End of the year review: Favorites from 2015 and looking forward to 2016!

First up, let's talk about a couple of my favorite reads from 2015! I'm including both books I reviewed as well as just read for fun. And if you'd like to see more of what I read (not just books I review), be sure to follow me on Goodreads! Link on the side.

A series I fell in love with this year: Asking For It series by Lilah Pace! I read both "Asking For It" and "Begging For It" by Lilah Pace. This duet is not for the faint of heart - it deals with some super tough subjects and it's definitely for mature readers. But wow, it was so amazingly well done. Check out my review of "Asking For It" posted in October 2015!

A graphic novel that blew me away: Well, okay, there were a bunch (Saga, Ms. Marvel, and and so many more!) but I definitely want to mention Cairo by G. Willow Wilson. This was something Goodreads recommended to me, and thanks to interlibrary loan, I was able to read it! I was blown away, really. I loved the way the author wove together such a fascinating fantasy world.

Favorite nostalgia read: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot. I cannot tell you how excited I was to read this one. This book made me really happy - like, giggling to myself happy. I didn't know how much I missed this series until I read this. So then I had to search out all the short stories and novellas I had missed just to get more of the series. Check out my review of "Royal Wedding" posted in August 2015! Also, if you liked "Royal Wedding" by Meg Cabot, check out "The Royal We" by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan!

I had tons more books that I loved this year, but these three were definitely at the top of the list. Be sure to check them out!

Looking forward to 2016: So I've already decided to once again do the Popsugar 2016 reading challenge. I did this one in 2015 and loved it! It really made me branch out from my usual reads. The 2016 list is shorter, but it's got some great categories. Follow/Friend me on Goodreads to see everything I read for the challenge.

Also, Bookriot has a 2016 challenge as well, and I'm considering it. Especially since there could be some cross-listing. But would that really be fair?

Happy Reading, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

I'm back! Mostly!

Hey all! As you could see (hopefully) from my review yesterday, I am mostly back in action! I have a new laptop, so I should be able to post reviews as normal once again.

Windows 10 is definitely different than my old Windows 7 laptop, which I will miss wholeheartedly. I did a lot of work on that old thing - it got me through my Master's degree! And that 50+ page thesis. Good times, good times..

I'm still adjusting to this new device. Every time I try to scroll on a page, it automatically adjusts the zoom, which is pretty annoying. And as of right now, it won't let me upload pictures to the blog, though I'm hoping that's just an internet issue. Hence why this is a boring old text post.

Which is a whole other problem - new computer is working fine, but very very slow. I'm hoping that's just because of how bad the internet has been acting lately. I used to be able to watch Netflix, have my phone on, and be browsing the internet on my tablet or laptop and everything would be super fast. I'm currently down to one (maybe two, if I stretch it) device connecting at a time. Fingers crossed it's just the crappy weather.

I hope everyone had a good holiday, will continue to have a good holiday season, and will have a happy and safe New Year!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

REVIEW: Adulthood is a Myth: A "Sarah Scribbles" Collection by Sarah Andersen

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

Type: Comic Strips, Humor, Graphic Novel, Millennial Problems, This is my life!

About the Book: Are you a special snowflake? Do you love networking to advance your career? Have you never wasted a fresh new day surfing the internet? Ugh. This book is not for you. Please go away.

Sarah's Scribbles — casually drawn, perfectly on-point comics by young Brooklyn-based artist Sarah Andersen — confront head-on the horrors, anxiety, and awkwardness of modern adult life. From the agony of holding hands with a gorgeous guy to the yawning pit of hell that is the wifi gone down to the eye-watering pain of eating too-hot pizza because one cannot stand to wait for it to cool down, Sarah fearlessly documents it all.

Like the work of fellow Millennial authors Allie Brosh, Grace Helbig, and Gemma Correll, Sarah's total frankness on extremely personal issues such as body image, self-consciousness, introversion, relationships, and bra-washing makes her comics highly relatable and consistently hilarious. [Description from Goodreads.com]

My Review: I'm really mad at myself when it comes to this book. Why, you ask? Because I read it too fast. I loved it, I was laughing out loud more than I care to admit, and because it was so fun, I just kept going. This is, for sure, a one-sitting read. And that makes it that much worse. There needs to be more! I connect with this book on an uncomfortable, awkward, personal level. I would for sure be friends with this author in real life. Assuming we could ever get up the courage to say hello to each other and exchange phone numbers.

Every single page of this hilarious and wonderfully illustrated book is something that I have either felt at some point, or needed to instantly show one of my friends because they would appreciate it. I've seen these comics around before, but if possible, they are even more funny when bound together. This book is for sure going on my wishlist, and I look forward to browsing it time and time again, whenever I need a good chuckle.

Cover Lovin': This cover is 100% perfect. You see the art style, and the minimalist color scheme makes it pop.

Recommendation: This book is for anyone that ever felt like a weirdo introvert. No prior knowledge of the comics is necessary.

Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE (5/5) stars. My only complaint was that this book wasn't longer. I connected with everything, I laughed out loud multiple times, and I need to purchase this as soon as it's released. A total winner!

Pre-order your copy of "Adulthood is a Myth" by Sarah Andersen today!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. Thanks, Netgalley!