It’s 2024! If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you may remember that I love new year’s resolutions because I love goal setting. I also love reflecting on the year past and also on my own strengths and weaknesses. You know how people are always like, “everyone’s buying those PLANNERS and NOTEBOOKS they’re only going to use for a week, no one keeps using those!” Well, I do keep using them, and I bet a lot of you do, too. I think this newsletter tends to attract planner people.
Because I’m feeling nostalgic, I’m doing something different in this “new year, new me” newsletter. Typically I just talk about my media resolutions, but this time I’m also going to do a quick recap of my favorite moments of 2023. I had a remarkably eventful year that might not even be remarkable for another person. But for me, a person who mostly stayed home for all of 2021 and 2022 as I dealt with massive anxiety and what was probably depression, 2023 felt rapturously open. I went places! I met people! I was very happy!
My favorite 2023 moments
-I got into embroidery! Technically I first took a class in 2022, but I spent some time early in the 2023 winter really enjoying it. But then I (actually, not joking) hurt my eyes because I was staring too intently at these little stitches in low light so I had to stop. THEN my mom bought me a special craft light that I haven’t utilized yet because my fall was so busy…but this year, I’m getting back at it!
-I visited Paragraphs bookstore in Mount Vernon for my first event of the year, and it felt slightly like a return to normal events. After several years of no in-person events at all and then a 2022 release where I had one event that still felt a little scary, it was so wonderful to be at Paragraphs, talking to readers and booksellers and enjoying myself like usual. Afterwards I walked around Kenyon and listened to Fiona Apple and just felt very pleased with my life.
-I baked a decent amount! I have not and probably will not return to my pre-pandemic levels of baking, but I did start baking my way through the book 100 Cookies, which is very fun!
-I continued being part of a romance book club, which I can’t recommend enough. Everyone in book club is VERY funny and while I don’t make it to every meeting (much like last year, my family is sick a lot), when I do I usually end up laughing until I cry.
-I expanded this very newsletter and opened up paid subscriptions. This is something I had a hard time with—I’m very midwestern and it’s hard for me to accept that I could possibly earn money for anything I create. Part of me still thinks I should be handing out my books for free on a street corner. But I wanted to be able to devote more time and energy to No One Asked because I love writing it. It’s the freest I feel when writing and the time I can be the most myself. I’m so grateful for those of you who signed up for paid subscriptions (I’m grateful for those of you who get free subscriptions, too!) and your emails/comments are such bright spots in my days.
-We took our son on his first ever small trip to Hueston Woods and it went…hmm, maybe poorly? We had lots of good moments. It was important and enlightening for him to sleep in a new place (something we rarely do for many reasons I won’t get into but also I don’t feel like being judged for this, lol). But he hated sleeping away from home and on our last night in our cabin, someone pounded on our door and yelled something at like six AM, then drove away before we could get to the door. When we called the front desk about it, they had no idea who could’ve been pounding on our door, but the next morning when we checked out they were like, “Oh, that was the police! They were looking for someone and they thought he was in your cabin!” No further info about whether they found who they were looking for, why they thought he was in our cabin, why they left without getting an answer from us, what would’ve happened if they’d still been at the door when we answered…I felt very indignant and also defensive, like I had to prove to the front desk woman that I wasn’t a criminal. Which I’m not. But there’s still a part of me that’s like…wait…were the police looking for us?
Anyway, the rest of our trip was fine and we swam a lot in the pool and then went to the aquarium. Fun!
-I learned to knit! Knitting is something one theoretically can teach themselves, but not me. What I needed was the patience and instruction of Liz at Sew to Speak. Liz is a former German teacher who now teaches knitting and I think she’s so cool. I’ve taken two classes and can now knit (awkwardly) in the round. I did no real crafting throughout the fall/early winter but now that my book promotion is done, I’m ready to get back at it. I’m really proud of myself for signing up for these classes and for committing to learning something new, because sometimes this sort of thing can scare me. But it turns out you don’t have to be scared of yarn (who knew).
-We got to see Hollis’s Lego group displays at the Columbus Main Library and the Columbus Museum of Art! It’s been fun to see him get more involved in this very creative hobby. He is definitely out of his dark ages (Faking Christmas readers know).
-I achieved my lifelong (okay, not lifelong, but…years long? Since before the pandemic!) dream of VISITING BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA when I attended The Bookshelf’s Reader Retreat as a featured author alongside R. Eric Thomas. This was the most fun, the most fulfilling, the most inspiring experience. I drove a cherry red Ford Mustang. I bought so many books. I relaxed in a nice hotel. I ate a chef-prepared dinner in The Bookshelf. I got to have lunch with my brother’s girlfriend’s mom, Blake, which was a real treat! I walked around Thomasville so much and enjoyed the food and the chai lattes and the toy store. I was able to be part of a live podcast recording with Annie, Hunter, and Eric, and…okay, you know that saying about how you should buy the ugliest house in the best neighborhood? Because then your property value will only rise when you’re surrounded by such beautiful homes, and also you can just look out the window and see all those other houses and not have to look at your own. Well, that’s how I felt about recording with Annie, Hunter, and Eric. I was certainly the least smart/funny/beautiful house amongst that team, but I didn’t even care because I was surrounded by such amazing people. Does this metaphor work? Unsure, but I’m keeping it.
-We went on our first “big” family vacation to Legoland New York! We slept in a Lego castle hotel and had, honestly, an amazing time. I mean, I was shocked by how much fun I was having at a Lego theme park. I care about Lego the least out of all of us, but I could’ve stayed another day. I think I just like theme parks? Those refillable cups you have to pay extra for. The food that costs too much. The movie theaters that you escape into when it’s too hot and you need an air-conditioned break. Watching my son and husband get stuck on the extremely slow moving boat ride. Something about the experience just speaks to me. This was probably the best thing we did all year and I’m so glad we went. And then we got to stay in an actual-castle-themed hotel and spend one day in Manhattan doing things our son liked (visiting the Natural History Museum, eating pizza). It was so fun. I also read two Louise Penny books in the car…a nice reading memory! Most importantly, I got to see both of my brothers, which doesn’t happen enough.
-I watched movies in the theater again! Super Mario Bros, Past Lives, Captain Underpants, Barbie, The Holdovers, and Eileen. An eclectic mix, and all fun experiences.
-I established a consistent exercise routine that’s based in fun instead of guilt/fear/weight loss and it’s brought so much joy to my life. I started using the Peloton app, which I cannot shut up about, and I don’t even care if I’m annoying because I love it so much!
-I watched A Walk to Remember for the first time and was forever changed.
-I got to see my mom’s quilt with my book covers at the Bellville Fair.
-My seventh book, FAKING CHRISTMAS, came out and I had a book launch at The Book Loft. One Hail of a Cookie made the best themed sugar cookies.
-I returned to Joseph-Beth and got to talk to the wonderful Kim Brock, then headed to Wild Geese in Franklin, Indiana where I had the most magical event during a power outage. Tiffany couldn’t have been kinder or more hospitable, and the town itself felt straight out of a movie. Also I visited the same coffee shop twice in one day. Go to Wild Geese if you get a chance!
-I was lucky enough to be Tessa Bailey’s conversation partner when she was at Books-a-Million in Dayton and I have never been part of an event like this before. People waited in line for four to five hours to meet her. The best part is that she was so funny and kind and took the time to talk to everyone. I’m a Tessa Bailey fan for life now.
-I got Covid for the first time! That sucked, but it did lead to the discovery of Naked Attraction.
-I’ll run through these quickly since I talked about them at length last month: I had a delightful week of Faking Christmas events in December that included being part of the Gramercy Romance Book Club, traveling to NYC and doing an event at The Ripped Bodice while spending a ton of time with friends (including Lauren, who let me stay with her!) and family, touring WOSU and recording an interview, and taking part in a cozy pajama party at Wheatberry in Chillicothe.
-Both of my brothers were home for Christmas :)
-My high school bestie Cat (the one from the Just Another Love Song dedication and the one who helped me research goats for Faking Christmas!) recently built a house in Bellville, so our friend group got together there over break and it was incredibly fun. It was just like when we used to hang out in high school, except this time we’re not in someone’s parents’ basement, there are kids around, and Cat’s husband can make smoked old fashioneds that will lead to everyone getting in a pointing-filled argument about which of our high school peers were and weren’t mean (there’s one person we have never and WILL never agree on, but I remain hopeful that her one defender, who will not be named, will eventually see the light…). This is just a letter of recommendation for befriending the weirdest, funniest kids in your tiny rural high school and then continuing to be friends with them when you grow up.
When I look back at it, I can’t believe what a full year it was. After such rough years, having this year be so light and fun and fulfilling felt like the biggest gift, one I’m not sure I even deserve. I certainly felt panic and despair when thinking, reading, and talking about world events, but you know this isn’t a world events newsletter and I have faith that you didn’t open this looking for a cogent explanation of the wars the US is currently involved in. It always feels weird to talk about fun and frivolous things when people are suffering, so I guess this is just a note to remind you that I see it, too, even if it’s not what I choose to talk about here.
Now, onto last year’s resolutions. I didn’t really focus on my resolutions at all. I did watch most of the Oscar-nominated films, but I didn’t even watch The Godfather, and that one was easy! I read 71 books, well over my 52 book goal, and I reread Little Women (recommended!), but overall I just kind of forgot about my media-related goals. I don’t want to be like “that’s what happens when you’re too busy living,” but that is kind of what happened.
That being said, I’m still disappointed with my film and book consumption last year. Not with the number or the quality, necessarily, but I feel like there wasn’t enough discovery. Probably because I dedicated a lot of time to rewatches! This year, I’m starting out with the framework of The Criterion Challenge on Letterboxd to push me to watch some new things. I’m also instituting a Reading Hour in my work day. Even though reading is part of my job in a figurative (you have to read to be a good writer!) and literal (I’m also a professional reviewer) way, I often feel guilty making time for it during my work day and try to cram it into my relaxation time at night. Why do I do this??? From now on, I’m devoting actual time to reading during the day.
I’m also focusing on writing a book this year. 2024 is the first year in seven years that I don’t have a book coming out, and that feels weird and scary. However, it’s also necessary. I’ve spent many years pushing myself to the point of sickness to write quickly while also being a stay at home mom. This is not a complaint! I’m very open about the fact that being a writer is by far the best job I’ve ever had (please remember I’ve worked in a factory and a warehouse, so I’m thrilled to have a job where I don’t have to be sexually harassed while working the paper packing machine/in a semi trailer or wear a heatproof jacket, ever), but it does actually take time to write a book and it’s still possible to really stress yourself out with it. I want to be able to write something good for you guys without sacrificing my sleep and health (or putting out something I’m not proud of!). I promise that as soon as I have news to share with you, you’ll be the first to know.
I guess my main goal this year is to remember that I’m a human being, not a writing machine. This year reminded me why I love this job so much—meeting so many readers and booksellers renewed my spirit and inspired me in ways I can’t even articulate. But I’m also a full person, one who knits and watches movies and goes on walks and gets really into the Peloton app and plays board games with her kid and might be on the run from the police (but they CERTAINLY won’t catch me at Hueston Woods). I hope 2024 brings lots of fulfilling writing, as well as lots of fulfilling things that aren’t writing.
This is extremely long, so let’s end it here. Do you have any entertainment related resolutions? I’d love to hear them! And remember that resolutions can just be fun goals! My son’s resolution is to see OSU beat Michigan. From his lips to God’s ears. See you soon. xo
I love my work AND personal planners! I think you are right about your readers 😂😂 learning to embroider is on my 24 for 2024 goal and I think I’ll be looking into those lights!
I could not love you or this newsletter more. What an incredible year! I am definitely a planner person, although I can also have slacker tendencies that SOMETIMES make me tempted to toss the planner in the air and say to hell with it! But then I'm also the person who would be diligently picking up every single page and putting them back together. Can I make my 2024 goal to meet you somehow? Is that weird?