Ani's Book Abyss: Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- December 2016

First of all: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope everyone starts off the year in goodness and health, and that it all continues in that direction!

From all the posts and blogs I've been seeing, 2016 has been a pretty dumpy one for many, myself included. So hopefully everything perks up in the new year.

Moving along now...

December has been a pretty crappy month for reading. My usual average read is approximately twelve to fourteen books a month. In December, I read a total of 5 books, listened to 2 audio books, and finished listening to one audio book I'd been listening to for over four months. I started falling into a reading slump in November. I further fell into a reviewing slump when December rolled around. With things going on in real life as well as Booklikes having loading issues, I think I might have lost interest in blogging, even randomly.

On top of that, you've got the holidays which are usually chock full of relatives and friends wanting to socialize. And frankly, everyone looks at you funny if you whip out a book and start reading at a time you're expected to be socializing.

I suppose I hope that things will get better soon.

In other news, I really had been hoping to finish one more book, and had even thought I'd be able to have it done before the end of the year. Unfortunately, other stuff happened in the form of two supernatural creatures in K-drama-land strutting their stuff... and I was hooked.

Yes. It was that easy.

'The Lonely Shining Goblin' also known as just 'Goblin' is a Korean drama series currently airing on weekends. It's strangely heartwarming and the characters are adorably hilarious; but the entire series still manages to present in a dark, melancholic tone. I haven't watched K-drama since 'My Love From Another Star' about two years ago, I think. But this drew me right in. In fact, it kind of reminds me of a fantasy anime or manga or something like that--the comedic timing is impeccable and the emotional moments hit in all the right spots.

And also, it helps that Gong Yoo is handsome as heck, and has this intense stare that is super swoon.

This series may be watched with English subtitles at Dramafever. Episode recaps and other news can be found at Dramabeans. If anyone is interested, that is.

I'm trying to take my time watching this as there are 16 total episodes and it is only halfway aired. And then there are always possible extensions, as per K-drama trend, if a series gets popular enough... which it seems this particular series is heading in that direction.

Anyway... back to books, no?

December Reads

Books Dropped/Put On Hold

The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart -- On Hold

Currently Reading

At Last by Jill Shalvis
A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare

December Reading Stats

Total works read: 8

5 full length novels
3 audio books

Average rating: 3.25 Stars

Highest Rated: 2 books // 4.0 Stars

(1) Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis
(2) Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Lowest Rated: 2 books // 2.5 Stars

(1) Confessions by Cynthia Eden
(2) My Lady, My Lord by Katharin Ashe

Series I started reading:

Battling McGuire Boys by Cynthia Eden
Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis
Twist by Katharine Ashe
The Marsdens by Sherry Thomas

Series I completed:

None

Series I have made progress on:

Dead Wrong by Jami Alden

Favorite reads: The month of December kind of sucked in that my highest rated reads really weren't my favorite reads. In fact, if I had to choose one favorite read for December, I'm not even sure where to look. Animal Magnetism was great fun and typical Jill Shalvis contemporary... but it was also typical Jill Shalvis contemporary. The Witness was also a great book, but some things kept it from becoming a monthly favorite as well. Really, the only book I finished in December that would even fit as a favorite would be Mistborn... but I read this book nearly four years ago for the first time, and this is a reread. Obviously it was a favorite or I wouldn't have spent 20+ hours "re-reading" this extremely long high fantasy.

Disappointing reads: First off, I could not finish Mary Stewart's second Merlin trilogy book, The Hollow Hills. That was a disappointment as I grudgingly set it aside in an "ON HOLD" shelf. Secondly, I was particularly disappointed in more than enough books that it made the month of December more sucky than any other month this year. My Lady, My Lord did not turn out the way I'd expected based on reviews I'd read previously; Delicious, though written well, was actually a pretty big disappointment for me considering how much I've come to adore Sherry Thomas. And then finally, Confessions didn't even feel like it was written by Cynthia Eden.

Oh, and also, even though the first book was a bust, I might have improperly hyped myself for the second Dead Wrong book by Jami Alden... and instead was struck with another 'meh' read for Hide from Evil.

Reviews & Notable Posts

Reviews Written

Whirlpool by Elizabeth Lowell
His Every Need by Terri L. Austin | Review transfer
Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr | Review transfer
Falling For Her Fiance by Cindi Madsen | Review transfer
Confessions by Cynthia Eden
My Lady, My Lord by Katharine Ashe
Unexpected Gifts / Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken | Review transfer
Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel | Review transfer
Hide from Evil by Jamie Alden
Fallen by Leslie Tentler | Review transfer
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
The Witness by Nora Roberts
The Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy by Nora Roberts -- Packaged Review
Animal Magnetism / Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis -- Packaged Review
Delicious by Sherry Thomas

Memes

12/7/2016 Top Ten Tuesday: My 2016 New-To-Me Authors

Coming Up In January

Tentative TBR

Other Stuff

I predict that blogging might be a bit easier on me for the next couple months. With Booklikes loading sporadically for me--every time I want to transfer a written review, or even post something simple, the darn website isn't working--it looks like my main focus will definitely be here at Blogspot. Unfortunately, a good majority of my finalized book reviews were posted at Booklikes, so transfer of reviews from Booklikes to my now main book blogging site here might be delayed.

Reading-wise, as I'd stated in my 2017 Reading Challenges post, I'm content to be a bit more laid back concerning the challenges I will be participating in. I'm going to try not to dive into too many challenges and set my ambitions too high this coming year, and just enjoy reading, enjoy blogging, and enjoy the challenges I've already chosen to participate in. I'm usually gung-ho about completing my challenges to the 'T', but after 2016's fiasco with certain challenges, I'm just going to be content with participation (or so I say until I start making a ruckus about getting books read and challenges completed, so we'll see).

My reading diet changed mid-year in 2016, and my reading list/mood began to kick out YA books like they were bad allergies. I'm not entirely sure why, but this was never a sudden thing, and I had noted that I'd become less and less interested in YA books as each year progressed. I will still read them on occasion--books that still sound interesting, books written by favorite YA authors, books from YA series I want to finish--but the number of YA books I read may be fewer than previous years. Looks like my genre has definitely shifted towards Romance and is also making a shift towards Fantasy as well. I'm not complaining--I love to read, in general, and my motto has always been "Read what you like."

So here's to starting off 2017 with style for my Bookish life! And what better way than with Romance Bingo? =D

Ani's Book Abyss

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Sunday, January 1, 2017

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- December 2016