Merry Christmas, guys–
Today I’m launching into a mayyybe somewhat extra countdown to bid the decade farewell. I’m focusing more on the past year than on the decade as a whole because, well, I’m still young and a decade is a lot of my life, haha. So I’m really saying goodbye to the decade with a focus on 2019, and that seems like a fair compromise to me.
10 favorite books of the year
I don’t award 5 stars very often, so here are the books that I’ve loved this year plus the rating I gave them.
- Skyward, Brandon Sanderson (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
- 100 Days of Sunlight, Abbie Emmons (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) [You knew 100DOS had to turn up at some point]
- Cress, Marissa Meyer (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) [I liked it better than Cinder and Scarlet]
- Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) [One of my favorite historical fiction novels, I’ve read it three times now]
- An Enchantment of Ravens, Margaret Rogerson (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
- A Curse so Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
- Eliza and Her Monsters, Francesca Zappia (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
- Rebel of the Sands trilogy, Alwyn Hamilton (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ respectively for all three books) [I didn’t like book one at first, but I gave it a second chance this year and ended up loving it]
- Blood Heir, Amélie Wen Zhao (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
- With the Fire on High, Elizabeth Acevedo (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
9 new authors that I discovered
I surpassed my goal of 100 books this year on Goodreads, so it’s nice that I’ve come out of that knowing new authors. Some of them may not exactly be new to publishing, but I am glad that I’ve discovered them anyway.
I’ll just quickly jot down the author’s name and the book that helped me find them.
- Tricia Levenseller — Daughter of the Pirate King
- Rhiannon Thomas — Long May She Reign
- Justin A. Reynolds — Opposite of Always
- Angie Thomas — The Hate You Give
- Astrid Scholte — Four Dead Queens
- Hanna Alkaf — The Weight of Our Sky
- Elizabeth Lim — Spin the Dawn
- Neal Shusterman — Scythe
- Brandon Sanderson — The Way of Kings
8 memories from my year
2019 had its ups and downs, but looking back, I made a lot of good memories. I spent a lot of time with my friends, with my class (who are pretty great by the way), and with my family. I did some theater stuff, I took photos, I read books, I performed at a soirée. Even through the highs and lows, there were still wonderful things.
7 things I plan to do next year
I am often overly ambitious, but I like making plans anyway for the next 12 months. So here are 7 possibly overly ambitious things I’d like to do or reach next year.
- Read 150 books (+ mini reviews on Goodreads)
- Read more books by POC authors, indie authors, and classics
- Read books in French.
- Double the followers I have on Instagram (doubtful about this but worth a try anyway)
- Double subscribers on my blog
- Fix my email list. Fix my email list. Fix my email list.
- Write another book (not sure about this since I also have to study XP)
6 goals I met this year
I also did some things this year! I didn’t really have that many big things that needed to get done, but hey, the small things count, too.
- I reached 200 followers on Instagram
- I finished a book that I’d been working on since the beginning of 2018
- I wrote 50K over July for Camp NaNoWriMo
- I did pretty well for my exams
- I reached 50 posts on this blog
- I wrote one short song 🙂
5 things I learned this year
Turns out the longer you live, the more you learn, right? Anyway, here are 5 things that I took away from 2019:
- Anxiety sucks, but it’s not good to carry that burden alone. Talk to someone you trust, someone who understands. It will help you so much.
- Mental health is important! Don’t ignore it.
- Take photos when you can. Take photos of your friends and your family and the best times of your life. But at the same time, remember to live in the moment and savor it — you’ll never live it again.
- Sometimes you won’t know all the answers, and that’s okay.
- It’s good to figure out what you do with your free time. When you’re off school or off work for a long period of time, that’s when you default to what you want to do. Is it being creative? Is it setting up a business? Find something that makes you happy in the long run, not just spending your days watching Netflix and eating ice cream.
4 posts I’m proudest of
I think it’s good to be pleased with your achievements from the past. Whether you like it or not, the small things you do now are the stepping stones to your future.
Also here, have some shameless self-promo (these are 4 posts that I feel are my best work from this year):
10 Takeaways from Avengers: Endgame
3 new blogs I discovered this year
I did some blog hopping this year and found some new faces! These are people who consistently put up quality content, and I’m so pleased I’ve found their websites:
Go on ahead: check them out and mingle with their content. Ash is bright and wonderful and full of starshine, Jo is raw and real and honest, and Olivia is clear and calm, yet full of energy.
2 writers that deserve more recognition
K. A. Emmons
I know I talk a lot about Abbie Emmons, so I think her sister should have a bit more recognition as well. I read an ARC of Anomaly this year — Kate’s next release — and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m yet to read more of Kate’s work — and I do plan to — but after Anomaly, I’m certain she has a way with story that rivals traditionally published authors.
Erraticerrata (a.k.a. David Verburg)
Okay, I don’t know if this one counts, but I read Erraticerrata’s A Practical Guide to Evil and enjoyed it. Web serials are rarely as popular as traditionally published books, but APGTE has fascinating worldbuilding and an epic plot that slowly unfolds across the series. Could be worth checking out.
1 short letter to you
You know, there’s a lot of pressure placed on people as we go into another year. There’s the pressure you have to finish the year strong, to start afresh in the new year. There’s the pressure to be happy.
If you’re having a great holiday and happy with how the year is ending, that’s wonderful. But if you’re grieving over someone, or taking care of others, or feeling sad, that’s okay too, and I acknowledge that. It’s okay to not be feeling your best, just like it’s okay to celebrate.
And don’t stress over having to do all these fantastic and marvelous things in 2020. Let yourself transition into them. If you’re thinking about exercising more, start small and gradually increase. If you want to learn a new language, start with the basics and build from there. I know you want to be hard on yourself, but sometimes it’s good to take it easy.
If you’re feeling alone, that’s okay. I’m here to listen. So are many people around you, I bet. And I believe that there’s a God who created you and loves you and wants to listen to your struggles.
So as you go into 2020 and a brand new decade, remember that you don’t have to be a firework, bold and extravagant and perfect. You can keep going steadily like you’ve always been, and you can make quick changes and stick to them.
Be brave. Stay strong. You’ve got this.
Thank you for a wonderful year!
Are you ready to jump into the next decade? What are your plans for the future?
Happy holidays, and remember to make your mark <3
