#goodbye 2014

This should have been posted over a year ago...

1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (Jan. 15) 2. Tenth of December by George Saunders (Feb. 17) 3. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell (Feb. 23) 4. The Financial Lives of Poets by Jess Walter (Mar. 13) 5. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (Mar. 23) 6. Long Man by Amy Greene (Mar. 29) 7. Spook by Mary Roach (Apr. 21) 8. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (Apr. 24) 9. Sleep Donation by Karen Russell (Apr. 28) 10. Silence Once Begun by Jesse Ball (May 3) 11. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan (May 10) 12. The Martian by Andy Weir (May 13) 13. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (May 21) 14. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (May 24) 15. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (May 24) 16. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (May 31) 17. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman (Sep. 8) 18. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami (Oct. 21) 19. Grace’s Guide by Grace Helbig (Oct. 22) 20. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Nov. 1) 21. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Dec. 26) 22. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (Dec. 31)

Books finished: 22 Approximate pages: 7,530* Best month: May (7 books)

Kindle version: 15 Audiobook: 1 Physical copy: 6

New releases: 8

21st century: 21 20th century: 1

Fiction: 18 Non-fiction: 4

Short-story collections: 2

Most favorite read:  When She Woke by Hillary Jordan Something about this book connected with me in a way I can’t quite explain. It was an inventive take on a future borrowing from themes of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The introspection that takes place over the course of the narrative is thought-provoking and emotional, as she battles between her faith and her actions, her past and her future.

Least favorite read: Spook by Mary Roach I had heard a lot of good things about this author, and maybe I just chose the wrong book of hers, but I thought this was kind of pointless.

Book I just couldn’t finish: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood I’m sure I’ll come back to it at some point (I’m more than halfway done), but it was a slog to get through as much as I did.

Most surprising find in 2014:  Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel I knew nothing of this book until it was released, and I don’t even remember how I found out about it. Maybe someone from Goodreads? Regardless, I thought it was amazing, and differentiated itself in the very crowded genre of dystopian fiction.

Most anticipated book of 2014: The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin But...it didn’t come out. And still hasn’t.

Most memorable character: Ava Bigtree in Swamplandia! by Karen Russell I finished the last 60 pages at Starbucks, got up, stopped next door to buy the author's first short story collection, and then continued walking down the street listening to music, all the while Ava's naive, 13-year-old voice lingered in my head.

Favorite author discovery: Karen Russell I bought Swamplandia! for a friend moving to Florida, but hadn’t read it myself, partially because of all the mixed reviews. Well, lesson learned. I started with her second short-story collection, and loved it. At this point (in 2016), I’ve now read everything she’s released, so fingers crossed that she has more on the horizon.

Favorite cover of a book read in 2014: When She Woke by Hillary Jordan I don’t normally like covers with people on the cover, but this one is well done.

Favorite quote/passage read in 2014: Swamplandia! by Karen Russell “No, I don’t have to tell a soul about this, I promised myself. When you are a kid, you don’t know yet that a secret, like an animal, can evolve. Like an animal, a secret can develop a self-preserving intelligence. Shaglike, mute and thick, a knowledge with a fur: your secret.”

Books I wanted to read in 2014, as determined in January:

The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin (TBD 2014)

Escape from Children’s Hospital by Jonathan Safran Foer (TBD 2014)

The Secret Place by Tana French (TBD 2014)

The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman (May 2014)

Mount Terminus by David Grand (Mar. 2014)

The Kept by James Scott (Jan 2014)

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (2013)

A Guide for the Perplexed by Dara Horn (2013)

Ways of Going Home by Alejandro Zambra (2013)

The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter (2009)

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1934)

Well, the first two on the list were never released. (The City of Mirrors is FINALLY coming out May 2016!) I started The Secret Place, since I loved all of Tana French’s other books, but yeesh. Not a fan of the writing in that one, at all. I also started Tender is the Night for a book club, but couldn’t get into it and there were other books I wanted to read more. All the rest...I just never got to them. Someday I’ll read The Luminaries, I promise.

Hello 2015, it is with joy and excitement that I am opening your doors. But first, I need you to let me use these first hours of yours to express my feelings and thoughts to your friend and neighbour 2014!

It was an emotional year. Filled with good and bad emotions (mostly bad…) so, how do I begin with you crazy 2014?

At first, you were influenced by residues left by 2013. You started out hard on me. It had been months that I was looking for a job in vain… In January 2014, I was already lost, sad and a little hopeless. Me (being me) I put on my big girl pants and I walked through hell with a little bit of a smile. I am not good at seeing the bright side though so, in doubt, I just go forward. [Songs like I won’t give up, I was here or I will survive are my fuel and take all their meaning with me]

I continued teaching (that I have started in 2013), hoping in a selfish way that helping others will make the world lean towards me and offer me my chance to live. I have also studied in this year because (again me being me) I can’t stay inactive nor disconnected with studies.

After that, you dragged me down. But this particular event is not specific to you 2014, since it happens every single year, mostly more than once a year. You must have guessed what I am talking about by now… without starting with painful useless details (since it is not entirely about me) it is the usual “xxx” story. I had to stop teaching for a while, move in with my brother for some days, weeks or months and continue living…

By May, I was down! Really down. I was desperate and you had me doubt in my capacities, my future and myself. Nothing was right, nothing was going my way and negativity had the best of me. And I was thinking: “I am doing well considering”. I was very vulnerable and expected more than comprehension from others. You know what? I unconsciously blamed everybody for what was happening to me! Insane huh!

But as the pain lingered, relief came as a lightening. I was moaning but little did I know, I was supposed to go to Paris. Yes Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I was accepted in a Master’s program and my life had changed! I moved out from my mom’s, left home and started a new life. For the last four months of you, everything was new. I have been challenged in all levels (from studies to faith, I have questioned everything that I had taken for granted all my life) and have learned more things than I could imagine.

You know what 2014? At the end of the day, you are just a year like any other. You are time passing by as I am living my life. Yet, you taught me that I am in control of my feelings but not of the events of my life (as I am a control freak, that was difficult). Nobody is to blame for them though, not even me. Life happens and we are passing through it. Good things like bad things should not affect that much how we feel.

Most importantly, I learned that I should never ever question God’s Will. He knows better, so all I have to do is work, do my best and let Him choose for me because like my mama always said:

“الخير في ما اختاره الله”

O man, it's 2015 already! I know I'm late on this one, but Happy New Years to everyone.

2014 was a great year, and I'm thankful for everything it brought me.

I worked a full year at my new job and loved it very much.  Even got a promotion *booyaka booyaka! lol

Got to travel to new places and experience new things.

Made new friends and caught up with some old ones. 

Spent another year with my beautiful, loving girlfriend. Time with her is precious and I appreciate every moment of it. 

2015, I want it to be the year of progress.

I want to try new things and just progress in life and my dreams. 

1. I want to pick up a new hobby...just want to learn something new and be good at it.

2. I want to go to at least 3 new places...I want to see the world, so it's one small step to accomplishing that. 

3.  I want to go to 5 new restaurants that I've never been to...lol I love food so yeah!

4.  I want to save up a lot for my future needs and dreams

5.  I want my gf to meet my parents.  This one is really important to me. I want them to meet and have my parents accept our relationship or just be understanding of my choice in my life partner.

Cateva poze "pierdute" din 2014.