefers cardboard boxes to any other little cat house we’ve gotten him. This Scratch and Play cat house  has a scratching pad on the bottom- He LOVES it!

Blue Sky Egg Press planner- After a whole month of waiting for Michael's to restock The Happy Planner, the one I wanted was no longer for sale, so I got this one. I have to say after a year of use, I really liked it! Especially the horizontal layout and flexible cover. 




Rael Acne Healing Patches- I think someone mentioned these in the last linkup, so I decided to check them out. I love them! So easy to use, and they really work! 

Snowglobe Picture Frame- Purchased 6 of these for the Mountain Mamas for Christmas. I can’t wait to give them out! 

4 ft. Folding Table- Necessary for my upcoming garage sale. We'll also use it for our annual Halloween party so we don't have to keep borrowing one from Blue's sister. I’m hoping to pull it out again this season so I have a workspace for my puzzle where it won’t be in the way and I don’t have to keep putting it away; maybe now I’ll finally finish one! 



Boots: Finally! I’ve been searching since last Fall for a pair of riding or motorcycle ones that would fit my scrawny legs without leaving a huge gap. I was able to find two Sam Endelmann ones at Nordstrom Rack for about $100 each. Normally I wouldn’t pay that much, but I figure they’re a good investment. I got one in black and one in cognac. 

Airpods Pro: These were an early Christmas gift for Blue- and her “big” present, which I already told her! I wanted her to have them for our trip to Jamaica though. She loves them!

Travel Umbrella: I realized my old one had holes in it the last time it rained. It was also kinda heavy, so I opted for this windproof, light weight one. It has come in very handy, and is the perfect size. 

And that’s a wrap! 

Tell me, what were some of your favorite purchases this year?

Linking up with Tanya!