November & December Wrap-Ups

This is my monthly post where I talk about how the month went for me when it came to reading and some events that maybe sparked me to read more (or stopped me from reading as much as I wanted to). I also link all the reviews I did in the month, update any reading challenges I've signed up for, discuss my plans for the following month, non-book things I've enjoyed, and give updates of my life. This year I have decided that I am not making a big deal on how many books I read or letting myself feel any guilt for the amount I didn't read. I decided I was going to just read what sounds good in the moment without any guilt or pressure. I feel like I did a really good job at that and I am excited to talk about the last two months of 2019. I hope everyone has had fantastic reading months and that next year goes even better! The reasons to why I am pairing these two months together are in more detail in my "Life Updates" portion of this post but a summary is that the last two months have been not only busy with NaNoWriMo but not great mentally, which affected my motivation to do a lot. However, I am still proud of the accomplishes I've made in the last two months and I'd love to share them with you.

 Let's jump into it!


 * = favorites of the month

Books Read in November

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Books Read in December

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
Ruin & Rising by Leigh Bardugo
The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand *
Nothing Is Okay by Rachel C. Wiley
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn *
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling *

Other Posts in both November & December

NaNoWriMo Tips & Tricks
Backlist Books I Want to Read
Bookish Items & Merchandise I Want to Own
Characters I'd Invite to Thanksgiving Dinner
Books & Series I Want to Re-read in 2019
The Christmas Movie Tag
Books On My Holiday Wishlist
Worst Reads of 2018
Favorite Reads of 2018
2018 End of the Year Survey

Movies/TV Shows Finished in November

Lore Season 2 - This was a bit of a disappointment. I think whoever is making the show made a massive mistake in not having Aaron Mahnke as the narrator like season one. It just wasn't as good.
Disney's A Wrinkle in Time - this was really cute! I really liked the main girl actress and the plot was a lot of fun. I did think there was this disconnect that made it hard to fully invest myself in the story but I am happy I watched it.
The Christmas Calendar -  This was super a super cheesy and fun holiday movie. Some of it was a bit much but I could see myself watching it again next holiday season.
The Princess Switch -  I love Vanessa Hudgens so much so this was a blast to watch. Like all holiday movies it's over the top and cheesy but I thought it was a really good cozy story.
Santa Clause 1, 2, & 3 - I watch this trilogy every year for the holiday season and I am always in love with it. I think it's really a classic holiday need-to-watch every year kind of trilogy. Sure, it's got inconsistencies but I feel like the magic around it makes up for it. *
Dancing With the Stars - I feel like this season was a complete mess, if I am being honest. I don't even think we watched the last episode of this season because of how disappointed we were.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - I was worried I wasn't going to like this because of how much I disliked the first volume of the comics but I really enjoyed this show! Kiernan Shipka is so cute and I really loved her portrayal of Sabrina. I also really loved Ambrose.*

Movies/TV Shows Finished in December

Monster House - This was still from our Halloween list that I really wanted Matt to see because he hadn't seen it before! I am happy he ended up liking it because it's such a spooky young horror animated movie. It gives me ParaNorman feels.*
Dumplin' - I am so grateful for this movie. It was so so so good and such an amazing adaptation from the book. I cannot recommend it enough. *
The Christmas Prince - This was a re-watch for us so we were prepared for the second one. It was still just as fun as the first time. It's definitely one I can see us re-watching every holiday season. *
Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse - This was AMAZING and maybe the best spider-man movie ever. I cannot wait to see it again when it comes out on DVD! The story was so much fun, the different art styles and animation were gorgeous, and I really loved Miles, Peter, and Gwen. If you haven't seen it, see it in theaters. It'll be amazing on DVD but the colors are gorgeous on the big screen! *
Baby Mama - I saw that Netflix had this and on a whim I decided to watch it. I find Amy Pohler and Tina Fey funny together and I love Dax Shepherd. I did notice some of the jokes don't age well but overall I found it to be a fun thing to put on in the background while I did some blogging.
Lilo & Stitch - This is a Disney favorite of mine that I watch fairly often. It's one of my comfort movie that I put it on when I am feeling a bit low. Out of all my comfort movies I think this is the only one Netflix has, so I watch it the most often. *
The Christmas Prince 2: The Royal Wedding - This was a disappointment compared to the first one. It's super dreary and honestly barely feels like a Christmas movie. I hope they redeem themselves if they plan on making a third, but even if they don't I doubt we will be re-watching this one and will most likely just try to forget it completely. The good thing is it won't be too hard.
Arthur Christmas - My favorite Christmas movie that we watch every year. This movie is one of my absolute favorites and it means so much to me. It always makes me cry especially at the end. I love it so much and if you haven't watched Arthur Christmas you should. *
The Christmas Chronicles - This is such a great new Christmas movie! I feel like it's definitely this generations Santa Clause with Tim Allen! It's well written, acted well, and really funny. Sure, all holiday movies have a bit of cheese to them and this is no exception but honestly I thought it was perfect. Kurt Russell is a perfect Santa. *
Solo: A Star Wars Story - This was SO much fun! Look, I don't get the hate around this movie at all because we had a blast watching it! The acting was well done, it was witty and funny, and the adventure story was super entertaining! *
Great British  Bake Off (Seasons 7 & 8) - Season 7 was the last season with Mary, Sue, & Mel. Which is super sad because Matt and I really love them, especially Sue & Mel ( we called them "The Clowns"). The new Clowns in season 8 have grown on us a lot and we like them but we aren't a fan of Mary's replacement, Prue, which makes it a little less fun to watch. However, it's still been fun to watch.
You - This was really good. It's been so long since I've read the book that  I feel uncomofortable saying if it is a good adaptation of the book (hopefully I'll re-read it in 2019) but I really liked the show. It was twisted, dark, and creepy. But also really funny because although Joe is an unstable stalker, he's also charming and really funny. I am so happy  Netflix picked it up because we don't have cable so we couldn't watch it on Lifetime. *

Started and/or Continuing Watching

She-Ra - This has been a lot of fun! I am enjoying it while watching it but it doesn't have me hooked. I find myself taking big breaks throughout the episodes.
Great British Bake Off (Season 9) - This is such a fun show and I have been really liking the two new hosts Noel and Sandi.
Adventure Time - I have been loving watching this with Matt before he heads to work every morning while we eat breakfast. We watch it specifically then because they're so short but it also makes it feel like we are watching early morning cartoons which is fun.

Music

If I'm Being Honest by Dodie - This is such a beautiful song and Dodie's voice is so airy and light. I really love it. I also find the music video to be really touching and I love Ari Fitz (the main actress)
Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande - I doubt I have to say much with this one, but if you haven't watched the music video yet I highly recommend it. It's so funny and nostalgic.*
Party For One by Carly Rae Jepsen - I love Carley Rae Jepsen and I love this song! It's a boppy fun song to dance to!
Singular Act 1 (Album) by Sabrina Carpenter - I recommend this whole album, but my favorites are: Paris, Sue Me, Almost Love, Bad Time, and Mona Lisa.*
Cheering For Me Now by Lin-Manuel Miranda -  This is such a good follow up to Hamilton. It's if Hamilton himself found out about the musical and the way his legacy has been turned into something so modern. Its also just really cool to see Lin back in Hamilton's costume.

Girl in the Movies by Dolly Parton - Dolly is one of the only (clarify: the only) country artist I will listen to. I am fairly new to her music, I've been listening to her stuff for about two to three-ish years and I really love this new song for the movie Dumplin'.
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse Soundtrack - Like I said above, the movie is amazing, but the soundtrack is JUST as good. I love the way the music was worked into the story and it paired perfectly. I love listening to it on repeat in the background while doing everyday stuff like cleaning, journaling, blogging, etc. My favorites right now are Danger, Sunflower, and Elevate but I know the more I listen the more that list will grow. *

NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up

NaNoWriMo was an amazing experience, something I am really happy I did because I loved writing my story. I "won" NaNoWriMo but the story has a lot of work that I need to do to make it better. I am happy I pushed myself to participate even if I was a bit worried I wouldn't have an idea. I want to get myself on a weekly writing schedule in 2019 so hopefully I am successful in writing more frequently even if its just a few times a week at first. Just to get back into it again.

Life Updates for both November and December

November was a super creative month for me when it comes to writing but when it came to reading I did almost none. And even the ones I did read weren't ones I absolutely loved so I fell into a minor reading slump. I did push myself to keep reading and I think that helped pull me out of the slump. I had some technical issues with the blog itself. So I had to fix those and then once that was fixed I felt like I had missed so much blogging that I couldn't come back. It was weird. My mental health was down a lot of December, which typically doesn't happen to me because December is one of my favorite months. So, it was just a lot of mixed emotions. I am doing better now. New years is always a good time for me and my mental health, I think it's the idea of a fresh start.

Normally about here I'd have a "Next Month Plans" but I may do a full post about my plans for 2019. I have a few plans when it comes to what and how I'll read next year and even some plans for my blog. In the next few weeks I will also have my favorite and least favorite books of 2018. So keep your eye out for those posts. However, here is a little wrap-up of 2018 as a whole.

One other quick thing I do want to save somewhere is this link which leads you to all of my tweets where I promoted my book reviews. So every single one of my book reviews of 2018 are listed in that thread! I'm mostly saving it for me, because once I post my first review of 2019 I'll have a new pinned thread but if you're interested in scrolling and seeing the books I read then its there for you!

Goodbye 2018! Hello 2019. 

Thanks for reading!