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๐ HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021, EVERYONE! ๐
It's the new year and I only wrote 4 book reviews out of 20 books that I read last year ๐
. I know, it's sad, but don't judge me. It has been a very strange year for everyone but 2020 is still a year that I am grateful for because a lot of good things happened. One of them is: I finally got married! ๐ Isn't that crazy? I've had this blog since 2011 when I was still a college student and all I think about is assignments. Now, all I think about is washing the dishes and doing the laundry LOL ๐คฃ. 2020 was also a year when my best friends got engaged and got married too, so there's a lot of things to be celebrated. As it is every other year, of course there are not-so-good things that happened as well. But I decide to focus on the good things in life and be grateful for every blessing that comes my way ๐.
Back in 2017, I made a similar post which you can read here; basically this post will sum up all the books that I read in 2020 and a short impression on several books that I didn't get to review this year. Even though I didn't read a lot of books this year, I'm glad I managed to complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge to read 20 books ๐ค.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett | Fiction ๐๐๐๐๐ [ 27/12—26/01 ]This is the first book that I finished last year; I've been wanting to read it for so long because I heard so many good things about it and it has been adapted into a movie (which I really want to watch). I was emotionally invested in this book; the characters have distinct personalities which makes them lovable. I think I'll watch the movie adaptation soon and write a review for that instead ๐
Goliath Must Fall by Louie Giglio | Non-Fiction ๐๐๐๐ [ 27/01—02/03 ]My first time reading a book by Louie Giglio; it's an empowering book that encouraged readers to defeat our giants, whether it's rejection, fear, anger, or addiction. It's a pretty good book but I don't think I'll read more of his works in the future.
I've been a fan of Craig Groeschel's writing since reading Hope in the Dark, which is a very powerful book about suffering and life's challenges. This one, just like the title, talks about dangerous prayers that we should dare ourselves to pray. As usual, he delivers biblical message, which is sometimes difficult to swallow but it serves as a necessary reminder.
Hai, Miiko! Vol. 32 by Ono Eriko | Fiction ๐๐๐๐๐ [ 03/04 ]My favorite manga that I get to read once a year!๐คฃ It's the only comic book that I buy these days because I want to see the day when Miiko and Tappei are finally together ๐คฃ๐คฃ As usual, it's a very light read and am always sad because I waited for a year for another volume to be released, yet I only read it for less than an hour ๐คฃ
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The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1) by Patrick Ness | Fiction ๐๐๐๐ [ 10/03—06/04 ]I finally read this series after YEARS of planning to do so ๐ I was always very curious because I heard a lot of people say good things about it. Unfortunately, it wasn't as amazing as I hoped it would be. It was still quite entertaining and intriguing, but I wasn't really invested in the story or in the characters. I heard it's going to be adapted into a movie soon; maybe I'll write a review on that instead.
This is a new manga that I recently discovered and I absolutely adore it! First of all, I love the drawing style. Secondly, the humor in this manga is always on point ๐คฃ Each of the characters seems to have their own personal agenda and somehow their lives became intertwined with one another. I'm still waiting for new chapters to come out so I can read the whole volume at once.
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Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church by John Onwuchekwa | Non-Fiction ๐๐๐๐๐ [ 06/04—14/04 ]Another book on prayer that I read this year which I really enjoyed and learned some new things about. This book is pretty short so it didn't take long to finish. It's filled with principles about prayer which serves as an important reminder for me personally. It helped me realign my perspective about prayer and my motivations as well. A great read!
The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, #2) by Patrick Ness | Fiction ๐๐๐๐ [ 15/04—09/05 ]The second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy still didn't impress me, unfortunately. I feel like the story keeps going around in circles and I have absolutely no idea where it's heading. To be honest, I almost lost interest in the story and I don't really care what's going to happen to the characters. But I think the writing helped me stay until the end and overall it was still pretty enjoyable.
Coronavirus and Christ by John Piper | Non-Fiction ๐๐๐๐๐ [ 10/05—16/05 ]John Piper is an influential figure in my life because he helped me learn more about Christianity on a deeper level and I've always enjoyed his writing. And so I really want to read what he has to say regarding the coronavirus pandemic that's currently happening. He shared biblical truths in this book and also gave us encouragement to get through this situation. This book is also translated into various languages and is available for free on Desiring God's website.
Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking, #3) by Patrick Ness | Fiction ๐๐๐ [ 17/05—06/06 ]The final book in the Chaos Walking trilogy is basically disappointing for me; thus the 3-star rating. I still gave it a 3-star because of the writing and not for the storyline. At this point I wasn't rooting for anyone and I just want things to end ๐ . Oh well, at least now I've read this series and won't be curious about it anymore.
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The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate | Fiction ๐๐๐๐ [ 07/06—13/06 ]Back in 2018, The One and Only Ivan was one of my favorite books. The simple and heartwarming story really touched my heart and made me tear up towards the end. And so when I heard Katherine Applegate is publishing a continuation of that book, I put all other books aside and picked it up. Even though it's not as good as The One and Only Ivan, this book warms my heart and it also delivers an important lesson about life.
Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung | Non-Fiction ๐๐๐๐๐ [ 15/06—09/07 ]I've read a book by Kevin DeYoung back in 2018 titled The Ten Commandments and I really enjoyed his writing style. Crazy Busy is a fairly old book that was published back in 2013 but I thought it was very fitting for me personally at the time. I really loved the message of this book and the way he writes is just so easy to read.
Rebel (Legend, #4) by Marie Lu | Fiction ๐๐๐๐ [ 10/07—16/09 ]The Legend trilogy is one of my favorite series of all time and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I was quite shocked when I found out that Marie Lu is releasing a fourth book in the series! Apparently, it's a story about Day's brother, Eden—although we still get to witness Day and June getting back together (FINALLY!). The story itself was just okay; I think I read this book just to see Day and June's side of the story.
Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim | Non-Fiction ๐๐๐๐๐ [ 17/09—30/09 ]This is definitely one of my favorite books that I read this year. Reading this book is so calming and soothing. The writings in this book emphasizes on the theme of imperfection and how we should embrace it in all areas of our lives. It's a book that gives a lot of reassurance, which is perfect for those who needs encouragement. Will definitely read more books by Haemin Sunim in the future!
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40 Days of Faith by Paul David Tripp | Non-Fiction ๐๐๐๐½ [ 05/12—09/12 ]
The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling | Fiction ๐๐๐๐๐ [ 09/12—14/12 ]
Where is God in a Coronavirus World? by John C. Lennox | Non-Fiction ๐๐๐๐ [ 15/12—17/12 ]
I didn't read a ton of books this year but I'm pretty happy with the ones that I chose to read. I'm challenging myself to read 30 books in 2021, a little bit more than last year. Hopefully I will be able to complete it and discover more amazing books this year!
Uwoo I saw Hi, Miiko! Vol. 32 there! This comic will always be my favorite, though. :D
ReplyDeleteYess, me too! :3
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