Non-Bookish Favorites of 2018 + Mini Wrap-Up // Yes, I actually like things other than books

Happy New Year’s Eve!! 🎉🎊

Since today is the last day of 2018 (😱 I’m still shook), I’m here to share my non-bookish favorite things of 2018!! And yes, I’m just as surprised as you are: I enjoy doing things other than reading. books are my first love though, don’t worry

Specifically, in my free time (more like in my “i should be doing homework and other productive things” time), I love to marathon TV shows, watch movies, and listen to music!! (I know, these are very basic hobbies, but I LOVE DOING THEM AND THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS.) 💓

And because this is a book blog, and I can’t write one post without mentioning books, I’ll list a few books that should’ve made my favorite books of 2018 post, but didn’t because i was too lazy to write more. Lastly, I’ll end this post with a list of what I accomplished this year & my 2019 goals, as a way to wrap up 2018. 🌟

Excited? I sure am, hehe. Let’s get started!! 💫

Actually, before I begin, I want to give a special shoutout to my best Internet friend, Jordan!! She’s the one who got me into most of my favorite TV shows and movies that I’m about to scream about. i love her so much for that…and ofc for other reasons too 😘 Jordan, if you’re reading this (which you will be because I’m gonna make you), I can’t express how grateful I am for our friendship; you’ve always been there and you’ve done so much for me. Thanks for always letting me spill the tea, laughing and dying with me, and putting up with my weirdness & overthinking. :’) I appreciate how you’re always ready to fight someone/something for me, too. YOU’RE THE BEST and you better not deny this indisputable fact!! Love you fam 😏💕 ok i’m done being sappy now…or am i 🤔

TV Shows

🌟 Brooklyn 99: Even if you’ve only read a couple of my blog posts, you should know the infinite love I have for this show (through my never-ending use of B99 gifs). Diversity, representation, supportive friendships, the best ship, character development – B99 has it ALL. This show is heartwarming, emotional (when Rosa came out as bi to her parents 😭💕), yet never fails to make me laugh until there are tears in my eyes. Nine nine! 💙

🌟 The Good Place: Holy motherforking shirtballs – this show is forking GOOD!! (Ok, it’s better than good, but please appreciate my attempt to be funny.) Honestly though, TGP makes me laugh and raises many ethical & philosophical questions for me to ponder over, which I appreciate. And the plot twists…y’all, I can’t even. My mind has been blown many times over throughout the three seasons, and I love it. ⛅️

🌟 Andi Mack: I haven’t been very vocal about my love for this show on this blog – but yes, I love it a lot!! Even though Andi Mack is a Disney show, it’s unlike any other show on Disney Channel, because it’s so diverse. Not only does it feature Disney Channel’s first gay character (I LOVE Cyrus Goodman), but it also has Asian American, anxiety (panic attacks), and learning disability representation, and more. I love all of the characters so much!! And the theme song is a bop… 🎶 Tomorrow starts today 🎶

🌟 One Day at a Time: Only two seasons are out on Netflix currently, but both of the season finales made me tear up. 😭 This show as a whole is incredibly hilarious and emotional. I could literally be laughing in one scene and close to tears in the next. ODAAT also has Cuban and LGBTQ+ representation (lesbian + nonbinary rep). I love the family and sibling dynamics, as well as the friendships in this show. I’m so grateful that such a diverse, inclusive, and entertaining show exists. ❤️

🌟 Kim’s Convenience: This show is about a Korean Canadian family running a convenience store in Toronto, and honestly, it’s so freaking funny and wholesome and heartwarming, and I just love it A LOT, haha. Appa, the dad and owner of the convenience store, is such an entertaining and lovable character – but honestly, I can say that for most of the characters. Ok, see you! 👋🏼

Movies

🌟 Love, Simon: I watched this amazing movie in theaters three times, and once again over the summer. (This is the most I’ve ever watched a movie.) Even though there are flaws, I honestly adore this movie adaptation with all of my heart – Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is one of my favorite books, as y’all know, and this movie really captured the essence of the book. I laughed, smiled, gasped, and teared up countless times throughout Love, Simon. Merely thinking about this movie makes my heart warm with joy. 💓 (Also, all the songs in the soundtrack are BOPS.)

🌟 The Hate U Give: THUG was another incredible 2018 movie adaptation!! I love this movie (and book) so much; it’s so important and empowering. There were so many heartbreaking and hard-hitting scenes that brought tears into my eyes. I’m so glad that THUG was made into a movie, because Starr and Khalil’s story should reach as many people as possible. Black lives matter. ❤️

🌟 Crazy Rich Asians: I haven’t read the book, but I really enjoyed this movie!! I loved the Chinese American representation and found it so relatable. I also loved that some characters actually spoke Mandarin and Cantonese in the movie, hehe. Overall, this was an entertaining and fun movie – loving the Asian representation we got in 2018. 😌 (Speaking of which, I also loved the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie adaptation!)

Music

This year I actually started listening to music on Spotify (in previous years, I literally didn’t listen to music besides the songs on the radio LOL). Here are some of my favorite bops of the year. 🎧

• Troye Sivan 🎶
  • Bloom
    • Seventeen
    • Bloom
    • Dance to This
    • What a Heavenly Way to Die
  • Blue Neighborhood
    • Suburbia
    • for him.
    • The Quiet
    • Fools
• Conan Gray 🎤
  • Idle Town
  • Generation Why
  • Greek God
• The Greatest Showman 🎼
  • Rewrite the Stars
  • A Million Dreams
  • This is Me

More Favorite Books of 2018

(In addition to my favorite books of 2018)

Things I Accomplished in 2018

• Created a blog (and reached 200 followers!!)
• Read 43 books
• Discovered my favorite books & TV shows
• Wrote dozens of college essays & submitted all of my college apps
• Made new friends (both online and in real life)
• Strengthened old friendships
• Survived two of my most difficult semesters of high school (with straight As)
• Gave a 30-minute long presentation for school
• Became better at public speaking
• Spent 4 weeks away from home (for a summer program)
• Helped and supported others as much as I could
• Educated myself & became more open-minded
• Started a bullet journal & learned to hand letter / do calligraphy
• Opened up more to my friends
• Survived

2019 Goals

i know a lot of them are vague haha, i don’t usually make goals or resolutions

• Spend as much time with my friends as I can before we all leave for college (😭)
• Graduate high school
• Become more independent (since I’m going off to college AHH)
• Continue supporting my loved ones
• Work on asking for help when I need it
  • I struggle with this a lot since I hate feeling like a burden to other people
• Have more faith in myself and my abilities!! Be more self-confident
• Don’t be so harsh on myself – I don’t need to be perfect in everything
• Stop procrastinating!! Or at least work on managing time better
  • Lmao this is probably not gonna happen but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Step out of my comfort zone in some way
• Grow my blog & continue championing for diverse books 📚
• Continue to blog hop and support fellow book bloggers 💕
• Continue learning & growing

This is actually my 19th blog post, which is fitting because it’s about to be 2019!! Thank you all for the kindness and support you’ve shown me this year. 💖 Wishing you all the best for the new year!! I hope that 2019 will be a good year for you, both bookish and life wise. I’m going to say this into existence – 2019 WILL be our year. 🌟

Tell me your favorite TV shows and movies of 2018!! Do you share my love for any of them? Do you love Troye Sivan or Conan Gray too?

What did you accomplish this year? (Big or small, I’d love to celebrate your accomplishments with you!) What are your 2019 goals or resolutions? Is 2019 going to be your year? (Hint: The answer is yes.)

Goodbye 2018 – it’s been quite a journey.

Let’s be friends!

Background image for blog graphic from Unsplash