2023—a year of unexpected blessings and reaching for new dreams and mourning losses and praising God for renewal and failing and learning and so very much growing. It was a year of life. And though some (read: many) days were hard, there were blessings in it all, and I am grateful for each day given.

Somehow we have reached the final stretch of 2023 and I’m looking over at March like, “Weren’t you just here?” But my word chosen to live by for 2023 was PRESENT. I tend to fly through my days, always looking ahead and never stopping to reflect on what has been done or breathe in the moments. This year, though, I’ve tried to do better. I will not say I’ve always succeeded. In truth, I think I’ve failed more days than not. But habits form one step at a time, and slowly, slowly I’ve felt a shift in my mentality.

There was a lot of learning and growing in 2023. This year felt like a stepping stone—the beginnings of a great journey where I am preparing and being equipped for big things ahead. But December tends to be the rest spot, the quiet days of catching my breath before diving onward. So before 2023 comes to an end and new adventures begin, I’d like to take some time to settle in and look back.

I hope you’ll grab your favorite beverage, friend, and reminisce with me on some 2023 highlights!

2023 RECAP

FAVORITE READS

This is the awkward moment when I admit to this being my slowest reading year I’ve had in, er, ever? I am appalled at how little I read this year. Appalled! Next year must be better! (because, look, if it’s not my TBR may actually crush me #halp)

BUT. I did read some gems this year, so quantity over quality? #positives

My Top Five Book Picks for 2023

WIND DAUGHTER
by Joann Ruth Meyer

Wind Daughter is a companion novel to one of my favorite novels EVER, Echo North (12/10 recommend), so you can imagine my excitement over this one. Joanna Ruth Meyer always manages to capture a whimsical, epic feel in her fairy tales with her sharp and poetic narrative and unique, fantastic plots—it’s like her books were made for me. Wind Daughter did not disappoint, featuring a quiet, gentle-hearted protagonist, emotions galore, and PLOT TWISTS. I was flying through the final 100 pages because dat twist. Truly a worthy companion to Echo North! (Note: It can be read as a standalone, but there are some harkbacks and cameos to Echo North. And, ya know, you should just read Echo North anyway because it’s incredible.)

BETWEEN FRIENDS: A CITY BETWEEN COMPILATION
by W.R. Gingell

After falling completely and wholly and utterly and obsessively in love with the City Between series last year, I was very, very (very very) excited about this compilation of short stories and novellas set in the same world with some of our favorite characters. Some of these I had already read on the author’s blog and various places, but a few of the stories were brand new and delighted me so very much. I do recommend reading the City Between series first (especially before reading the last story or two in this compilation), but for all your fellow CB fans out there, this is a TREAT.

A FLASH OF MAGIC
by Allison Tebo

Yet another short story and novella compilation! This time for the Tales of Ambia series, another top favorite series of mine. Allison Tebo truly blessed us Ambia fans with a collection of mostly epistolary stories featuring so many different corners of the slightly steampunk, fairy tale world of Ambia. I was giggling and grinning my way through every bit of this (and even shed a tear or two!). Once more, this is better read after reading the main series, but if you’re an Ambia fan, this is a must-read. (Read my full review here.)

THE HARE & THE HATTER
(Beaumont & Beasley #6)
by Kyle Robert Shultz

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the Beaumont and Beasley series. This timey-wimey, 1920s-esque series featuring fairy tales as the world’s history, a colorful cast of characters, and endless humor on top of many shed tears has been a favorite for years. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to receive the latest installment. One that featured Crispin and Malcolm as the protagonists, no less! And oh boy. Ooooh boy, you guys. The THINGS that were revealed. The STUFF that happened. The TWISTS. And all wrapped up in the humor and feels that are to be expected. Truly one of the best Beaumont and Beasley installments yet. (Read my full review here.)

NORTHANGER ABBEY
by Jane Austen

Somehow I have gone over 30 years of my life without reading this work of Austen’s? I am all the shame. BUT. This year I have remedied this most dire tragedy. What a delight this little story is! The overall satirical tone kept me grinning, and Jane Austen always delivered with her lighthearted humor interwoven with an in-depth look at human nature. I fell in love with Catherine Morland, naïve and over-imaginative that she is, the poor, dear girl. And then there was HENRY TILNEY. How have I gone so long without being introduced to that gem of a man? It was a delight all the way around and I cannot believe I had not read it until recently!

FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT

FAVORITE TV SHOWS

ERASED

This was one of the very first things I binged this year, and it has stayed as one of my top favorite shows for 2023. This 12-episode anime is about Satoru, a man who occasionally experiences moments he calls “Revival” where he is sent back in time moments before life-threatening incidents take place. Usually, he only goes back a few seconds at a time to prevent disaster, but after trauma strikes his own life, he finds himself all the way back to his young school days. Timey-wimey plots are some of my faves so I was all about this! The way it told the story from Satoru’s adult life and childhood was so well done, and everything connected really well. The characters were complex and likable (or properly detestable) and the plot thoroughly engaging.

WARNING: This does deal with some very dark themes including murders, kidnappings, and child abuse, and has some strong language sprinkled throughout. It is not a lighthearted show, so do keep that in mind.

HYOUKA

Another anime and very different from Erased but equally well-written. This little slice-of-life anime follows four high school friends as they fall into solving mysteries around their school and navigate relationships and self-discovery along the way. There is something so unassuming and yet deep about this story. The mysteries are pretty simplistic and the episodes quiet, but there is a complex layer of depth woven within every single episode that draws you in and holds you tight. Each character was so unique from the other, and the foursome created a delightful and complex dynamic. It is one of those quiet, comfortable shows you can easily settle into for some relaxation and yet still receive a layered and carefully thought-out story. I do wish it had run for more than one season but the ending wrapped things up enough to be satisfactory.

LOKI

I rewatched Loki season 1 and then immediately jumped into season 2 as each episode dropped and Marvel did me proud! S2 held up just as well as S1 and though the ending WRECKED ME, I was wrecked in the very best way. I don’t want to say much about this one because #spoilers, but if you’re a Marvel and/or Loki fan, do yourself a favor and watch this series. I know Marvel has been a bit less-than-stellar lately, but in my humble opinion, Loki was some of their best work.

FAVORITE MOVIES

LUCA

When this one first came out, it didn’t really appeal to me so I kept putting off watching it. But after seeing many friends mention how much they enjoyed it, I finally decided to give it a go and…why did I wait so long??? This movie was a DELIGHT. Just utterly adorable and sweet, it’s about a young sea monster braving the world beyond the ocean and discovering friendship along the way. The music, the seaside town, the precious characters, the sweet themes—it all came together to create an immersive, delightful story full of heart. I am ashamed it took me such a long time to give it a try. It utterly enchanted me from start to finish.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES

This movie was just FUN. It wasn’t groundbreaking. It wasn’t filled to the brim with surprising twists. But it didn’t need to be. It was just a solid fantasy film with a perfect balance of humor, rollicking shenanigans, and a good bit of heart along the way (I actually got a little choked up during one scene). The cast was fantastic and the overall plot a delight. It was basically a fantasy heist film and I was HERE FOR IT. But my favorite bit? The fact that it was family-friendly! There was a small bit of language, but otherwise, basically no content to speak of. In fact, it wasn’t just clean, but wholesome. Very supportive of the love of families and how actions have consequences. I was seriously blown away by the wholesome messages and overall cleanliness. It’s been such a long time since we’ve had a modern film like this. I was thoroughly pleased and wholeheartedly recommend it! (And don’t worry, you don’t have to be a D&D nerd to appreciate it. They did a fantastic job of making it understandable and appealing to a broad audience.)

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3

THIS MOVIE. Marvel did us a proud one again! It had the high quality, depth, humor, and emotional drive that we used to get from Marvel, and I adored it from beginning to end. The first two Guardians of the Galaxy films are some of my TOP favorite Marvel movies, and I enjoyed this one nearly just as much as the other two which pleases me greatly. I will say…this was probably the darkest Marvel film to date. And yet also side-splittingly funny? Leave it to a Guardians of the Galaxy movie to be both. I cringed, I guffawed, and I cried. If you like emotional rollercoasters, then this is the movie for you. My word, I can’t remember the last time a film jerked around my emotions so violently. But have I mentioned I’m an emotional junkie? Yeah. I loved every second. If you’re a fan of the other Guardians films, this is a must-see. Just…be ready for a ride.

WRITING LIFE

LAUNCHED A WRITER COACHING BUSINESS // A big endeavor this year was launching a coaching business for writers. Helping writers hold the stars in their eyes, find the joy in writing, and seek balance to keep the joy and those dreams ever going is one of my greatest passions, and I also just love people, so creating a way to be able to help writers one-on-one is really a dream come true. You can read about my heart for this project HERE or get the quick details HERE.

EDITED THE TIMEKEEPER & THE LIBRARIAN // I’ve been doing rounds of edits for this story I call my Studio Ghibli meets Doctor Who novel for the past couple of years. This year I did the last round of edits before sending it off to beta-readers’ hands which is where it is currently. I know it still needs a lot of work, but I adore this quirky, timey-wimey story and it’s been so exciting seeing it shape up. (Let’s just say it’s gone through a lot of changes since the chaotic monster that was its first draft.)

HOSTED THREE FICFRENZY EVENTS // Last fall I launched the Fiction Frenzy Writing Challenge—a month-long virtual writing challenge hosted on Discord where each participant sets their own goal. It was a delightful success and I happily continued it this year with a spring and summer session in addition to another fall one. It has been a blast hosting these virtual challenges but the true joy is the Discord group. It’s such a fun and encouraging community of writers! I feel so blessed to have all my “FicFriends” to write alongside. (And pst, the Discord server is open year-round and the seasonal events will be returning for 2024, so if you want to jump in you can find the details HERE.)

ROLEPLAYING // Last year I mentioned diving into a Regency-themed roleplaying game with two of my besties. Well. We have become rather obsessed and continued this year with a giant game of it and played a big ol’ campaign and just had the. best. time. Telling stories with friends and immersing yourself so into it it’s like you are the characters is the most fun thing, you guys. It has been a DELIGHT. (I’ve not braved being a full GM yet, buuut if anyone is ever looking for more party members for an RPG I maaay or may not be interested? I’m getting quite addicted.)

JOINED FACEBOOK // Yes. So. Here I am, in my 30s, and have somehow never actually made a Facebook account. But better late than never? Although I’ve barely used it for anything. I may start trying to implement it more come the new year, but my account does exist should my peeps like to friend me over there. You can find me HERE!

STARTED A NEW CONTEMPORARY FANTASY NOVEL // So in this post I talked very vaguely about my plans for FicFrenzy and have proceeded to not share any updates here because I was keeping things close to my chest. WELL. I’m opening the curtains a smidge and saying one project was a foray into contemporary fantasy which is not my usual genre (I mean, fantasy is, obviously, but all of my other stories take place in made-up worlds) and it has been lots of fun! During FicFrenzy, I wrote the first 10k words of this story, so I’m not terribly far into it but I was happy with what I managed. Because the other thing I’m doing right now is keeping this as a personal for-fun project. I’m not sharing about it much or pushing myself to write in it for long stretches of time. Instead, I’m writing in it when inspiration strikes just here and there and sometimes even in little spurts on my phone. And honestly? It’s been delightful. Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves when it comes to our novels and writing time. And, yes, it’s good to be disciplined. But there is something to be said about grabbing hold of that childlike love of telling stories again and just running with inspiration and making a mess and having fun purely for ourselves for a time. This little story has been like a doorway to Narnia to slip into when my other projects and life, in general, get too heavy. A little magical space just for me right now. I highly recommend giving something like this try! It’s done wonders for my creativity.

BEGAN A GIANT COLLAB PROJECT // This. This has been 2023’s biggest, most lofty project and…I still need to keep it close to my chest. SORRY. It’s so hard not to talk about the thing that consumes like 80% of my time and 99% of my thoughts. But it is most exciting and a lot of fun and great progress has been made, during November especially. It was my main focus for FicFrenzy and many words were added. I’m going to share more about this thing when we’re further along, I promise! But needless to say, it has been a grand, scary, wonderful adventure and I feel so blessed to be a part of it. Absolutely one of my biggest highlights of 2023.

I really felt God asking me to be brave this year. To venture out of my comfort zone, push past a world of insecurities (still a work-in-progress but through God’s grace I’ma tryin’), and just Do The Things. And there have been such blessings in it. Really, I could write a whole post on the unexpected blessings of bravely trying new things (actually, maybe I will??). That felt like the theme of this year on the writing side of life: unexpected blessings. And I am so very grateful for all of it. I cannot wait to see what all comes of it in 2024!

LIFE & LESSONS OF 2023

Goodness, it’s hard to even share a single takeaway from 2023. There was a lot of self-discovery and growth this year. And a lot of failings and falling into insecurities. But through that, learning to seek God’s voice, His truths, and feel His love and mercy and grace again and again and again.

I stepped into this year with a single word…

PRESENT.

Being naturally future-minded and a workaholic, I struggle greatly with living in the moment. I always feel this need to get things done. To move on to the next task and the next and the next. To plan way ahead and accomplish things quickly.

I struggle with being still.

But appreciating every day we are given in this short life instead of constantly being anxious for the tomorrow is so, so important. God calls us to rest. He calls us to make the most of every breath. Planning for the future is necessary, of course, but not at the expense of wasting away our present.

So this year, and really the past few years, I’ve been trying. Trying to live in the moment and enjoy each day as it comes and be okay when I need to slow down and not fill in every single second of the day.

And you know what I’ve discovered along the way? FREEDOM.

Using every waking minute of the day to be “productive” wears on a person. After too long, it can feel like a prison. Locking ourselves in with task after task takes away the freedom to think and breathe and grow. And these things are far more important than tasks on a to-do list.

So this year I have tried. I’ve tried to make more space in my days to simply breathe and have fun. To make room for people. To listen to God when my own muddled thoughts got too loud. It’s still very much a work-in-progress, but I’ve been feeling a mentality shift. Been feeling less enslaved by my to-do lists and more okay with taking things slower instead of hitting the ground running and hardly taking a breath (which was my usual method for years *nervous laughter*).

And the thing I discovered is that things still get done. I do not have to hustle to see tasks finished. Slow, steady, consistent work is just as valuable, usually even more so, than pushing ourselves for hours at a time.

But sometimes we have no control over our workload and schedules. Sometimes life just is busy. And it’s on those days that I’ve also been taking into practice this “Present” mindset.

A lot of what I’ve been growing into this year is AGENCY OF THE MIND, my attitude about things.

It’s so easy to wake up in the day and groan about all the work ahead. To dread each moment as it comes and just want the day to be over. But a devotion by the late Dr. Charles Stanley I read some months ago really shook me, one line in particular:

“True contentment is determined by our attitude and responses rather than by our circumstances.”

Wow. Is that not such a freeing thought?

We have agency in our thoughts, in our responses to everything life throws at us. Maybe our days are filled to the brim with busyness we have to tend to, and we can look at these tasks in dread and bemoan the monotony OR remember what a privilege it is to be able to serve. We can experience the heartaches and hardships and awful days and let it all tear us down or remember that nothing is wasted. In it all is growth.

If we look at our favorite stories and characters, is it not through their hardships that they become stronger? Through the trials that they become people to look up to?

Life is hard and busy and tiring. There is no getting around it. And I am in no way saying we need to pretend to be happy and put on a brave face every single day. Sometimes we need to mourn. We need to feel things. (A good cry is sometimes the most releasing feeling. Ask me how I know…)

But our circumstances do not have to control who WE are.

We can take our seasons with both hands and choose to grow from them and practice seeking deep-rooted joy in all things. We can take agency in our attitude. We can find pockets of time even in the busiest of seasons for rest.

Every day I am learning more and more that life is not about our circumstances but how we view them, how we choose to let them change us, and the actions we take to seek and create the good.

We can let circumstances toss us to and fro or take agency in our attitudes and stand firmly in God’s peace and goodness. That is where true contentment is found. That is where the present-minded attitude is embraced. Seeing it as all good, even the hard moments. Sometimes especially the hard moments.

And that brings me to my last huge lesson of 2023:

Nothing is wasted.

Sometimes it’s been hard for this workaholic to be okay with taking days slower. For my productivity-loving heart to try new things only to realize they didn’t appear to amount to anything. To not use every second of the day toward doing things I know will yield some kind of results.

But life is about discovery. It’s about being brave and trying new things. It’s about falling and getting back up. Again, living in the moment and not worrying about tomorrow. Because in all these things is growth.

God wastes nothing.

He uses it all. The hardships, the quiet days, the busy days. Every single bit of it. It is simply up to us to take that agency of mind and see it as growing experiences and find the joy in all of it. And I think the best way to go about this is to live in the moment. We often don’t make room for God due to our own preconceived notions and schedules, but instead we need to embrace the now and give Him the freedom to shape our tomorrows.

So I guess if there is one true takeaway from 2023 it is this: It’s all in God’s hands. If we still our minds, find joy in every moment, and listen to Him, He will guide us and carry us through all the hardships and reveal so many unexpected blessings along the way.

There is such freedom in simply breathing and letting things go and handing them to Him.

HIATUS NOTICE/QUESTIONNAIRE

Speaking of allowing myself time to breathe…

I’m going on my annual December hiatus.

I do have November’s newsletter going out Thursday (Dec. 7) but after that, I’ll be pretty quiet around the internets. I should be back by January but if not February for sure!

Thank you, thank you to all of you for being a constant source of support and encouragement and just the dearest friends. I am so blessed to have this community!

Before I vanish completely…

I have a question for you:

What sort of content would you like to see from me in 2024? I know I’m a little quieter in the blogosphere these days but I absolutely still plan to keep producing posts and would love to know what sorts of things you guys would enjoy receiving from me. But even beyond blogging, what platforms do you tend to follow the most (newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, Discord, etc.)? Are there ways I could more utilize my platforms that you’d enjoy? I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts! Do share them all in the comments below or email or DM me!

You are in my prayers, friends. I hope you have a beautiful and bright December!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Goodness knows I have babbled enough, I want to hear from YOU. What were your 2023 highlights? Did we watch any of the same shows/movies or read any of the same books (please fangirl with me)? As we close out this year and look to the next, do you have any specific things I could pray for you over? Let’s discuss it all!