Favorite reads of 2023

and exciting news for 2024!!!

Current readers will notice that my post format has changed. Recent Google searches have been moved to a separate section since they were creating quite the non-sequitur as post titles!

2023 reading recap

As 2023 draws to a close I want to share some of my favorite books from the year. Full disclosure: I will finish a few more before the end of the year, like the remaining spooky books that were on my list for October and a few that I’ve partially read. I’ve read 48 books thus far.

Best overall books:

• Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver)

• The Glass Castle (Jeanette Wells)

• Small Things Like These (Claire Keegan)

Best memoirs:

• Finding Me (Viola Davis; audiobook!)

• Crying in H-Mart (Michelle Zauner)

Technically The Glass Castle is a memoir as well…I read a lot of good memoirs this year, including 3(!) running memoirs and a couple of others.

Best poetry: Breath on a Coal (Anne Haven McDonnell)

Fun fact, this was also the “least shelved” book according to Goodreads.

Weirdest: How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. I wanted a ghost story but got a haunted puppet instead. The second weirdest book I read was also by him so I have learned nothing.

Unexpectedly good books:

• Festival Days (Jo Ann Beard)

• Transcendent Kingdom (Yaa Gyasi)

Best feel-good reads:

• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer)

• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (Sangu Mandanna)

Worst: Objects of My Affection (Jill Smolinski). Y’all, this was a romance that I got for free on audible and it was so bad, haha! Also, I DNFed a couple.

I would love to hear about your favorite books of the year! Please share!

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Exciting 2024 happenings

Some of you know and some of you don’t: I write poetry now. Poetry is my main creative outlet. I’ve taken several poetry workshops over the last two years and have immensely enjoyed them. I’ve completed 2, almost 3, 100-day projects of a-poem-a-day. And I started submitting poetry for publication…

I am thrilled to share that I have gotten two (TWO!!!) poems accepted for publication this month!!! I can’t wait to share them with you once they are published.

To put this in perspective, I have submitted my work 20 times, gotten 15 rejections, and a few are pending. I was mentally prepared to submit 50 times before I got a poem accepted, so I am tickled that I didn’t have to wait that long.

Please stay tuned for when these poems are out in the world! I will share the story behind the poem (inspiration, process, etc) for those interested in the creative process.

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100-day project progress report: Day 80-something of 100. Still behind! It’s going to be a poetry sprint to finish out the year.

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Currently reading: Pageboy by Elliot Page

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Recent internet search of note: Best dog names; List of desserts

The best dog name list was terrible. The list of desserts was much more inspiring for naming a canine. We are bringing a new furry family member into our home soon!

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Please note the links in this post to Bookshop.org are affiliate links! I am a strong proponent of shopping at local, independent retailers, and bookshop.org supports indie bookstores.