Happy New Year! What do you hope for in 2023? Personally, I want to actually write ‘The End’ on a middle grade manuscript and play with art this year.
In the meantime, here are some of my favorite things of 2022. I tried to categorize these into tidy categories but life isn’t tidy so they may not be entirely logical. What did you enjoy in 2022?
P.S. This list in not exhaustive and I’m sure I’ve forgotten a lot of good things.
Books & Publications
Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Smitten Kitchen Keepers by Deb Perelman
All My Rage Saaba Tahir
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
Remarkably Bright Creatures Shelby Van Pelt
Sea of Tranquility Emily St. John Mandel
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Julie Falatko’s newsletter
Austin Kleon’s newsletter
Author Life
Highlights Retreat
Seeing writing friends in person at retreats, conferences, bookstores, and for coffee
Signing books (and even a wall) in bookstores
Author’s Day at a San Francisco school with awesome creators
Dropping books off at Little Free Libraries
The 12x12 challenge and community
Local independent bookstores
Seeing Gracey Zhang’s art bring Dear Mr. G to life.
This moment:
TV & movies
Acapulco
Severance
Heartstopper
Derry Girls
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Never Have I Ever
The Sex Lifes of College Girls
Matilda
Glass Onion
Dash and Lily (a Christmas rewatch)
The Summer I Turned Pretty
House of the Dragon
Abbott Elementary
Life stuff
Post - it’s cool to be in at the beginning of a new platform. Will we still be using it at the end of 2023? We’ll see.
Nuuly clothing rental (referral link, we both get $10 off)
Peloton app.
Libby app.
Cricut machine - a new purchase but I’m having fun with it. I just used it to add some custom stickers to my youngest’s new bike.
Pink Jeep tour in Sedona.
Keeping in touch using Marco Polo.
Seeing The Lion King on stage and watching my kids’ faces during the opening scene.
Reuniting with friends and family in the UK.
Having my mum stay here for three weeks.
Settling into our new home and making it our own.
Being able to get back into the kids’ classrooms to run parties and teach art lessons.
The library. Forever and always.
Music
I’m Good - David Guetta and Bebe Rexha. Such a throwback to my youth, sigh!
Midnights by Taylor Swift
Another Love by Tom Odell
= by Ed Sheeran (looking forward to seeing him live this year!)
Family Pop playlist on Apple Music
Any movie soundtrack playlists for writing background music
Podcasts
On Being episode with Mary Oliver
On Being episode with Kate DiCamillo
Good Inside Podcast (I want to read her book next)
You’re Wrong About Podcast (Donner Party episode was great)
Book Friends Forever
Bad on Paper
Literaticast (loved Cindy Derby’s episode)
Products
Weleda moisturizer
Supergoop
Ilia overnight lip mask
Herringbone tile in my bathroom
Ugg slippers
Simple gold necklace that my husband gave me for Christmas and I’ve worn every day since.
Food
Overnight French toast for Christmas breakfast
Smitten Kitchen’s crumble recipe (as good as any I remember from my childhood, sorry Mum)
Any time I find something that everyone will eat in some form (fish tacos, chili, fish pie, shepherd’s pie).