Annnnnddddd it's a wrap! The year is coming to an end. Is it just me or was 2018 the longest year, yet it still feels weird that it's over? It's like a movie that had a long and draggy middle part, and an extremely rushed ending. Personally my 2018 was great. It was a year of big changes, moves and accomplishments, and I feel like my mental health has never been better as of the end of the year ( The start of the year was something else, but hey we're past that! ) So today I want to rewind the entire year and look at all the greats and lows. I am also planning big things for the blog for 2019 ( surprises awaiting you in the post ) and I'll dish about those as well. Hang in tight for this loooong post, and I'll treat you all with an exciting giveaway!
And the author meetups were amazing! I met Victoria Schwab again ( and again and again :D ) and I
was fangirling every time! I also met Sandhya Menon and Becky Albertalli for the first time and it was as beautiful as you would expect. Here's some fangirling moments for you all!
I also spoke in a panel at Blogbound and it was wonderful! It was my second year of doing a panel at Blogbound, and I was super grateful for Julie and Nicole for inviting me to be a part of it once again this time around!
Thank you for being the most awesome readers this year, and here's for amazing things in the next year!
BOOKS
Best of 2018
I didn't read much, but I definitely read some great books this year! Most of the books I read this year were 2018 releases, but there were some backlist gems too! Here's a list of my 10 best books from 2018 in no particular order!
1. A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
2. To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
3. Blood and Sand by C.V.Wyk
4. Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
5. Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner
6. Running With Lions by Julian Winters
7. For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig
8. Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh
9. What If It's Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli
10. Batman by Marie Lu
Honorable Mentions : Sadie by Courtney Summers, Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram, Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri, A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G.Drews and My So Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma
Highlights
Getting the sequel for Vicious and holding it in my hands was definitely the biggest highlight of the year. I am still scared to read it though. I tried to read Vengeful, and read the prologue, but put it down because the anxiety was so high. I have two beautiful and shiny copies waiting for me, but I just can't read it. Why am I like this???
A Spark of White Fire was an extremely special read. Mahabharata was my childhood, and Karna has always been my fictional hero. He will always be the perfect antihero for me, and to read a retelling from his point of view - genderbent nevertheless - was everything for me. It pains me that book remains underrated, and I am trying to make everyone read it, as it's really really good.
Pleasant surprises of the year were Running With Lions and Reign of the Fallen. The former because I went in without expectations and ended up loving the book thoroughly. Reign of the Fallen on the other hand, wrecked me completely and I wasn't ready. The book's portrayal of grief was something I wasn't expecting, and it broke my heart into pieces.
Another huge highlight was the renewal of my love for historical romance and romance books in general. They have always been my guilty pleasure, and this year I read some great books! While last year I devoured Courtney Milan, Sarah Maclean and Lisa Kleypas like no other, this year I experimented with a lot of authors. Some of my favourites from this year were To Have and To Hold by Patricia Gaffney and The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas.
I also discovered audiobooks. Well not that I didn't know that they existed, but after starting college, I have fallen in love with audiobooks. It's such a relief to be able to listen to something while I am on the bus. It's seriously a multitasker's heaven. I also listened to some great audiobooks this year, especially Sadie by Courtney Summers and Trevor Noah's autobiography Born a Crime. Speaking of, Born a Crime is one of the rare nonfiction books I have read, but I loved it so much! It was both heartbreaking and hilarious, and is a must read!
BLOGGING
Once again, not much on quantity, but I am satisfied content wise. I think I am especially happy that I was able to feature so many authors on the blog this year, especially diverse authors and books. Here's a list of the best posts from 2018!
Best of 2018
Because girls can be nerds too || Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner ( Discussion Review )
Folktales not myths, region not religion || Guest Post by Sayantani Dasgupta
Book Expo
I went to Book Expo this year! This is my third time going, and it was so much fun - as always. There were some first time meetings, some I met after a long time, and all the exciting books!!! Shout out to the awesome bloggers I met and hung out with this year, and of course to my constant New York travel companion Hazel who put up with me being me for two weeks :D
And the author meetups were amazing! I met Victoria Schwab again ( and again and again :D ) and I
was fangirling every time! I also met Sandhya Menon and Becky Albertalli for the first time and it was as beautiful as you would expect. Here's some fangirling moments for you all!
I also spoke in a panel at Blogbound and it was wonderful! It was my second year of doing a panel at Blogbound, and I was super grateful for Julie and Nicole for inviting me to be a part of it once again this time around!
More travelling
I've been in more flights this year than any other year! While the trip to New York courtesy of Book Expo was amazing, I also went to Malaysia and Singapore, as I went to drop my best friend off at college with her family and my other best friend. Since all countries hold a blogger friend, I met Kevin in Malaysia and Josephine in Singapore, and it was so exciting!
Personal
Highlights
This year was definitely huge! I went to college in the US, and it was all such a big move, both literally and metaphorically. I don't want to sound like a broken record with all of my college stories, so here's three posts that will recap all my adventures
I also joined The Tempest. I initially joined in as an editorial fellow, and decided to stay as a staff writer, as I am absolutely in love with the atmosphere and community that the team has built. It's such a healthy and progressive work environment with so many talented and progressive diverse women, and I love it so much! Do check out my articles over there
Personally, I feel like this year has changed me so much. Of course college, and moving on my own to a country so far away is bound to bring changes, and I feel like I have definitely matured. On the other hand, I have slowly learnt to stop being a pushover and to not hesitate to put people in their places. Overall, I have learnt how to do things I love, prioritise my mental health and have fun while thriving in chaos.
On that note, I want to thank all of you, whether we have ever personally interacted or not, for playing some part in making this year great. I really hope that it carries on to the next one.
Speaking of, 2019 is almost here, and I am super excited for it! The year has so many exciting prospects for me, but more than anything, I am extremely stoked to announce something to you all.
Chasing Faerytales is getting a new design and a self hosted domain!!!
Yes, you heard that right. My awesome friend Hazel, who did the current design is going to help me renovate the blog. As we step into 2019, I want to change up a lot of things on the blog, and I felt that it was appropriate that we get a new design. I can't wait to share Hazel's amazing creation with you all!
As I said, the blog will see some major changes the next year. As I am now college bound, I want to work on a schedule, and tone down the spontaneity with which I used to blog all this time. I am hoping to feature more authors - especially diverse authors and books - do more collaborations. I want to add up on the discussion posts, and start reviewing my guilty pleasure reads - a.k.a romance - even though I would definitely stay YA focused. As for the rest, I want to pose you the question. What would you want me to do more on the blog? What have you liked the most on this blog these three years, and what kind of posts would you like me to do more? Feel free to tell me in the comments, and I would appreciate the feedback and advice a lot, while I attempt to structure my blog's plan for the next year.
Giveaway
That was sure a lot! I am sorry, my 2018 was a lot anyway :D For sticking with me until the end, here's a giveaway for you all! One winner will win a book of their choice either from 2018, or a preorder from 2019. The giveaway is INTL as long as Book Depository ships to you!
Thank you for being the most awesome readers this year, and here's for amazing things in the next year!
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