2022 only has three weeks left! I do not understand how that is possible. It has been a blazing, whirlwind of a year but so much goodness came of it as well. So as we near its close, I’d like to look back at the highlights and reminisce.

2020 and 2021 were pretty tough years in many ways, and though 2022 had plenty of challenges, it was better, I think. Or perhaps my perspective of things has improved. These past few years have definitely been ones of learning, of adapting to changes and seeking the little good things amidst the big hardships. Of being intentional with my thoughts and how I spend my time and perceive my circumstances. And that is a big thing. I am still a work-in-progress, by a lot. But bit by bit God is helping me to focus more on the joy of the journey and not the obstacles.

It was the year I said goodbye to my 20s and enters the 30s and through it there has been a lot of growth and many beautiful things, so grab a snack or drink (or both!) and let’s look back at all the goodness 2022 had to offer.

2022 RECAP

FAVORITE READS

Gonna be real, I read the least amount of books this year than I have in quite a number of years. There was just so much vying for my attention, most of which was good, but it also meant that the time I usually use for reading was spent doing other fun things. I really hope to start reading more soon because goodness do I miss it. But though reading was slow this year, I did discover a new favorite series ever. Honestly, I partially blame this series for my slow reading. After reading it, all other books feel dull. I read it in the spring and I still have a book hangover. IT’S JUST SO GOOD, YOU GUYS.

THE CITY BETWEEN SERIES
by W.R. Gingell

THIS. SERIES. I had seen so many of my friends flail about this one and had been meaning to give it a try for a while. I finally took the plunge this year, since all 10 books were at last released, and OH MY. Oh myyyy!

I don’t think I can properly articulate my love for this series. It’s so funny, because it’s not the genre I normally enjoy. It’s urban fantasy with a vampire, werewolves, and a fair amount of violence—all thing that just aren’t much for me. But THESE BOOKS.

The story is about Pet—a teenage girl more or less taken in as the pet of two fae and a vampire and thrust into a world of magic and murder. At first, this just seems like a fun little urban fantasy series full of humor…and murder. But there is SO much more. SO MUCH. In all my years of devouring books, I have rarely come across a story written with such thought and care.

This is a story about choosing who your family is. It’s a story about growing up and fighting for those who can’t and sacrifice and doing good even when it’s so, so hard.

Pet instantly became not only my favorite character in the series but also is now one of (if not my top) favorite female characters ever. Reckless and adorable in equal measure, she lives up to her name for being such a precious puppy-like person.

And her “three psychos” as she calls them also stole my heart wholly and completely. Zero the lovable giant grump, Athelas the gentlemanly but stabby old tea drinker, and JinYeong the sulky Korean vampire with an affinity for stealing your cookies—what a cast they were! My word, I loved them all. And that’s not even covering the colorful set of side characters.

Every single page was filled with humor (my gracious did I laugh SO MUCH) and intrigue and so much heart weaved within the crazy. Those PLOT TWISTS THO. And the foreshadowing! The whole series had my head spinning, in the best way possible. And did I mention the feels??? Because when I wasn’t laughing I was positively SOBBING. And screaming. Lots of screaming. OH. It’s also set in Australia which was an extra bit of fun!

I could go on and on and on but basically? READ IT.

This instantly became one of my favorite series of all time. The characters and their awe-inspiring arcs, the plot twists, the tropes totally flipped on their heads, the humor, the heart—it was nothing short of absolute genius. I just…can hardly enjoy any other stories anymore. These books are the height of storytelling. Brb while I anxiously await the spin-off series (which I think comes out next year! *squeals*).

Yeah, even though I didn’t read a whole lot this year, it was still one of the best reading years ever just for this series alone. But I did read some other gems as well!

Honorable mentions include:

• CORAL by Sara Ella // A fascinating and unique take on The Little Mermaid that broke me into pieces and put me back together. (My review)

• THE GOBLIN AND THE DANCER by Allison Tebo // A fairy tale retelling of The Steadfast Tin Soldier featuring the most lovable goblin and beautiful themes about dancing in the dark all wrapped in Tebo’s witty and heartfelt writing style. (My review)

• INTO THE HEARTLESS WOOD by Joanna Ruth Meyer // A breathtaking and magical tale about an astronomer’s son and a tree-siren and what the true definition of “monster” is. (My review)

FAVORITE TV SHOWS/MOVIES

Though my book count was low, I somehow devoured many spectacular shows this year, discovering some absolute favorites and a couple of movies as well. It was a good year of stories even if they weren’t all in literary form.

The big highlight was my newfound love for anime! I’ve been meaning to give anime a proper try for…erm, most of my life? Somehow it took me this long to get to it, but I am here now and have no intentions of leaving!

TV SHOWS

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT

Though I’m not a huge Star Wars fan, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett are shows I absolutely adore. Being as how I watched episode 1 of Boba Fett on New Year’s, this was my first thing to watch for 2022! And I loved it so much I’ve seen the whole series twice this year. It’s just FUN. I never thought I’d love and cry over tuskens but here we are.

VIOLET EVERGARDEN

Only one of my new top favorite shows of all time ever. This was one of my first anime to watch and that was almost a detriment because hardly anything else has compared since. THIS SHOW. It is gorgeous in both aesthetics and storytelling and I did not make it through a single episode (not one) without crying. It’s just…beautiful in every direction and I highly, highly recommend it.

FRUITS BASKET

Another anime that absolutely ruined me for all other anime. It’s about an orphan girl who moves in with a family who, if hugged by a member of the opposite gender, turns into an animal. Which, yes, is a strange premise but somehow it works. The storytelling is so engaging and characters utterly complex and lovable. Unfortunately, it had some content I was not pleased with. But my goodness, this show consumed me. Like with the City Between series, I’ve barely been able to enjoy anything since because it was just so GOOD. Staring with Fruits Basket and Violet Evergarden has ruined me because I can’t find any anime that compare! Well, actually, that’s not entirely true…

SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE

Oh my word, guys, if you’re looking for an anime that will make you laugh THIS IS IT. I genuinely don’t think a single show has ever made me laugh more? I nearly lost my voice watching this show because I was laughing so much! It is peak humor and I loved every second. It’s literally about a princess who is kidnapped but all she wants to do is get a good night’s rest and does everything in her power to achieve that. Those are the types of protagonist goals I can get on top of.

SPY X FAMILY

You’ve probably heard of this anime because it is super hyped but WITH GOOD REASON. Gracious me, THIS SHOW. It is one of the most hilarious, wholesome things I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. It’s also a laugh-out-loud one with over-the-top humor but mixed with an engaging plot and such lovable characters. I am HOOKED.

LOST IN SPACE

I’ve been meaning to try this Netflix series for a while. I finally got around to it this year and am so glad I did. This high-action show about a family getting, well, lost in space is refreshingly clean, full of family values (something so rarely seen in modern TV!), and insanely high stakes. It kind of gives me anxiety because if something can go wrong it will, and if it can get worse…it also will. XD Whew boy, it’s not for the faint of heart, but the amazing cast and fantastic writing is absolutely worth it.

FAVORITE MOVIES

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES

Yep, somehow I only just saw this movie for the first time this year and, well, I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out? It was AMAZING. It really shouldn’t have been as good as it was. XD But IT WAS SO GOOD. It’s quite literally P&P just with… zombies thrown in. And yeah, that doesn’t make sense but the worldbuilding was phenomenal and somehow it just…worked. Also the cast. I mean. Lily James as Elizabeth Bennet and Sam Riley as Mr. Darcy?? Dream cast right there! It can certainly get rather gory, so if you’re squeamish definitely be warned, but otherwise somehow it was incredible.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

Oh man, this movie! Definitely one of my top favorite Marvel movies to date. I won’t say much in case someone hasn’t seen it because it’s best to go into this one without any spoilers but but but YOU GUYS. IT WAS SO GOOD. And made me cry. But STILL. SO SO GOOD.

I watched quite a bit more than this, but these were definitely my tippity top favorite shows and movies I had the pleasure of devouring this year.

WRITING LIFE

I feel like quite a bit happened on the writing side of things this year. Alas, no publishing contracts or any such excitement, but still some big things took place and lots of progress was made!

Launched a Newsletter! // This was one of my biggest accomplishments. I’ve been meaning to create a newsletter for actual years. And I finally, finally did it this year. I was worried it’d be just another one of those things on my to-do list that would exhaust me, but turns out? It’s one of my favorite things I do! There’s something so freeing about having such an intimate way to reach out and chat with my dear followers, and as I use the newsletter to round up each month, it feels like a diary of sorts. I’ve found it wonderfully cathartic and am so happy I finally took the plunge. To add to it, all my newsletter subscribers are also invited to an exclusive Discord server, The Mad Tea Party, which has been an extra dose of fun this year! It’s definitely been a highlight of my year. (If you want to hop on board, you can sign up to the newsletter HERE. #shamelessadvertising)

Burning Thorns Tweaks and Querying // During January and the first bit of February I went through my Beauty and the Beast retelling, Burning Thorns, and did some tweaks to it. It had been a while since I read over the whole thing, and it was such a lovely time revisiting what is one of my favorite stories I’ve ever written. Throughout the year, I sent out queries for it. Sadly, nothing came of them, though I did receive a partial request which was exciting. It ended in a rejection, but it gave me a boost regardless. Simply knowing that the concept was interesting enough for someone to request more was just the reminder I needed that there is someone out there who will love this story as much as I do. I merely have to keep trying. In the meantime, I have plenty of other stories to fix up and one day query if nothing ever comes of this one. Speaking of…

Second Round of Edits to a Novel // Last year I did the first major rewrite of one of my novels, and this year I dove into the second round which I think went quite well. It still needs a lot of polishing and cutting (it turned into such a monster *shakes head at self*) but it’s getting so much closer to a state I’m happy with which is such a wonderful feeling! I’ve been keeping some of my writing projects a little hush-hush publicly buuut I share a lot more in my newsletter (with occasional snippets! *wriggles eyebrows*) so if you want to know more about my WIPs, signing up for my newsletter is the best way! #moreshamelesspromotion

Hosted March Muchness! // To celebrate launching a newsletter and just my obsessive love for all things Alice in Wonderland, I spent the month of March doing all sorts of Wonderland-y things. I hosted my first ever personal Instagram challenge with some other amazing ladies who joined me in my madness, reread Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, hosted an online watch party of Time Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, co-hosted a Wonderland-themed blog tag, and just, in general, celebrated all things Wonderland for a month. It was an all around delightful time and made my Wonderland-loving hear absurdly happy.

Started a New(?) Novel // Which, erm, hasn’t even made it past the first chapter… But this one felt kind of huge because this particular novel is something I actually started 7 years ago. And at the time it didn’t make it past the third chapter. Eheh. But the thing is, it’s a story that’s been floating around in my head for ALL this time. It just crops up rather frequently and I’m like “Oh yeah, I should do something with that idea one day…” Unfortunately, beyond a vague premise, I never had any solid ideas for it. WELL. That changed this year. I was flooded with ideas. So much that I can barely keep up. And though, yes, I’ve only written like the first couple of pages, it has taken up a lot of brainspace this year and I’ve done a fair amount of idea jotting down. So we’re counting it! Goes to show that letting a novel percolate can pay off…even if it takes 7 years.

Roleplaying // My new favorite thing EVER. One day I should do a whole post on all the benefits of roleplaying for writers because, let me tell you, it’s amazing. You’re getting to tell a story with others and it feels like you’re living a whole other life to boot. It’s such a magical feeling. Last year I got my first taste of RPGing but this year I dove in headfirst and it’s been, without a doubt, one of my biggest highlights and blessings of the year. I spent a good chunk of the year actually making my own homebrew RPG buuuut then I got distracted and busy and never did anything with it which I feel bad about… I really need to get that thing off the ground at some point. But during the latter half of the year, two of my dear friends and I started a Regency-themed RPG campaign and it’s basically been our life. XD We keep joking that our Regency world is our real lives and real life is just the thing we’re forced to visit sometimes. Yeah, we’re a tad obsessed. But my goodness has it been FUN.

The Silmaril Awards! // The seventh annual SilmAwards took place in September and was just as fun and full of fantasy goodness as always! I was a host for my fourth year in a row, and things were a tad tamer. For the previous years I hosted the Least Competent Henchman, Most Mischievous Imps, and Most Magnificent Dragons categories respectively, and I’m sure you can imagine the chaos those categories caused. But this year I was honored with the Silver Tongues which…came with their own trouble but not quiiite to the explosive level as the others. We all survived and had a grand time without any casualties which is always a plus. 😉 It was such an honor to be part of the amazing SilmAwards team again.

Launched FallFicFrenzy! // This was another biggy for the year. I’ve talked extensively about FicFrenzy for the past couple of months, so I won’t go over it again, but what a blessing it was to me! Creating a writing challenge and forming such a fun community filled me up, and I am so looking forward to doing more FicFrenzy things in the future!

Wrote Dawn’s Fractured Light (and finished the trilogy) // This was the other big thing. Again, I’ve talked about this so much lately, you guys are probably getting sick of it. XD But my goodness, what a surreal feeling it was writing the first draft of the final book of my Fragmented Worlds trilogy. This series has come to mean so much to me in these past three years, and having it all fully drafted now is just…mindblowing. I’m really looking forward to diving back into book 1 and starting on rewrites!

It was quite the full year of writerly happenings. From new and exciting ventures like starting a newsletter to launching my own writing challenge, and other amazing things like getting so many ideas for a story that has been stagnant for 7 whole years to writing the finale of a trilogy. It is a year I will not forget, and I’m so grateful for all the many amazing opportunities I’ve had. And most importantly, all the support! It is YOU GUYS who keep me going with all your enthusiasm, encouragement, and constant support with each and every one of my endeavors. None of this could have happened without you. Thank you so much for being here with me on this writing journey. I am so blessed! <3

LESSONS OF 2022

This year, and really for the past three years, I have been practicing a single lesson.

Rest is productive and it’s okay to have fun.

My workaholic self bucks against this. I constantly give into the lie that unless I have progress on things to show, I’ve wasted my time. But that’s where the problem lies. Because what do I consider “progress”? Having an empty inbox? Being stocked up on Instagram pictures for the month? A huge wordcount on my WIP? Those are all good things, things I should absolutely take time doing. BUT if I’m missing out on life for them, are they really progress or simply tasks that obsessively keep me away from the things that truly matter in life.

What about quiet time with God? Taking a walk and keeping my body and mind healthy? Spending time with friends and family? Smiling at a stranger, sending someone a nice note, simply sitting and listening to the birds chirp out the open window and remembering what a beautiful world God has created?

Are these things not as important as replying to emails or reaching that wordcount on a novel? Because, most guiltily, I do so often allow the tasks on my to-do list to take precedence over everything else. The result? I find myself drained and tired, unmotivated, dry of ideas.

Each year I choose a single word to focus on for the full year. For 2022 I chose ENJOY. Because that was my hope for this year. Not to worry so much about my goals, but to simply enjoy life again.

I failed many times over, but as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have definitely seen a mind shift. There were many days that I had tons of tasks vying for my attention, but instead of spreading myself too thin to try to get them done and be rigid with work work work, I gave myself the freedom to set them aside now and again. I took more walks, made far more time with loved ones, focused on some hobbies that were purely for the fun of it, allowed longer periods for breaks. I tried my hardest to not let to-do lists enslave me and instead went with the flow (something I am usually abysmal at) and just lived. And it ended up being a beautiful year. But also? All the big goals I set out to do this year were still accomplished.

We can’t do good work if we’re tired. The very Creator of the Universe took the seventh day to rest! We talk so much about good works but forget what an emphasis God put on rest. It is not wasteful. Taking time to simply be is how we grow and learn, how we refresh ourselves so we can do our best work, be who God means for us to be.

So very many times this year when I would take time to rest, that guilt would creep in, that lying voice that says I’m just worthless and lazy if I’m not doing things. But then I would remember the second part of the lesson: it’s okay to have fun. That is the very reason I chose enjoy as my word for this year. Because God absolutely means for us to enjoy life. Not to say there won’t be hardships, because of course there will be, and through those, we grow as well. But sometimes we make our own hardships, sometimes we exhaust ourselves when it is within our power to find rest and the joys in life.

God does not want us tired. He wants us to make the most of every precious moment we are blessed with on this earth, and often that means simply being still. Simply being. Not rushing around like machines, but soaking in each joyous thing in the moment.

I’m still very much learning this. It’s a lesson I’ll probably be trying to put into practice for the rest of my life. But I saw strides this year, and I’m so very grateful to have such a loving Heavenly Father who desires for us all to have rest and enjoyment.

Resting is productive. It’s honestly one of the most important things we can ever do, and 2022 has been a year that has really highlighted that for me.

Which segues right into my final topic…

HIATUS NOTICE

I’m going to go on a hiatus from most things for the rest of December.

I absolutely love the Christmas season and want to soak it in to its fullest. It’s also been, ya know, a pretty full year and I could use a nice breather before jumping into 2023. I have some big goals for next year (some of which I am super excited about if they pan out and can’t wait to share!) but before then I need some good quiet and recharging time.

I’ll be pretty quiet until January, so if I’m not responding to messages and things, know I am still alive! Just stepping back for a while. I may also extend my blogging hiatus through most of January so I can spend the month planning and prepping some things.

But before that, I am looking forward to a quiet December and simply resting and soaking up this joyous time. It’s the time of peace and merriment, my friends, and I hope to embrace every bit of it.

Thank you all for making 2022 such a memorable year. I’ve received such encouragement, support, and enthusiasm, and I cannot even express how much it means to me. I am beyond blessed to be part of such an incredible writing community. I am praying for each of you as you pursue your dreams and spread so much goodness in this world. I hope this month is filled with beautiful things for you all.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Before I disappear, I want to hear all the things! Have you read or watched any of the things I listed? What were some of your 2022 highlights? Are you excited about Christmas and 2023? And if you have anything specific you’d like me to pray for as we close this year and head into a new one, please share! I’d be more than happy to. Love you all! <3