I have temporarily come back to life to do a quick round-up for 2019 in preparation for a brand new decade. Technically, I should be writing up some final lesson plans before I start student teaching but I've procrastinated most of 2019 so let's end on a strong note for something.

   

I just barely made my Goodreads goal which goes to show that 2019 was a bit of a struggle when it came to reading. For some reason, I wasn't finding the same amount of joy which made picking up a new book pretty difficult - to be honest, I think the number of books I've dnf-ed is almost as much as the number of books I actually read. However, I still found some favorites and started a couple series that I'm excited to continue into the new year.

the winter of the witch

Hands down my favorite book of 2019 and the most satisfying conclusion of a series that I have ever read. Each chapter seemed to up the stakes a little bit higher and I fell in love with the writing style and characters all over again. 10/10 highly recommend this entire trilogy.

the shadow glass

This book also marks the end to another one of my favorite series and because my love for this trilogy as a whole was so character-driven, the thought of never reading about them makes me a little sad. Regardless, there were so many loose ends that were wrapped up and all the wonderful interactions ADD

spin the dawn

A new favorite that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since I read it - Spin the Dawn has such a beautifully constructed world and storyline that it reads like a butt-kicking fairytale with a pair of magical golden scissors. I've already pre-ordered the sequel and everything, July just needs to come soon-ish.

the fountains of silence

Historical fiction always hits me with the right amount of nostalgics emotions and Ruta Sepetys is the master of that. I love that I'm always able to learn a bit more from a historical perspective whenever reading her books and that she focuses on educating her readers in addition to crafting a beautifully poignant story.

According to Spotify, I spent almost 10,000 minutes listening to Taeyeon and that is 10,000 minutes well spent in my opinion. I also basically had CLC's No.1 mini album on repeat for the entire year which I'm also not complaining about - the fact that they had three comebacks this year is a blessing from CUBE. Here's to a hopeful first full album in 2020 and all the wins possible. Also, LOONA just dropped a # teaser and I am so ready - BBC please send some new music my way.

I actually watched quite a bit of movies and shows this year so I thought I could do a quick summary of all the minutes I spent in this entertainment category.
   
Personally, I'm quite surprised after looking at some lists that these were the ones that stood out to me. Hotel Del Luna is a no brainer, I was in love with everything about this drama and IU literally slayed my existence. Toy Story 4 is just nostalgia in a movie for me and I admit to bawling in theaters when realizing that the end of this story marks another finite end of my childhood.

I can't believe I'm putting Frozen 2 on the list, old me would be shocked - but honestly, my expectations were so low and I did end up really enjoying the character and plot development. And of course, who could not include How to Train Your Dragon 3 - another conclusion to a lovable franchise and the music score is also just A++.

And that's my year. It feels underwhelming in a way but I'm still glad I was able to experience so many different favorites. I'm already setting up plans and lists for 2020 and with less than half an hour left in the decade left, here's to a successful and productive new start to the road ahead.