18 Things This Week

Here’s a look at some interesting things we read/ saw / thought / did last week plus what I’m currently reading …

Bookish

ONE+ More best books lists from the NY Times – the 10 Best Books of 2018, the 100 Notable Books of 2018 and the Times Critics’ Top Books of 2018 plus, What Goes Into the End-of-Year Books Lists.

TWO+ And one of my faves – NPR Concierge.

THREE+  If you don’t have time to look through all the Best Books of the Year lists, then just head to The Top 50 from the Best Books of 2018 List of Lists. For once, I’ve read the book that made most of the lists – 17 of them – An American Marriage, Tayari Jones … and I loved it too.

FOUR+ And here’s 2018 Best Audiobooks of the Year roundup from Audible.

FIVE+ Plus don’t forget 10th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards Winners. Looks like we predicted some of the winners in Let’s Talk About the Goodreads Choice Award Finalists [The 2018 Edition].

SIX+ Have you read any of these 14 Best Self-Help Books to Read in 2019?

SEVEN+ I feel like next year I want to get back to my genre reading roots, so I’m bookmarking The 15 Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2019 and Barnes & Noble Booksellers Pick 2018’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books.

EIGHT+ What do you think of The Best Book Covers of 2018 … some I like, some I don’t.

NINE+ The (Young Adult) Must-Reads of 2018 from We Need Diverse Books.

TEN+ Hmmm …. After The Handmaid’s Tale: 7 Recent, Essential Feminist Dystopias.

ELEVEN+ Here’s 50+ Books Becoming Movies Or TV Shows in 2019.

TWELVE+ We had a fantastic first week with #AMonthofFaves – check out the participants for #BlogLove, Books Worth the Hype (and Not Worth It) and Our Favorite Things.

Life and Other -ish

THIRTEEN+ How to Know it’s December

FOURTEEN+ I had a shitty year in terms of achieving goals I set at the beginning at the year, so I don’t want to look back … but it’s probably wise to, so I’m using this will come in handy – Lessons Learned in 2018: Worksheet & Yearly Planning Part 1.

FIFTEEN+ I haven’t listened to much new music this year, so I’m relying on The 25 Best Albums of 2018 to catch me up on what’s good.

EIGHTEEN+ So true … Want to Enjoy More of Your Holiday Season? Remove These 10 Things.

Currently Reading

One of those rare bookish moments happened to me this week as I did not finish Book of M, Peng Shepard. I just couldn’t go on … although I tried. I did finish The Crooked Staircase, Dean Koontz which was a fun thriller. I’ve messed reading books by Koontz! I also finished listening to the audiobook of Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2), Laini Taylor which was so, so good. An excellent conclusion to this YA fantast series … although the author did leave the door open to revisiting these characters in future books.

Next on my reading list is My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Brathwaite. I’m going to listen to the audiobook narrated by Adepero Oduye.

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead. A kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works, is the bright spot in her life. She dreams of the day when he will realize they’re perfect for each other. But one day Ayoola shows up to the hospital uninvited and he takes notice. When he asks Korede for Ayoola’s phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and what she will do about it.

Do you read more or less during the holiday seasons?

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