The Christmas season can easily get swallowed up by all the commercial lights and wrapping paper but I thought that we could end off our Petitmas journey with some happy thoughts. 2018 had its ups and downs for sure, but it's still crazy to think that those four numbers will soon be behind us. So, let's wrap this year up with ten things (for the 10 days of Petitmas) that made 2018 memorable.

1. Good books

This is primarily a book blog did you think I wasn't going to start off with something bookish? Books and this blog, in particular, is something I'm thankful of because I had serious doubts this year about calling it quits with the whole blog and book review thing but Petitmas and reminded me that I still love making posts even if I'm not the most internet social person out there.

2. Personality test
I fell in love with all sorts of personality categorization this year from MBTI to the Enneagram Institute to something as simple as astrology and one's Hogwarts House. For some reason it's just so fascinating and fun to read about the official and unofficial ways people can be relatable.

3. Ice cream
I'm not even going to disclose how much ice cream I ate this year but coffee oreo you're my new No. 1 favorite.

4. Oolong tea
Another new found love of mine...well not technically new but firmly solidified as a favorite. If you have not tried oolong milk tea or oolong tea with foam cap do yourselves a favor and try it.

5. Instagram
This is another thing that I've loved for a while but I feel like in 2018 my social media life was dominated by Instagram. The explore page on the app - complete rabbit hole.

6. Late night talks
I've never been one to stay up really late doing homework but the past two semesters which make up 2018 have been incredibly full of late night talks. The crazy amount of topics my roommates and I go on are something that I definitely treasured greatly.

7. Hugs
I'm not a super touchy person but hugs are great between family. It's definitely one of the things I miss most while I'm at school because I'm not really comfortable hugging a lot of my college friends.

8. Journaling
2018 was the year I really forced myself to journal more. It was both a creative and mental outlet for me and definitely something that I will continue to pursue in 2019.

9. Drawing
It will take a while but I'll get around to not requiring my feeble attempts at art to masterpieces because I'm not a trained artist. But I do love drawing and painting so it's somewhere for me to start.

10. Fuzzy blankets
Kind of a random one to end on but guys, I have discovered some super fuzzy blankets this year and they have changed my sleeping game.

As 2018 closes, what are some things that you are grateful for? Ten is a lot to come up at once but it's definitely not enough to encompass the whole entire year.

I missed another day (aka yesterday's post) but I wasn't going to fail my ten day goal that easily so here we are with Petitmas 09. I should probably have planned this post out a lot better instead of just typing things that come to mind, but I guess that makes it a more authentic discussion? 

2018 was such a great year in the realm of diversity. There were so many great releases and discussions popping up all over the place that opened the conversation for readers to delve into. Personally, 2018 was the year where I saw Asian representation truly begin to flourish in YA. I'm sure that sentence brings to mind a couple of obvious reasons: The Netflix adaptation of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Crazy Rich Asians (not YA but still), amazing Asian debut authors like Emily X.R. Pan, Gloria Chao, and R.F. Kuang - the list can go on.

For an Asian American myself, this was the year where I felt like I was connecting with characters in YA books on more than just experience from reading their stories, but on a cultural level as well. I've never been one to really point out the lack of Asian representation in any forms of media ever so the feeling of familiarity that came with all the amazing representation stated above caught me by surprise.

It wasn't until I actually experienced watching an Asian female protagonist in a widely popular movie adaptation or seeing more Asian faces on movie posters and book covers that I understood what representation felt like. I spoke a bit about this in my 2019 Anticipated Releases where I highlighted all the new Asian inspired fantasy stories that were coming out and how that idea just absolutely blew my mind. 

Actually experiencing representation, no matter how small sparked excitement in me that just expanded throughout the year. My personal biggest takeaway from this Asian explosion is an understanding that representation is truly important. Genuine representation is something that connects everyone beyond words and brings a community together of shared experiences. It wasn't just me seeing and reading about Asian characters, it was the thought that others out there can experience a culture that was so dear and familiar to me. 

I would love to hear your thoughts in regards to Asian representation in literature and this is definitely a discussion topic that I'd want to update on as the years go on. How did the various expansions of representation this year connect with you and what do you hope to see more of in YA literature in 2019?

Wildcard by Marie Lu
| ISBN: 978-0399547997 | Pages: 352 |
Publication Date: September 18, 2018 | Source: Library Ebook
| Rating: 4 out of 5 stars |
★★★★

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.
Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a bounty on Emika's head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn't all that he seems--and his protection comes at a price.
Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

If the man in the big red suit ever comes across my name, I would sure hope that it'd be on the nice list, but we're talking about books here so we're going to have to figure that out. I came across this lovely tag on PaperFury and thought it'd be fun to figure out where I fall so let's get going~

RECEIVED AN ARC AND NOT REVIEWED IT 
⬇️
naughty
I have such a terrible habit of requesting so many ARCs from NetGalley or other reviewing websites and being so excited, but completely burning out when I actually receive said books. Luckily in 2018, I've been trying to focus on reading more books that are less "spur of the moment" decisions so I think I only have one that comes to mind that I haven't reviewed...



HAVE LESS THAN A 60% FEEDBACK RATING ON NETGALLEY
⬇️
nice
I actually have a 94% rating...so...there you go :)



RATED ON GOODREADS AND PROMISED A FULL REVIEW...BUT NEVER DID IT
⬇️
naughty
That was pretty much all of 2017...and previous years. I used to promise full reviews all the time but would never jot down notes and time would pass. 2018 is looking ok so far...I think I've only gotten one or two that I have yet to write a full review.



FOLDED THE PAGE OF A BOOK
⬇️
naughty
My middle school days...



ACCIDENTALLY SPILLED FOOD ON A BOOK
⬇️
nice
I've actually never done this. I'm personally not a huge fan of snacking while eating so food and books aren't a combination that normally occurs around me.



DNF'D A BOOK THIS YEAR
⬇️
naughty
I'm sorry...I just couldn't...



BOUGHT A BOOK PURELY BECAUSE IT WAS PRETTY 
WITH NO INTENTION TO READ IT
⬇️
nice
I'm too poor to do that let's be real here.



READ INSTEAD OF DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT
⬇️
naughty
Finals what?



SKIM/READ A BOOK
⬇️
nice
I'm not even ashamed of it anymore...sometimes you have to do what you have to do.



FAILED YOUR GOODREADS GOAL
⬇️
nice
Not yet...I'm on track right now which is the most behind I have ever been and it's scaring me...



BROKE YOUR BOOK BUYING BAN
⬇️
naughty
Never put myself on one...refer back to broke college student comment from before.



FINISHED A BOOK BUT DIDN'T ADD IT TO GOODREADS
⬇️
naughty
Oops...



LEFT A REVIEW TOO LONG AND FORGOT THE BOOK
⬇️
naughty
Literal story of my life...




naughty: 8  |  nice: 5

Well, I guess that sums it all up...sorry Santa.

Warcross by Marie Lu 

| ISBN: 978-0399547966 | Pages: 368 |

Publication Date: September 12, 2017 | Source: Library E-book

| Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars |

★★★☆ 

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

To my surprise, most of the apartment-mates hadn't heard of the company nor watched anything from it which became the inspiration for today's post. It was actually so incredibly difficult to narrow down my favorites since I love them all, but these are the first five that came to mind.

CASTLE IN THE SKY

If I could watch a movie for the rest of my life...this one has a pretty high shot. There was just something about this movie that I fell in love with at a young age. It tells the story of man's greed and how destructive it can be while contrasting that with the innocent heart of children. I was also fascinated by the idea of a legitimate castle in the sky where giant robots tended the overflowing gardens.

PRINCESS MONONOKE

This one is not for the faint of heart because it is quite graphic. However, I was a weird kid and I absolutely loved this movie. With all of Studio Ghibli's films, it delivers a very important message - this one in particular dealing with the war between man and nature. Again, the message of human greed is addressed, but to be completely honest, I loved this film for two primary reasons: giant wolves, cute deer-like creature (aka Yakul).

SPIRITED AWAY

I believe this was the first Ghibli film I ever watched as a kid so it gets the credit for starting me on the Ghibli rabbit trail. The funny thing is that this movie terrified my sister when she first watched it, but I was just in awe of everything. It definitely borders on weird and grotesque at times, but once again addresses the idea of greed and how it's essentially a universal currency. Also...it doesn't hurt that Haku transforms into a beautiful dragon.

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

If Calcifer the fire demon could actually exist and be my best friend I would be elated beyond words. This wasn't an immediate favorite for me at first because I didn't love all the aspects of the story. However, I think the more I watched the film and the older I got, I started to appreciate the story more. If I could summarize this particular movie in a word, it'd probably be redemption. The characters all get their own piece of happy ever after at the end.

NAUSICAA AND THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

This was one that took me a while to get around to, but I heard about it from one of my best friends in high school. Again with Ghibli's films, this one focuses on the battle between man and nature in a post-apocalyptic world where the air was slowly being poisoned and massive armored bugs were considered the enemy. Our main character embodies the pure heart that our world often lacks and her champion to embrace nature rather than fear it is something we can definitely apply to our society today.

Since December is usually the time for finals and stress, why not take a break and watch one (or all five) of these if they seem up your alley? For me personally, Ghibli holds a special place in my heart right next to Disney for being fundamental in shaping my childhood. :)

I am never one to set up TBRs because I have the hardest time following them - it's like the moment a book enters my TBR list, all motivation and interest drops to under 5%. I still want to read those books, but I don't have the immediate desire or urge.

According to my Goodreads challenge, I'm at the 92% mark and need to read six books before making it to my goal of 75. Originally, I had set my goal at 60 but I managed to surpass that in the summer so here we are...trying to reach 75.

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

| ISBN: 978-0062438775 | Pages: 368 |

Publication Date: July 31, 2018 | Source: Library E-Book

| Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars |

★★★☆ 

Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.
Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch. 
A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.
But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.