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2017 Review & Favorite Things

It's February, so naturally it's time to do a review of my favorite things about 2017. I thought that 2017 was going to be a dumpster fire of a year, so I was actually pleasantly surprised by it. Here are some of my favorite memories of the year, in no particular order. 

Going to Mexico! It was my first time leaving the country, and such an amazing vacation. 

Watching all of Anne of Green Gables with Sammy. I loved how much he loved them all, and forgot how much I loved those movies. 

The library chickens!

Seeing Wonder Woman. This movie changed my life and will forever be one of my favorites

Going to the Cheyanne Mountain Zoo with Sammy 

Spending the Fourth of July with our best friends, playing games all day.


Making a murder dollhouse with my siblings and all our old toys. 


Going to Utah, catching up with tons of friends, and checking out this beauty.

Bingeing Stranger Things all of October with Sammy. Sometimes I wish I could completely forget about it and rediscover it all over again.

Dying my hair purple 

Sammy's college graduation. A day we've both been waiting for and that was so special. 

All things Porgs and The Last Jedi

Our fun Pokemon/My Little Pony/ All the keychains I could find Christmas tree 

A perfect New Year's Eve spent with some of our best friends, playing games and drinking apple cider all night. 

I grew a lot in 2017 as well, some of which I shared in my birthday post. Some other ways are 

My writing has grown in the last year. I entered Pitch Wars and wasn't picked, but I got this sweet note. Afterwards I revised my book two more times, started submitting to agents, and got my five manuscript requests!!!! I never thought I'd be here last year. (Now in 2018 I've realized I need to fix some things majorly and I'm hurrying to rewrite the book before some agents ask for the rest.)
I also gave myself permission to write the Maya inspired fantasy I've always wanted to write. I had a bad writer's block for months but once I 'gave myself permission', the words started flowing.

I finally realized that something that has been bothering me for years was sexual assault, and that it wasn't my fault. I was letting it eat me up and decided one day to tweet about my story. My story was liked and shared about 400 times, and I talked with and made friends with so many people who'd gone through similar things. Hearing all of their stories and talking with them honestly helped me in my healing process, and I'm thankful for it. 

I also had to navigate a lot of changing relationships in 2017 with family and friends. It was honestly really rough at times and still isn't perfect, but it's something that definitely grew. 

I had to learn to just let things go at work and what I can and can't control. Still working on that, but I made a lot of progress last year. 

Now for my favorite books of the year. 
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
Saints and Mistfits by S. K. Ali
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir 
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (I also met her this year at my local bookstore and we talked for thirty minutes. She's the sweetest.)
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake (I also met her, and she is utterly hilarious.)
Warcross by Marie Lu
A Crown of Wishes by Roshni Chokshi
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
Now I Rise by Kiersten White 
One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus (Breakfast club, with murder!)
There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins 
Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken
Far From the Tree by Robin Benway (Won the National Book Award)
La Belle Sauvage The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman
Geekerella by Ashley Poston 
Follow Me by Sara Shepard 
Little Monsters by Kara Thomas 
Real Friends by Shannon Hale (A graphic novel I can't recommend enough)
This is Our Story by Ashley Elston 


2017 was a great year, and I can't wait to see what 2018 holds! 




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