what 2017 was made of

03 January 2018

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2017 was a weird year. All the way around. I grew. I learned about love, loss, joy, trust, forgiveness, community, perseverance, courage, stress, faithfulness, and more and more and more. I was brought to my lowest and my highest in this year. I finished my first year of college, and started my second. I had a full-time job. I'm figuring out more about what I want to do with my life, and the people I want to do life with. And while it's been weird, I'm thankful. I'm thankful for what God has brought me through and the fears He has forced me to face, continuously showing my how I need to cling to Him instead of the flimsy things of the world that I have no control over. This felt like an experimental year. I've been experimenting with myself a lot, figuring out who I am and how I work. And while it hasn't been easy at all, I feel myself maturing and becoming who I was created to be.

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Let's talk about books. We all know that books are one of my most favorite things in the world, and 2017 has been the best reading year I have had in a long long time. I started off the year with a simple goal to read 45 books, which was a leap from the 30 I read in 2016. The biggest thing I have learned through my reading life, especially in 2017, is to not make reading a stressful thing. I was very relaxed about my reading. I only read when I genuinely wanted to, and didn't force myself to read anything I didn't feel like. It was a great experience and I ended up surpassing my original goal and read a grand total of 54 books! I'm pretty excited about it, considering my crazy school and work schedule I had going off and on throughout the year. Intentionally reading and enjoying it is so important, and it really helped me through some rough patches.

T O P  B O O K S
Of course with the insane amount of reading I did, I accumulated a few new favorites. 5 of them especially blew me out of the water, and I needed to gush about them a little bit, even if I already have.

Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel
This book. It's small but slow burning. I thought I would never like anything in the Destopian/Post Apocalyptic genre again since it's so tired and overused to me, but this one changed me. It made me think more than any book has for a long time. As soon as I finished I wanted to flip right back to the beginning and start again. It has become a new favorite for me and I doubt I could ever do it justice. 

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
In my opinion, the best fantasy series I've read since Lord of the Rings, which is high praise coming from me. Those dense, thousand-page-long fantasy books are the way to my heart. The characters, the writing, the world were all so immersive and I loved every minute of it. Of course I've joined the masses who are impatiently awaiting the 3rd book in the trilogy.

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
This book was an impulse read and the absolute highlight of my summer. Read in a single day and left me scarred and hurt from the ending. I never saw it coming, and I'm positive no one would ever be able to predict anything that happens in this story. It has stuck with me, and I find myself thinking about it all the time.

Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
Dark and hauntingly beautiful. I read this one at the beginning of the year and it instantly amazed me with its beautiful prose and gripping plot. It's a definite favorite I expect to be returning to on long, cold winter days. I wrote a full review for this one right here. 

Nicholas and Alexandra - Robert K. Massie
This was a book that helped me get really into non-fiction this year. All about Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov, their 4 daughters and hemophiliac son, Alexei, and the politics surrounding their execution. It was extremely heartbreaking and eye opening. I wrote a full review for this one right here. 

If you're interested in any of the other books I read in 2017, you can see them all and read all my thoughts on them on my Goodreads account.

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So what grand plans do I have for 2018? I don't really know yet. I try to go into each new year with an open mind, ready to learn whatever God may lead me to experience. All I know is that I want to use this year purposefully. To do things that make me think and continue to grow instead of just remaining stagnant. I will read more, write more, learn more, love and reach out to others the best I can, and always remain full of hope for what's ahead.

I hope that 2018 treats you well.

14 comments

  1. beautiful post. I hope you learn and grow so much more in 2018 :)

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  2. All of your books you've read in 2017 are simply beautiful. I really want to go and put them on the TBR shelf! I hope you 2018 goes along wonderfully, Hannah! To books and wonderful adventures!

    xoxo Abigail Lennah | ups & downs

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    1. Yes! Read all of them so we can discuss!! I have a feeling that 2018 is going to be filled with the best reading!

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  3. Oh wow, you and I read similar books this year. I loved Station Eleven. It was such a different and interesting spin on typical dystopian fiction. I didn't read Rebecca, but My Cousin Rachel was one of my favorite reads this year. Maurier's prose is so beautiful and layered.

    I'm absolutely going to check out the others; they sound so good!

    Hope your 2018 is stellar.
    k.

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    1. Sounds like you have great reading taste! ;) Station Eleven is amazing, and My Cousin Rachel is definitely near the top of my TBR right now. I need more Maurier in my life!
      Happy 2018, Keira!

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  4. You have such interesting taste in books. I'm looking forward to more of your reviews in 2018.

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    1. Thank you Grace! So glad you like my book reviews! I will definitely be posting more throughout this new year!

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  5. This is a beautiful post, Hannah! I'm excited to look into the books you listed. They sound really good!

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    1. Thank you Emily! I hope you enjoy them if you get around to reading them!

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  6. i luuuuuuuuuuuuved this wow. will be referencing for my reads in 2018 ;) ur taste sounds 10/10 hahaha

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  7. Sounds like you had an eventful 2017! I think this post is written beautifully by the way! I also read We were liars and it's so so good! I was so hooked to it I've never read another book so fast. Going to add all your other book recommendations to my to read list right now!!
    ☆kingajpgblog.wordpress.com☆

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    1. We Were Liars definitely took me by surprise! It's an incredible book! So glad you liked the post!

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