Tuesday: January 7, 2025

“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” –Vern McLellan

What a great thought. Feels like spring cleaning but for the soul, a chance to choose what we want to bring into the new year, what we want to foster, and what we want to clean out. Life is full of choices and so many of them are determined by our thoughts and our state of mind.

Welp, hello 2025! It’s a new year, another chance to try again. I hope all of you are off to a great start.

Life here on my end is moving along. Slowly, I am recovering from the holidays and now begins the birthday season. In my family we have about four birthdays this month, just about one a week which can be challenging but I’m determined to find a way to balance celebrating along with making small progress on my writing project.

When I set my 2025 goals back during the winter solstice I figured to have act one and two done by the first quarter…now slowly that goal is changing. I’m hoping to have the entire shitty first draft done by then.

Writing during this time of year is very challenging for me. It’s hard to find enough time and concentration to get much done. Often I feel distracted by all the celebrations, all the clutter of holiday decorations, gifts, and the wrapping that comes with them. Happily I am able to report that this year I have managed (somewhat) not to give up. Hooray!

Today I finished my first pass through act 1 plus I have the scenes noted for the rest of the story. With writing things are always unpredictable and changing but despite that I feel cautiously optimistic that I’ll be alright this time.

❄️Reading Nook❄️

Non-Fiction Pick

Let Them – Mel Robbins

Ok, I became aware of this book the first day it came out, right before the new year. I’ve been aware of Mel Robbins but never engaged much with her content.

This book was published and came into my radar at the perfect time. I had just been working on my New Year’s resolutions/goals whatever you want to call them and by Christmas Eve (which is when I picked up this book) it felt like destiny.

Let Them is an empowering book about the importance of “doing you.” Sometimes we get so caught up in the details, in the idea of things needing to be just right, or not wanting to disappoint others that we forget to just relax and live our life.

This book talks about the importance of letting go, of not worrying so much about other people and their lives and just “letting them” do what they will, letting them think what they will etc and in the same vein freeing yourself up to do what you want to. Let them and let yourself. Reminds me of “live and let live.”

Great book for sure and a wonderful pick at the start of the year when many of us are looking for self empowerment and improvement.

Fiction Pick

The Snow Child – Eowyn Ivey

This has been such an unexpected delight! In years past I hadn’t given much thought to “seasonal reading” at least didn’t do it consciously. The Snow Child is the first book I have picked precisely because it felt like a “winter read.” I didn’t want something Christmas-ey I wanted something that gave the winder wonderland feeling.

I found this book just randomly online went into it blind and boy am I glad I did because as soon as I started reading it I fell in love with it.

The story is set in 1920, Alaska and revolves around a couple in their 50s who decided to move there to have a fresh start, just the two of them. They are working through various challenges that came up following a miscarriage.

It’s a wonderful read that completely pulled me in. I definitely recommend it and feel it is a great wintertime story!

I am also very excited to have discovered this author at this time because she is putting out a new book that is due to come out in February titled Black Woods, Blue Sky. The basic idea is that it’s a retelling of beauty and the beast. Sounds perfect for February and I can’t wait!

❄️Noteworthy Books❄️

Barnes and Noble January Pick:

Martyr! – Kaveh Akbar

I read this one back when it came out in January 2024 and definitely recommend. You can read my short blurb about it from last year here.

Oprah’s Book Club Pick:

A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle

I read this one back in September 2024. I was going through some hard times then and this book really helped to keep me grounded and move through my personal challenges. Highly recommend this one and his other title The Power of Now. Both of them are very similar and may shift the way you see things.

You can check out other books I read in 2024 here.

❄️Candle of the Season❄️

Barnes & Noble Exclusive Candle Library Set

This little candle set has been the one I have been burning for the past three months (Nov., Dec,. Jan.). The one I am burning now is the last of the three and is called Midnight at Chestnut Manor.

All three have wonderful scents! Snagged them while they were on sale.