Year in Review - 2015

My blogging and reading for this year did slow down a bit.  I read 58 books this year (last year it was 81), and I also changed up my blogging schedule from four posts a week to three near the end of the year.  Although next year, I might bring it back up to four.  There were multiple things I think that led to this - new projects that I got into - like being in the Truthwitch Street Team.  It was totally worth it though.  I got to know some truly wonderful bloggers, and it was fun competing for the prizes, and just being a part of the Truthwitch-y community.  I'm really going to miss my Water Clan shenanigans, but I know I'll keep in touch with the Waterwitch Babes for a long time.

For my 2015 year in review, I'm highlighting two top reads for me:

MY READ OF THE YEAR: Valour & Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Glamourist Histories series was a major standout read for me this year.  I completely fell in love with the characters, the world-building and the beauty of the stories.  It's one of my top favorite series so far, and although I haven't yet finished it, I think Valour and Vanity has to be my read of the year.  It was just so wonderfully done.  I feel like you have to read the books previous to this to fully appreciate the journey this book takes the reader on, but that is no hardship since all the books in this series are great.

TOP JANE EYRE DERIVATIVE READ: Re Jane by Patricia Park

I didn't get to read many Jane Eyre derived books this year - just two, and the other one was just awful, so this one has to be my top pick.  I did really love this one though - it took the original story and made it feel modern and diverse and engaging.  It's very different to the novel Jane Eyre, but I think the journey of Jane in Re Jane was perfectly done.  It's a great tribute to Charlotte Bronte's novel.

Honorable mention goes to the fantastic Uprooted by Naomi Novik.  Just a stellar read and so gorgeously done.

Other highlights

MOST POPULAR BLOG POST:

My post introducing The Movie Musical Challenge received the most hits on my blog (possibly because people kept checking what films to watch?)  But the challenge was a major part of my blog this year, so I'm happy to feature it in my highlights!

FAVORITE POST:

My favorite post to write was my Epic Disneyland Post, all about what I love to do at the Parks and why I love Disneyland so much.  It was great to share some of that with blog readers, and give anyone who has not been to a Disney theme park yet, the chance to experience it second hand.  And for me, I feel like it will be a lovely trip down memory lane in the future, to how I used to experience Disneyland.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR:

I hardly did any author events this year which is surprising to me - I need to go to more signings next year!  Receiving a copy of "Brontes in Context" from Train of Thought Productions (which led me to writing this post about Jane Eyre) and being interviewed about Jane Eyre was a big deal for me.  It was lovely of them to have sent me something.  I was also happy with the reception my post on the Fangirl Process received since obviously it is something that is near and dear to me.  Other than that, it has been being a part of the Truthwitch Street Team that has made 2015 such a memorable year.  Would that all street teams could be so awesome! :)

Happy New Year everyone!