Best of 2017: Books

Continuing with the “best of 2017” theme, Adri and I are back and ready to list our picks for the best books we read in 2017. 

Before we get to the list, I have a couple of technical things to mention. To keep this organized, I’ve broken the post down into two sections: Fiction and nonfiction. Also, these are just the books we read this year and are a combination of 2017 releases and backlist titles. Because Adri is joining me, I'm not setting a limit on the amount of books we can pick for our respective lists. And, these aren't all the books we read and loved. This is only a very small percentage of them...

Fiction…

Adri's picks...

• Raven (TPB) By Marv Wolf man, Alison Borges, and Diogenes Neves
• Mirror's Edge: Exordium (TPB) by Christofer Emgard and Mattias Haggstrom
• The Gauntlet by  Karuna Riazi
• The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis

Comments: Okay, this is a sad, sad list. After I wrote it, I ran to Breana and demanded to know what fiction I read (jokingly of course)! Well this is it... sadly. I actually wanted to read more comics this year, but I'll do that next year.

Breana’s picks…

• The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
• The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
• The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco 
• The Windfall by Diksha Basu
• Starflight by Melissa Landers
• City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
• A Crown of Wishes by Rochani Chokshi
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova
• Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee

Comments: Overall, I had a relatively good reading year. Most of the fiction I read ended up being highly enjoyable reads with unique settings, stories, and characters. There were very few exceptions to that, mainly because I was pickier this year and only read books I thought I would enjoy.

Nonfiction

Breana’s Picks…

• Gone by Min Kym
• Colored Pencil Portrait Painting by Alyona Nickelsen
• Undeniable by Douglas Axe
• The Cosmic Web by J. Richard Gott
• Wondrous Beauty by Carol Berkin
• Don't Live for Your Obituary by John Scalzi
• Discover Magazine

Comments: I didn’t end up reading as much nonfiction as I originally thought I would. Part of the problem was finding ones I was actually interested in. That being said, the books I did read were surprising in all the best ways possible.

Adri's Picks...

• Leading Lady by Stephen Galloway
• Color Index by Jim Krause
• Rarely Seen by Susan Tylet Hitchcock with a foward by Stephan Alvarez
• Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design By Deborah Nadoolman Landis with a foward by Anjelica Huston
• The art of Fashion Draping Second Edition by Connecticut Amaden-Crawford
• The Fabulous Fibonacci Numbers by Alfred S. Posamentier and Ingmar Lehmann
• Manga Art by Mark Crilley

Comments: In contrast to Breana, I read so much nonfiction, this list only scratches what I read. This year, I mainly stuck to fashion, designer's biography, art, and other biographies. I beleive I'll continue to read books like these into 2018, because I have a long list (that I manage to lose) of books I want to read from the library.

 What are some of the best books you read this year?

Best of 2017: Music

I typically associate December with Christmas-y stuff, but it’s also that time of year where I get to talk about some of the best books I’ve read. The only difference is that this year I’ve decided to dedicate an entire post to the music I've been listening to in 2017. This list includes albums that came out in previous years as well as 2017 releases. Adri is also joining me today with her own additions to the list....

Breana's picks...

• Lady Wood by Tove Lo
• Blue Lips (Lady Wood Phase ll) by Tove Lo 
• Hopeless Fountain Kingdom by Halsey
• The Dreaming Room by Laura Mvula
• The Altar by Banks
• Sweet Sexy Savage by Kehlani
• The Fate of the Furious The Album by Various Artists
• Another Eternity by Purity Ring
• For All We Know by Nao

Comments: In 2017, Music Monday encouraged me to keep up with new music by my favorite artists while also seeking out bands/singers/etc who were entirely new to me...

Adri's picks...

• The Chief by Jidenna
• Art Angels by Grimes
• Dark Matter by Les Friction
• Warmer in the Winter by Lindsey Sterling
• Gemini by Macklemore
• Awake Alert Alive Almost by Spiritual Machines
• Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! and The Fall of A Rebel Angel by Enigma
• Carcal by Disclosure
• Break From This World by Globus

Comments: Although I havn't got the chance to buy every album on this list, starting with Awake Alive Almost, I feel like I've listened to more new music this year than the last. I can only hope that next year will bring more.

So, what music have you been listening to in 2017?