May 2018 TBR

        It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but I am really excited about all the books I have lined up to read this month, so here is my May TBR! I have a lot going on this month, so it seems like I would have less time to read, but it honestly motivates me more. Kinda backwards, but I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me pretending I don’t have a lot of work to do… Anyways, here are all the books I am planning on reading this month!
          The first book is Educated by Tara Westover. I started this one two days ago and am already 70% done, so I get the feeling I will finish this one in the next day or so! It is a memoir about a girl who never goes to school and instead stays at home with her extremly mormon family preparing for the end days. It is very Glass Castle esque and I am loving it, because it is so different from anything I understand and it is interesting to see the way other people grew up.
          The next book I am currently reading is Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay. I had never heard of this one, but I needed an audiobook the other day because I had a few hours worth of menial tasks to do. It is described as a sleeping beauty retelling, but from what I can tell, it seems more like Mulan. Aurora is a princess whose parents are dead, her throne taken by an ogre queen. Her brother was captured and she disguised herself as him, using her fae-gift of strength to summon an army to get her brother and her throne back. It is a multi-perspective ya fantasy novel that I am really enjoying so far!
          After that, I am going to read The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. I am not entirely sure what this is about other than what I can gather from the title. I am excited to go into this one with no expectations and no particular idea about what this book is about, other than books and the Holocaust. Sometimes it is nice to go into a book blind!
          The book I will be reading as soon as it arrives in the mail is A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas. This may be my most anticipated book ever, so I am so excited to be getting it in the next few days! I can almost guarantee my family will not be seeing any trace of me until I finish this book!
         After that, I am hoping to finish Once and for All by Sarah Dessen. This is a contemporary novel about wedding planning and I am enjoying what I have read so far! I love Sarah Dessen, so I think this will be a great read!
          The final book I will be finishing is Looking For Lovely by Annie F. Downs. I have been slowly reading through this book for the past month or so, but I am about 75% done now, so I should finish it by the end of May! I love Annie and how real her voice is, it is refreshing to read from!
That’s it for my May TBR! What are you planning on reading this month?

Tending to Seeds of Joy

This year has already been more. More of what, I can’t even begin to describe! It has been busier, crazier, harder, more exciting, more joy filled, and simply more than any other year before. In the past four months, I have grown undeniable joy in ways I never thought I would! I guest wrote for another blog (find it here), made art to be featured on many other Insta accounts, gained 400 new followers, and applied for 5 art shows this semester! How did that happen? How did I go from doodling on index cards to having a booth at an art fair? How did I begin with a box of crayons and now I have an entire desk and bookshelf devoted to art supplies? How did I start with a little blog post titled “Fearless Pursuit” and end up with 150 blog posts and a Youtube channel?

I guess the answer to these questions lies in that very first blog post. I chased after the things that excited me, that gave me life, that set me on fire! I pursued them fearlessly, confident that good things would come out of this adventure, and here I am now. A year and a half ago, I was planting tiny seeds of joy. I spent time watering them and watching them grow. I moved them to be soaking up the light of the sun (or Son, go Jesus!). And then I stepped back. I never realized how crazy what I was doing was because I fully believed in it! I didn’t understand why my mom was skeptical when I said I wanted a blog, I didn’t understand why people weren’t following my Instagram (but looking back now, I kinda see it… they aren’t the best posts ever!). Yet, I kept going, kept growing, kept tending to my plants. And by some miracle, God brought growth to my life, my business, and my relationships.  

I post a lot about Joy on this account. Fitting because my name is Undeniable Joy, right. Well, this was not always Undeniable Joy. When I began, I started typing in the randomest names to see what web addresses were available. I went through all the fruits of the spirit with countless adjectives, just hoping something would work. Then along came Undeniable Joy. Somehow it stuck. Honestly, I didn’t like it that much at first, yet somehow it has become my identity. I’m even thinking about legally changing my name from Katie to Undeniable Joy! (That was a joke, mom). Anyways, I cannot think of a better name for myself! When I began this account, I struggled with a lot of anxiety and was just beginning a long year of trials. If it hadn’t been for the constant reminder every time I checked instagram or my email, a constant reminder that no matter what I go through I have joy, last year would have gone very differently. I lost some people who were very dear to me, had friends in hard places, and was still struggling with anxiety. Yet I made it out, thanks to my little seeds of joy. What a blessing joy is!

This post is a recap for me, to see where I have been and where I am going. But I hope it also serves as encouragement for you! The seemingly silly things you work so hard on now may just be a lifesaver for you later. Don’t give up on your dreams, on the things you love, the things you feel called to. Chase after them fearlessly! I went from feeling like I was alone and sad to waking up every morning with a heart that is literally exploding with joy! This can be your life, too! The seeds you are sowing now, with care, love, and a whole lotta God, will grow into huge beautiful trees before your very eyes!

So where do we go from here? I don’t know about you, but I’ve made it this far. I’m not about to quit. This is only the beginning and there are so many more wonderful things in store. My life recently has been defined by jumping and shouting for joy because I am overflowing with excitement!

Those are the moments in which I feel alive. And I really like feeling alive.

Bible Journaling Process | Hebrews 13:6

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Dancing in the Rain

I’ve always heard of this idea, I’m sure you have to. It’s a little phrase called “Dance in the rain”. It has been illustrated on Pinterest thousands of times, included in hundreds of songs, and muttered on every rainy day. We hear it all the time, but what does it mean to dance in the rain?

I remember being a little girl, no older than 8. One day there was a torrential downpour. It was so bad I’m pretty sure there was even a flood warning. That day, I came home from school on the bus and my mom was waiting at the stop for me, like she always was. I got off the bus and with one look we knew what needed to happen.  We raced each other home and quickly took off our shoes and threw on bathing suits. Then we ran back out into the street and played and danced and chased each other in the water. It was so deep in some areas that we were able to kick water at one another. We were drenched! And we were aware of being soaked and freezing, but we didn’t care! There was too much fun to be had in the rain!

To dance is to celebrate, to have joy. It is like a little party, saying, “Yeah! I’m alive and I love it!” People who are struggling don’t take time to dance. People who are sad don’t want to dance. Dancing is exhausting. Have you ever tried to dance for a long period of time? You get really tired! But think about homecoming or parties with your friends. Your feet really hurt, but you don’t think you will ever be able to stop dancing!

When it rains, in the hard times, in the struggles, in the sadness, when the world stands against you, when the waters rise, do not stop dancing! Don’t stop celebrating that you are alive and that God is real! Rain comes in every part of life, whether it’s a drizzle or a downpour. Don’t let the daunting waters keep you from joy- just dance!

Have you ever noticed that on the really rainy Sundays that not that many people come to church? They make up excuses about sleeping in or something like that. For whatever reason, rain keeps people from church. It’s the same with spiritual rain. When bad things are happening in our lives, we often turn from God. We forget the joy he gives us and we decide to sleep in instead of facing the giants before us.

To dance in the rain is a paradox. It is not expected. It gets wet and messy. It is loud and “inappropriate”. It is crazy and childish. The world says, “No. Put on your boots and rain jacket. Pull out your umbrella. Hunch yourself over.” Dancing in the rain is not the way the world does things. But we are not of the world. We are loved with a radical love, we are exploding with the joy of the Lord. What if, instead of putting on a bathing suit and water shoes, we put on the full armor of God and confidently ran out into the rain? It’s crazy, but it’s who we are!

How can you dance in the rain in your daily life? How can you celebrate your wonderful life even when there are storms raging around you?

James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy, brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”

Trusting God | Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

The past few weeks have been hard. I think as a people, as a nation, as a world, and as a community we have gone through a lot. School shootings are ravishing the news, there are chemical and nuclear war threats, the ever present issues of global warming, terrorism, and corrupt political leaders. These and thousands upon thousands of other depressing news headlines are filling our heads. Being a student, the past few weeks have been saturated in debates about gun laws and threats being made against my school and others. In one word, I would describe the feeling at this time as hopeless.

It’s funny how God works in times like these. Last night I was talking to my pastor about all the threats, what people have been saying, and how much anxiety it is bringing me. We talked about how my friends are reacting, what the school is doing, and the overall community. After talking to him, I got in my car and switched the radio from the country station to christian. I knew I could use a little bit of hope in my drive home on this hopeless night, so I traded Thomas Rhett for Casting Crowns.

Normally, when I hear talking on the radio, I start scanning for a new station. So when I turned on the christian radio and heard a woman’s voice, I reached for the dial. But this time, I stopped and listened.

The woman on the radio was talking about encouragement. She read a few verses, including the one above, Proverbs 3:5-6. I have heard these two verses thousands of times. I’m sure you have, too. But they have never hit me so hard or meant so much to me until I heard them last night.

I have been forced so many times in the past few weeks to give an opinion on things that I a) don’t really care about or b) don’t understand. I try to articulate words that are loving yet slightly impartial, but always end up coming across as biased or judgemental. I end up basing my opinion on my perceived understanding of the facts. I say this or that about gun laws or women’s rights and suddenly, everyone is up in arms. I can never come up with the right thing to say on my own.

When I heard this verse, I realized that it seems like I have been messing up so much lately because I am leaning on my own understanding. I am not trusting God to take care of these situations. I am not trusting that he has all of these issues in his hands and that he has our futures planned. The verse tells us he will direct our steps and make our paths clear, we need only trust him. If I trust him to take care of me, he will make the right choice known to me at the proper time.

I found this definition for “trust in the Lord” and I think it is important to understand what trust is if we are going to be giving our whole lives to him. So to trust in God is to “wholly and securely rely upon God’s wisdom, power, and goodness, and upon his providence and promises, for direction and help in all thine affairs and dangers.” (That’s from the Benson Commentary on the English Bible) That’s a lot. It is fully giving yourself over to God. But he is God and he deserves every ounce of praise we have in our bodies. When we trust God, we are relying on the creator of the universe to see us through and guide our steps. It is comforting that the person who made stars and planets is the one helping me when hard topics come up in conversation.

I have found that trusting in God only works when you are in communication with him. You cannot trust someone that you do not know. It is so cliche, but reading your bible is the best way to tap into God’s truth. I found Proverbs 3:5-6 and it is helping me immensely, so do not underestimate your bible simply because you do not want to take the time to open it.

Praying is also a huge help. I asked God for guidance and I am certain that he is the one who made the lady on the radio station say these verses. And then encouraged me to listen and not switch station purely so I could hear his response to my prayers! God works in crazy ways like that, you just need to be receptive to hearing it!

Another thing is knowing when to be quiet. It is not necessary to give an opinion on everything and, oftentimes, it is best. Ask God to give you wisdom to discern when you should speak out or not. If you do speak up during hard conversations, ask God that your words be his words and that whatever you say is bringing him honor and glory.

Life is hard. Things come up and radically change the way we live. But in every trial and storm, God is our constant. Do not lean on your own understanding, trust in him! He is good and steadfast and he will guide your steps and see you through! You are not alone in this. You are never alone.

God is Good

“Let the King of my heart be the mountain where I run, the fountain I drink from, He is my song! Let the King of my heart be the shadow where I hide, the ransom for my life, He is my song! You are good! You’re never gonna let me down!” - King of My Heart by John Mark McMillan

Today has been one of those days. A day that takes “I’m good” to a sigh followed by “I guess I’m okay.” I went to church this morning, knowing it would be slightly different for me. A girl in our ministry has passed during the week and while I wasn’t exactly close to her, I felt the affect her loss greatly. I volunteered to help direct traffic for her memorial and while I was standing in the parking lot, I found myself singing “King of My Heart.” It’s a strange thing to be attending a funeral and to start singing “God, you are good.” What is good about this situation? A beautiful, young, kind, intelligent, beloved child and friend had just been taken from us.

Earlier that morning in our bible, we came together and prayed for her family. During our service, we praised God that he is there even when we are hurting. We danced and sang even though we had heavy hearts. The situation was not good, but we knew that our God was good. We were not joyful that she was gone, but we were joyful that she had gone home to be with her Father.

It’s during the hard times that we see how good God is. When you are brought to your knees in tears, when you freeze because you just received devastating news, it’s in those moments we can see God. When the community comes around a person, when the church prays and praises, it shows how powerful our God is. He doesn’t let bad things happen, he uses bad things to bring people to his glory. Romans 8:28 says that we “know in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.” I don’t know yet what good is going to come out of this, but I do know my God. I know his heart and his character, and I know he is always, always, always good.

Wherever you are today, whatever burden you struggling with, know that God is always good!  He is victorious over all pain and suffering! He freely gives hope and grace! He faithful to remain by your side and bring you into righteousness! There is nowhere he cannot reach you, He will never leave you nor forsake you, for he is good and he is God.

God is Greater

            Anyone who listens to Christian music knows the classic “Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other!” Maybe you still know all the hand motions from that summer you volunteered in Children's ministry, I know I do! It is such a good song, full of so much truth! I find that so many worship songs are full of so many wonderful things and while we are singing them, we don’t really take to heart what is being said. In this song, when we sing that “Our God is greater”, we are making a comparison between God and something else.
           That something else can be literally anything. God is always greater, no matter what the other thing is. God is greater than chocolate chunk ice cream, greater than death, greater than the beach, greater than news broadcasts, greater than all! Our God is greater! That is so awesome! Saying this is not making a simple statement! When we say that, we are declaring that our God is greater than every single person, place, thing, idea, and circumstance. It is a statement of praise, submitting ourselves to God and admitting that nothing can compare to him!
            We declare that our God is greater, but we don’t always live like we know that this is true. We know in our heart that God is greater, yet in our head, we make back-up plans and we worship other things. Those other things are what get in the way of our complete and total submission to him! Think for a bit about what you place before God, what you worship instead of him. When you realize how awesome God is, all the other things seen worthless in comparison.
            God is bigger than your idols. He is bigger than the other things and people you worship. You put value in your phone? God is greater. You put value in what other people think of you? God is greater. You put value in the media? God is greater. There are things we worship without realizing it, but if you prioritize it above God, it is an idol. All of those things we think are important, all the things we value, God is greater.
             God is bigger than your stress. God is greater than the things that you get so caught up in, the things that drag you down. He will gladly take that heavy burden off of you, he is great enough to take every fear and worry and remove it from you. God is so much greater than the burdens you carry and the stress that threatens to overcome you. When you give your life to God, those worries fade away because he cares for you.
            God is bigger than your dreams and plans. God knows that we don’t always trust him with our futures and it breaks his heart. He has a perfect plan for you, and by making your own plans you deny that his is better. He is greater than everything that you want for your life. He knows what is best for you, he knows how to take care of you.
            God is bigger than your circumstances. If you are going through really hard times, if you are in your lowest valley, God is still greater. There is no place that God cannot reach you. He is bigger than your highest high, he is great enough to meet you at your lowest low. Everything you are going through, when you give it to him, it becomes smaller and smaller. Give you circumstances to the Lord, he can handle it. He is big enough for you.
            God is bigger than your sins. If you think you have sinned too much for God, you’re wrong. There is no sin that God cannot cast aside. There is no place you have gone that he cannot find you. God is so much greater than anything you have ever done.
            No matter what, God is greater. He is stronger, he is higher. Our God is worthy of every praise, every second. He is overcomes everything we think or feel. He is great enough for you.

Plan With Me | How I Schedule Blog and Instagram Posts

            Life gets so busy, especially trying to balance school work with my blog, Etsy, and Instagram! I wanted to stop in and show y’all how I keep myself organized and make sure everything gets done when it needs to be! I have a Create 365 Happy Planner by Me and My Big Ideas! I love this planner because I can add pages wherever I want and decorate/ lay them out however I want!

             At the very top of each weekly spread, I write out my verse for the week! This is just one way to help me in memorizing it!
             The top row is for the bible pages I will do that day. This keeps me on track for finishing my journaling bible, which is a goal I have for the next few years! This month I am working through the book of Exodus- just trying something new! I also do a few other pages each day to mix things up!
             The middle row is for the blog/ instagram post that will go live that day. I put instagram posts into Later and preupload my blogs to Blogger and save them as drafts. This helps me so much the day of, all I have to do is press send and promote!

            At the bottom, I have my daily maintenance and deadlines for when things need to be done. I put the posts that are going up a week in the future here because I like to have time to schedule and make sure everything is done!
            Also at the bottom, I put any maintenance that I am doing that day. The categories for maintenance are: blog editing, working on custom orders/ art to sell in my Etsy shop, Etsy maintenance (uploading new posts, taking old ones down, updating my profile and mission statement, ect.), and blog and Instagram maintenance (updating bios, sharing posts on social media, ect.). These things don’t need to be done daily, but I do need to give each task some time in a week.
           I’m sure to a lot of people this looks really confusing, but it works for me! I wanted to share how I do this because when I was starting out my blog, I had so much trouble balancing things. I hope that this can help out anyone who needs it, or just give a glimpse into what life looks like for me!

Choosing Each Day

        What do you do when you wake up in the mornings? I always see things talking about how important your morning routine is, so I started to rethink mine. I decided I wanted to start this year off on a good foot and reorient how I spend my mornings. I almost always go on my phone and spend 15 minutes on Instagram, but this week, I challenged myself to read a devotion! The one I choose to start 2018 is from YouVersion and titled Choosing Each Day! It is super short, only 3 days and the devos themselves aren’t long, so it was a great way to ease into this routine!
        Choosing each day means choosing God each day! To do this, you have to ask where your thoughts go as your mind becomes alert. For me, that is to school work, instagram, my friends, my family, what I’m wearing that day, what I want for breakfast, what I have planned, my to-do list, and how I look. Notice that God is not on that list. The first step in choosing God each day is to wake up and actively seek him!
        The steps to seeking God are to first thank him for the new day, then acknowledge his sovereignty, and finally spend time in the word and in prayer. One thing you can do is put a scripture where you will see it in the morning to remind yourself to do these things. I also recommend making a christian pop playlist that gets you moving! Spotify has a good one called Workout under the Christian genre, but there are so many other good ones out there!
        Now, all of that seems easy in writing, but it isn’t so simple in practice. There are some things you can tell yourself to help you get through the hard days. The first is to remember that each day belongs to the Lord! We are simply giving what is already his back to him! Then, know that his grace covers all and that we can only do all of these things by grace! If it weren’t for grace, none of this would be possible! Another important thing to remember is that it takes moment by moment focus to reorient our wandering minds on him! It does not come easy because it is not in our nature, we sometimes need to work towards the Lord. Make it a habit to check in on your thoughts and direct them back to the Lord!
        Each day we are presented with a choice between ourselves and God. Focusing on ourselves causes us to become discouraged because we cannot accomplish anything on our own. Focusing on God brings is peace, hope, and renewal. “Humanly speaking, it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 Focusing on God puts our whole day in perspective and brings immense joy and purpose into our lives!
        Here are some scriptures to remind yourself that each day you are given the choice to worship God!
        "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14-15
        “Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
        “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1
        And here’s a closeup of the pages I journaled my notes on! I love journaling devotions like this because I can be creative, but also have a clear reminder of what I learned that day!

        What do you do first thing in the morning to make God the center of your day? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

January TBR

        Happy 2018 everybody! I am so excited to see what books are in store for me this year! I had one of my best reading years last year, in terms of books read and average rating, and I am hoping to carry that into this year! My goals are to read at least a book a week and to read one non-fiction book per month! So, just keep on reading for my January TBR and to see how I am planning on accomplishing those goals this month!
        The first book I am hoping to finish is Once and For All by Sarah Dessen! I started reading it on New Year’s Eve (who needs to party when you have books) and I am hoping to finish it this week before I go back to school!
        Then, I am planning on reading A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi. I have heard such good things about this one and from the little bit I have already read, she has the most wonderful writing! I am excited to see what this world has in store for me!
         After that, I want to read Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi. I know very little about this book, but from what I know, it sounds awesome! It has something to do with eating people’s sins and I am very intrigued! (Plus, it’s under 300 pages, which is the kind of quick read I want right now!)
        Then, I plan on reading The Memory Trees by Kali Wallace. Again, I know very little about this one (I’m kinda sensing a theme here- it’s basically that I didn’t feel like doing any real research…). I saw it on a list of books where I also found The Graces, which I read last month and loved! It has also been shelved as paranormal mystery and magical realism on Goodreads, which is all I really need to know!
        At some point this month, I want to Auggie and Me by R.J. Palacio. I read Wonder last month and loved it, so I am excited to get a little bit more from these characters! It seems like a quick, cute read, which I am always in the mood for!
        My non-fiction book for this month is Unashamed by Lecrae. I started reading it a while ago and never finished, despite loving it! I love Lecrae’s music and his story is so interesting! I would love to understand him, and his music, a bit better!
         Lastly, I am really hoping to read Once Was a Time by Leila Sales. I was browsing in the middle grade section at my library, and the name stuck out to me. Then, I realized that it was the author of This Song Will Save Your Life, one of my favorite books of last year! This one is a time travel/historical fiction novel and I am so excited to read it!
       Okay, that is a lot of books, I know, but I’m feeling a bit overly ambitious right now! What books are you planning on reading this month? I would love to know!

My Word for 2018

        Love. That was my word for 2017. I wanted to give reckless and unconditional love to everybody I met. And I do not think I accomplished that, not at the capacity I know I am capable of. If I am completely honest, I had to go back to my post from last year to remember what my word was. I just let go of the concept as the year went on. It wasn’t what I thought I needed to be working on, I guess. In retrospect, I wish I had been working at it, or had at least given it a little bit of thought. But no, I did not do that.
        As the year went on, my word became more of a phrase and took on a whole different purpose. I read a lot about pouring out all your love and joy to people and then finding your fulfillment in God. It was the idea of the pouring out to be filled up, the constant give and take, that became my “word” for last year. While I did do better at this than loving, it was still not amazing.
        This year my word is balance. Finding the balance between work, school, friends, church, personal health, and other hobbies. The past few months, working has been about 60% of my time. Everything is taken up with writing, making art, taking photos, selling things, and contacting customers. I love what I am doing, don’t get me wrong, but when finals week rolled around and I was knee deep in orders and never actually studied for my AP World      History final, that’s when this became a real problem. Not only will finding balance help me to find my sanity, it will help me to prioritize the things that matter. By that, I mean my faith, family and friends, and school. In giving more attention to faith, things like love, peace, and joy will surely come.
         I already know that balance is not an easy thing to find. I am starting this journey by creating a more consistent posting schedule that will be easier to follow. This will hopefully help me to not stress out writing last minute posts and having deadlines sneak up on me.
         I am also trying to do an online devotional every morning to get in time with the Lord on a daily basis. I like this better than a book because I can study whatever I am struggling with or want to learn more about. If you have any favorite devotionals or websites, please let me know!
        What is your word for this year? I would love to know! Have a wonderful day!

Top 17 Books of 2017

What a year 2017 has been! I read a total of 54, which means I completed my Goodreads goal *happy dance*. I really didn’t think I would make it when November came to a close because I had only read 41 books! Ahhhh! But December was an awesome month that made up for my end-of-year book slump, putting me over my goal! I went back and looked over the 54 books I had read in 2017 and decided upon my top 17 of 2017 list! While most people say their lists are in “no specific order”, that is not the case here! I took quite a bit of time and put them in the definite order of how much I enjoyed them! I hope y’all enjoy perusing my list of the best books of 2017!

1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 
2. One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake 
3. Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas (I read the entire series this year, so I am including all of them- but my favorite has to be Heir of Fire!) 
4. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas 
5. Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
6. Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett 
7. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 
8. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (Again, I read both this year, but if I had to pick, Six of Crows was my favorite!) 
9. We Were Liars by E Lockhart 
10. The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi 
11. Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco ( Hunting Prince Dracula was was my favorite!)
12. The Call by Peadar O Guilin 
13. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin 
14. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher 
15. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales 
16. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 
17. An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir (Loved both, but An Ember in the Ashes was my favorite!)

What was your favorite book of this year? Comment down below! I would love to hear from you!

Books, Blogging, and Plans | 2017 Survey

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope you all had a wonderful 2017, I know I did! Despite some hard things that happened this year, the joys always outweighed the bad! This survey takes in all the books I read, the blog posts I wrote, and my plans for next year to give a peek into what my reading and blogging life were like in 2017! In that department, 2017 was an incredibly successful year and I am hoping that 2018 can be even better!

The Books of 2017:
Number Of Books You Read: 54
Number of Re-Reads: 4
Genre You Read The Most From: YA Fantasy

1. Best Book You Read In 2017?
The Night Circus was the best new book I read this year.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The Kiss of deception. I thought it had the potential to be my new favorite fantasy series, but it just wasn’t doing it for me.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

Wolf by Wolf! It is so good but not talked a lot about, so I was shocked by how amazing it was!
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I am working on making everyone I know read the ACOTAR series. I have been planting seeds for the past year and a half and people are finally acting on it now.
5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?
Best series I started has to go to Throne of Glass. Best sequel goes to Hunting Prince Dracula. Best series ender is A Court of Wings and Ruin.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?
Rainbow Rowell solidified herself as a favorite of mine this year. I didn’t discover her this year, but I did discover she is a new favorite!
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
The Call is a fantasy horror book with emphasis on the horror, which is not typically my cup of tea, but I loved it!
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue can be described by all of those! It was so action-packed and, despite it being 500 pages, I read it in a day.
9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Probably Empire of Storms or Lord of Shadows in preparation for their sequels.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?
The Graces has such a beautiful cover!
11. Most memorable character of 2017?
Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper. She has a quiet beauty and grace and she is so strong and intelligent, but it doesn’t seem forced.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?
The Wrath and the Dawn is written beautifully! Everything Renee Ahdieh writes is lyrical and gorgeous!
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?
The Glass Castle was different from anything I have ever read and gave me a new perspective into a life I will never know.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read?
Six of Crows! I have been hearing such good things for so long, but since I didn’t love the Grisha trilogy, I was really scared to go in. Despite that fear, I absolutely adored it!
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?

“To the Stars who listen and the dreams that are answered” will forever be my favorite quote. (And ACOMAF was one of my rereads for the year, so this counts!)
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?
Shortest= Of Mice and Men (112)

Longest= Lord of Shadows (701)
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard was just plot twist after plot twist.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
There are so many! My #1 will forever and always be Feyre and Rhys, but past that I would go with Simon and Baz from Carry On!
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Elise, Vicky, and Pippa from This Song Will Save Your Life! Their friendship is adorable and I loved reading about them!
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Carry on by Rainbow Rowell! This book was amazing and it is why I am now in love with Rainbow Rowell!
21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
Alex, Approximately and I am so glad that I listened! I saw Taylor from Taylor Talks Books on Youtube really pushing this one and I had to go read it because of her!
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?
Chaol Westfall! I had always loved him, but after reading from his perspective, I love him so much more!
23. Best 2017 debut you read?
I don’t think I read any 2017 debut novels, so my favorite debut novel I read this year was Simon vs. the Homosapien Agenda.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The setting in the Night Circus! I can still smell the kettle corn and feel the night wind racing by! The imagery in this book is incredible! It felt like I was really there!
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Yes Please by Amy Poehler because it was so incredibly funny!
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?
I cry a lot when I read, but I cried the most in Tower of Dawn. It was such an emotional rollercoaster!
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi. I loved this book I have never heard anyone talk about it. I only found it because I saw it on Book Outlet and thought the cover looked interesting.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
One Dark Throne. I loved it, but this book nearly killed me.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?
We Were Liars purely because I had no idea what was going on the entire time.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Caraval for 2 reasons. 1) Because I really wanted to love it and didn’t and 2) Because the protagonist was so frustrating. I was planning on DNFing this book, but I had to keep going because I had heard it was like the Night Circus and I had to give it a fair chance. I honestly do not see the similarities between the two books.

Blogging in 2017:
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2017?
I have really enjoyed reading Word Revel’s blog this year!
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017?
My One Dark Throne review. I really like the format of this one and how I was able to talk about everything I wanted to without making the post freakishly long! Read it here.
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
This isn’t book related, but I love my Wise and Foolish Builders post! I worked really hard on this one and it is so close to my heart. Read it here.
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
I really enjoyed participating in the Winter 2017 Biannual Biliothon! It was my first read-at-thon because they are always at a bad time for me, but this year the dates worked out perfectly and it was so fun!
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2017?

Launching my Etsy shop and making my first sale!
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Switching my book blog to my main blog was hard because I had to revamp my whole posting schedule and it is still hard to find a good balance. I am working out the kinks, but I will hopefully soon have a more concrete plan for how I split up my posts!
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
My Reading Quest TBR
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
I’d say my Washington Travel Diary because I loved this trip and put a lot of work into rounding up all the places we went to!

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Bookstagram! I discovered and created my bookstagram account this year and it is so fun!
10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
My goals were: read 50 books (check), buy fewer books (check), read 5 classics (I read 4), Finish Harry Potter (I rejected that one- I will probably never finish), Complete the Vampire Academy series (not that high of a priority, but I will finish someday), and reread Percy Jackson (again, I rejected this one because I am afraid I will not love them now as much as I did). So I got to some of my goals!

Plans for 2018:
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?
I am going to finish Night Film if it is the last thing I do!
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?
A Court of Frost and Starlight or Queen of Air and Darkness.
3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy!
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018?
I hope to be more consistent in posting and make this (along with my art) into more of a business than a hobby.

This survey was designed and created by the Perpetual Page Turner! Go check out her awesome post!

How many books did you read this year? Comment below so we can chat about books! And Happy New Year!