Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Here's To New Beginnings

Happy 2018, dear readers!

Last year was really busy for me. The move from the Philippines was extra challenging -been to places, made some new friends, and tackled some pretty weighty obstacles. I labored to realign some priorities and that helped me grow these past months since I came here in Canada. I took a couple of online courses from the University of Toronto and earned my certifications last November 2017. I had an odd job to gain a Canadian experience, which was not all that bad since I gained some good friends and connections through it.

    My Year in BooksI managed to squeeze in a few readings, here and there. And here's what Goodreads has to say about it... (click photo)


I'm not a mathematical genius, but I'm pretty sure I counted only 37 books in there. Anyways, here are my best books for 2017 (in no particular order):


BEST BOOKS of 2017
  1. The Awakening by Amanda Stevens -I love how this series ended. It showed how Amelia evolved immensely and exacted due retribution in the process.
  2. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - Ove’s an unlikely hero with an exceptional story.
  3. Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick - It tackles family and communal issues, childlessness, and one's sense of self-efficacy with a good sense of honesty and depth.
  4. The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce - I still cannot talk about this book. It was so painfully keen, and yet, I can't recommend it highly enough.
  5. Where the Dead Lie by C.S. Harris - A favorite historical fiction series. There's no book in this series that I don't like. Every single one of them went through thorough research.
  6. Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino - This is my 2nd Higashino, it doesn't disappoint at all. If you want a good mystery, you have one here.
  7. The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce - Another RJ book, yes. The reader has to listen to this book intently, don't just read it.
  8. A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin - the ending of this installment got me in knots for some time. I wish there was a way to finish this series.
  9. Being Perfect by Anna Quindlen - A short read, but dense in many ways.
  10. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman - My second FB book. I cried without tears with this one, I don't know how else to express how heartbreaking it was.

The notable ones are:
  1. I Murdered My Library by Linda Grant
  2. See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng
  3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
  4. Nutshell by Ian McEwan
  5. Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin 
  6. Autumn by Ali Smith
  7. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
  8. The Way Through Doors by Jesse Ball

Wow, that's half of what I read last year. But that's exactly what I promised myself, that I'll aspire reading really satisfying books. Hopefully, 2018 will be filled with them, as well.


Let us be optimistic that my blogging will improve, too. I'll still be posting ARC reviews, some pre-Blogger reviews, Wednesday Spotlights, and maybe some Author Interviews. We'll see. Stay in touch.


Oh, by the way, it's The Page Walker's 5th Bloggy Birthday. Thank you for staying with me.



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