End of the Year Reflections

Merry Christmas book unicorns!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following my blog! I hope you have enjoyed the posts at least half as much as I’ve enjoyed putting them together. In the new year, I will continue to post book reviews, author interviews, bookish shop features, and I plan to continue the flash fiction contests. Tentatively, there will be three flash fiction contests in 2022 – be sure you are following to stay in the loop (and share with your writer friends)!

For my last post of 2021, I’m going to reflect on my reading goals, my blog posts, and my personal writing journey. In the comments, tell me about your own reflection(s) from this year – bookish or otherwise!

Reflections

I set out this year with the lofty reading goal of 40 books – it did not happen. But that’s totally okay! I read 26 books, and I’m very proud of that number. My best reading month was 6 books but then there were months I didn’t read at all. I think moving into 2022, I’ll make a more realistic reading goal for myself. I’m going to aim for 30 books!

I’ve gotten fairly good at gauging which books I will like, so reflecting on my favorites from the year is a difficult task. I originally told myself I would do a top three list but that seemed impossible; so, here are my top ten books from the year:

The Wolf Queen by Tabitha Caplinger
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
First Shift by AJ Skelly
Legend of the Rainbow Eater by Kristiana Sfirlea
The Water Child by Ellen McGinty
Heartmender by V. Romas Burton
The Depths We’ll Go To an ocean anthology by Alex Silvius (review coming 2022!)
Iridescent by S. H. Everly
Starganauts by C.E. Stone
Finding God in Anime: A Devotional for Otakus (review coming 2022!)

There was only one book that I didn’t really enjoy – The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I originally gave it 3 stars, but the more I thought about and processed the book, the more I disliked the main character Jude. I guess I can see why others like the book? I don’t plan to continue the series, personally. But everyone isn’t going to like every book and that’s okay!

In addition to reading a lot of wonderful books, I met and interacted with so many talented authors and amazing small businesses through my blog!

Authors I interviewed this year include (Click their name to read the interview!):

Sydney Hawthorn (February)
Mallory McCartney (February)
Stephanie Bwabwa (March)
S.H. Everly (April)
V. Romas Burton (May)
Ellen McGinty (May)
C.E. Stone (June)
Laura L. Zimmerman (July)
Kristiana Sfirlea (July)
A.J. Skelly (August)
Tabitha Caplinger (November)
Hannah Carter (November)
Cassandra Hamm (December)
Anne J. Hill (December)

Small businesses I featured this year include (Click the shop name to read the feature!):

Outside of my blog, I’ve truly grown as a writer this year. I’ve struggled – a lot. But I feel as though I’ve finally “come into my own.” I wrote and I never gave up even after multiple rejections. In fact, I had a poem and short story selected and featured in the anthology The Depths We’ll Go To (Alex Silvius, December 2021). I also had a story selected to be featured in the upcoming anthology Apohtic Love (Effie Joe Stock, March 2022). I also have some other things in the works that I can’t share just yet, but I will when the time is right!

I’m still working with Ambassador International to get my YA fantasy novella out into the world – hopefully I will be able to share an official release date soon!

I know there are still many rejections that await me, but I know I will never give up on my writing. So, entering the new year, I am going to make a list of some of my goals I plan to see manifested into reality: