Chapter 18: January Reads

I am not a huge believer of New Year's Resolutions, but I do believe in Vision Boards. I used to go out of my way in decorating my vision board! I would paint my background and print some pictures! Haha This year though, I settled with just writing my goals and sticking them at the first page of my journal because I cannot life. Haha

One of the items I placed in my Vision Board was to read at least 12 Books this year. Part of me knew I could do more, but I didn't want to pressure myself so much.

But guess what? January's not even over, but I already went beyond my goal! HAHAHAHA Man, I already finished 12 books! I read 13, actly, but the other one's still ongoing, and the author haven't updated it yet. As of writing, I just started with my 14th book of the year a while ago.

I read while I crochet, so I guess that's how I get to finish a lot. hehe

In this post, I'll focus mainly on the 5 books that got 5 stars from me. 1 book in the list was written by Colleen Hoover, while the rest were by Ariesa Domingo, also known as beeyotch on Wattpad.

When I was in HS, I was very into Wattpad! I remember reading it, day in and out. Haha But as I grew older, I kinda outgrew it already and veered towards other authors. But early January of 2022, my conversation with a friend suddenly shifted to a Wattpad story, which she made me read a few years back. I remembered it being so funny and light. I wanted to start the year with less drama so I decided to give Wattpad a go again. I read the GDL Series, For Hire Book 1 and Game Series. These were all written by Beeyotch.

Here are my 5 fave books for January:

Eyes on Me, Baby

This is a book under the GDL Series. I had a good laugh with this one because of how Karma, the female lead, thinks and talks -- no filter, quite innocent and soooo cute! Her character was nothing extraordinary, but so strong. I actually learned a lot from Karma's character and personality, two of which are the value of honesty and being acceptable of who you really are.

Play the Game

This is the 1st book under the Game Series. This was quite a surprise for me because when I think of Wattpad, I imagine light and feel-good story. This book? There is nothing light about it. Goooosshh!!! The story and plot twist were so... intense. What made it feel heavier was that Kitty, the female lead, has the brightest and most carefree personality amongst her circle. But because of some circumtances, she was put in a situation wherein her world turned upside down, and the once cheerful girl turned out to be someone who have forgotten how to genuinely smile.
 

Reclaim the Game

This is another book under the Game Series. Just like Play the Game, Reclaim touches on serious adult topics. This book formed a loooot of questions in my head. I tried to put myself in the shoes of each character, and I couldn't help but ache for them. When reading a book, I usually take a pause to think of possible endings or next scenes, but for this one? I couldn't. It's not as if I didn't try. I just couldn't come up with anything. It was too complicated for my brain and heart. I am glad I didn't though, because I really like how it ended. Kind of open-ended, and I feel like there was no better way to end the story than that.
 

Defy the Game

One more book from the Game Series! This book was crazy! The author gave away the climax in the Prologue!!! So while reading, you kinda know what will happen, but kinda not, too?! Haha. This book made me tear up because... I don't know. I tried to imagine going through Assia's (female lead) situation, and it is so damn painful, man! She was lucky to have loving family and friends so never left her during tough times, but what she experienced was traumatic! Nobody deserves to live a life in constant fear. In the end, she seeked professional help, and slowly stopped flincing when someone calls her name or turning the doorknob. No shame in dealing with our mental issues, yknow!
 

Heart Bones

The only book in the list that is not from Wattpad! This is a book written by Colleen Hoover! I didn't read the synopsis prior to reading it, so I didn't really know what to expect. I found the first part kinda weird, but I got hooked with it pretty soon. It has a lot of life lessons, which makes you reflect on how you are living yours. It showed how we should always know the whole story before judging anyone; and that everyone deserves chances in bettering their lives. We all have our story to tell, but not everyone is willing to listen.

Soooo, that's my 5 favorite books for this month! What's yours?
 
Stay sane and safe!
Let's spread happiness.

herkeepsake