So, 2017 has finally come to its end. According to Goodreads (do y'all want to follow me on Goodreads? You can. Here's a link.) I read 164 books last year! O.o Let's not expect that from me again in 2018 because, like, dang. Since this is a bookish blog, I thought we'd go through some of my favorite books that I read in 2017. But why stop there? I mentioned before that I'm running two webcomics now (shameless self promotion: check me out on tapas!) so I thought I would also talk about some of my favorite comics/webcomics that I read this last year. And WHY STOP THERE? I'll throw in a few of my other favorite things as well.
We'll start with books, though. In no particular order...
Books
- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is about two misfit teenagers who meet on the bus. It's Omaha in the 80's. They bond over music and comicbooks. It is all things good and honest and perfect.
- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is about a freshman in college who's dealing with social anxiety, adjusting to life on campus, and her concerns for her family. She writes fanfiction and falls in love and it's so wonderful, you guys, so wonderful.
- Attachments by Rainbow Rowell is about a guy who is hired to review work emails that get flagged for content for a newpaper. He starts to really enjoy the exchange of emails between two friends--a journalist and an editor--and then he finds himself falling for one of them.
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is about a young magician in his last year of school, prophesied to save the world of mages. While trying to defeat the "humdrum" (who's going around, consuming magic), he also has to team up with his nemesis/vampire roommate to try and avenge the roommate's mother's death.
Okay, so, I almost didn't include these because they're all re-reads and I initially felt like... "Well, maybe I should only include books that were new to me in 2017..." but then I thought, "Nah, I'll talk about whatever I wanna talk about." And I always want to talk about Rainbow Rowell. She's lovely and funny and has amazing hair. I'm so in love with her and with everything she's ever written.
Last year, I re-read Eleanor & Park, Attachments, and Fangirl while taking copious notes of places the characters visited so that I'd be able to go on a Rainbow Rowell inspired tour of Omaha. (Which I did. It was amazing. Let me know if you'd like a tour guide blog post because maybe in 2018 I'll be able to wrangle a few friends into going.) Then, I re-read Carry On in October/Novemberish and I think I was more in love with it this time than I had been last time.
Anyway, if you're only going to read one book ever in your life time, it should be Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell because it is beautiful and heartfelt and precious and it will make you believe in love again.
Rainbow's books are amazing because her writing style is so natural and casual, her characters are hellsa relatable, her language is funny and insightful, and even though the bulk of her books are realistic fiction (Carry On and Landline as our exceptions) they're still all magic.
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater is about a group of friends--three afluent private school boys, one hard-working scholarship kid from the trailer park, and a public school girl being raised by a house ful of psychics--who are on a quest to find a sleeping, Welsh king who will bestow upon them a wish upon waking up. ...That didn't make it sound as cool it is, but, you guys, it's SO COOL.
Okay, so, shout out to my friend Morgan for LITERALLY SAVING ME HERE.
I'm not going to get into the details, but, something stressful and jarring and startling happened when I was in the midst of reading TRC and it really impacted me. I carried it around with me for along time and maybe I still do to some extent. At the time, I was halfway through The Dream Thieves. The writing and world building is beautiful and engaging. The characters are lovable--I mean gritty and witty and interesting and hopeful and wonderful lovable--and the relationships between them are perfect: people who mean so much to one another and are fumbling around, misunderstanding, hurting, irritating, and trying to make amends with one another. There's magic and the desire to be known, to be understood. In short: the whole series is everything you want in life.
But I was going to call it quits midway through Dream Thieves because every time I tried to read it, I got really...sad.
Then, I went to get coffee with a couple of my friends. I was explaining to them that I was going to bail on TRC (and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, and basically anything that was beautiful language and not constant banter/people making out because I couldn't handle existing) and my friend Morgan looked at me with wide-eyed horror.
"No!" she gasped. "You just have to do it. You just have to finish it. It shouldn't be making you sad, that's probably something else. Just read it. It's my favorite thing."
I put that in quotes but, let's be honest, I didn't record the exchange so idk what she really said. The point is: she was adamant that I finish reading TRC. And here's the thing about my friend Morgan: I love her. She's one of my favorite people. She's in the top tier of humanity. I'd do, like, anything she asked me to. So, I finished the series.
AND OMG I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID.
It's been nearly a year and I'm not even slightly over it. My affection for TRC has made me more understanding of people on the internet. I mean: I spend my freetime surfing Pinterest for Raven Cycle fanart. I periodically text my friends TRC jokes and headcannons. I wrote fanfiction people. Copious amounts of fanfiction.
I found these white sunglasses and texted two of my friends this picture of me pretending to be Joseph Kavinsky. (BTW: Joseph Kavinsky is the worst, and Pinterest really needs to stop putting Kavinsky/Ronan fanart on my dash. Life's too short for that nonsense.)
Anyway, the point is, TRC is totally worthy of obsessing over it, so read it now and you can understand more of my tweets.
The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black is about the world post...vampire apocalypse? In the world Holly Black imagines, vampires don't lurk around in shadows, they star in reality TV shows and have YouTube channels. There are "Coldtowns" set up to protect humans. "The Coldest Girl" takes a little road trip with her ex-boyfriend, a vampire, and two human teens eager to be bitten, to a Coldtown. She and her ex have both been bitten and her plan is to wait out the infection without feeding on anyone, thus becoming human again.
Anyway, I'm not too into vampire lore, but I like books like Carry On and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown where they take vampires and modify and re-imagine what it means to be one. Coldest Girl does have the "guy who's been alive for centuries" and "girl who is a literal teenager" folly, though, so if that trope bothers you (which like I'm here with you) it'll probably keep bothering you here.
BUT this book deserves some props for diversity in race, orientation, and gender identities. Are your vampire books too white + hetero for you? Read Coldest Girl.
Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell is a non-fiction piece that looks at everyone's favorite revolutionary Frenchman as well as Sarah Vowell's personal experiences visiting a variety of landmarks. Sarah Vowell is witty and cool and this is an awesome trip to take with her. (I also read Assassination Vacation by her this year and it is also very, very good.)
And, lbh, if you liked Hamilton you'll probably like this book. Just listen to some hip-hop as you read it.
You Can't Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson is funny, interesting, and informative. If you've ever been called out on a microaggression and then gotten really defensive, shouting, "BUT I'M NOT A RACIST,"
then you probably (definitely) need to read this book. In a series of humorous essays, Phoebe Robinson discusses her experiences as a black woman. She's funny and friendly and uses a casual narration that feels approachable. I was grateful for having read it because she addressed some microaggressions that I hadn't been aware of, and she explained the cultural connotations of them, so I learne a lot while reading it.
Pro-tip: Phoebe Robinson reads the audiobook and it's soooo good you guys.
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan is soo good that I sat down and devoured the thing in one setting. The main character, like the author, is a lesbian of Persian decent (so, +2 for your Own Voices challenge). In the book, she falls hard for a pretty, popular girl, new to her school. But, as this girl gives her a lot of mixed signals that result in hurt and confusion, the main character starts to draw closer to a friend from childhood.
Parts of it are real, and raw, and gritty. Parts are heartwarming and delightful. Parts are funny. Parts are heartbreaking. The entire thing is phenomenal.
YOU GUYS: Trevor Noah's memoir Born a Crime is SO GOOD. Like, if I wasn't in love with Trevor Noah before I started reading it (which I was. Hey, Trev, if you're reading this: we should date. I'm very cute and charming once I get past the "socially anxious unwilling to speak" thing) I would have been after I finished it. It had me awestruck, intrigued, dumbfounded, and entertained. I mean, you guys, THIS BOOK. There isn't a sentence in it that is anything less than amazing.
A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee was recommended to me by my friend Hebah and one thing I can guarantee about books recommended by my friend Hebah is this: it's gonna be good. Gentleman's Guide is this really endearing historical fiction piece about a road trip that a guy, his best friend, and his younger sister take in the year before he's supposed to start working for his father. Our main character is a mess: he's in love with his best friend and, while he has no trouble handling his feelings for/interest in other people, he doesn't handle his feelings for his friend particularly well. There are pirates, alchemy, and a slew of bad decisions. It's well written with colorful and engaging dialogue. I liked it so well, I ordered it off of Amazon as soon as I returned my copy to the library.
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is about a closeted, gay high school boy with a You've Got Mail style secret penpal. The novel starts off with Simon getting blackmailed by a peer who discovers his secret. The narrative voice is casual, engaging, and honest. The characters are lovable. The plot is easy to get lost in. Oh! And! It's about to be a movie.
I have to give another shout out here. I was going to bail on Simon after the first couple of pages because I didn't know how well I'd be able to handle the blackmail/bullying that was going on, but my friend Anna insisted that I had to finish it. ("If your friends told you to jump of a bridge would you do it?" Idk, dude, but it sounds like I might.) So anyway! Anna: thanks for encouraging me to read this because I really, really, really enjoyed it.
Sabrina Benaim's book of poetry, Depression & Other Magic Tricks, is the kind of book that makes you feel understood. Also, Sabrina Benaim is the love of my life. If you ever meet her, please give her my number.
It's a book of poetry, so, I dont know how effective giving you a brief summary would be. Instead, watch this video of her poem "Reasons." It isn't in the book, it's just very good.
Anyway, you should get her book because it's brilliant, but you should also check out videos of her spoken word on YouTube because it's so good you guys. Look for "First Date," "Explaining My Depression to My Mother," "Glass House," and "The Loneliest Sweet Potato."
Comics
(Also in no particular order...)
Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu is the cutest comic about hockey you'll ever read. It's full of friendship, baking, personal struggles and growth, love, and joy. My friend Nikki recommended it to me and I cannot even begin to express how much joy it's given me. The updates are irregular but generally about once a month. There wasn't an update for almost two months recently and I was about to lose my mind, but then, there were three updates in rapid succession and let me just say it was well worth the wait.
Okay, I mentioned before my undying adoration for Rainbow Rowell, right? Well! She's writing comics now! And not just ANY comics. She's writing a continuation of the first comics I ever loved: Runaways.
I'm here for good artwork, ragamuffin crews, chubby girls getting love, and all the feelings that can be felt. Runaways comes out on the second Wednesday of every month. Special shout out to my local comic book store for always saving me a copy.
Mondo Mango/The Kao
Mando Mango is a slice of life style webcomic about the artist. His artwork is amazing, he's funny and insightful. You can follow him on tapas or webtoons. You should also check him out on patreon.
Jem and the Holograms by Kelly Thompson. It's so enjoyable I can hardly stand it. The artwork is awesome (for the most part, there are a few issues with artwork that bothered me...), the characters are lovable. They're brightly colored and fun. I loved the different types of people that are featured--there's such a variety of races, body types, and sexual orientations represented.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman is an absolutely adorable comic about two high school boys who become friends and fall in love. It updates on the 1st, 11th, and 21st of every month on tapas. It reads like a hug.
Patsy Walker A.K.A. HELLCAT! by Kate Leth. Okay, so, this comic is SERIOUSLY good. I love the artwork and the characters. Like a truly good hero, our heroine here likes to solve the root causes of crime, rather than just the crime itself. She doesn't default to violence or shows of force. This series champions friendship and allows people to be themselves. It's absolutely wonderful.
Other Things!
Hidden Figures is so wonderful. I think I watched it three or four times this year. After the first time, my coworker asked me what my favorite part was and I literally couldn't pick one. It's all so amazing. The soundtrack is awesome, the costuming is beautiful, and the actors are phenomenal.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I really wish this series wasn't tainted by the producers' apathy towards Johnny Depp's domestic abuse. But, alas. I love Fantastic Beasts for a lot of reasons. I love the 1920s, the styles, the acting. I love the core four characters and the adorable slew of beasts.
There is a moment in The Space Between Us when Asa Butterfield (who was born on Mars) sees a horse for the first time and I would spend $14 to watch just that scene for 2 1/5 hours in a theater.
Nothing Much to Do and Lovely Little Losers, two Shakespeare-inspired webseries by The Candle Makers. They're earnest and lovely. My friend Nikki recommended it and I BINGE WATCHED both of them. I periodically text her about them (because I have SO MANY thoughts and feelings about it). Several episodes feature songs performed by Reuben Hudson an he's a. adorable and b. really talented. So I bought a bunch of them off of bandcamp.
It's so good. You should watch it. Then I can text you with my surplus of thoughts/feelings regarding them, too.
All right, friends! There you have it: my favorites list from 2017.
YOU should comment below letting me know what YOUR favorite books, comics, movies, and other things from 2017 were.
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