It’s that time of year again! Time to look back on the calendar year and reflect on all the books I read over the course of the year. 2017 was a pretty good year of reading for me. I managed to shatter my original goal of 70 books, by reading over 100 books, totaling over 23,000 pages! The shortest book I read was a 16 page novella by Nnedi Okorafor and the longest was the fantastic 1,157 page 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. To be honest, reading goals create a culture of competition among readers which I don’t particularly like – one that also has a lot to do with access to resources (books, libraries, etc.) and access to leisure time to read. It does not matter how much you read this year in comparison to how much someone else has read. The goal of this post is to highlight books for all readers in hopes that one might spark interest in you.

Without further ado, here are the top 11 books in no particular order that I read in the year 2017:

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – How could I leave this powerful, best-selling contemporary young adult novel out of the end of the year mix?! This. Book. Was. Amazing. Simply put, THUG delivered on everything I was looking for in a YA book – fantastic and digestible writing, a compelling contemporary story from the experience of a young person of color, character depth with emotion that came right off the pages, and a very timely commentary of race/racism in the US. If you have not read this yet, do not wait another day!
• Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan – Wow! This collection of stories is threaded heavily with themes of immigration, discrimination, family, love, hate, and temporary status. Many of the stories stuck with me long after I read the collection. This is a book that deserves more than one read – and I am sure I will find more that moves me with each subsequent read. Temporary People is not a well-known book, but one that rises above the mass market publication noise. See my review here.
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – Pachinko is a heart wrenching, multi-generational story about a Korean family who left Korea during the Japanese occupation and resettled in Japan. Not many Westerners know about the colonial atrocities that Japan commitment in the name of uniting Asia and decolonizing countries from Europe. One of the countries to get hit the hardest was Korea. This is a story of family resilience in the face of enormous oppression, hate, and violence. Pachinko is a must read of 2017 in my opinion.

• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi – Another multi-generational novel that tears at the reader’s heartstrings. Homegoing explores the devastating impact of colonialism in African nations and how to transatlantic slave trade impacted a family through generations – two sisters, one married a slave trader and one was sold into slavery. These powerful narratives give voice to the many different lived-experiences born out of the African diaspora. Another must read that I would highly recommend.
• White Tears by Hari Kunzru – I recognized the title as I was briefly browsing the newly released books at the library and had no idea what the story was about. It starts off seemingly normal about two White guys very much into blues music and started their own music studio. After they forge an old blues record, things get interesting and weird. A mix of magical realism, horror, and crime along with a compelling narrative on historical and contemporary racism, White Tears blew me away.
• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid – There are many different doors in this world leading to many different places. Exit West looks to explore these doors through the narrative of refugees. Mohsin Hamid writes with elegance and sparseness to capture the raw emotions of two people fleeing their home, through a door, and into a new place that is not only just new, but alien to them. This is just a wonderful piece of writing and literature which tells a story that I think everyone needs to hear.

• Human Acts by Han Kang – I read a lot of sad books this year but Human Acts was one of the saddest. Taking on the historical events in South Korea when there was an uprising of students that turned violent. This book masterfully threads together different stories and narratives around the death of a young boy. Each character has their own struggle as they are trying to find hope and a voice amidst a brutal and oppressive conflict.
• The Boat Rocker by Ha Jin – The Boat Rocker was the first Ha Jin book I ever read and I picked it up randomly at the library… and wow, it blew me away. From Ha Jin’s engaging writing style, to the compelling narrative about Chinese expatriates living in the United States, I love every single moment of my experience reading The Boat Rocker. This book takes a critical look at the challenging position some Chinese folks living in the US are in with freedom of the press in the US and the pressure from the Chinese government. It was a timely read too as I was having conversation with Chinese students about the decision of the UC system to invite the Dalai Lama as their commencement speaker. I look forward to reading more Ha Jin in the upcoming year.
• Daytripper by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá – A beautifully written and drawn graphic novel about life and death. Brás de Oliva Domingos writes obituaries for a living. Each chapter looks at a different year and event in Brás’ life – the birth of his son, his first kiss, the day he meets the love of his life. While he is writing the end for so many people, we look at the most important moments that make up Brás’ life. Each story ends with a twist.

• Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan – This middle school chapter book was one of the first #OwnVoices book about a young Muslim girl and her life – family, schools, religion and spirituality, friends, and more. This story is very important. It is about culture, assimilation, and the struggle of the coded term ‘American.’ This is everything young people are going through while growing up in the United States. Amina’s story is powerful and moving and the struggles her friend Soojin was going through resonated a lot with me. Definitely one to check out and a book to recommend to all those middle schoolers in your life.
• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami – Haruki Murakami is my favorite magical realism contemporary author and I knew it was time to take on the HUGE task of 1Q84. Even though this book is incredibly long, I did not feel labored in reading it. The storied flowed well and kept me engaged the entire time as two characters are floating through the alternate reality of 1984 towards one another. This book was everything I hoped for and it re-solidified how fantastic Murakami is at constructing worlds and stories with a magical flair. See my review here.

What were your favorite books you read in 2017?

As we enter 2017, I was thinking about what I want to do with my blog this year. Below I have outlined some goals and some challenges I will be doing this year! Check out the challenges page!

Diversity Bingo
I will be participating in Diversity Bingo for 2017. The goal is to read a book that satisfies each space on the bingo board with the goal of covering all the spaces before the end of the year! By looking at the different categories, I can already see how this simple yet genius tool will help keep me accountable to read diversely across all identities (and in the intersections). I am not doing this challenge to win something or to show folks how many diverse books I am reading. I want to be clear that reading diverse stories is not a fad. I also want to stress that I do not want to police diversity by saying what books count, what books are authentic and what books do not count. I will continue to be in conversation with my communities around these issues. I am doing diversity bingo because I believe that all of these stories and experiences need to be told, because they are valid and authentic and wonderful. And I want to share the stories and the amazing authors with you! I will continue to update my board on the challenges page on my site.

Out of the Dust Challenge
I have a lot of books in my library that I have acquired over the yeas mostly through library and used book sales (those fill a bag for $3 sales). And I have noticed I read only a small amount of books from my own personal collection each year. I get swept up in new releases from the library or find a good deal on an e-book and neglect my growing physical book collection. My challenge this year is to read at least 20 books from my physical collection and I will try to keep you all update with [Out of the Dust] posts.

Goodreads Reading Challenge
In 2016, I created a manageable challenge of reading 45 books. With more attention to blogging, I actually started reading more! I will set my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal at 70 books for 2017 with the expectation I will surpass it. I will link with a widget from my challenges page on my blog.

100×1 New to Me Challenge
Along with this challenge, I will be doing another challenge – a variation of the 100×1 challenge (play 100 different games at least once in a year). This has proven too easy for me. With the amount of games in my gaming groups, I can easily complete this challenge in half a year. The challenge I will be doing for 2017 is the 100×1 “New to Me” challenge. This means I will attempt to play 100 different games at least once that I have never played before. A much harder challenge for me, because I do not have the finances to simply buy new games. I must go out to conventions and game groups, meet people, and learn games in community. I will be tracking all of it on Board Game Geek in a Geek List that I will post on my challenges page.

Diversity & Board Games
I have wanted to do some sort of board game challenge so that I could play games and highlight board games designed by diverse designers -> POC, LGBTQ+, differently abled, women, and non-Christian religions/spiritualities. I am still working on a system to organize this challenge/goal and I am hoping to collaborate with others in the board gaming community. I will update with a post when I create something solid. In addition, I want highlight games in game reviews by diverse designers AND/OR games that have authentic diverse representation in the artwork and theme.

200+ followers
This year, I went from 10 blog followers to over 90 blog followers! I was very shocked that many people wanted to follow and read my blog. I am looking to expand even further into the community (both board games and books) by collaborating, interacting, and meeting new people. This is a goal I will not be disappointed if I do not reach it, I just want to see growth in my blogging community.

New Posts
At the Table (what I’ve been playing)
This post type has been in the back of my mind for a while now to discuss games I have been playing recently or games that have been played a lot recently. I find this topic interesting, not only to discuss different games, but to discuss why certain games (old or new) start getting to the table more often. I plan to do this every couple of months!

Board Game Reviews
I have been focusing mostly on book reviews and not so much on board game reviews. I want to get back into this and I started at the end of 2016 with a review of Oceanos. When I first started blogging, I had a very structured way of reviewing games (components, mechanics, fun, etc.) and I found I did not like that restrictive format. So I stopped altogether writing reviews. With Oceanos, I tried to take a similar approach to how I review books and I enjoy that process much more. Be on the lookout for more board game reviews as well as a continuation of my [Including New Meeples] series.

Personal Experiences
I think personal narratives are very powerful and can really add to a blog. I have read a handful of blogs that interweave their personal experiences posts very well. I used to do personal posts when I first started my blog and I want to revisit that style of posting. I believe we cannot be successful in inclusion and social justice work without relationships. And relationships require giving a little bit of myself to others.

Other Suggestions?
I am open to any other suggestions you all have about what posts you would like to see!

September was a very busy month for me and I think i did fairly well considering with reading and reviewing! I read every book on my TBR list except bell hooks’ Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. This will remain on my TBR list for next month. I also played both of the games I acquired last month and I absolutely love Among the Stars. Check out my reviews this past September for my thoughts on some of the books I read! In addition, I hope to review the other books I read this month.

I also ran a giveaway this past month and we have a winner!! Daniel from 100 Story Reviews! Congratulations! I will be sending Daniel Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor and Sushi Go! published by Gamewright Games.

September Haul

Books

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova
The #DSFFBookClub pick for September 15 – October 15. I was going back and forth on my finances to decide whether or not to purchase and participate. But then I went to my local book store and they had it featured in the YA section. I picked up a copy and could not put it down. I ended up buying Labyrinth Lost and I was not disappointed! I hope to write and post a review of the book soon.

E-Books

The Unbroken Line of the Moon by Johanne Hildebrandt
This is my Kindle First pick of the month. I recently lost Amazon Prime and unfortunately, I will be unable to renew it on my account. Therefore, this will be my last free e-book from this program, which might actually get me to start reading them! I do not really have comments on this book. Some months I have a hard time picking a book based on the description and I think this one sounded the best out of the five. This story is an alternate history fantasy novel set in the Nordic region.

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Gardens of the Moon was the Tor e-book of the month for September. Another book club I am a part of and get free books from that I end up not reading. Eventually I will read them… That is what I say when I look at the hundreds of books on my Kindle. I do not know anything about this book but I assume it is some type of Science Fiction / Fantasy.

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
For World Peace Day, Tor gave away a free e-book available for only one day. I picked it up as soon as I heard about it. From the description, I look forward to reading this novella about a sorcerer fighting a necromantic terror.

Games

Lanterns: The Harvest Festival designed by Christopher Chung
My sister gave me this game for my birthday. I have played Lanterns a few times in the past and really like this fast and clever tile laying game with a cool theme. In the game, players are truing to lay tiles in a certain way to make the most beautiful displays of lanterns in the water. The art is gorgeous and the rule set is simple, yet engaging. A wonderful game to add to my collection.

TBR October

Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center by bell hooks
This stays on the TBR list from last month. I am actually pretty disappointed I did not even start this book. As someone who values intellectual books and discussion, I definitely paid more attention to my fiction stack than my theoretical, social justice stack. I am committed to at least starting this bell hooks’ classic.

Joyland by Stephen King
Stephen King remains as one of my favorite authors, despite one of my missions to read and review authors from marginalized communities. I think he has the ability to weave weird stories with such suspense and thrill. Because I am reading other mystery, crime, and detective novels this month, I decided to also throw in Joyland, which is King’s “Hard Case Crime” novel published in 2013.

Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi
I read The Complete Persepolis earlier this year and really loved the powerful graphic novel. As I was browsing our local library in the small and sad graphic novel section, I saw this small volume. As soon as I saw the author’s name, I picked it up and checked it out. I am looking forward to another powerful graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi!

City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault
Claudie (@ClH2OArs) is an author I follow on Twitter and I saw a tweet about this book: a multi-layered political fantasy led by an all LGBTQIAP+ cast. That is really all I needed to know to reach out to request an ARC to read and review. All I can say is I am very excited to dive in and feature this book this month for LGBTQ+ History Month here in the United States.

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
My first pick for the #DiverseDetectives event in October hosted by Bina and Silicon. Devil in a Blue Dress follows the main character Easy as he is employed by a wealthy White man to find a White woman, Daphne Monet. Easy needs the money so despite a gut feeling, he takes the job. That is just the beginning…

The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall
This is my second pick for the #DiverseDetectives event in October and I was excited my local library actually had it, although only in large print format. Watch out for India’s most acclaimed detective! With comparisons to Hercule Poirot and Sherlock himself, The Case of the Missing Servant is the first book featuring detective Vish Puri. I look forward to reading this one because I do enjoy a classic mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie once in a while.

Foundra: The Rift War by Emmanuel M. Arriaga
I am about halfway though this science fiction space opera. This was actually first published last year but I found it on NetGalley and it looked interesting. I do not think I will post a review on my blog but I will share my thoughts with the publisher and on Goodreads. Right now I think the book is okay. Not terrible; however, there is nothing that is gripping me into the plot and characters.

I used to watch the Indigo League series when I was a kid and I recently rewatched it as an adult on Netflix – not the same but gave me some nostalgia for Pokemon! The #ReadThemAllThon is a three week challenge (8/14 – 9/4) for readers and bloggers to read eight books in three weeks, each book representing a different gym in the Indigo League. Each participant also gets a Pokemon and gains experience and strength from reading, defeating gyms, and writing reviews. I do not expect to win or do well, but this seems like a fun challenge with a fun theme! I will keep my stats on this page with my Pokemon!

Dragonair

CP: 327

Yikes! Starting a new series! That might just be the scariest thing I ever do in reading. And of course it is for Pewter City, the start of our Pokemon journey. For this challenge I will read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This book has been sitting on my shelf forever. And I am not sure why I have not picked up this supposed scifi classic. With a reading schedule of diversifying my authors and the fact I never want to start series… Hitchhiker’s Guide has been a lost cause in my TBR’s for the past five or so years. I am thankful this book looks relatively short and it should be a light and fun read. In addition, the series is only 5 books long, unlike the Wheel of Time series I have yet to start…

Defeated

This category is hard for me because I can never predict what will hit home for me in a particular story. For this gym, I ave selected Loving vs Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell. Written in verse, this new book releasing during the 50th anniversary of Loving Day (a commemorative day celebrating the legalization of interracial marriage) tells the story of Mildred and Richard Loving. I received an ARC from NetGalley to review and I am very excited. I think it may hit my emotions because of how close this issue is for me. I am a product of an interracial marriage and my own marriage is interracial. I look forward to learning more about the history and I look forward to writing about this book!

Defeated

Thunderous hype. The first book I thought of when reading this category was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. But I neither own the book or want to buy it anytime soon, so I will put a pin in that book. The one book I do own (an e-copy) of that got a TON of hype back in the day is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I passed on the book because of the incredible hype and the fact they were making a movie about it. I know nothing about the book and will go in hopefully with a clear mind and low expectations.

Defeated

Yes! Now this is a category I can get behind. I did not even have to think about this one. For the Celadon City Gym badge, I will be reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This is one of my picks on my August to be read list and I am happy for some crossover. I am looking forward to reading this book because I liked Flight by Sherman Alexie a lot and want to dive more into his writings. I am hoping to feature this book in a review when I finish.

Romance is WAY outside of my wheelhouse and I tend not to seek it out and avoid the genre all together. I am not against reading novels where romance plays a significant role, I personally never have gravitated towards them. My pick is The Second Mango by  Shira Glassman. This is the first book in a LGBTQ+ fantasy series and I have read romance plays a major role in the story. I am willing to give romance a try and excited to expand my diverse reading with this book. Who knows? Maybe I will enjoy romance as a genre and finish the series or even pick up more romance novels!

Defeated

Ummmm… I own this book? I do not remember acquiring it but yes, it is on one of my bookshelves. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith is a fantasy, paranormal alternate history of our once President Lincoln. I just need to knock this one off my shelf to be honest and this seems like the place to do it. From the reviews, it is okay at best. I am not expecting much and maybe that is a good thing. It should be a very short read.

As I was scrolling through my personal library, I noticed a complete lack of books with red covers… How is that possible? I did happen to find one: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. This is King’s follow up novel to The Shinning and takes place when Danny is all grown up. I really like Stephen King’s writing and storytelling – he is able to write horror with more of a suspenseful and thrilling edge than straight horror. I look forward to see where he takes the universe of The Sinning.

Well, my knowledge of post-apocalyptic books and my ownership of those books are slim. I have to go with Wool by Hugh Howey. I read the first serial novel a while back and I found the entire book used for a decent price. When thinking about this entry, I realize I need more suggestions for diverse books and authors in this genre! I would appreciate any book recommendations.

Here is some information about how my Dratini can gain experience and maybe evolve over the course of the challenge:

The main challenge is to read those eight books in the 3 weeks. However, you can also have ONE POKEMON EACH and use them to keep scores and figure out who’s the very best.

• Each participant can choose one Pokemon, and will start with i) 10CP (Combat Power) for a Pokemon that can evolve OR ii) 50CP for a Pokemon that cannot evolved e.g. Lapras.
• For each 10 pages they read during the challenge, their Pokemon will gain +1CP. That’s +10CP per 100 pages!
• For each gym badge/book completed, they will gain an extra +20CP.
• For each review you post of a book you read during the Read-a-Thon period, gain an extra +20CP.
• Each time you tweet under the hashtag #ReadThemAllThon on Twitter, gain +2CP.
• Each time you post a photo of your book + a Pokemon (via Pokemon Go camera function) under the hashtag #ReadThemAllThon on Twitter, gain +5CP.
• When you are 150CP, your Pokemon can evolve, earning you gain an extra +50CP. If your Pokemon has a third evolutionary form, it can evolve again at 400CP and gain you an extra +50CP.
• If you choose a Magikarp, you can’t evolve until you get to 450CP, but you will gain an extra +120CP when you have a Gyarados. Basically, if you think you can read loads of books, choose a Magikarp.
• Whoever owns the Pokemon with the highest CP in the end, wins the title of Pokemon League Champion and will earn a prize (to be announced), as well as bragging rights.