Top Ten Books I Read In 2014

This weekly bookish link up is hosted by Broke and Bookish.

Yesterday, I completed my 2014 Goodreads Challenge, which was set to 40 books and I'm proud of myself for achieving this goal. Now is the perfect time to do my yearly round-up of the best books I read this year:

 1. Just One Day by Gayle Foreman - Allison's life journey is almost the same as mine, which is why I love this book so much. Her decision to agree with Willem's offer to go on an adventure transformed her life for the better and it made me realize the importance of taking risks in life now matter how scary it looks. There are so many nuggets of wisdom that you can find in this book and I'm truly grateful to Gayle for writing such a fantastic book!

2. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas - I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it kept me up reading until midnight for two days in a row just to finish it.

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - This is my favorite among the series and possibly one of my all time favorite novels. Perkins is now an auto read for me, I just love her writing style!

4. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - One of the MOST unputdownable books I read this year which is why it is so hard to pick a favorite in this series, so naturally I had to include all three of them. I much prefer the storyline and characters of this over the Mortal Instruments. I feel like it has more depth and exciting parts in the story and it has WILL HERONDALE.

5. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera -  I'm really glad I reread it this year cause there were so many parts that made sense to me when I did. It was that deep.

6. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse - I read this when I found out that it is Leighton Meester's favorite novel. It tells about a man's journey to self-discovery, spiritual enlightenment and the meaning of life.  It’s filled with incredible writing, and it is one of those books that I recommend everyone to read at least once.

7. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - I just found out that this is going to be adapted into film soon. AWESOME.

8. Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin - I'm reading the ASOIAF series, one book per year cause I think it'll make waiting for the 6th and 7th installation much bearable. Obviously, this is included and I can't wait to read the 3rd book next year.

9. South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami - I read this at the beginning of this year and it's responsible for breaking my reading slump. This book is so amazing, I'm definitely going to read more of Murakami's works next year.

10. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - It's impossible to start this without finishing immediately. It's just SO addicting! It made me wanna read her other novels too(I heard they are equally good!) and I'm now a fan of psychological thriller novels because of this! 

What about you? What are the best books you've read this year? Come and join the link-up!

Five On Friday

 Five On Friday is hosted by the lovely Liz.

O N E
I managed to get myself out of an unhealthy lifestyle rut and I'm proud to say I did this in December, a month full of festivities and delectable meals! I've been eating clean and exercising regularly for almost two weeks now. I disliked waking up feeling sluggish and bloated because of the unhealthy foods that I kept putting inside my body, so one day I decided that it has to stop. I was so fortunate to come across Kayla Itsines on Instagram and found her workout and healthy food plans. I'm on week two and I feel healthy, strong and confident! I found my inspiration from Kayla Itsines, Simply Taralynn, Pinterest, and a couple of Youtubers.

T W O
I bought my first ever Nikes! I wanted one for the longest time and it was my early Christmas present from my parents. This will motivate me to work out more and achieve my fitness goals. I got mine from Zalora, it was perfect timing because I got them on sale and it was the pair that I wanted - originally, when you buy it at a mortar and brick Nike store the price is about P5,700($129) but because of the sale I only paid P4,000($90). Score! Its also my first time to purchase something online and I loved Zalora's customer service, I received my package the day before I placed my order in their website. This could be very dangerous for my wallet and a start of an addiction!

T H R E E
I started reading Landline by Rainbow Rowell this morning. It won the Goodreads Best Fiction book of the Year so I know that its gonna be a good one!

F O U R
Last Wednesday, my mom and I had our first taste of chestnuts this year and its one of our Christmas traditions to eat them during Christmas season. After all, Christmas isn't complete without sweet castañas.

F I V E 
I'm on a health kick! I bought this little notebook where I can put all of the healthy snacks and meals that I like. I found so many healthy recipes online and I'm so excited to try them all out. I've also been eating a lot of fruits and veggies and stayed away from white rice and bread.

All I Want For Christmas

 

 Yay! Once again its Christmas season, my favorite time of the year! These are the things that I would love to receive on Christmas day, not that I'm expecting any gifts and I know how expensive these are, I'm just putting it out there and just having a little fun!

Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor - This is the perfect tool to keep me motivated and reach my fitness goals. I finally found a sustainable workout routine by Kayla Itsines and I'm determined to stick through it until I achieve my ideal weight.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze - When I swatched this at the cosmetics counter, I instantly fell in love with its gorgeous color! Its a perfect everyday eyeshadow and you can practically bring it anywhere.

Kindle - I prefer ebooks over paperbacks and this has been in my lust list for the longest time. Thankfully, I got an Ipad this year so for meantime that will do but the paper white Kindle is so irresistible.

Purple Yoga Mat - gotta have this so I can perform Kayla's BBG workout routines efficiently.

Vans Perforated Slip Ons - I really like the style of these shoes and it'll go with so many casual outfits.

Under Armour long sleeves - I need more gym clothes in my life!

Silver necklace with cross pendant - I'm also eying the sideways cross necklace.

Dark Blue Pea Coat - I'm on a hunt for winter clothes nowadays, and I think this pea coat will be a lovely addition to my winter wardrobe essentials.

Ankle Boots - This is one of the most versatile footwear and I'm dying to have one! I'm also eying this chelsea boots in black.