What I'm Reading January 2018

Happy new year!
Last year one of my new year resolutions was to read more. I made a list of seventeen books I wanted to read during 2017 and while I didn't end up reading all of the books listed, I ended up reading most of them. My 2017 book count (excluding books I needed to read for school) was 16/17.  I'm going to be doing another post on 18 books I'd like to read in 2018 that'll be going up soon, so make sure you're following this blog on Bloglovin so you don't miss it! 

Last Month's Books:

The 4-Hour Workweek - Tim Ferriss
This is a book that I've wanted to read for a long time. I've heard that it's life-changing and that it is a "must read." I liked it, but I don't think that it's fully applicable for me in my life right now. If you're considering entrepreneurship or work a 9-5 and are looking for more freedom, this would be an amazing book for you to read. There are a lot of actionable tips in this book (like automation and time management), but I think that if I wasn't a student, I could take more away from it. Highly recommend reading this book, it just might be a better read once you're fully "adulting" and working. 

The 4-Hour Body - Tim Ferriss
I've been on a bit of a Tim Ferriss kick if you couldn't tell. This book is incredible. If you've ever struggled with health, weight, or fitness, this book is a total game changer. It once again has a lot of actionable tips and regimes that you can easily implement into your life. I didn't actually read this book (I had an audio-version), but I'm still including it in my book count for the year like I did for The Sell. 

2017 Recap:
If you're new to the blog and don't want to catch up on the previous What I'm Reading posts, I thought that I'd list a few of my favorite and least favorite reads of 2017. 

Starting with the best...

1) Breakfast at Tiffany's 
It's different than the movie both in plot and the character traits of Holly, but it is brilliant. It's a very, very short read, but a classic for good reason. It was by far my favorite book that I've read this year and is a book I can see myself reading in the future. 

2) The Sun Also Rises
This year was the second time reading this book, and I was reminded of how much I loved it the first time I read it. It's an easy book to read (as far as Hemingway goes), but is deep and feels especially relatable to me at this point in my life. This book also has one of my favorite ending lines (Gatsby is another book with a fantastic last line). 

3) The Beautiful and Damned
This was the first book I finished this year, and another one that I could see myself re-reading over and over again. It's by Fitzgerald, who is another one of my favorite authors. It's beautiful and tragic and although it is fiction, captures real feelings in a way that resonates authentically. 

...And now the worst...

1) How to Win Friends and Influence People
It felt redundant and after I finished the book I had an overwhelming feeling of "isn't this common sense?" I think my expectations for this book were too high, but I started it thinking I would get life-changing advice, but finished realizing that this book was nothing more than a reminder to do what I already know. 

2) Eat, Pray, Love
I HATED this book. It felt overdramatic and egocentric. I never once empathized with the main character because all her misfortunes and lamenting seemed so trivial. The "eat" section of the book is the only part that I actually enjoyed, but there is no way that I would ever read this book again. 

I'm still creating my reading list for the year, but once I get it figured out, I'll make another post sharing it! I really enjoyed pushing myself to read more because reading for fun has been a neglected hobby of mine these past few years. Hopefully I'll be better bout making time for reading and can finish even more books next year. Let me know in the comments what books you've read recently and if you have any recommendations!
-Sienna