I decided that since it’s the end of the year I might as well write a sort of end of year post. What better way to do that then to talk about my favorites of the year? This will probably end up being super long so let’s begin 🙂
Books:
2018 was a bad year for me in terms of reading. I only read 29 books this year and my goal was 50. I read good and bad books, but most of them were good, thankfully. Quality over quantity is always best, in my opinion.
- Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli // This book wasn’t as good as people were saying but I still enjoyed it and flew through it in the span of 48 hours. I adore the characters and the writing style is super easy to get into.
- American Panda by Gloria Chao // This was my most anticipated release of 2018. It’s set in college, there’s dumplings, a cute romance that doesn’t take away from the actual story, and focuses around family. I adored this so much – I laughed out loud and I could re-read it a thousand times and not get bored.
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee // I like historical fiction (though I don’t read it often) plus I like Korea so mix those two and BAM! Stellar book. I couldn’t recommend this enough. I need a movie or drama based around this (in actual Korean).
- The Benefits of Being An Octopus by Ann Braden // This book came out of nowhere and surprised me. I requested it on NetGalley on a whim as you do and the publisher approved me for all of their publications (ikr!!! what????) The book itself is filled with so much heart and I adore the protagonist and FEEL for her so much.
- Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan // This book was all of the rage this year due to the movie adaptation (which is AMAZING!) so I decided to read the book. Let me tell you, this is roller coaster ride whew! It’s so much fun and I learn a lot about Singapore and culture. Plus there’s an evil disapproving mother which makes everything 5x more intense and interesting.
Honorable Mentions:
- The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee // Absolutely loved. I laughed and flew through it so quickly.
- A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena // This book tore me apart. That’s it.
- To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han // I actually forgot that I read this in 2018 which is kinda the reason it’s in the honorable mentions.
- The Brilliant Death by Amy Rose Capetta // I was in a slump so it took me longer than I wanted to read this book but it was soooo good. One of the best fantasies I’ve read in a while.
Movies:
Bohemian Rhapsody // This is the last movie I watched and wow. Just. Wow. There was a lot of moments where I got actual chills because of Rami Malek’s acting and the recreation of iconic Queen moments. I think they did Freddie Mercury justice with this one. They also get an A+ for actually using the word bisexual.
Crazy Rich Asians // I got my entire family to watch this with me which was a big win. We all enjoyed it a lot. The acting was great. The script was great. The entire movie was absolutely STUNNING. I’m excited for the sequel and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
The Hate U Give // I was going to write a review for this – and I started it. But I chickened out *cough* got lazy *cough*. I’m not saying everyone should see this movie because it’s definitely not one for the lighthearted. But everyone should appreciate this movie. The book was great but the movie gave me actual chills. When I get chills, I know a movie is good.
Black Panther // This was THE movie of the year. Infinity War was good but Black Panther MADE 2018. There’s not a single thing I didn’t like about this movie. Everything was so brilliant and I could watch it over and over.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before // This adaptation of the book BLEW UP. I think we can all agree when we say that Netflix did an amazing job with this movie. I can’t wait for the sequel.
TV Shows:
Fresh Off The Boat // Early this year in January I think me and my mom started this show together. I’m so happy we did because it’s such a funny show. I don’t like comedies that rely on the same jokes over and over again, which is exactly what this show doesn’t do.
Memories of the Alhambra // This is currently on-going with 10 episodes up on Netflix. If you don’t know if you’d like K-Dramas or not I’d recommend you check out this one. The writing, cinematography, acting, and story are all great and the more you watch the more confused you get.
One Day At a Time // Me and my mom found this show on a whim one night scrolling through Netflix and I’m so glad we did. This show is funny but it also deals with racism, sexism, PTSD, and some other touchy subjects in a brilliant way. I can’t wait until the next season is released.
Age of Youth 2 // I watched the first season of this show back when I first started watching K-Dramas and fell in love with everything about it. Friendship is the main focus of this drama and although they changed the lead actress in this season I loved it nonetheless and was hooked.
Black-ish // ABC has the best family comedies. My mom and I started this after we got all caught up on Fresh off the Boat and needed something else to watch. For both shows, not everything is said or done to be a joke which is the best part because when there is a joke it’s really funny.
Music:
This could get super long super fast so I’m going to list my favorite artists and then a few of my favorite songs from them this year. Or, artists I discovered this year and my favorite songs of theirs I discovered this year.
Day6 // I never thought I’d get into any bands when I started listening to K-Pop but they quickly became one of my favorite K-Pop artists. Both of the songs I’m including are from their 2018 comebacks. They keep surprising me because their songs just keep getting better and better.
GOT7 // They had such a great year. As a group they grew a lot this year. Their company started giving them more creative freedom so the songs they released this year had more meaning to the members and they released an AMAZING album. I’m really proud of them. and how much they’ve grown.
Monsta X // If you didn’t already know this is my favorite K-Pop group. They’re also the second group I got into and they’ve had an AMAZING year. They released their first full album – one of my favorite albums of the year – did a world tour, and became the first K-Pop act ever to perform at Jingle Ball. I love every single song they came out with this in 2018.
Seventeen // They are my second favorite K-Pop group. I adore them so much and their songs are all so amazing. I got into them this year and I’m so happy I did because they had some great releases this year.
Stray Kids // Last but DEFINITELY not least are the monster rookies. They officially debuted this year but they have already made such a big impact with three comebacks and loads of great music. I love everything about them and can’t wait to see what they do this year.
Honorable Mentions:
- Troye Sivan // His ‘Bloom’ album is absolutely beautiful. He accomplished a lot in 2018 I know he’ll go on to become even more big this year.
- G(I)-dle // Whew they came out of nowhere and BLEW UP! I wasn’t ready but I’m also not complaining because their songs are soooo good.
- Hayley Kiyoko // The lovely May @ Forever and Everly introduced me to her music. I knew her from Lemonade Mouth (the last good disney channel movie fight me) so I thought I’d check her out. I’m extremely impressed. I honestly don’t know why she’s not played on the radio?? If she was I’d actually listen to it.
- Ateez // Another rookie group. They debuted and immediately everyone went INSANE. They have such a cool concept (pirates!) and now they’re gonna have another comeback in two weeks. I’m psyched.
- Billie Eilish // She’s young but really talented. I don’t get tired of any of her songs. I can’t wait to hear more from her.
What were some of your favorite movies, tv shows, books, and music of 2018? Is there anything you plan on reading, watching, or listening to this year? Let me know!
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