Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Our Thoughts Precisely!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

2014: End of the Year Wrap Up & Favorite Reads

     2014 is nearly over.  Seriously, Christmas is practically around the corner so I figured it was time to do a wrap up for the year. This is probably one of the last posts on Our Thoughts Precisely before the new year.

     I have to say that 2014 was a much better year that 2013.  I didn't read as much, but most of the books I read were pretty good.  I think where the blog activity sort of dropped off for a while was during the move.  And with all the books in boxes and lack of internet connection for a while, I got no reading or blogging done. But after the move was over and everything was unpacked, things picked up again. The blog also got a new look this year, and I have to say that I'm relatively happy with it. I might add a few things here and there, but mostly it'll probably stay the same.

     What I learned this year...

     Balancing life with blogging/reading is more important than the number of books I read, and its perfectly fine that way.  Although--despite the lack of quantity--I read a bunch of good books, which makes me happy. Last year I, as a reader, still tried to finish every book.  But this past year I did something a little different.  I gave books the first 100 or so pages to grab my interest.  And if I really wasn't feeling it then I DNF'd it. That method saved a lot of time, and I got to read the books that I truly enjoyed.

     Some things from 2014...

     Through October and November I did a series of post called Falling into Fall.  It was just a fun way to share some of the things I wanted to do during fall. All links can be found on the Features Page.  I also got involved in a couple of weekly memes: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice & Musing Mondays hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

     Favorite reads of 2014...

     So, since its almost the end of the year I figured that I would share some of my favorite books that I read in 2014!  Some of the books on the list were released some time ago so the year they came out doesn't matter much to me.  It's in no particular order, and placement has nothing to do with how much I enjoyed the book.

• Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
• The Warrior by Victoria Scott 
• The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy
• Living Violet by Jamie Reed
• The Archived by Victoria Schwab
• Courting Magic by Stephanie Burgis
• Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
• Foundations in Comic Book Art by John Paul Lowe
• Dork Diaries 7: Tales from a Not-So-Glam TV Star by Rachel Renee Russell
• Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep
• Crystal Fire by Jordan Dane
• Double Vision: The Alias Men by F.T. Bradley 
• Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne
• Words for Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Monstrously Funny Cartoons by Christopher Hart

*I will be taking a break from blogging to enjoy my holiday. Any posts that show up after this one were already scheduled (There's only 2 of them). Happy Holidays!
     

2014 Holiday Gift Ideas for Readers

    Every time I look around, more time has passed.  Christmas is coming up soon, so today I thought I would share a few things that could make a nice gift for anyone (It doesn't have to be a reader). I'm going to start with books first and then a few others things.  I don't have many recommendations, but here they are anyway:

     Barnes & Noble collectible classic books. I recently got Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Other Stories. I do have to say that I love that edition of it, but for someone who likes classics, it could make a good gift.

     Double Vision Trilogy by F.T, Bradley The great thing about this middle grade trilogy is that it's already finished, and it provides lots of laughs as you follow Linc's adventures with Pandora.

     The League of Princes Trilogy by Christopher Healy This is another trilogy that completed this year. I love this series precisely because of its different take on the classic fairy tales that we already know.  

     A Wrinkle in Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle It's another great classic series. And I love the fact that it comes in a boxed set.

     Mythos Academy Series by Jennifer Estep Overall, I liked how this series handled the mythology, and managed to intertwine it with the plot.

     Alright then, moving on. For those who like cute coffee mugs I thought of the Cute Cat Mug from Tickled Teal. (There are also some Harry Potter themed ones.)

     Maggie Stiefvater art prints & more on Society 6. I really do like her style of art.

    An assortment of available tote bags through Society 6. There are too many pretty prints available to just list one.

      That's all for today, happy reading!