Choose Your Own Comment Adventure! (5)

Well, this year turned into a blogging/reading funk of epic proportions.  I've read fewer books this year than I have in a long time.  My enthusiasm for buying books hasn't waned, but I've been unsettled for months now in my life on the whole and when I'm feeling unsettled and restless, booking and blogging both turn into a struggle.

As always, however, I miss the creative outlet and keeping up with the latest and greatest of books, so I woke up yesterday thinking I should rejuvenate the best thing that happened to this blog in 2016 before 2016 got away - a Choose Your Own Comment Adventure.  Instead I sat down and unexpectedly churned out two decent quality book reviews and then wandered off to stream Mighty Ducks movies.  Thankfully, 2016 still has a few hours ago, and a few hours is more than enough for me to visit some blogs and share my adventure!  I'll keep those reviews in reserve for next year with the hope that they will help spur this blog on to activity and me into continued reading.

Anyhow, enough talk, it's adventure time!  Today, I'm starting with Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea because hers was the blog awaiting at the top of my feed when I had the idea to do this.  Also because I find Diane's taste in books is almost always a good match for mine.  Really, if she posted that the Greater Philadelphia phonebook was the best read of the year, I'd probably dash off to find a copy.  Lucky for me, her most recent post contains her top 10 favorite reads of the year.  I am duly gleeful that some of them are already on my (physical) TBR pile since the time of year where I put  my wallet on lockdown after the holidays is nigh upon us.  Can't wait to read Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard and All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood - and so many more!

(OK, this could take a while if I keep pausing to add a million books to my wishlist)

Next up it's a December Monthly Round-Up with Sarah's Book Shelves.  Sarah's post is full of links to her 2016 favorites and links to interesting posts from other bloggers that I'll certainly have to come back.  For now though, I spot a 2017 debut that Sarah loved that I'll undoubtedly have to get my hands on We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter.  I'll definitely be stopping back at Sarah's to help my wish list get even more out of control.

And on the third link of my adventure, I've found a blog that's new to me and from the looks of it, a blog that I want to be reading on a more regular basis.  "Toady" at B.B. Toady's most recent post is a review of the January release Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, which sounds sooo good.  The titular character is an octogenarian taking a walk around mid 1980s Manhattan, and this sounds like just the sort of reflective book that I have the potential to love. 

Off I glacier to my next destination after pausing to peruse and add yet more books to my wishlist.  Next up is another new to me blog - Novel Visits.  I admit, I may have slinked (slunk) around a bit collecting more Best of 2016s for my wish list before settling in to read Susie's most recent post a review of Leave Me by Gayle Forman.  Susie had some mixed feelings about this story where a mother leaves her family after having unexpected open heart surgery but ultimately enjoyed it.  Another book for my wish list?  Don't mind if I do. 

Sue at Crushing Cinders is taking part in Sheila's First Read of the Year event by planning to read Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.  It sounds like she's anticipating and dreading it in equal measure.  Anticipating because of all the hype and dreading because what if it doesn't live up to the lofty expectations?  There's a problem I'm sure we all recognize!   

Two on a theme - would you believe that the next stop on my journey is a review of Illuminae at Rebel Mommy Book Blog?  Grace thinks she may be the last to read Illumine, but turns out Sue and I have rescued her from this certainly dubious honor.  ;-)  Anyhow, this book sounds like it's filled with futuristic apocalyptic goodness that I ought to enjoy in hard copy and now it's doubly on my radar. 

Next stop is at Greg's Book Haven where Greg is taking part Kimba's Sunday Post.  I shake off my confusion about what the heck day it is in time to peruse the miscellany of Greg's post and take in the preview for movie incarnation of The Lost City of Z which looks worth a watch.

Onward and forward to A Magical World of Words where Amy has modified The Perpetual Page Turner's end of year reading survey to accommodate her movie watching, too.  This reminds me that I always wish I had tracked my movie watching at the end of the year.  Maybe 2017 will be the year I track my watching alongside my reading!

My last visit is to Laura at Beautiful Books who is reviewing her reading year.  She has failed her yearly reading challenge despite reading, er, more than double the amount of books I read this year. I huddle beneath my desk in shame for a moment before emerging to add more books to my wish list from Laura's favorites.  This is the first post I've come across where I've actually read a favorite (!!) - Like Water for Chocolate, a book I read and loved long times ago. 

That's all for today.  Hopefully I'll get back to making this a regular thing in 2017. 

Here's wishing you a safe New Year's Eve and a very Happy New Year filled with good times and great books!

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