I find it slightly ironic that I am sharing this post on new year’s eve as most people are out partying, or ready to celebrate the countdown to the start of 2018.
But here I am, in front of my laptop, typing away about something so opposite, which is the list of books I read in 2017. So if you are not into books, you can skip this post as it is as literal as the title states. On the contrary, if you are a bookworm, here goes!
One of my top priorities/resolutions I have set for 2017, was to read more books. Last year, I realized I have been reading so much less since I went to Uni, and I somehow could not find back that habit of reading as often as I used to. With that, I made a conscious reminder to myself to read as much as I can, especially during in-between time, while trying to lessen my phone screen time.
To be really honest, I am still quite often glued to my phone and find myself scrolling social media (I am not proud of it, and the additional factor that I work in a social media advertising company does not help). Excuses aside, I am still quite glad I have read a substantial amount of books in this past year.
In the spirit of wrapping up the year, and also the fact that I do not have time to sit down to pen a much more serious year-end reflection or even making my new year’s resolution (which I would write about in the next posts, so stay tuned!), I would like to share with you the list of all the books I read (hopefully not missing out too many) in 2017, together with my take on it, just in case you are interested to pick it up for yourself.
1. Someone Like You by Roald Dahl
– Fiction/Short Stories – The stories are quite twisted and gory, but quite interesting and the endings are unexpected
2. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
– Non-Fiction – an amazing memoir that introduced me to his work. I loved the tone of it, it is as if he is talking to you
3. The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan
– Combination of Fiction & Non-Fiction – The sad fact about this book is the author passed away in an accident after a short time after her graduation – Some are quite good, like the speech she gave, but in general, quite mediocre in my opinion
4. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
– Fiction – Very, VERY depressing (there were moments where I had to put the book down, take a deep breath before I can continue reading, serious!); slow-paced and long, but a good read if you like stories that bring you through an entire life of the character
5. Divergent by Veronica Roth
– Fiction – Quite teenager-ish, but I loved it, mainly because I love the concept she created on the different factions (which I wish she focused more on the way each faction functions)
6. The Big Bang by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins
– Fiction – Interesting change of scene (enjoyed it more than I expected), very old-fashioned sixties hero detective story, imagine sexy rebel fighting crime
7. Introducing Feminism: A Graphic Guide
– Non-Fiction – I actually really, really enjoyed this book! The drawings help to digest the very serious topic, while the writing explains and covers a wide spectrum of feminism, from how it started to the way it is today – I plan to reread this again soon
8. 1984 by George Orwell
– Fiction – A classic read, a perfect depiction of oppression at exaggerated state with so many embedded meaning to it (I plan to reread this again to grasp it better) – A very significant read this year I’d have to say, due to other reasons too teehee 😉
9. Kafka on The Shore by Haruki Murakami
– Fiction – Super trippy storyline, out of the world imagination by Murakami – If you like books with a complete ending, you won’t enjoy this, as it definitely leaves it to you to tie the story together
10. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
– Fiction – I loved how the author could describe the concept of this cruel dystopian world where women has completely lost their voice – too descriptive for my liking to be honest (I would definitely recommend the Hulu series of the same name, as they did such good justice to the book!)
11. The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
– Fiction – Current read, so far it is quite entertaining and enjoyable
That wraps up all the books I have read in 2017! One thing I am proud of myself is that I made myself explore a more diverse genre of books. Indeed, some were hits and some were misses, but I am so glad I did.
I do want to continue to read more books in 2018, and I want to further push myself to read even more often than I do and make reading as big part of my everyday routine.
If you have any awesome book recommendations, please leave a comment and share it with me as I would love to hear from you.
Happy New Year, everyone!