Books of 2018 and Books I'm excited for in 2019!

So not to be completely dramatic, but this is my first week of freedom! I have no homework, no quizzes, no tests. No nothing. And it feels pretty amazing. This also happens to be the week before Christmas. Where has all the time gone? I feel like December has gone by so quickly and Christmas is coming up too fast! In just two weeks it'll be 2019 and in a few more weeks The Wicked King and Slayer will be out. Those are two of my most anticipated reads of 2019. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before I get into all the books I'm excited for in 2019, here's all the books I've read in 2018. It's considerably a lot more than I read in 2017. I read more than 50 books, which for me is quite a lot in a year.

Books I Read in 2018: 

• Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza: This was the first book I read in 2018. It started out really good but it sort of lost my interest near the middle (mostly because there was little to no romance in it and usually I like having at least a romantic subplot). Overall it was decent  but not my favorite read of the year.

• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: Holly Black is one of the only writers I know who can successfully pull of a no romantic subplot book. Her books are some of the only books I will read even if there's no romance because I know it will be good. Her main characters are always so realistic and her books are very much about the ordinary person surviving the supernatural and I really love that theme. This was by far one of my favorite books of the year and I can't wait to get my hands on The Wicked King! 

• Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin: My mom brought this book home for me and asked me to read it for her and let her know if it was appropriate for my little brothers. I really enjoyed this book. It was very magical and fantastical and the illustrations were so beautiful.  

• The Problim Children by Natalie Lloyd: I love Natalie Lloyd's writing. It is so whimsical and quirky and fun. Her writing is everything that I look for in an MG book. Her characters are so fun and sweet and magical and The Problim Children was no exception. It was such a fun and heartwarming read and I can't wait for book two. 

• The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley: This was a reread. I usually read this series at least once a year and so near the beginning of 2018 I felt the itch to read about Sabrina and Daphne again. This series is one of my favorite MG series of all time. 

• Blood of a Thousand Stars by Rhoda Belleza: The sequel to Empress of a Thousand Skies... It was pretty good. Better than the first one but I really only read it out of obligation. I felt like I should see the story to its end. It was decent but again, not my favorite. 

• The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert: Now I want into this book thinking it was something totally different than what it turned out to be. Actually, I'm not really sure what I thought this book was going to be like, but I definitely went into it with expectations. Those expectations were not met. Not in a bad way but just in a very odd, unexpected way. It was much darker than I thought it would be and the twisted, scary tone of it turned me off. Near the middle I sort of lost interest. 

• The Lost Frost Girl by Amy Wilson: I loved this book! It was so sweet and fun and I loved the idea of a story centered around Jack Frost's daughter. I highly recommend this book if you love the magical and MG. It sort of reminded me of Winterling by Sarah Prineas.  

• Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller: I liked the first book, but it wasn't my favorite. This one however, I really enjoyed. It was much better than the first book. I feel like Tricia Levenseller's writing grew and became better between book one and book two. 

• Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton: I will pretty much read anything that Alwyn Hamilton writes. I loved this series so much and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it when the first book came out. This finale to the trilogy was amazing. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me smile. Alwyn Hamilton's characters sure know how to go out with a bang! 

• Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland, Dark Flame by Alyson Noel: I found the first three books of this series at a used bookstore and I was going through a bit of a reading slump so I thought why not? At first it was really good. I enjoyed it but then it started to get too much into the supernatural and crystals and ghosts and all that sort of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I like fantasy and I like supernatural, but I don't like stories where the supernatural and the magical are depicted in a way that people believe in real life. You know with the meditation and the crystals and rituals and all that sort of stuff? I'm just not a fan of that stuff and don't like to expose myself to that sort of stuff even in the fiction I read, so I ended up not even finishing Dark Flame and cutting myself off from the series.

• A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas: Awww this was perfect!! I loved this novella so much! Getting to see Rhyse and Feyra and everyone was so great and seeing them learn how to live after the war and helping each other recover was the best. I loved this book so much!  

• Legendary by Stephanie Garber: Speaking of books I love so much... This was the best. I liked Caravel but I loved Legendary. I liked Scarlet but I enjoyed her sister's POV and story a lot more. Probably because there was more intrigue and romance and the story was more grounded in that not everything in the Caravel games was a game this time around.  

• Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne: Yet another book that started out good and lost my interest near the end. I forced myself to finish it and it actually did end up having a pretty good ending. Just that middle dragged big time and I ended up skipping some of it cuz I couldn't even get through it.  

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer season 8: I love Buffy, Ok? I loved the Buffy series, the Angel series and I love Spike and the world and just everything in the Buffyverse so when I found out there were comics that continued the story?! Well I freaked out a little and ran to the library and cleared them out of all their Buffy books. Once I finished season 10 and realized they didn't have season 11, I took a break from the series and then just a month ago requested the library to order season 11 for me. My library is seriously awesome and got the comics in for me which I just finished last week. It was amazing, but I'm sad that the twelfth season is the last. :( At least I have Slayer in January to keep my Buffy addiction going. 

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer season 9 

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 10 

• The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout: I started reading this series a few years ago, but I think I was just too young and not in the right place for a series like this one. There is a bit of sensuality and I didn't much enjoy that she had to put that stuff in there, but if you can get past that, there's a really amazing story at the core of this series. I love aliens, I love human-alien romances and this book delivered all my favorite scifi-alien tropes. (I seriously can't wait for Roswell, New Mexico airing on the CW in January which also features alien-human romance).  

• City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab: I usually don't read stories about ghosts or the afterlife or that sort of supernatural stuff. Ghosts and scary stuff like that isn't my thing but... I made an exception for Victoria Scwab because she is one of my all time favorite authors. Plus it was MG so she couldn't go too much into the horror-scariness. It was so good and I loved everything about the book, the premise of the whole series and there's just so much she can do with Cassie and Jake. (Plus I am psyched for the TV show their making based off the series on the CW)! 

• Vicious by Victoria Schwab: This was a reread. I just really love Victoria Schwab's Villains world. I especially love Victor and Sydney and Mick and just everyone. They are the best!  

• Vengeful by Victoria Schwab: There's no denying that this book is a masterpiece of writing. There really is no other writer like Victoria Schwab. She manages to toggle between at least five or six POV's throughout the length of this book and that's one of the reasons why I love her Villains series so much. Because of the constant switch of POV that is so artfully done that it reminds me of a TV show switching between scenes about different characters. I loved seeing Victor and a teenage Sydney and Mick and Eli and everyone. What I wasn't so fond of was the villain, Marcella. She was super annoying and nasty and ridiculous feminist, she made me roll my eyes sometimes. But I guess she's one of those villains that you like to hate. Not like Eli. Eli is the kind of villain you love to hate but Marcella was pretty good. Just not amazing.  

• The Lost Sisters by Holly Black: This was a super small short story in the POV of Taryn, Jude's sister from The Cruel Prince. It was written as a letter by Taryn to Jude and was sort of a recap of The Cruel Prince in her point of view.  

• The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Ahhh I loved this book!! I loved Luc so much in the Lux series (this is a spin off of her Lux series) and so to see him all grown up was awesome! The twist at the end took me by complete surprise and I can't wait for book 2! 

• Flashback by Shannon Messenger: Of course, no year would be complete without a Keeper book. And as always, Shannon Messenger delivered in a big way. I won't say that this was my favorite book of the series (the fitzphie crush-thing was sooo sweet but also like, there was a lot of it and I'm not sure I ship them as much as others do...). I also feel like this was more of a transitional book. There were a lot of plot points and moments that were huge and epic and necessary to get from point A (the last book) to point B (the book coming out next year). This book was necessary to get Sophie from one point to another and the ending? Uph, I'm still not over it. I can't believe I have to wait a whole year for book 8!! 

• The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White: This one took me by surprise. I guess I should have assumed it would be pretty dark but I didn't think it would be that dark. It was very twisted with lots of complex, unhealthy relationships. The ending was a happier one than I thought it would be, but still not like... super happy. If you like horror and dark stuff, this is the book for you. It most definitely is not for the faint of heart. 

• Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 11 

• Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve: I just rented the audiobook from my library and am starting reading this. My parents went to go see the movie and said it was really good and steampunk-ish so I decided why not read the book and then I can rent the movie when it comes out.  

Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2019: 

• Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye: January 22, 2019 

Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied behind his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.

As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging to the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark. So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group.Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved.

• Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia: July 2019 

• Finale by Stephanie Garber: May 30, 2019 

Welcome, welcome to Finale, the third and final book in Stephanie Garber’s #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series! All games must come to an end...

It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates were freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella saw Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne.

Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finally, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun―with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win...and those who will lose everything.

• Slayer by Kiersten White: January 8, 2019 

Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

• The Problim Chidren: Carnival Catastrophe by Natalie Lloyd: February 19, 2019 

The Problims try to win the Corn Dog Carnival and rescue their missing mama in the second book in New York Times bestselling author Natalie Lloyd’s hilarious and clever series that’s perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Holm and Sharon Creech!

All siblings are capable of magic if they stick together. But trusting each other isn’t easy when neighbors like Desdemona and Carly-Rue O’Pinion are working double-time to turn the town against them. From catapulting cattle, to runaway corndogs, to spiders on the pageant stage, the Problim brothers and sisters are blamed for every catastrophe at this year’s carnival. And to top it all off, Mama Problim is missing!

Can the seven siblings come together in time to save the carnival and rescue their mom from a villain even more dastardly than Desdemona? Or will they discover too late what it truly means to be a Problim?

Bursting with wonder, magic, and mystery, Carnival Catastrophe is the second book in an unforgettable series full of adventure, family, and finding the courage to face any problem heart-first.

• Stain by A. G. Howard: January 15, 2019 

A high-fantasy gothic fairytale inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea.

Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins...

After Lyra—a princess incapable of speech or sound—is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest ... disguised as a boy known only as Stain. Meanwhile, in Lyra's rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of daylight, for she is his true equal. As Lyra rediscovers her identity, an impostor princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests—ultimately proving she’s everything a traditional princess is not. 

• The Wicked King by Holly Black: January 8, 2019 

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world. 

• Keeper of the Lost Cities #8 by Shannon Messenger: November 2019 

• Over the Moon by Natalie Lloyd: March 26, 2019 

Twelve-year-old Mallie's prospects are grim. In her mining town, Coal Top, boys leave school at 12 to work in the mines, and girls leave to work as servants for the rich people. Mallie can't stomach the idea of that kind of life, but what choice does she have? Especially when her family is counting on her wages to survive.

All that changes when Mallie is recruited for a dangerous competition in which daring (and ideally, orphaned children) train flying horses to battle the monsters that lurk beneath Coal Top. If she wins, she'll earn a fortune for her struggling family. If she fails . . . her family will have one less mouth to feed.

But the situation proves even more sinister than Mallie realizes, and in addition to fighting for her life, she finds herself uncovering a dangerous mystery at the heart of Coal Top's struggles-a mystery that the charismatic ringleader Mortimer Good will do anything to protect. 

Also, the first three chapters of Hunter's Heritage are up on Wattpad!

So yeah, there's all the books I read this year plus all the books I am most excited for in 2019! I hope you all have a good, fun week before Christmas! 

What are some of your most anticipated reads in 2019? :)