I knew I could never fail. And you can find a post about it, here! 

I also decided to experiment with two challenges: The Goodreads Reading Challenge and NaNoWriMo!

My Goal for this year was 55 books (It was originally 50 books but since one of my favourite artists said that he would be aiming for 50 books and I panicked and thought that if he, a super busy person, can be able to read 50 books this year, then that would put me who doesn't do much to shame. Fast forward and it turns out he didn't win his challenge but he still read a lot. About 30+ books.) and I surpassed it and read 61! Well, to be honest, near the end I did read a lot of short stories because of College but since a few of them counted as books on Goodreads, I decided to add them. 

And as for NaNoWriMo, I didn't win and didn't actually finish my book so far (but maybe I can before the year ends or maybe during the first two weeks of January. A bit disappointed that I haven't finished it yet but at least I know it won't be an abandoned project!). However, it did help to inspire me to simply write more this year and you can find out more about it over here!

I kinda made some 'minor goals' I wanted to achieve this year. (In no particular order):

As expected, I was as picky as ever. I thought I was a bit too lenient on the 4 star ratings, though.

I'm going to make a more accurate chart next year, by recording genres and star ratings.

How My Fascination With SCRIVENER Began

You see, quite a while ago around the middle of this year, I read some posts about Scrivener. Some simply made some posts that praised the software and its many features while others bragged and listed reasons why everyone who uses Microsoft Word should ditch it for Scrivener.

Some people claimed that Microsoft Word took a long time to load after typing 30K+ inside the software. And this had me worried because I am an aspiring author (though it will take a while to reveal my snippets. Not only because of plagiarism but also because... you know, the characters a little 2D...) and though I take quite a while to type stories, I don't ever want to face the dilemma of having a slow document.

Another dilemma was that I didn't really want to spend money on Scrivener because sometimes you need to live the #cheaplife so I got a free (and LEGAL) alternative called FreeWriter. I thought it was pretty cool but I was also busy with schoolwork so I forgot about it for a few months.

The Search and Unexpected Results

Fast forward a little bit and I had the urge to start searching for free (and LEGAL) alternatives to Scrivener again. I didn't want FreeWriter... I wanted something better. I knew that I could do much better. After all, FreeWriter was only good for separating chapters into folders. The spelling and grammar check didn't even work! And a bunch of open source word processors like Bibisco were nowhere like Scrivener (but for some reason, people want to believe that they are similar? Alright...).

Then... I resorted to... getting a free trial of Scrivener. And my mind was so jumbled and I didn't even like it that much, man. (It isn't super hard to use but it kinda annoyed me) However, I was so desperate for those binders that I had to.

Around this time, I was pretty peeved. I searched for so long after school that my head would sometimes hurt. I just wanted a ruddy word processor with binders. It didn't even have to be similar to Scrivener. I just wanted ruddy binders! I also started to wonder why Microsoft Word, as developed as it is, didn't have binders.

Then on November the 11th 2017, I got so frustrated with looking for alternatives but I did one more search and stumbled on a forum asking for Word Processors. The person would hosted the thread also did not want Microsoft Word anymore. Me, being nosy, scrolled down and saw a comment that mentioned how people like to complain about Word even though they don't bother to learn how to use it. That sparked something in me.

I then looked up 'how to make Word act like Scrivener' and though it took a while, my eyes were opened. 

Now guys, I noticed that when I see most writers opening up the Word document, it looks more on the lines of this:

But what if I told you it could look more like this?

Silence is Goldfish - Annabel Pitcher

Blurb: My name is Tess Turner - at least, that's what I've always been told. I have a voice but it isn't mine. It used to say things so I'd fit in, to please my parents, to please my teachers. It used to tell the universe I was something I wasn't. It lied.

It never occurred to me that everyone else was lying too. But the words that really hurt weren't the lies: it was six hundred and seventeen words of  truth that turned my world upside down.

Words scare me, the lies and the truth, so I decided to stop using them.

I am Pluto. Silent. Inaccessible. Billions of miles away from everything I thought I knew.

If I have to be honest, the author's writing is good. Pretty good. I felt eager to finish the book.

However...

Most of what happens in this book is mostly filler, to be honest.

I might check out the author's other books in the future but unfortunately this was a major let down.

2 stars out of five

Read this review on Goodreads! 

The Night Itself (The Name of the Blade #1)

Blurb: When fifteen-year-old Mio steals the katana -her grandfather's priceless sword- she just wants to liven up a fancy-dress costume. But the katana is more than a dusty heirloom and her actions unleash an ancient evil onto the streets of modern-day London. Mio is soon stalked by the terrors of mythical Japan and it is only the appearance of a mysterious warrior that saves her life. If Mio cannot learn to control her katana's legendary powers, she will lose not only her own life... but the love of a lifetime.

Though the writing was good (however I struggled a bit with visualising quite a lot of the events) and I liked the transitions from first to third person. I felt pretty disconnected with the characters, leaving me with only feeling the slightest bit of affection for Mio and Shinobu.

I guess I don't like this book as much because I'm not a anime fan? It definitely had that anime vibe going on.

I found Mio to be a really weak hero. I'll be expecting more in Book Two!

3.5 stars out of 5

Read this review on Goodreads!

Synopsis: This story is about how Holden Caulfield reflects on life after getting kicked out of his school.

Intermission: That was a suckish synopsis but bear with me... I suck at synopses! (I know, that is a stupid excuse)

I liked Holden as a protagonist. He's neither good nor bad, though I believe he leans more on the good side. As a bookworm, I could relate to him.

Like many, Holden has a negative view of society: he calls so many people 'phony' and often comments on the types of 'phony' behaviour he dislikes. Of course Holden sometimes is guilty of acting 'phony' himself.

I'm just glad I understand the meaning of the title this time.

4 stars out of 5

Read this review on  Goodreads!

Thank you all for reading these reviews! They were pretty fun to make. And as usual, leave any comments if you want! 

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou

Blurb: Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local 'powhitetrash.' At eight years old and back at her mother's side in St Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age - and has to live with the consequences of a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors ("I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare") will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.

Poetic and powerful, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.

It was such a long time since I've read a novel that was so interesting from beginning to end. 

There were a lot of darker elements to the story.

I also deeply appreciated the mention of Spanish culture. It makes me want to work really hard on my Spanish.

4.5 stars out of 5

Read the full review on Goodreads.

Blurb: Recognised as one of Africa's 100 Best Books of  the 20th Century in an initiative organised by the Zimbabwe International Book Fair, Things Fall Apart is a novel which portrays the collision of African and European cultures in people's lives. Okonkwo, a great man in Igbo traditional society, cannot adapt to the profound changes brought about by British colonial rule. Yet, as in classic tragedy, Okonkwo's downfall results from his own character as well as from external forces.

The main character, Okonkwo, is a man who is afraid of becoming weak like his father. This fear caused him to become a tough and violent man.

...Lord have mercy o.O

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the way Nigerians (well, the Igbo tribe in this case) lived their lives and the references to their culture. Also, sometimes it felt quite dark (not that I was afraid or anything.... ._.) at times.

Read the full review on Goodreads.

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

Blurb: Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up 'greasers' like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect - until the night someone takes things too far.

I appreciated reading something in the point of view of a character that was somewhat poor because it made me have a better understanding of people of different backgrounds.

I also appreciated the explanation of the fight between the rich 'Socs' and the poorer 'Greasers'.

The characters were okay but since this was such a short novel, there wasn't enough time to flesh out the characters. I guess I liked Ponyboy and his brothers the most since I knew the most about them.


Read the full review on Goodreads.

I hope you guys are all enjoying yourselves. 

Do you guys like reading Classics? Non Fiction? Why or why not?