Rest in Peace, Mü

My dear Mü,

Three and a half years together is not nearly enough. But I can honestly say that you made me smile every single day you were apart of my life, and that is worth everything to me. I can only hope that I enriched your life as much as you enriched mine.

I'll always remember how adventurous you were, how excited you were to try new things, and how you often got yourself into tricky predicaments.

Adventurous Mü

In a predicament

But most of all, I'll remember our evening/weekend cuddles. Curled up with a book and a ferret was my happy place. I am convinced you were the sweetest ferret there ever was.

Cuddles with Mü

Rest in peace, Mü.

RIP, my girls, Stela and Mü

My 2016 Bookish Stats

For three years now, I have been keeping track of my bookish stats in an extensive spreadsheet so that I can compile the data at the end of the year, make some graphs, and keep track of the trends in my reading (see my 2014 bookish stats and my 2015 bookish stats). Yes, I am a nerd. But I will not deny my unabashed love for Microsoft Excel and all its many uses... 

So. In 2016 I read 175 books. I am proud not only of this number, but of the fact that I have been steadily increasing my number of books read every year by 25 books since 2011. So of course now that I am so close to *200 books* read in a year, I feel like I just have to challenge myself to do it, you know? Of course, I will need to read a bunch of shorter books this year to have a shot at meeting such a goal... We'll see what happens.

I consider it a good reading year when the majority of books I read are 4 stars and above. So I am happy to say that 2016 was a very good year for me in books as roughly 75% of books I read were 4 (or 3.5 rounded up) stars to 5 stars, with only a few duds.

Here is a breakdown of books read by genre from 2014 to 2016. Fantasy reading is back on top for me after that weird anomaly in 2015 when contemporary reads actually surpassed fantasy reads. I also read a lot more dystopians in 2016 (I read a few backlist series that I've had on my TBR forever, like the Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld and the Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi). And I've really been embracing and enjoying non-fiction a whole lot this past year.

I read zero review books in 2016, nor did I purchase any books. All the books I read in 2016 were either borrowed from the library or gifted to me (i.e.. FREE). Now this might be the stat I'm most proud of, and my wallet thanks me! Occasionally I do miss the days of receiving advanced books for review from publishers and all the excitement that went along with that, but overall I find I'm happiest not reading and reviewing on anyone's schedule but my own.

Only three data points here, but I'm pleased that I've managed to meet my goal to read more diverse books: in 2016, almost 25% of the books I read had a MC who was a person of colour.

I've also managed to read more books with an LGBT representation, with over 15% of books read in 2016 featuring a LGBT MC.

And finally, I've managed to increase the percentage of standalones I read in 2016 to almost 50% (probably all those non-fiction reads I read). I still love me a good series read, but I was getting a bit overwhelmed with the number of series I was taking on so I am happy I decided to do less series-reading in 2016.


So there you have it (if anyone did indeed read this post to the end...)! In 2017, I would like to continue to read more non-fiction as I really enjoyed it in 2016. I would also like to read more diversely and limit the number of series I have on the go. I am considering taking up e-galley reading for publishers again (though not in any major capacity), and I plan on maintaining my book buying ban for 2017. Here's to a good year in reading!

2016 End of Year Survey

The Annual End of Year Book Survey is hosted by The Perpetual Page-Turner

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?
In chronological order read: The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson, Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas, and Vicious by V.E. Schwab. I read lots of great books this year, but these are the ones that ended up sticking with me weeks, months later.

2. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child had a ton of bizarre surprises in store and I'm still not really sure what to think of them...

3. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?
Definitely The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.

4. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?
Rae Carson! I was blown away by her Fire and Thorns Trilogy.

5. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I usually avoid depressing contemporary books like the plague, but I must admit that Me Before You by Jojo Moyes was a great reading experience.

6. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
The Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson - these books are so fast-paced, they accomplish more plot-wise in a few chapters than the average book, which takes thrice as long.

7. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I would love to do a series reread of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, probably via audiobook.

8. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?

9. Most memorable character of 2016?
Laura Ingalls from the Little House Series quickly won me over with her spunky tomboy spirit and I loved reading about her journey growing up as a pioneer in the Northwest US. Also: Marvin, the chronically depressed robot, from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

10. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.

11. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I wouldn't say this book was life-changing, but it definitely gave me a ton to think about.

13. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams! That book was originally published in 1979, is a classic, and is right up my alley so I don't know what took me so long.

14. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?
Longest: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas - 648 pages
Shortest: one of the numerous children's picture books I read to kids during my summer job

15. Book That Shocked You The Most
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff had some insanely fun shocking moments!

16. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Yorick and Agent 355 from Y: The Last Man by Brian Vaughan.

17. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
The Raven Boys + Blue, from the The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.

18. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I had previously read The Scorpio Races - an all-time favourite of mine - so it is no wonder The Raven Cycle was a WIN for me in 2016.

19. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
When I heard from Micheline of Lunar Rainbows that the audiobook of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was read by the inimitable Stephen Fry, I KNEW I had to have it!

20. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

21. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
For sure The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams!

22. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

23. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
The final volume of Y: The Last Man by Brian Vaughan.

24. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?
Saga by Brian Vaughan and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente. HELLO creativity!!

25. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas

26. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?
Throne of Glass #6 by Sarah J. Maas - the series ender!!

November Recap: Rest in Peace, Stela

November was a bit rough for me and as a result I wasn't up for much blogging. At the beginning of the month, I lost my dear ferret, Stela:

Super Stela

It was about 3 years ago that I adopted my ferret girls, Mü and Stela (whose names together create Mustela, their scientific genus) and they quickly became a big part of my life and my heart.

Mü and Stela

Stela is maybe about 2 years older than Mü and has had a number of health problems over the past few years. And yet despite that, her passing still felt very abrupt. Just that day she was scampering about as per usual and hiding her toys around the house as always. She was totally fine, and then all of a sudden she wasn't.

One of the many nests Stela found for herself to sleep: my sock drawer

Mü for her part is doing okay. They were a bonded pair so I was quite concerned how Mü would handle Stela's passing considering they were always together. We brought the body home from the vet to show to Mü and she seemed to sort of process things in her own way. It was very sad.

Mü and Stela

I've had a few weeks to mourn and adjust now, but damn I miss her. She was such a sweetheart, such a character. She brought a smile to my face every single day.

Silly Stela

It was actually the day before the US Election that Stela passed away and I like to think her little heart was so pure, so virtuous, that she knew she couldn't live in such a world with such a repulsive world leader. Heh.

Rest in peace, dearest Stela.

Favourite TV Show of November:

Now here is a definite bright spot of the month: Gravity Falls. I couldn't help it, when I was watching this show, it just made me feel happy! I can't remember the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed a TV show by Disney, but whenever it was I don't think I was an adult. Gravity Falls is just one of those shows that transcends age though. It's super silly and light hearted and yet it has a great mystery as well. Highly recommended to all!

Favourite Book of November: 

I technically started this one in October, but I wasn't up to reading for a good while there... Thank goodness that this chapter in the Throne of Glass series was able to save me from a potential reading slump! Sarah Maas never fails to impress and Queen of Shadows was another superb instalment. I am so impressed at the growth of all the characters since book one and I am both excited and terrified to see what is yet to come for them in books five and six. I should hopefully get to Empire of Storms soon!

Muggle Monday: Fantastic Beasts News Catch-Up

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight something from the Harry Potter world. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


There is less than one month left until Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is released in theatres (November 18) so it seems like a good time to catch up on the major news from the last few months:

There Will Be Five Fantastic Beasts Films

You heard right: there will be a total of FIVE Fantastic Beasts movies written by J.K. Rowling. Originally slated to be a trilogy of movies, it was recently announced that two additional movies are needed to complete the story. I'm choosing to view this as a genuine attempt to tell the story well, and NOT just a complete cash-grab as some people are suggesting.

And I'm super excited for this because not only will we be seeing even more from Newt Scamander and co., but these movies will be exploring the rise of the dark wizard, Grindelwald. We learned some hints about Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but now we will get to learn about his backstory in earnest as it seems he may be the main villain of the Fantastic Beasts movies.

New Pottermore Writing Reveals History of Ilvermorny and MACUSA

J.K. Rowling has posted some extensive writings on Pottermore revealing the fascinating histories of North American Wizarding School Ilvermorny and the U.S. Ministry of Magic MACUSA.

Not only do these writings provide important context for the Fantastic Beasts movies, they're also fascinating lore in their own right, written in Jo's typical style of storytelling. In them we learn of the saga of the beginning of Ilvermorny (which could be easily fleshed out into its own novel IMO), and we also learn that a Potter family member was one of the first 12 Aurors that made up the law enforcement of MACUSA.

Find Out Your Ilvermorny House On Pottermore

In addition to the oodles of background history to learn about Ilvermorny, Pottermore also has more information about the Ilvermorny houses and a sorting quiz.

The Ilvermorny Houses are Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, Thunderbird, and Wampus:

It is sometimes said of the Ilvermorny Houses that they represent the whole witch or wizard: the mind is represented by Horned Serpent; the body, Wampus; the heart, Pukwudgie and the soul, Thunderbird. Others say that Horned Serpent favours scholars, Wampus, warriors, Pukwudgie, healers and Thunderbird, adventurers.

And as for me, I was sorted into Horned Serpent! What Ilvermorny House were you sorted into?

Final Fantastic Beasts Trailer Has Been Released

This final Fantastic Beasts trailer truly gives audiences a taste of what to expect in theatres come November 18. In addition to being introduced to a whole new cast of characters, I am also looking forward to seeing more from New York in the 1920s and all the fantastic new magical beasts. What are you most looking forward to seeing in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?

Where Has The Time Gone?

Where has the time gone? One moment I'm busy scheduling regular blog posts and the next moment it seems, it's five months later and I've barely thought about blogging at all. Blogging breaks happen to all of us, but this one was especially lengthy and left completely unexplained on my part (sorry!).

The summer season started up in May at my museum and all of a sudden I was working extremely exhausting days for the rest of summer. These are the busy months at the museum wherein thousands of tourists visit every day from around the world and I was tasked with educating and entertaining them. As a self-described introverted couch potato, leading hikes into the badlands for hundreds of strangers to hunt for fossils took a lot out of me every day and led to me crashing in bed shortly after wolfing down my supper every night.

Leading a hike into the Canadian Badlands

I love my job though, don't get me wrong. Every day I am so happy when I think about the fact that I get to live and work in an environment that I used to LIVE for as a child on family trips, and I get to be surrounded by fellow dino nerds. I am in my element, the place I want to be long-term, and I am loving life.

Mixed up in all of this, I apparently went insane and decided that among all my exhaustion it would be a good time to buy my first home?! Listen, I have no explanation besides that I fell head-over-heels-in-love with the perfect home that was the right price and I needed to have it.

My "new" 1920s home

Since purchasing property, I have been adulting HARD. I'm finalizing budget plans one day, renovating a bathroom the next, and cleaning out my eavestroughs the day after that. It's a lot of work, but I can't put into words how much joy it brings me to finally have my own space to settle and make my own. Have I mentioned that I am loving life?

Of course in all of this, blogging was the hobby that fell by the wayside. I am tentatively hoping to pick it back up now that things have quieted down a bit. I've missed you guys!

And one more thing:

THIS happened. And honestly, I'm still sort of working through my feelings on it. I'm not used to reading plays and I will admit I felt a bit detached at times reading a bare-bones script instead of the writing that I am used to. Ideally, I could see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as it was meant to be experienced: on the stage. But until then I'm not sure I will be posting a review for it unless I can find a way to sort through my thoughts... Overall though, it was so great catching up with my favourites and seeing what they had been up to all these years. I'd love to know your thoughts on it!

April Recap: Shadowhunters and The Raven King

April was a quiet month for me which was nice, especially because the upcoming months will be more busy than quiet as I start a full-time position at the museum. I'm definitely excited to finally be employed full time at an institution that I love, but I know I will soon be missing these lazy April weeks of watching TV and reading.

This month, I finally took the time to watch Season 1 of Shadowhunters, based off of The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare:

While a lot of people - myself included - were disappointed with the movie adaptation of the series that was released a few years back, I remained cautiously optimistic that they would do a better job with an episodic adaptation of the series. And thankfully, my optimism was not misplaced - the acting and writing still isn't great and I'm not sure what to make of all the changes that were made from the books... But it was still definitely more watchable than the movie. And is it weird that I was still kind of into it despite all its flaws? I don't know, it's easy entertainment (all episodes were made available on Netflix in Canada) and it's addictive once you get going. I will continue watching when they do a second season. Has anyone else watched Shadowhunters? I'm curious what the consensus is from fans.


Also in April, I was presented with the final instalment of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater in all its glory:

Even though I only read the first three books last month, the series already has a special place in my heart and I was so sad to see it come to an end already. Nevertheless, I dug right into The Raven King as soon as I had a chance. I won't be posting my thoughts or a review anytime soon because a) I'm still processing it, and b) I'm worried that even my raw reaction might spoil the book for others in some way. But feel free to DM me if you've read it too and want to discuss!

Blog Posts in April

Waiting On Wednesday: Penguin Summer 2016 Catalog
Muggle Monday: Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition
Muggle Monday: Fantastic Beasts Teaser Trailer Released
Muggle Monday: Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) Review - 5 Stars
Series Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - 2.5 Stars
Series Review: The Raven Cycle (#1-3) by Maggie Stiefvater - 5 Stars
March Recap: Little House, Raven Cycle, and Easter Weekend

March Recap: Little House, Raven Cycle, and Easter Weekend

Oi, I haven't posted in a few weeks, sorry! I fell into a bit of a slump in which I just really did not feel like writing reviews and so my blogging suffered. But thankfully, the same could not be said for my reading habits, which were strong all month long! There were two series in particular that I read and LOVED in March.

First, the Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder:

When I posted about my Anne of Green Gables obsession some years ago, some folks had asked me if I had ever read the American equivalent, the Little House books, which follow Laura and the rest of the Ingalls family growing up as pioneers of the northern midwest US in the 1800s. Well, I finally read the series this month and though nothing could replace my love of Anne Shirley, I adored spunky tomboy Laura Ingalls all the same! I think one of the best parts of the series is that it is autobiographical - all of the successes and hardships faced by the Ingalls family in the books really did happen. And in that way, I really felt that the series was a fascinating history lesson of a sort! I listened to the entire series on audiobook narrated by Cherry Jones and it was wonderful. Highly recommended!

Second series, the first three books in The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater:

This has been a LONG time coming. Since The Raven Boys was first published, really. I knew already from the blurb and reviews and previous works by Maggie that this series was for ME, but I put off the actual reading of it for years because I was so terrified that the prevailing stress of my life at the time would taint my reading experience of what I was sure would be a favourite of mine (does anyone else do this?). So I waited and waited and waited until I knew I was at a time in my life when I was at leisure to enjoy the books in my own time and own way. And that time was this month, FINALLY (and just in time for The Raven King in a few weeks!). I suppose I will save the bulk of my thoughts for a full review at a later date, but suffice it to say that it definitely IS the favourite I thought it would be. The characters, the magic, the writing - so much love!

And lastly of significance this month, the Easter Long Weekend:

Easter for me means three things: painting Easter Eggs (a tradition every year since I can remember), eating loads of chocolate, and spending time with family. And thankfully, one of the benefits of now living close to home is that I was able to make the trip up to Edmonton to be with my family! And so I had a nice weekend, indeed :)


That's it for me and March! I hope everyone else had a good March as well, and I hope to get back to regular blogging for April!

Blog Posts in March

Waiting On Wednesday: Macmillan Spring 2016 Catalog
Waiting On Wednesday: Simon & Schuster Spring 2016 Catalog
Muggle Monday: 7 New Facts About the History of Magic in North America
Review: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer - 4 Stars
Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord - 4.5 Stars
February Recap: Blogilates, Sleepovers, and Graphic Novels

February Recap: Blogilates, Sleepovers, and Graphic Novels

I hope everyone has had a good February! I had a pretty good month. Here's some of the things that took up my time these past few weeks:

First off, after a long time of sitting around with a hunched back, typing away at my thesis, I have finally started exercising again! Oh man, I wish I had never let my regular exercise schedule go because it is HARD to get back into the swing of things after taking such a long break off. Fortunately, thanks to Blogilates and Cassey Ho, I have been able to find my motivation again to work on my fitness.

I challenged myself this month to take the Blogilates Beginner's Challenge and I am supremely impressed with myself that I actually managed to keep it up all month long! It wasn't easy, but I am I am so happy I didn't give up. It's pretty exciting to be able to feel your body slowly becoming stronger over the weeks, and I find that I can now push myself harder and take fewer breaks than ever before. Blogilates was new to me in February, but I hope to keep it up in March and for a long time to come! 

Also this month, I found some casual employment! I've been unemployed since I finished my teaching contract at the University of Toronto last year, so I felt so lucky to be given some work in these hard economic times in Alberta. As part of my position, I am now hosting sleepovers for families at the local museum:

Yes, that's right, families are able to spend the night at the museum sleeping among the dinosaurs and also learning about palaeontology - dream come true much?! Well, MY dream come true anyway. And also, I'm essentially being paid to SLEEP for most of the time!! It doesn't get much better than that.

And finally, this month I was able to get a new library card for the town I'm living in and I immediately started requesting as many graphic novels as I have ever heard even the slightest amount of buzz over. And I think it's safe to say that I now have another new favourite way to enjoy reading.

It's strange to think that before now I had just never given graphic novels a go. I would see plenty of reviews from trusted bloggers and think they sounded interesting, but I just never got my butt in gear to make my reading of them happen. And now that I am reading them, I can't imagine that I'll ever grow tired of this medium of reading. I especially love to read graphic novels between bouts of reading normal novels as they make for a quick and entertaining break. The graphic novels pictured above are all ones I read in February and enjoyed - I'll have to write up some reviews for them to discuss them more in depth though.


P.S. If you can think of any graphic novels to recommend to me, I would LOVE to hear them! I'll try pretty much anything! Thanks guys :)

Posts in February:

Muggle Monday: News From A Celebration of Harry Potter
Muggle Monday: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to be Published
Waiting On Wednesday: Simon & Schuster Winter 2016 Catalog
Waiting On Wednesday: HarperCollins Spring 2016 Catalog
Waiting On Wednesday: Penguin Spring 2016 Catalog
Series Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - 3.5 Stars
January Recap: Thesis Completion, Ice Castles, and True Crime Documentaries

Muggle Monday: News From A Celebration of Harry Potter

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight something from the Harry Potter world. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


My plan this week had been to post my review of the latest Cormoran Strike novel, Career of Evil. But then A Celebration of Harry Potter in Orlando had to go and reveal all sorts of new exciting news from the Wizarding World, so it seemed more pressing to talk about that instead:

New Fantastic Beasts Preview:

Oh man! This looks so awesome!! The teaser trailer was awesome too, but it's so cool to be getting some insight into the film's storyline, characters, sets, etc. I don't know, it may be too early for me to be getting so excited about a movie that we've seen so little of so far and won't be released until November of this year, but... I can't help it!

New Cursed Child Preview:

Okay, well this preview for the upcoming West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child might not be as exciting as the Fantastic Beasts preview because it has a lot less to show, but it's still an interesting behind the scenes look at the beautiful Palace Theatre where the play will be running starting this July. And maybe this preview means we will soon get to see pictures of the play's cast in action!

Pottermore is Updated:

Some people were dismayed when, a few months ago, Pottermore's read-along moments feature (with sorting and wand quizzes, and house cup tournaments) were taken down to be replaced with a simple news site. Though I admit I wasn't a fan of some of the more childish aspects of the original Pottermore, I was a bit bummed that they just up and took down everything that the site was based around. Well, the moments and house cup seem to be gone for good, but this weekend, Pottermore brought back the Sorting and Wand Selection quizzes, along with some new writings from J.K. Rowling.

Though I have been sorted before, I wanted to see if I would get the same result so I took the sorting quiz again. And - naturally - I was sorted into Hufflepuff again (Puff Pride!):

Pottermore House in 2011

Pottermore House in 2016

My wand, however... I have a new wand! I guess I must have answered the quiz questions slightly differently?

Pottermore Wand in 2011

Pottermore Wand in 2016

Anyone else get re-sorted and re-wanded on Pottermore this weekend? Let me know your results in the comments below - I'm curious if anyone had any changes like I did!

Maybe the most exciting piece of Pottermore news to come out of A Celebration of Harry Potter was new information from Jo about wizarding schools around the world:

According to Jo, there are eleven long-established wizarding schools in the world (though there are also plenty of smaller ones, apparently). In addition to the ones that we already know about (Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang), there is also Mahoutokoro (in Japan), Uagadou (in Africa), Castelobruxo (in Brazil), and Ilvermorny (in North America). Of course, that's only 7 out of the 11 supposed main wizarding schools in the world, so we're still waiting to hear more about that from Jo. But in the meantime, you can read a bit about each of the aforementioned magic schools here.

Exciting news, no? I know I have always wondered about international wizarding schools beyond Hogwarts for us non-UK folk. Now I only need to know one more thing: what the heck happened to my Ilvermorny letter??