Alli the Book Giraffe

Hello readers! It’s tag Thursday! This is a really old tag. I think it was inspired by the turn of the decade in the end of 2019. However, I’m doing it now. This tag centers comparing your reading from 10 years ago to now.

This tag was created by Booktuber Rincey Reads.

In 2013, I was 19. I got my first job at 19 as a line cook at a restaurant called Pappy’s Barbeque. I also started a Booktube channel that year. I really loved making videos, even if I didn’t get many views and wasn’t that great at it.

My life was extremely different than it is now. I hadn’t even met my husband yet. 2014 was really the biggest year of my life and it hadn’t come yet!

I have now met my husband, married him, worked many different jobs, became a homeschooling parent, and moved 6 different times.

What was your favorite book in 2013?

I started the Night Huntress series 10 years ago now. I have been rereading it this year as well! I love this story so much, even to this day. It stood the test of time for sure.

I discovered Jeaniene Frost by complete accident in late 2012. I read a book by her that was really popular on Goodreads and led me to love her books. I didn’t even know smutty books existed!

It just shows me ho I had been in denial for like 10 years that I liked romance. I don’t think I liked them as much as I do now, but I was in denial then. I don’t even know why!

What is your favorite book of 2023?

Started with a romance and am ending with one. This series is so, so, so good! As I’m writing this, I am reading book 3 and also loving it.

Y’all are probably tired of hearing me talk about this series, but just read it! it’s sooo good.

What was your least favorite book in 2013?

I don’t know what Veronica Roth was thinking with this one. Allegiant was one of the worst final books in a series I’ve ever read.

Even though I read it 10 years ago, I can vividly remember every reason why I hated it. Firstly, this book was in dual POV when the rest of the sereis wasn’t. The POVs were impossible to tell apart. Four acted like an idiot from the beginning. It just didn’t make any sense. I won’t even mention my issues with the ending.

In short, I really hated Allegiant and I would never recommend the series to someone because of that book specifically.

What is your least favorite book of 2023?

I have a few books I read this year that I didn’t love, but The Family Remains was definitely a stand out. I just don’t think this sequel was needed.

I really love this author a lot, but The Family Remains is the worst book I’ve read by her.

What is a book published in 2013 that you still want to read?

I didn’t realize how many books I have read now that were published in 2013. This question was harder than I expected! Crown of Midnight is the 2nd book in the Throne of Glass series. I bought the first three books last month and still need to get to Crown of Midnight as of writing this.

What is a book published in 2023 that you want to get to before 2024?

This one comes out in November. Even though it hasn’t been published yet, I really want to get to it before the end of 2023!

I am indeed part of the crowd who really loved Fourth Wing and I can’t wait to see what we have in store for book 2. Have you read Fourth Wing yet?

What is a genre you used to read a lot of that you don’t read as much anymore?

I used to read a lot more paranormal romance back in 2013. I don’t read it as much anymore, but I honestly would like to. I am hoping for the day when vampire books are trending again!

I just started a prequel from the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I’m hoping that will spark some love for paranormal romance again.

What is a new genre you’ve discovered since 2013?

Well, I would say everything I read is a new genre. I was a genre snob back then. I only read paranormal, fantasy, and dystopian books. I now read just about everything. I would say the best one I’ve discovered is scifi! (I know dystopia is scifi) Scifi is so vast and I enjoy reading from all the subgenres it has to offer. I actually don’t like dystopian at all anymore.

What is a reading or book habit you are hoping to leave behind in this decade?

Not reading physical books (or ebooks). In 2018 I started listening to audiobooks and a year later I discovered Libby. I love audiobooks, don’t get me wrong, but I hate than 80-90% of all my reading is audio.

I miss reading with my eyes, but I sometimes cannot focus my brain to do it. I think I’m getting back into it these last few months and I hope the trend stays.

What is a new reading goal or habit you want to create in the upcoming decade?

This may sound like a stretch for me, but I want to create a habit of rereading. I don’t think I’ll ever be that person who reads and rereads the same books a hundred times, but I want to reread more.

In 2023, I’ve reread over a dozen books. I don’t usually do that and I wish I did. Mostly these are books in series that I didn’t remember anything about and reread them for the rest of the series.

I would like to get in the habit of rereading…sometimes.

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Where to find me: https://linktr.ee/Allithebookgiraffe

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