A Quick Look Back at Books 1 & 2Book 1 - Start Us Up - Ivy's Story
Book 2 - My Royal Showmance - Anika's Story
Book 3 - Built to Last - Harper's StoryWhich brings us to the third book, where Harper Ross gets a taste of living her dreams. In Built to Last, she finally has the opportunity to renovate one of the Park Avenue mansions. The location itself is a symbol of success and a full-circle moment for her and her friends. In fact, Anika owns it, and has hired her for part of the restoration and construction work. The twist? She’s not working on it alone. Reid Dorsey, a talented designer who dropped out of the public eye after his renovation show with his brother abruptly ended, is brought in to collaborate. They get off to a bad start, as any enemies-to-lovers book begins. Still, sparks fly. What starts as an intense workplace friction slowly transforms into mutual respect and, eventually, something deeper. Something calm and understood. As a reader, I found myself invested in their back-and-forth journey. Their journey took longer than most enemies-to-lovers storylines I’m familiar with, but so much about themselves and their backgrounds had to not only be revealed, but also worked through. Being with the other person - wholly - came with facing several obstacles. I won’t spoil anything more, but if you’re curious, you have plenty of time to read books 1 and 2 before Built to Last publishes next month! Characters & Found FamilyOne of the shining stars of this series is CeCe. She began as Ivy’s mentor, slowly transformed into Ivy’s mother-figure, before developing almost into the fairy godmother for all three women. The series would not be the same without her, and not just because of how Built to Last ends. She supports each woman - Ivy, Anika, and Harper - and uplifts their sisterhood. As for the main trio, their friendship is a constant thread throughout the series. Even as each book focuses on one woman’s journey, the others are never far behind with words of encouragement, witty banter, and the kind of support only soul-deep friends can offer. Friends we all want and hope to have. The idea of a village comes to mind, because they honor their bond through each part of their lives. I think that’s why I appreciate each of their love interests, who truly could not be more different. We struck gold there, or rather, Lexi balanced the wants and wounds of her couples in ways that continually carry each story forward. As a writer, I’ll be thinking of these pairings and their journeys for a long, long time. Writing Style & Pacing
Final ThoughtsBuilt to Last was the perfect finale to a beautifully written trilogy. Watching Harper come into her own—both professionally and personally—while allowing her sisterhood to help was so satisfying. The backdrop of a renovation thematically worked with the different threads Lexi weaved, between books and for Harper’s specific stand-alone story. The initial promise made between these women ultimately became fulfilled across the series, and it left me wishing for a sisterhood of my own. But is the Park Avenue Promise series really complete? Given that Lexi has written 117 books across 11 different series and subgenres of romance, I’m hopeful this isn’t the last time we see these characters. Perhaps Darnell Green, Heath’s roommate, will meet someone after all is said and done if Anika produces a movie adaptation of his novel. Maybe we’ll get to see CeCe’s love story, though her late husband is never actually seen within the current books. Ivy’s mother eventually falls for CeCe’s driver, Thomas, as a very small side plot. Then there’s Heath’s grandma, Lydia, who is an absolute scheming delight. I refuse to believe her matchmaking days are behind her, but I can also say I’m curious about how they began, especially having read Lunar Love earlier this year. Oh, and who could forget the entire cast we are introduced to in Book 2, on the set of the royal reality dating show? There’s no telling where Lexi could take this series next. I know I’m looking forward to finding out, and I hope you’ll consider giving the series a read!
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Her Chosen Themes & Their Emotional ImpactSarah beautifully tackles the most human themes: nostalgia, family, loss, love, and self-discovery. She frequently captures the bittersweet feeling of holding tightly onto fleeting moments of joy, despite - or perhaps because of - their transitory nature. Poems such as "Allow Me Just This One" resonated deeply for me because of its vulnerability. As I continued to read, it was clear that Sarah has a gift for articulating complex feelings with simplicity and grace. It reminded me that we are never alone in our uncertainties or joys. Her Craft & Poetic TechniquesThe collection showcases a rich variety of poetic forms, including free verse, sonnets, prose poems, and even ars poetica. As a reader and writer who appreciates variety, this approach was right up my creative alley. I found myself not only reflecting on her chosen themes, but also pausing to appreciate her experimentation. Sarah often playfully bends and breaks rules to enhance the emotional impact of her poems. Her experimentation with form and white space, evident in pieces like "The Poet's Father Wakes in a Cold Sweat," makes them hit that much harder. I’m sure that reading digitally slightly altered my experience, as the physical format probably enhances Sarah’s thoughtful choices around white space, italics, indentations, and refrains. I’d recommend purchasing the physical copy to fully experience the sensory and emotional intentions of Sarah’s clearly meticulous formatting decisions. The Collection’s Standout Poems & Lines
For me, Part 3 deepens in introspection and emotional revelation, beginning with "Unreliable." I was hooked by the first line, since the poem cleverly invokes the concept of unreliable narrators. As both a reader and writer, the idea of this alone made me curious and inspired. Nevertheless, I continued on. Throughout this section as a whole, Sarah continues to bravely lay bare elements of her life, relationships, and internal dialogues. Part 1 to Part 3 is an emotional evolution, indeed. Final ThoughtsSarah’s voice feels authentic, warm, and engagingly conversational. As a reader, I felt close to her, almost like a companion. I think readers familiar with her will recognize her signature blend of tenderness, wisdom, and humor. Even as she delves into heavier topics, her voice maintains a comforting, approachable quality, making each poem feel personal and genuinely heartfelt. Overall, A Little Daylight Left is a deeply compassionate collection, and one I recommend for anyone who finds beauty in reflecting on their own life journeys. Readers who enjoy poetry that invites contemplation, celebrates vulnerability, and finds wonder in everyday moments will find much to treasure. Those who often find themselves revisiting memories, seeking connections, or examining their evolving identity will particularly resonate with Sarah’s heartfelt explorations. She’s just that good. Truly. As someone who frequently looks to poetry to process and reminisce, I found myself wanting even more of Sarah Kay’s creative and emotional depth—beyond what she's already so generously provided here. It’s a poetry collection worth savoring, sharing, and revisiting. I’m excited to have my own physical copy since it publishes on April 1!
 Can personality truly change, or are we stuck with the traits we were born with? In Me, But Better, journalist Olga Khazan sets out to answer this question with a bold, year-long experiment on herself. Using the Big Five personality traits—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN)—as her framework, she explores whether deliberate actions can shift the way we think, behave, and feel. Because don’t we all want to feel better, sometimes? I was immediately drawn to this book after seeing that Gretchen Rubin had reviewed it. As a longtime fan of Gretchen’s work on happiness and habits, I was curious how Olga would approach the subject of personality change. I first discovered Me, But Better on NetGalley, and it arrived in my life at just the right time. As Olga says in her introduction, “Moments stack.” Oh, goodness, how they stack. One after the other like Legos we can’t avoid stepping on forever. Our thoughts, choices, and behaviors compound over time to shape our lives. Like her, I’ve felt the weight of certain aspects of my own personality, and I was excited to see what strategies helped her create meaningful change in her own life. The Science (and Reality) of Personality Change
I’ll say this, above anything else: Olga leans into the discomfort of her experiment. She doesn’t shy away from it - or from sharing her true thoughts - even once. Her hard truth is sometimes palpable on the page, and even as a reader, it was difficult to confront. Even a book can be a mirror, and the best ones are. I can only imagine how she felt, throughout the full experiment, and now, as her book publishes this month on the 11th. How the Experiment DevelopedAfter her introduction, Olga dedicated one chapter to each aspect of OCEAN, but not in the order you might expect. She began with the traits she most wanted to change, and which ranked the poorest on the Big Five Personality test she took directly from researcher Nathan Hudson’s website. Yes, I took the test, and my own results made me even more curious about how Olga approached each of the traits. Trait 1: ExtroversionAs an introvert, Olga began with extroversion. From improv classes to awkward networking events, she examines whether faking extroversion can lead to genuine personality change. She tackled this trait first—headfirst. I admire her tenacity where extroversion is concerned. Her commitment to dive into the deep end, to commit to this lifestyle in the ways that she did, told me just how serious she was about becoming a better version of herself. I was hooked. One of the most striking insights from this chapter is how social interaction can disrupt - even prevent - negative thought spirals. As she said, “Through all of this activity, I found that occasional extroversion can be a tool. It pauses the broken record of the depressive mind: Nothing rescues you from endless rumination like social interaction, even when forced.” Trait 2: NeuroticismOlga describes neuroticism as one of the most difficult traits to change—after all, anxiety and emotional sensitivity are deeply ingrained. She explores various methods to calm an overactive mind, including meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, and mindfulness practices. For every chapter, she speaks with many experts in the field of behavior and habits. She references conversations with Dan Harris and Jon Kabat-Zinn, as well as her own struggles with meditation: “Quieting the mind is impossible at times.” She routinely acknowledges the tension between wanting to change and feeling trapped by long-held emotional patterns. For me, one of the most relatable moments in this chapter is when she describes feeling happy, but immediately fearing that something will go wrong. “I was elated—but for the neurotic, happiness is always tinged with the suspicion that you’ll screw it up somehow.” It’s a relatable fear. And while this chapter did not end in the way I expected it to, the next few were impossible to put down. Traits 3, 4, and 5: Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness
Agreeableness, however, was an area she hoped to work on. She herself noted how she could be angry, blunt, skeptical, and resistant to small talk. But could she become more empathetic and agreeable, still speak up and participate, without feeling like she was smothering or losing herself? In addition to her experiences using Bumble BFF and Meetup, Olga volunteered to serve lunch to the homeless on a weekly basis. More than most, this chapter widened her understanding of what it means to be agreeable. Sometimes, it meant being disagreeable. Her last OCEAN trait chapter covered conscientiousness - a trait she was proud to score highly on initially at the beginning of her year long experiment. As she said, she was finally able to speak from a place of lived experience because she had already increased her conscientiousness years before. In fact, it was her passion for her future that did the trick. I know I appreciated reading through how she changed that part of herself so drastically. It also served as proof that the personality change she hoped to find within herself was one that she had already long accomplished. This sentiment shepherds nicely into her final two chapters. On Knowing When to QuitOne of the most emotionally powerful sections of the book is Olga’s exploration of when to persist and when to walk away. In self-help culture, people are often told that perseverance is key—but sometimes, quitting is the wiser choice. Olga captures that well. This chapter includes an emotional discussion of values versus goals. One I’m personally familiar with and advocate considering for anyone interested. She writes, “Values cast a spotlight on what’s important, and invite you to step in.” This idea - that understanding our core values can guide our decisions - feels like one of the book’s most lasting messages. I knew my own values before reading this book, but they cemented further in my heart. There’s little more that I could ask for out of the second-to-last chapter. Final Chapter, Final Thoughts: How to Keep ChangingIn the final chapter, Find Your Beach, Olga reflects on how to sustain personal growth over time. She emphasizes that personality change isn’t about rejecting who you are, but about expanding your possibilities. Ultimately, Me, But Better is a deeply engaging blend of personality science, self-discovery, and humor. Olga’s writing is sharp and honest, but she goes to great lengths to make psychological research feel accessible and relatable. While the book doesn’t offer a rigid step-by-step guide for change, it provides something even more valuable: a roadmap for experimenting with who we are and who we want to become. It provides hope. If you‘re curious about the psychology of self-improvement, this book is a continual reminder that growth isn’t about becoming someone else - it’s about becoming the best version of ourselves.
 I can hardly believe the end of February is already upon us. While January was a crawl to the finish line, February has been a test of keeping pace. At the end of January, I set aside time to review the month ahead and determine some milestones. With the year passing me by, how will I achieve what I set to - what I wrote about in my first blog?
Anyone who knows me, knows I often set ambitious goals for myself. I tried to dial it down for 2025, but even now, I’m realizing the mountain I have set myself up to climb. For my reading, I’m planning for a solid 50. I also consider other genres in that count, such as essay collections, poetry collections, or even scripts and plays. Beyond that 50, I’m also counting more shorter forms I read - poetry, short stories, shorter essays - because it all ultimately adds up to how I have enjoyed what others have created. I think that’s my favorite part of reading and writing communities: the way they uplift one another. Given my track record for reading, the writing goals I set for myself are the most ambitious ones. In my first blog, I included that I plan to complete and/or post online:
I’m happy to say this is my 6th blog! I haven’t posted that many in a year since… Wow, actually ever. I produced 9 articles about writing in 2016 for Odyssey Online before I became Editor-in-Chief for our local chapter. After that, my time was spent editing and supporting my team of contributing writers so that they posted every week instead. I reposted all of those “Wrong, or Write?” articles to this blog in December 2016, but that hardly counts as this blog when I really look at it. Hindsight is terribly revealing sometimes, isn’t it? The truth is, this style of writing takes less time than the ambitious 4-book romantic fantasy series I have planned, or even the script I partially drafted in 2023 (which I have yet to revisit). Even with designing the posts for my social media accounts, blogging as a whole requires less time and effort. It comes from a more simple place. Me, with my hopes and dreams and passions, just trying to connect once again. Maybe the book and script writing comes from there too - deep down - but it’s muddled by a pressure I subconsciously place on myself. I started publishing when I was 20 years old. Short, little pieces locally before collaborations published internationally. Contests, too. I’m forever grateful for those experiences. I learned about my process, my preferences, and my perspectives on different genres. It would be fair to say that all that has changed, or that I am open to the fact that how I work and what I enjoy isn’t exactly the same as it was more than 5 years ago. This year, I return to my writing like a grown adult returning to a childhood haunt. What’s in front of me is part familiar, part foreign. Engaging in the process again means giving myself over entirely to it. In author and professor Brandon Sanderson’s first recorded lecture as part of his science fiction and fantasy writing course, he asks the question: What makes you consistently do the things you want to have done? I’ve listened to him ask that question probably a dozen times, mulling it over, and it reinforces my desire to attend writing groups and carve out time for writing in my day like I used to. Stolen moments on napkins, scrap pieces of paper, even the Notes app on my phone. In the state of revision I find myself in for my book series, blocks of time are better than chunks, but chunks of time are better than nothing at all. It’s what I have. So I’m working on giving myself the gift of time again. So right now, this is what I have in mind, subject to the natural change and demand of life:
It’s a nice plan. Still, I might toss the script draft out the window entirely in favor of my series. With two jobs and other priorities, it’s hard to say how this plan will unfold. Already, February has been plagued with sickness and ripe with healing. I won’t know what pace makes sense until I begin - until I am in the thick of the process, and in the thick of life - but I’d like to think I’m well on my way. Until next time! 
Character & RomanceMaddek is a quintessential barbarian warrior—fierce, loyal, and driven by rage and duty. His initial perception of Yvenne as weak and deceitful makes their dynamic one of tension and distrust. Constantly. This tension exists for most of the book as Maddek struggles to believe in Yvenne’s truth, blinded by his own assumptions and grief. However, as their journey progresses, his respect for her intelligence and resilience grows. Yvenne, despite being physically fragile due to the abuse she survived at the hands of her family - another royal family in this story - she proves herself to be a force to be reckoned with. She wields her mind as skillfully as any weapon, proving that strength comes in many forms. One form, Maddek realizes, he is sorely lacking. I enjoyed who they are as characters, and their individual journeys. The romance between them is fiery, rooted in conflict yet growing into something deeper. Slowly, but surely. Their relationship evolves from hostility to an intense partnership, filled with both physical and emotional battles. My favorite moment between them is hard to pinpoint. Certainly, not without a spoiler. The way they teach and grow to love one another inspired me, though. I think it might inspire you, too. Plot & World-BuildingSet in a world recovering from war and ruled by a fragile alliance, the story initially follows Maddek, a fierce Parsathean warrior, who seeks revenge for his slain parents. A king and queen in their own right. His rage is directed at Yvenne, the daughter of the treacherous king he believes responsible for their deaths. However, when he captures her, he discovers that she is not the villain he expected. Instead, Yvenne is a strategic and determined woman who has suffered under her father’s rule. She offers him an alliance through marriage—a political union that could allow them both to reclaim their rightful thrones and take down a common enemy. Milla crafts a richly detailed world where brutal customs and deep-seated traditions shape the lives of her characters. The way they think, react, and act. It’s characterization at its finest. More than that, the Parsathean culture - with its warrior ethos and strong moral codes - contrasts sharply with the more deceptive and oppressive rule of Yvenne’s homeland. The author’s descriptions of landscapes, battles, and political intrigue immerse the reader in a realm where survival is earned through strength, wit, and loyalty. Their story is one told in immense contrast. Somehow, their pieces manage to fit. Jagged - cutting - at first, but by the story’s end, perfectly notched. Writing Style & PacingAs a writer, I live for good writing. Detailed description, effective dialogue, complex world-building, and most of all: immense saturation of character voice and point-of-view. I especially look for this in dual point-of-view narratives, like this one. Milla’s writing didn’t disappoint. In fact… Her writing is raw and evocative, perfectly suited for the intense tone of the novel. The action scenes are vivid and intense, while the quieter moments allow for deep character exploration. The dialogue is sharp, with Maddek and Yvenne engaging in clever and emotionally charged exchanges that highlight their chemistry. Conversations which return, over and over, in meaning. They are not just exchanges held in that minute, but kept and meant and lasting. Given the cross-country journey that Maddek and Yvenne had to make for their safety, I liked the pacing. It’s realistic for the world built, for the battles needing to be fought. I can see how some of the readers in my book club might have thought it would be slow, but for me, the tension—both in the plot and the romance—kept me engaged. It was a hard book to put down. Final ThoughtsA Heart of Blood and Ashes is a dark, gripping fantasy romance that delivers both in terms of world-building and emotional depth. Fans of strong heroines, fierce warrior heroes, and high-stakes political intrigue will find much to love in this book. While some of its more violent or intense moments may not be for everyone, those who enjoy sweeping epic romances with complex characters and slow-burning passion will be thoroughly satisfied.
 Perhaps you’ve heard this today already from a friend, family member, or coworker, but I’m continually surprised by how time passes. Too fast, too slow. I don’t know if that feeling will ever change. I find it hard to believe that the first month of the year is behind us, recent but no less past. January developed in unexpected ways for me, some of which reflected in my reading and writing. I’d love to hear how your own January went - as a reader or a writer! Reading ProgressI read and completed 8 books this month, all of the romance persuasion. It’s a good start to my goal of 50 books this year. An achievable goal, for all the busy days, weeks, and seasons ahead! For the first time, I’ve begun tracking the books I read on Storygraph this year as well. Still learning how to use it, but I have a good feeling about it! If I am walking into 2025 with any intention, it is pushing myself to try. Harder things, newer things - you name it. When it comes to what I read, I first finished the in-progress books from 2024. Truthfully, I also wanted to start the year off strong with what I love most. Reading romance makes me happy beyond measure. It’s the characters who overcome challenges - whether internal or external - together that does it for me. The partnership of it. I gravitate to some storylines more than others for these reasons, and given the general dislike and even denouncement of the genre as a whole, it can be hard for me sometimes to admit it’s what I read more than any other genre. It's not the same for film and TV, but reading... Definitely! So, I started with my unfinished romance recs, and I’ll continually return as I begin diversifying the genres of my fiction. I have a few science fiction and fantasy books I’d like to really sink into this year. With the movie adaptation of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir premiering next year, it’s high on my list. I love his debut, The Martian, and speak about it in my creative writing class often. I also read 95 poems and 22 short stories. Much of the poetry and short story reading were for my class, when revising my curriculum further. It’s made for an interesting month, to be sure. I have more nonfiction essays, scripts, and plays ahead of me due to my course revision. Expect a bit more of that in my February recap! Writing ProgressIt’s been a slow month where my writing is concerned. I’ve written 9 poems and worked on the plot for my in-progress novel, Begin Again. I drafted 50,000 words of that for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November 2023 before dedicating myself to two jobs in December 2023. It’s hard to believe I’ve completed another full year of teaching, albeit part time in addition to my full time job. When it comes to my writing, though…
I lost the plot in 2024 - literally, figuratively, metaphorically… Need I go on? I’ve found it hard to prioritize what matters to me while juggling both jobs and my other responsibilities. Realizing this and wanting to make a change, I joined an online writing group in December 2024, a few weeks before Christmas! It’s carved out an hour and a half a week for me to dedicate to my novel writing. It’s not much, but it’s something. A start. I want to give more to that part of myself this year, but it’s admittedly been an eventful start to the semester. Right now, I am figuring out what I actually wrote in NaNoWriMo so I can determine what to write next. What to keep, cut, rearrange, add, and more. I have big ideas for this adult romantic fantasy series. Truly, I feel like I'm pushing myself beyond what I thought was my creative comfort zone. My first two full book drafts were stand-alone, contemporary romances. One was Young Adult, the other New Adult. Before Begin Again, I started what I thought was a fantasy romance series, writing about 30,000 words. It’s actually a romantic fantasy as well. What’s the difference between the two - fantasy romance and romantic fantasy - you might ask? It’s the ratio of the elements where the plot is concerned. More simply put: Is it a fantasy with romance, or is it a romance with elements of fantasy? It’s been a revelation to realize I’m writing more intricate fantasies with romances inlaid. The characters, world building, magic systems, politics, and more have intimidated me as I’ve continued to revisit and push old and new ideas for each book in this series. I know I am putting too much pressure on myself to achieve a complex and meaningful end result - not unlike many of the writers who I deeply admire - so this year I have dedicated myself to trusting the process. Engaging in the process. Practicing what I teach. I’m unearthing new puzzle pieces as I plot, carefully turning and slotting them into new places, wondering at the fit. Setting aside the sections which confuse me, even if only temporary. It’s all, ultimately, temporary. I’ll find my way to the other side, so long as I keep moving in the right direction. I have to trust in that, too. I know some writing lessons can only be learned by writing itself - some plots only bettered by time spent bumbling through the particulars. I hope to have a better understanding of my next draft by the time I post this blog, and I also hope to have a better update by February’s end. What are you reading, or writing, or ruminating on? Even as I look to the past, I have been reminding myself to look ahead. To accept the comfort that time can also bring.  As I mentioned in my first blog earlier this month, I joined an in-person romance book club. In truth, it’s really my first one. I tried to join one online two years ago, but it continued to be rescheduled, and I have a very lovely and nontraditional book group chat running with two of my closest friends where we talk about what we’re reading. Sometimes, we even read what one of us highly recommends. I have a few other friends who I talk about books with, individually, which is just as fulfilling. Truly, I cherish each of them, especially since most of them live out of state. It was important to me to find an activity to do in-person this year - for either my reading or my writing - so you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover a local, more established book club at one of my libraries. Quick shout-out to all the libraries and librarians out there - please go support your own! I’d love to hear about the classes, programs, or books you find!
If anything, the story and characters resonated in this book. I choked up (okay: cried) more than once. Truth be told, when I read a certain plot point toward the end, I remembered why I wrote the book I did in 2015. How much of myself I wrote into that unpublished piece. Unexpectedly, I walked away from Lunar Love feeling raw and inspired again. Renewed, even. While I revealed Olivia’s career above, I won’t speak on Bennett’s role in the story to avoid spoilers… But trust me when I say, this leading couple venn-diagrams beautifully. Where they intersect, where they diverge. It’s a delicious friction, sometimes fraught and other times flirty. As characters, they were 3D from the very beginning. More than that, the circumstances of their interactions marries cultural tradition with modern progress in a way that invites readers to engage each, both individually and as one. For me, this thematically worked for the romantic nature of the book. The blend of their unique character worldviews, their careers and aspirations, their familial backgrounds, their astrological signs… These characters are complex, and because of that, I still think of them weeks after my book club discussed it. As a book club, we were pleased by how the characters met, how even that initial rom-com meet-cute convention defied our expectations for their roles in the story, the insertion of a plot twist in the first third of the novel that resolved a classic (albeit sometimes frustrating) plot device in romance books, and unanimously adored the ending - plot twists and all. Some of my fellow book clubbers expressed dislike for Olivia’s initial character behavior, but we ended up having a wonderful conversation about how that set up the perfect foundation for her growth through the last third of the book. Even moments we didn’t necessarily want to happen had to happen so that happily-ever-after was earned. And what an emotional payoff it was.
Lauren has two other books: Red String Theory, published last January, and Yin Yang Love Song, which publishes tomorrow! If any of her three books pique your interest, I recommend grabbing a copy. Her writing is lovely. I hope to read more of her work this year.
Well, that’s it for now. I’ve received the librarian’s book assignments for the next few months. February features A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane, so expect a review on that sometime next month. I’ve never heard of it - or any of the other books planned this spring - so I'm uncertain what to expect based on the description. I've read plenty of fantasy romances and/or romantic fantasies these last few years, but you never really know what you're in for until you crack the book open. But what's not to love about the prospect of another inked adventure? Until next time!  In my previous blog post, I shared my 2024 reading list, categorized by genre. I’m just as happy as I was then when looking through them. But out of the 74 books I read, which 10 would I read again or recommend? 1. Your Coffin or Mine by Jacklyn Hyde (Fantasy Romance)
2. I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer (Hybrid Poetry Collection)
3. Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing by Jen Soriano (Nonfiction)
4. Gentle Writing Advice by Chuck Wendig (Writing / Craft)
5. The Winter Princess by Keira Dominguez (Contemporary Romance, Book 2)
6. The Boy Who Killed Demons by Dave Zeltserman (Horror / Thriller)
7. Writing on Empty by Natalie Goldberg (Writing / Craft Memoir)
8. The Teacher by Frieda McFadden (Thriller)
9. Assistant to the Villain & 10. Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (Fantasy Romance)
Some of you may recognize this series from the hype--on or off--TikTok. Hannah earnestly took BookTok by storm with her videos about the leading couple, who were first realized in print in 2023. For me, spots #9 and #10 belong to both books of this in-progress series. Yes, Hannah captured our hearts online, but she does so on the page as well. Like with Your Coffin or Mine, I found myself laughing early on at the beloved main character, Evie. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much because of books this year. But… I also found myself crying for Evie, too. As readers, Hannah gave us what we needed to know while still surprising us. I find myself eager to read the third installment of the series, Accomplice to the Villian, which is expected to publish August 5, 2025. Well, that’s 10! While in no particular order, each found their way into my heart. It’s my sincerest hope at least one finds its way into yours.
With a few books read already for 2025, I’m eager to read even more—please feel free to comment or reach out with your own recommendations!  It’s been a few years since I’ve posted, but I can promise this year, I’m back! I’m locked in. My first returning blog is in reflection. This is the fourth year I have tracked my reading, so it feels like the best place to start. 2024 proved to be an eventful year, between months of home renovations and my first year teaching at the college level again. I’ve had the great opportunity to teach creative writing in particular, designing an introductory class nearly from scratch. It was tough, since I still worked my full time role, but fulfilling. I will teach that class again this upcoming spring—it’s third (but nowhere near final) iteration. I’m proud to say that everything my students are given, including the lists of additional examples in a variety of forms in our online course shell, has all been read by me beforehand. What did this mean for my reading this year, though? Because I had more than one job taking my time this year—one that required extensive course planning, reading, and grading—I intentionally lowered my reading goal from 100 books to 52 books. I also wanted to begin to intentionally diversify my reading list more, since I tend to mostly read romances at the book-level. Romance doesn’t always appear in the shorter pieces I read, or the shows/films I watch. While reading mostly romance was still the case in 2024, I think I began to read more beyond my genre. This list, of course, does not include the hundreds of poems, short stories, scripts (plays, shows, or film), and more that I read in preparation for teaching. The reading list I compiled throughout 2024 includes longer pieces or collections of work. Historically, reading 10,000 words has been my cut-off point, so I will also mention the books I did not finish (DNF). That’s right - DNF. This year, I finally gave myself the permission to stop reading pieces that I did not enjoy. A slow process of permission, yes, but it’s a new development that I feel good about for my personal reading. That time, after all, is ultimately mine. I’d like to spend it where my heart is, when I can. So after checking the final tally on December 29th, my total read came to a whopping 74 pieces. If you count the 7 books I DNF’d (between 25%-65% read), the total jumps to 81. As of that date, I also had 6 books in progress (between 33%-63% read based on physical page count or Kindle Unlimited percentages). But what did I end up ultimately reading?
My main takeaways:
I started tracking what I read in 2021, about a year after completing graduate school. I was burnt out, as many are at the end of graduate programs. I’m not sure how much COVID compounded the experience, but in hindsight, I’m glad to have been swept away by everyone’s renewed love of reading at that time. Because I was so intensely focused on school and my own writing for six years, I left little time for one of my most sincere passions. I’ve chosen to prioritize reading ever since. In 2021, I read 52 books. In 2022, my reading more than doubled to 109 books. I think that was the first full year I felt settled into a job after graduation and COVID, so I was able to sink into my passions more fully again. I remember writing again in earnest that year, and then again, in 2023. As for my reading in 2023, however, I read less, totalling 65 books. Reading 74 books in 2024 took me by surprise, in all honesty. I hadn’t realized I read so much with everything else going on! 2024 has also been a year of firsts. It’s the year I gave myself permission to begin not finishing books that didn’t resonate (only 7 total) rather than pushing through another 200-300+ pages. It’s also the first year I started listening to audiobooks in earnest. I enjoy conversational podcasts, and with commuting more, I’d like to maximize that time beyond music and French language learning. With audiobooks, I hit wall after wall, almost like I was programmed to. I would start an audiobook—always nonfiction—and the actual writing didn’t seem to like up with the hook-driven description. It was a strange experience, wondering if what I was listening to is what I really picked out. I stopped listening to a lot of books quickly that way. These partial reads weren’t counted in this list if I didn’t experience a certain amount of the piece first. For one of the books that didn’t make the overall count, I remember not being able to even get through the introduction. The book was what I expected, but it boiled down to the writing itself. In hindsight, it underscores one piece of advice I discuss in my creative writing course: the importance of reading what you write aloud, because of what you will realize or catch. All things considered, I’m happy to have read so many books this year. Some, I remember more clearly than others. The ones that clicked, and the ones that didn’t. Beyond reading being a passion, it’s also an activity that encourages gratitude in me. This long list recognizes how others have shown up on the page and in my life. It’s also a testament to how I have shown up for myself. Reading recharges and resets me in an essential way, like the oil needed for an engine to not only function but also succeed. Post-grad, COVID-conscious me from 2020 couldn’t have predicted that I would have read 300 books in the past 4 years. Exactly 300, it turns out. What a milestone I didn’t know I had reached. To paraphrase author and radio host Garrison Keillor: what a gift I have given myself, over and over again. As for 2025, my goal will be 50 books. It’s realistic for me between two jobs and anything else life might throw at me. I hope to choose better books as audiobooks (recommendations, anyone?) and continue to diversify the genres on my list even further. Perhaps in the coming year, I’ll begin to tally all of the shorter pieces I read, along with their genres. Diversifying my reading list overall will be a slow process, but one I fervently believe is worth the effort. With a lower reading goal, I also plan to increase my time writing. I will post or draft:
That’s the goal, and I’m sticking to it! Going forward, expect more blogs related to both my reading and my writing as I work on goals for both. My next blog will cover my top 10 recommendations from my 2024 reading list. This time next year, I hope the numbers speak for themselves!  If I may be so bold as to reference my last blog post from 2022, I am still watering those writerly flowers of mine.
The urge to write “it’s been more than a year, and yet” is compelling, but that wouldn’t be completely true. This year has not passed without progress, and as we near its end, I am beginning to prune the months passed. Starting with my 27th birthday in May. Leading up to my birth month, and with friends turning 30 all around me, it was difficult to put that countdown out of my mind. I’m still far enough away from the milestone to not be particularly bothered by it, but whether it’s my birthday or the new year, I always find myself reflecting on what I’ve accomplished and what I hope to achieve next. That’s my nature, and I know I’m not alone in that constant push forward. So with 30 on the brain, looming just 3 years away… I revisited my garden of writing and took a hard, long look at it. I put together a spreadsheet of the ideas I wanted to move forward with—a compilation of fiction novels, scripts, poetry collections, a few hybrid pieces—and bought a monthly calendar that will see me through the next several years. I crunched numbers, threw them away, considered them again, and went with my gut. I gave myself the gift of 3x3x30. 3 pieces of writing, in 3 different mediums, by the time I turn 30 in May 2026. As of October 2023, I have written a handful of poems, jotted down a number of ideas, and added 50,000 words to the first book in a four-book series. I wrote those 50,000 words in July 2023 as part of Camp NaNo, which is known as a more flexible version of the original National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November. Camp NaNo in July was the first time that I ever truly competed in a NaNoWriMo event, and this month, I am tackling the November iteration. Well, sort of. The reason I never participated in NaNoWriMo in the past was because school always kept me booked full. I allowed it, others encouraged it, and it became a cycle impossible to break out of and away from. The years passed quickly as I earned a 2-year graphic arts program in high school, a double bachelor’s degree, followed by a master’s program complete with a teaching assistantship. Of course, not to mention everything else I piled on top of those pursuits, committees or work… I won’t lie, I looked forward to the gift of graduation, maybe more than most, to finally achieve and put to rest all that I had set out to do years before. It didn’t quite come together like that though. If anything, the bow on that present completely unraveled. Graduating with my master’s at the beginning of COVID did not result in the relief and excitement I expected. That any of us expected, really. Sometimes I still feel that discombobulation when I look at my professional development. On a more granular level, I especially felt it when looking at how my writing and publishing continued to stagnate, despite my best efforts to revisit the garden of writing wilting at my feet, year after year. That brings us to May, as that brings us to now. This month, my goal is to write 30,000 words toward the Next Life project I began drafting in July (for a total of 80,000 words) along with 30 poems toward a collection I hope to title “The Blueprints We Inherit.” Both of these projects—whether the fantasy romance book series or the poetry collection—are at once an unraveling and a revealing of parts of myself, my life, and all in it. I’m putting everything I’ve seen and experienced and dreamed into these pieces. I’m not sure how to explain it yet. They’re pieces still in progress, constantly evolving and iterating. There’s a catharsis in the creativity of it, of course. I thrive in that careful, combined space where connection and meaning happen. It’s why I’m always returning to the page. It’s why I’m drawn to different genres and mediums of expression. It’s why I’m still planting and watering those flowers, season after season. |
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