Category Archives: lists

Books: 2020

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  1. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
  2. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
  3. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
  4. Sourdough by Robin Sloan
  5. Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
  6. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
  7. Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
  8. Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts
  9. Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
  10. The Huntress by Kate Quinn
  11. Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
  12. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
  13. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
  14. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
  15. Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
  16. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
  17. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  18. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
  19. Blood Magick by Nora Roberts
  20. The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
  21. The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory
  22. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
  23. Well Met by Jen DeLuca
  24. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
  25. The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
  26. Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
  27. A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
  28. Long Bright River by Liz Moore
  29. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  30. Beach Read by Emily Henry
  31. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
  32. So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
  33. Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
  34. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
  35. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen
  36. No Judgments by Meg Cabot
  37. My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren
  38. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
  39. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
  40. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
  41. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
  42. Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
  43. No Offense by Meg Cabot
  44. The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
  45. The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
  46. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
  47. The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler
  48. Extraordinary Parenting by Eloise Rickman
  49. The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
  50. Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
  51. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle
  52. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
  53. My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
  54. Dune by Frank Herbert

2020 was a funny year for reading, but I suppose it was a funny year in basically every way possible. In my non-pandemic life, I was usually reading two books at a time: one audiobook during my commute, and a paper or ebook during lunch breaks, weekends, and at bedtimes. I’d set my goal to read 52 books during the year with that in mind. Once the pandemic started, I had a really hard time reading much of anything (understandably). However, I got back into the groove and then some once I realized that if I stuck to very light romance novels and a thriller here and there, it was the PERFECT distraction for the most difficult year in memory. Reading remains my escape, my stress relief, my sanity. I’ve felt for a long time that it really doesn’t matter what you’re reading; if you enjoy reading, who cares if you only ever read one genre. Or fast, or slowly, or only on audio, or if you think ebooks are horrible. Reading is reading and it is ALWAYS a good thing.

I’d normally finish this type of post with my reading goals for the new year, and frankly, it’s hard to set any goals for 2021, knowing that the pandemic is likely to get worse before it gets better. I set my goal to read 52 books again, and I really don’t know if that’s reasonable or not… but I’ll just keep picking out books and we’ll see what happens.

In Previous Years…
Books Read in 2019
Books Read in 2018
Books Read in 2017
Books Read in 2016
Books Read in 2015
Books Read in 2014
Books Read in 2013
Books Read in 2012
Books Read in 2011
Books Read in 2010
Books Read in 2009
Books Read in 2008
Books Read in 2007
Books Read in 2006
Books Read in 2005

Books: 2019

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  1. All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
  2. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
  3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
  4. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
  5. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
  6. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
  7. Good as Gone by Amy Gentry
  8. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
  9. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
  10. Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts
  11. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
  12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
  13. The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally
  14. My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
  15. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
  16. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
  17. The Dispatcher by John Scalzi
  18. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
  19. Becoming by Michelle Obama
  20. Startup by Doree Shafrir
  21. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  22. The River by Peter Heller
  23. Circe by Madeline Miller
  24. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
  25. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
  26. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
  27. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  28. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
  29. The Magic of Motherhood by Ashlee Gadd
  30. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
  31. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
  32. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  33. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
  34. Verity by Colleen Hoover
  35. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
  36. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
  37. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
  38. The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
  39. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
  40. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
  41. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
  42. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
  43. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
  44. Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
  45. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
  46. Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
  47. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
  48. Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
  49. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  50. Big Dreams, Daily Joys by Elise Blaha Cripe
  51. Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber
  52. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
  53. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

In Previous Years…
Books Read in 2018
Books Read in 2017
Books Read in 2016
Books Read in 2015
Books Read in 2014
Books Read in 2013
Books Read in 2012
Books Read in 2011
Books Read in 2010
Books Read in 2009
Books Read in 2008
Books Read in 2007
Books Read in 2006
Books Read in 2005

Books: 2018

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    1. The Twelve by Justin Cronin
    2. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
    3. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
    4. The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
    5. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
    6. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
    7. Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny
    8. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
    9. The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin
    10. The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon
    11. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
    12. Faithful by Alice Hoffman
    13. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
    14. The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
    15. The Mothers by Brit Bennett
    16. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
    17. The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman
    18. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
    19. The Selection by Kiera Cass
    20. The Secret Place by Tana French
    21. The Elite by Kiera Cass
    22. The One by Kiera Cass
    23. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
    24. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
    25. Still Life by Louise Penny
    26. Artemis by Andy Weir
    27. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
    28. The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
    29. The Heir by Kiera Cass
    30. The Crown by Kiera Cass
    31. Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
    32. The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
    33. A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay
    34. The Assistants by Camille Perri
    35. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
    36. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
    37. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
    38. Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
    39. Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane
    40. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
    41. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
    42. PS. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
    43. The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson
    44. Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
    45. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin
    46. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
    47. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
    48. My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
    49. Less by Andrew Sean Greer
    50. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
    51. The Lost Island by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
    52. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
    53. Educated by Tara Westover
    54. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
    55. One Day in December by Josie Silver

2018 was one of the best reading years I’ve had in a looooong time. I looked back at all of the years I’ve logged my books here (going back to 2005), because I was convinced I’d read more books this year than ever, but back in the pre-kid days, I did have a few other days of reading 50+ books in a single year. However, I did read more in 2018 than I have since 2011, and that is certainly an accomplishment. My goal was to read 43, and I exceeded that by quite a lot.

I’ve written in previous year-end reading summaries that reading a lot is what makes me feel like myself, and realizing that and prioritizing reading in my life over the past year and a half has made such a difference, especially as life has gotten difficult. Reading does so much for me and especially as I have next-to-no time for any of my old hobbies, I’m glad that I’ve found a way to make time for so many books. It’s my primary stress reliever, and I’m happy to have realized that and done whatever I can to make space for it in my life.

Over half of my total 55 books for the year were audiobooks. For anybody wondering how I have time to read so much – I spend 2ish hours in the car every weekday, and in 2018 I chose audiobooks over podcasts or music almost every time. Most of the audiobooks are through the library’s apps (Overdrive and lately, the newer app Libby), but we joined Audible (Dan and I are sharing an account) over the summer. That has been nice, too, as there’s a limit to what I can find from our county library on audio.

My favorite books of the year were Ready Player One, The Almost Sisters (both spectacular on audio), the first two Louise Penny books, and the first two books in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. I adored To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and its sequels, as well. I even read a few nonfiction books this year, and Educated was astonishing, and I still think of it often.

For 2019, my goal will be to keep up this approximate reading pace, and read 52 books. Looking back at my reading goals over the past ten or so years, I very frequently resolve to read classics and very infrequently actually read them. But I would like to actually read a classic I haven’t read before in 2019. I’d like to read other books by authors I’ve enjoyed over the past year and a half (Liane Moriarty, Louise Penny, Joshilyn Jackson, Kristin Hannah, Tana French) and mostly continue to spread my reading over lots of genres to keep from getting into a rut. What was your favorite book of 2018?

 

 

In Previous Years…
Books Read in 2017
Books Read in 2016
Books Read in 2015
Books Read in 2014
Books Read in 2013
Books Read in 2012
Books Read in 2011
Books Read in 2010
Books Read in 2009
Books Read in 2008
Books Read in 2007
Books Read in 2006
Books Read in 2005

Books: 2017

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  1. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
  2. Sabriel by Garth Nix
  3. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
  4. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
  5. Chiefs by Stuart Woods
  6. Cress by Marissa Meyer
  7. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
  8. Winter by Marissa Meyer
  9. 11/22/63 by Steven King*
  10. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
  11. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
  12. Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson
  13. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
  14. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater*
  15. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater*
  16. The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
  17. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare*
  18. Come Sundown by Nora Roberts
  19. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
  20. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare*
  21. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
  22. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
  23. Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare*
  24. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
  25. Runaways, vol. 1 : Pride and Joy, by Brian K. Vaughn
  26. Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell
  27. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult*
  28. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow*
  29. Emma by Jane Austen*
  30. Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
  31. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
  32. Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki
  33. Heartless by Marissa Meyer*
  34. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare*
  35. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
  36. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney*
  37. Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple*
  38. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
  39. This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel*
  40. Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman

Well! My goal was to read 40 books in 2017, and I did exactly that. I went back to work (and to my lengthy commute) in March, and started listening to audiobooks again (marked in my list with a star, 13 in total). Apparently I hadn’t listened to a single audiobook in the three years I was home with the kids!

It felt good to get back into a place where I’m reading a LOT. I always feel more like myself in the years of voracious reading. And this year, one of the hardest years I can ever remember, I absolutely wouldn’t have survived without books. Between the audiobooks to prevent my mind from cycling during the long hours in the car, inspiring stories of people overcoming crazy obstacles, funny stories about impossible things, mysteries and magic… yeah. In 2017, I finally got a Kindle, because reading on my iPad/phone was bothering my eyes too much, and I am absolutely looooving it. I’ve been slowly amassing a collection of kindle books when there are sales, which is, of course, expanding my already infinite “to read” list by leaps and bounds.

But I read a few really outstanding books this year – my absolute favorite was This Is How It Always Is, which was so full of wonderful quotes about life and parenthood that I want to buy a copy to underline it all. Everything I Never Told you was heartbreaking and tore me apart but I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks afterwards. I loved Turtles All the Way Down, and I’m SO glad that I read the biography of Alexander Hamilton (which was great on audio, too).

My goal for 2018 is to read 43 books – more than my average but not an unattainable goal, either. Last year, I resolved to finish the series I’ve loved in the past (Justin Cronin’s The Passage series and Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad)… neither of which I got to. So those are definitely on my 2018 list. I’d like to read one classic I haven’t read before. If you’re reading this, tell me a book you think I should read this year!

 

In Previous Years…
Books Read in 2016
Books Read in 2015
Books Read in 2014
Books Read in 2013
Books Read in 2012
Books Read in 2011
Books Read in 2010
Books Read in 2009
Books Read in 2008
Books Read in 2007
Books Read in 2006
Books Read in 2005

Books: 2016

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  1. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
  2. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy
  3. The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancy
  4. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
  5. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
  6. On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle
  7. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
  8. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
  9. Montana Sky by Nora Roberts
  10. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
  11. Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
  12. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
  13. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle
  14. Wonderfully Dysfunctional by Buffi Neal
  15. The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp
  16. The Passage by Justin Cronin
  17. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
  18. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
  19. The Last Child by John Hart
  20. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
  21. Leave Me by Gayle Forman
  22. The Vacationers by Emma Straub
  23. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
  24. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
  25. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
  26. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
  27. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
  28. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  29. My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
  30. Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich

2016 was a really good year for reading. I wasn’t sure at the end of last year how reading would fall into my life as a mom of two, and I’m really glad that I found a way to make it work. I was hopeful in setting my 2016 reading goal at 30 books, and although I had to read 5 books in December to get there, I’m really pleased to report that I accomplished it (with a few days to spare, even!)

I still stand by my preference for reading during naptime; reading is one of the things that really makes me feel like myself, and while there’s ALWAYS something else I should be doing, taking a little time (when I can) to sit with my coffee and a book is never something I regret. I’ve been struggling with a lot of my other hobbies (photography, scrapbooking, hell anything crafty whatsoever) this year, and in 2016, reading was the one thing I returned to. I probably say it every time I write this year-end post, but reading a lot of books is a big part of my self-identity, and it helps to remember that when I start to feel a little bit lost. (Two and a half years into this stay at home mom life, and I’m still trying to figure it out in so many ways. It’s too bad I don’t have a blog where I could write about it 😉 )

I read some really good books this year! And some other books I really didn’t care for. I started a few new series, including the Stephanie Plum series, which I never read way back in the day, and those have been great when I need something fun and quick that I can just finish. I started a few new YA series that I’m looking forward to finishing (The Raven Cycle and the Lunar Chronicles), and I read way more adult fiction than I EVER do…. wondering the whole time if adult fiction is so dark and/or depressing and/or full of affairs and awful people, if I’m really missing anything at all by largely avoiding the genre.

My favorite books of 2016 were by far The Nightingale (if you haven’t read this, you really should), Big Little Lies (late to the game on this but it was different and interesting), My True Love Gave to Me (such a sweet collection of YA holiday-themed stories; I’ll definitely come back to this year after year), and Cinder. Some of the adult novels (The Vacationers, Leave Me, Fates and Furies) were super well written but full of characters I disliked, and therefore I have trouble recommending them.

So! What will my goal for 2017 be? To be honest, I sort of want to go big and set my goal at 52 to have something to work toward… but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I don’t have THAT much time on my hands. My average is 40 books, so I think I’ll aim to read that many, and maybe even a few more. I’d like to finish some of the series I’ve started (including the 3rd novel in Justin Cronin’s the Passage series and the next by Tana French), and look for some of the other books written by authors I enjoyed this year (Liane Moriarty, Kristin Hannah). It’s been a while since I’ve re-read Harry Potter… it’s been a while since I’ve read a classic… but we’ll see. Happy reading!

In Previous Years…
Books Read in 2015
Books Read in 2014
Books Read in 2013
Books Read in 2012
Books Read in 2011
Books Read in 2010
Books Read in 2009
Books Read in 2008
Books Read in 2007
Books Read in 2006
Books Read in 2005

34 Before 34: Halfway There

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So every once in a while, I remember that I continued with my tradition of writing a birthday to do list back in July. The list isn’t really at the forefront of my mind these days, although it does contain some stuff that I really do want to do. As a way of reminding myself about it, I thought I’d catch us on what I’ve managed to do so far. I’m including the original list below, with notes on some of the items that I have actually worked on.

  1. go on dates with Dan
    We have actually done this! We went on two dates to celebrate our second anniversary in January, and my sister watched Ben just after the new year so we could see The Hobbit. It’s not as easy as it was before, but I definitely want to keep working on this.
  2. host a party of some sort (dinner party, housewarming, football party) for more than 4 people
  3. shoot at least one roll of film each with the AE-1, instax, polaroid
    I started working on this in a roundabout way in December, when I finished up my year of daily photos with daily instax photos. I ended up going through almost four rolls of film, and it got me really pumped to get out the AE-1 in particular.
  4. make a wedding album
  5. make wedding albums to give to our parents
  6. visit the ocean (at least 5 times)
    So far I’ve gone twice – once in August in Cape Cod, and once in January.
  7. walk across a bridge in NYC
  8. visit a new local brewery
    Dan and I visited Carton Brewing Company in Atlantic Highlands back in July with my brother, sister, and brother-in-law. Their IPA 077XX is one of my absolute favorites. Even though this one is technically complete, I really want to visit another small brewery near my hometown, Kane Brewing Company before my birthday.
  9. make pom poms
  10. eat at Pete and Elda’s
  11. make quote wall art
  12. crochet a giant scarf
  13. get another tattoo
  14. hang a photo gallery wall in our new place
  15. go to a Patriots game with Dan to celebrate six years since our first spark
    done in August, and now Ben is part of the tradition!
  16. make a new dessert
  17. get a sewing machine
  18. and sew something simple
  19. make a wreath for each season (summer, fall, Christmas, winter, spring) for our front door
    I did make a fall wreath, and it was simple and SO worth it. I haven’t made any others, but would consider this one complete even if I buy a few more seasonal wreaths so we can always have something on our front door.
  20. decorate the living room and the dining room
  21. write in a paper journal three times a month
  22. blog more
    I’m working on it, right? Ha.
  23. learn how to be a mom
    I wrote this knowing that it would always be a work in progress, but there really are a lot of days when I really do feel like I know how to be Ben’s mom. (Of course… there are other days when I super don’t but I am gathering that that’s part of the whole deal, too.)
  24. try NOT to overthink things so much
  25. go on a photo excursion (by myself or with friends)
    Yes! And I blogged about it last week. I am hoping to do this again, though.
  26. thoroughly purge my closet (again)
    I couldn’t stop thinking about this, and went through my closet rather harshly over the summer. I got rid of a bunch of stuff, and boxed up some more, partly because Dan was kind of appalled at how much I wanted to get rid of. (Honestly? I would have gotten rid of almost every piece of clothing I owned, at the time, and still kind of feel that way.) The box is in the basement, and if I don’t want anything out of that box for six months, that’s going, too. (And I may do another pass when it gets warm again, because I just have SO MUCH that I don’t or can’t wear.)
  27. start building a new wardrobe
    I can’t really say I’m working on this; clothes fit so strangely now, and until I start exercising I’m sort of at a stand still. Baby steps.
  28. collect more bracelets for an arm party
    I am doing this, thanks in part to a very nice Christmas haul. Maybe I will blog about this, although I can’t imagine too many of you are dying to see photos of a bunch of bracelets.
  29. grow out my hair
    Whoops. So I totally forgot I had this on my list, and have obviously chopped off my hair completely. Ha. (I am LOVING having super short hair, though, more than I ever expected. It is AMAZING and I haven’t regretted it for a single second.)
  30. plan an awesome first birthday for Benjamin
  31. eat healthy food and exercise (and okay, also lose weight) to really stave off diabetes
    I can definitely be doing a better job on this than I have been so far. Exercising in particular, which I basically… don’t do. It’s hard when it’s so very cold outside.
  32. keep up with Project Life and Ben’s baby album
    I have been doing this, and absolutely loving it. I have plans to blog about my latest creations soon!
  33. choose a positive outlook even when things are hard
  34. laugh more. feel the wind. go for walks. read books to Ben. savor the snuggles. tell Dan how awesome he is. love big. breathe deep.

I have to be honest and say that I’m pretty surprised to have made as much progress as I have. There are about six months left until I turn 34, and my goal is to choose a few things to work on each month. For February, I want to keep blogging more, work on decorating the living room (we have many of the pieces, we just haven’t set them up/hung them up/framed them yet), make or obtain a wintry wreath, and maaaaybe finish knitting the scarf I started for Dan like… three+ years ago so that I can start on the giant pink cowl I bought yarn for over a year ago. We’ll see. (And just to put this out there, mostly for myself, it is TOTALLY okay if I don’t come close to finishing the stuff on this list. Life with a baby who’s more active by the day is, as they say, unpredictable at best.)

Books: 2014

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  1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
  2. Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
  3. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
  4. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
  5. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
  6. Dance upon the Air by Nora Roberts
  7. Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts
  8. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
  9. Face the Fire by Nora Roberts
  10. Great with Child by Beth Ann Fennelly
  11. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
  12. Breastfeeding Made Simple by Nancy Mohrbacher
  13. The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp
  14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
  15. The Search by Nora Roberts
  16. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
  17. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
  18. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
  19. Coincidence by J.W. Ironmonger

I’m not sure whether to say that I read more or less than I expected I would in 2014. I certainly didn’t make my original goal of reading 30 books (although even when I chose that I knew it was totally arbitrary and quite possibly unattainable). I was keeping up a pretty standard pace of consumption before Ben was born, with audiobooks on my commute and regular books at lunch and at home. Once he showed up, of course, I pretty much stopped reading entirely for a while there. I don’t really understand how people read during middle of the night baby wakeups; I found I was too tired to concentrate on an actual book, but that if I could stay awake enough to read, then I’d be TOO awake to fall back asleep once Ben was asleep again. And now, I’m trying to read before bed like I used to, and after a few nights of reading until 1am and still having to be up with Ben at 5 or 6, really regretting it. But I feel like I’m back in a reading phase (and over the years of documenting what I’ve read, I know that I definitely go through phases in which I just don’t read at all for months), and I’m glad for that.

My favorite books in 2014 were definitely Attachments (omg I ADORED this book. I loved Eleanor and Park, which I read last year, but I was legitimately sad when Attachments was over. I just loved it.), Coincidence (which I finished on New Years Eve; very interesting and different. I really enjoy books whose timelines jump forward and back through time), and the Coldest Girl in Coldtown (which, based on my goodreads friends’ reviews, I expected not to like much, but I listened to this on audio and was pleasantly surprised).

I’m not sure how to approach a reading goal for 2015, to be honest. I’d like to think I’ll be back up to my average of 40 or so books, but life with Ben changes every time I feel like I’ve got things under control, so I really have no idea. But I’d really like to read more (and god knows I sure could use a little less mindless internet scrolling on my phone and a little less daytime tv). I’ve set a goal to read every day, even if it’s just a few lines or pages, or a book with Ben. I’d like to get to all those ebooks I bought just before we went to the hospital to have Ben (seriously, I loaded up the iPad thinking I’d read during labor. Isn’t that adorable? Reading during contractions. Haaaaaaaaa). Overall, I’m setting my reading goal at 30 books. I’m hoping I’ll beat it, but we’ll see.

In Previous Years…
Books Read in 2012
Books Read in 2011
Books Read in 2010
Books Read in 2009
Books Read in 2008
Books Read in 2007
Books Read in 2006
Books Read in 2005

 

34 before 34

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It hit me about a few months ago that I had completely forgotten about my 33 before 33 list. I suppose impending parenthood can sort of take over your life in that way. That list wasn’t a total bust, but because I forgot about it so thoroughly, I don’t think it’s really fair to consider it done. Some years, I plan my lists for weeks ahead of time, but today is my 33rd birthday, and I still want to do all those things I thought up last year. So I decided to start a new list for my new year. The first 19 items are from 33 before 33, and the rest are new or just slightly revised for this year. When I turned 32, I was a newlywed who had a lot of high hopes, and adding them to a list helped me feel a bit like they weren’t as crazy as they felt. Now I’m 33, and we bought that house and I had that adorable baby, and I need a list like this more than ever, as I’m learning how to be BOTH the new me who’s a mom and the old me who really needs to create. So here we are. And even if I forget about this list by January, I think it’ll be a pretty good year.

  1. go on dates with Dan
  2. host a party of some sort (dinner party, housewarming, football party) for more than 4 people
  3. shoot at least one roll of film each with the AE-1, instax, polaroid
  4. make a wedding album
  5. make wedding albums to give to our parents
  6. visit the ocean (at least 5 times)
  7. walk across a bridge in NYC
  8. visit a new local brewery
  9. make pom poms
  10. eat at Pete and Elda’s
  11. make quote wall art
  12. crochet a giant scarf
  13. get another tattoo
  14. hang a photo gallery wall in our new place
  15. go to a Patriots game with Dan to celebrate six years since our first spark
  16. make a new dessert
  17. get a sewing machine
  18. and sew something simple
  19. make a wreath for each season (summer, fall, Christmas, winter, spring) for our front door
  20. decorate the living room and the dining room
  21. write in a paper journal three times a month
  22. blog more
  23. learn how to be a mom
  24. try NOT to overthink things so much
  25. go on a photo excursion (by myself or with friends)
  26. thoroughly purge my closet (again)
  27. start building a new wardrobe
  28. collect more bracelets for an arm party
  29. grow out my hair
  30. plan an awesome first birthday for Benjamin
  31. eat healthy food and exercise (and okay, also lose weight) to really stave off diabetes
  32. keep up with Project Life and Ben’s baby album
  33. choose a positive outlook even when things are hard
  34. laugh more. feel the wind. go for walks. read books to Ben. savor the snuggles. tell Dan how awesome he is. love big. breathe deep.

(Pregnant) Confessions

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(Confessions One) (Confessions Two) (Confessions Three) (Confessions Four) (Confessions Five)

  • I still feel guilty that I didn’t really have any morning sickness.
  • I didn’t have a magical moment when the + showed up on the test after which I was consumed with love for my unborn baby. It was something a little more like stunned disbelief.
  • I still feel mostly gobsmacked by the whole thing.
  • I spend a lot of time thinking about ice cream and seasonal Reese’s peanut butter cups. (Seasonal ones have a much better peanut butter to chocolate ratio.)
  • I’m inordinately terrified that my feet will swell and never go back to their original size. Size ten is PLENTY large enough, baby. (Think of all the converse!!!)
  • I don’t seem to be having stereotypical cravings, but obsessions with certain foodstuffs that burn hot and fast, and after they’re over, I want NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with said foodstuff. (The now-unappealing list includes pumpkin squash ravioli frozen dinners and strawberry Newtons, most notably).
  • In the last week, the baby’s kicks have gone from gentle little rumbles to shockingly strong actual KICKS that often make me gasp out loud. But the new strength means Dan felt one from the outside for the first time, and that was kinda amazing.
  • I’m still caught off guard by people being extra kind and taking care of me (when my sister- and brother-in-law each grabbed an elbow walking through an icy parking lot; when a friend walked me back from lunch to make sure I got past all the ice safely). Not because it’s weird that they’d be nice, but more that I forget, a little, that I need to be 50x more careful.
  • I am surprised that I haven’t had too many overly emotional sobfests (which is not to say that I haven’t had any). I have been SUPER irritable, though.
  • I really, really, really miss beer.

Books: 2013

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  1. In the Woods by Tana French
  2. A Practical Wedding by Meg Keene
  3. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
  4. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
  5. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
  6. The Passage by Justin Cronin
  7. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
  8. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
  9. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
  10. The Twelve by Justin Cronin
  11. What to Expect Before You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff
  12. Divergent by Veronica Roth
  13. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
  14. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
  15. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
  16. When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman
  17. The Likeness by Tana French
  18. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  19. Wool by Hugh Howey
  20. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
  21. The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey
  22. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
  23. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
  24. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
  25. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
  26. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
  27. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
  28. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
  29. Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts
  30. The Magician King by Lev Grossman
  31. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen
  32. Black Rose by Nora Roberts
  33. Red Lily by Nora Roberts
  34. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
  35. White Cat by Holly Black
  36. Birthright by Caragh O’Brien
  37. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen
  38. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
  39. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
  40. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
  41. Faithful Place by Tana French
  42. Virals by Kathy Reichs
  43. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Looking back on the books I’ve read this year is something I really enjoy, even though it’s hard to believe we’re here already. My reading goal for 2013 was to read 39 books (my average number of books read since I started keeping track back in 2005). I’m happy to say that I squeaked past that goal with 43, largely aided by a week of intense reading on our honeymoon in June, and a hefty audiobook consumption once I went back to a very lengthy commute in September. I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t have come close if it hadn’t been for the audiobooks this fall. My side goals were to read one classic that’s new to me (I didn’t do this or even remember it was on my list, honestly) and five novels meant for adults that weren’t mass market fiction. I’m surprised and kinda jazzed to report that I read nine adult fiction books AND two nonfiction books. Reading YA is definitely my favorite (with a healthy dose of romance novels for good measure), and I’m okay with that. But the adult novels I’ve read this year were some of my favorite books of the year. I listened to eight audiobooks (Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane was spectacular – read by Gaiman himself. Kathy Reichs’ Virals wasn’t really a super awesome story, but Cristin Milioti’s narration was some of the best I’ve ever heard). I also re-read three books (The Passage, Across the Universe, and Delirium) as refreshers before reading sequels, which I generally like to do.

The books that I read in 2013 that I would recommend most highly are some pretty amazing books: all three of Tana French’s books were so refreshing and dark and un-put-downable; The Age of Miracles was a YA novel that tells the story of what happens during an epic natural disaster; The Passage and The Twelve are truly epic doorstops of books but so very, very gripping; Eleanor & Park was a super charming, sad love story; The Fault in Our Stars was just unforgettable.

I’m not sure it’s very smart for me to set a reading goal for 2014, what with the whole baby showing up in late May business. I think it’d be short-sighted of me to expect that my reading habits will remain unchanged once a newborn is in the picture. But I also can’t see myself NOT reading. (Feel free to remind me of this as you laugh at me this summer.) So! My goal for 2014 will be to read 30 books. We’ll reconvene a year from now to see how crazy that notion is.

In Previous Years…
Books Read in 2012
Books Read in 2011
Books Read in 2010
Books Read in 2009
Books Read in 2008
Books Read in 2007
Books Read in 2006
Books Read in 2005