off the shelf: what I read in 2023

I have (once again) been remiss in my updates… or, simply put, I couldn’t bother to post lol. I’m not sure if this will change in the future—part of me isn’t really interested in book blogging anymore and that’s ok. We all move on. Still, I like to keep a record for myself, and to inspire you all to pick up a title you might’ve missed.

My interests lie heavily in the romance genre and it’s the only thing keeping me sane lately.

In no particular order, here are the best books I read in 2023 (based on feels and vibes alone). These are my 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰 reads.

My favorite reads of 2023

  • The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams
  • The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today by Hitsuji Yamada
  • Get a life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
  • Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
  • Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
  • Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
  • The Witching Year: A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling through Modern Witchcraft by Diana Helmuth

DNFs

  • The Christmas One Night Stand by Lucy Steele
  • Chase Wilde Comes Home by Jennifer Ryan
  • The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
  • The Witch is Back by Sophie H. Morgan

Re-reads

  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (has become a comfort read)
  • Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (but also a DNF)

You can browse the full list of books I read in 2023 on my LibraryThing shelf.

video: quiet days vlog [ep. 64] outings in Oct & Nov – kite festival, Goldcoast Railroad Museum, Superblue

Out and about in Miami… outings in late October and early November during a brief staycation. Kites, historical trains, and interactive art experiences.

video: quiet days vlog 63 – life, writing, new hair, and pumpkins! 🎃

A slow weekend in October. Migraine tools, meal prepping, life updates, new hair(!) and a status update on my current WIP and query journey, plus pumpkins!

Follow me on

twitter | instagram | youtube | pinterest | goodreads

life: is this my midlife crisis? part 2.

I told myself I would make monthly updates and, gosh darn-it, I will make monthly updates.

October started with intentions. I made goals. I wrote stuff down. I committed to making changes. And changes have been made. I started with a detailed list of all the challenges, traumas, health crises, and major life disruptions that I’ve experienced since late 2016, which I have pinpointed as “the year” when my life started going sideways. I didn’t number it, but the list is three pages long, so that gives you an impression of the kind of burnout I’m dealing with. I even have data to back up the downward trend in my health—year to year since 2017, my average daily steps decreased from 8K (4k in 2020/21, when I sprained not one, but both ankles on separate occasions) to 5/6k over the last year. This might not seem like a lot, but I was a 10K+ girlie for years, leading an active lifestyle and maintaining a solid amount of NEAT throughout the day. So, my first goal is to increase my steps and overall movement. I started by incorporating two walks throughout my workday, using the restroom on the top floor of my building unless I can’t, and clocking 45 minutes of daily activity (with the help of my Fitbit). Doable, realistic steps for my busy, over-committed, short on time lifestyle that are keeping me going and making me feel a sense of accomplishment as I hit my targets at least 5 days a week.

My second goal is to reel in spending. After years of a solid, minimal-ish lifestyle, I went off the rails into depression spending fueled by a treat yourself mentality following the 8 or so months that I spent isolated while working from home. I’ve confessed to this in my vlogs, but I went well into mindless consumerism, particularly when it comes to makeup and clothes. I have way too much and it’s been making me just as anxious as the impact on my wallet. This one has been more of a challenge than the movement goal. I started the month with a solid bout of spending on clothes and makeup before telling myself that enough is enough. I hit a small bump last weekend after a particularly stressful week led to another dopamine-seeking session of semi-mindless consumerism (I say semi-mindless because I don’t regret the actual purchases, and they are of the useful variety, but I didn’t need to make those purchases right now.) Anyhow, we live and we learn.

I started budget tracking after several months of not tracking. Despite the spending sprees, I’m still within budget. That said, everything is more expensive than ever and my rent is increasing for the second time this year, so I’m feeling the strain and it’s triggering a lot of long held anxieties about money that stem from my childhood as someone who grew up poor. It’s a mind fuck, all around.

Subgoals include: increasing protein and watching my carb intake (macro tracking), focusing on strength training and recovery, and regularly analyzing my budget to find ways to save for the holidays and re-establish a sustainable relationship with money and spending.

Small, but steady steps.

I do have an ask though – What are your favorite non-dairy protein snacks? I really miss dairy based protein sources, but the symptoms aren’t worth it to me.

video: quiet days vlog [ep.62] 🌩️ cracked windshield fiasco, water water everywhere, and cats (again)

ICYMI

Follow me on

twitter | instagram | youtube | pinterest | goodreads

life: is this my midlife crisis? part 1.

I’m struggling, y’all. Really struggling. It’s that frog in a pot feeling where everything has been adding up for so long that I hardly noticed until it reached a boiling point. I’m unhappy. Not depressed, just unhappy. Discontented. Malcontented. Feeling like I’m behind in all areas of my life—health, career, finances, etc. I can’t even blame it on 2020. If I have to trace the origin, I’d say it started sometime in 2017, when so many things in my life seemed to go off the rails. I’ve been trying to pull it back together for years and this is the culmination, that generalized feeling of what the heck am I doing with myself? I’m not posting this for sympathy. More so, because this space has always been a place where I can express myself somewhat openly and where I’ve documented much of my adult experience.

I recently posted a video about coming to terms with the very real burnout that I’ve been experiencing for the last 1.5-2 years or so. I’ve been slowing down and taking the time to really look after my needs, but that doesn’t stop the world from spinning. I’m working on myself, committing to better habits and starting with my health (because without health, what do we have?). I don’t have the energy to go into the details, but I’ve gone through three separate health scares since 2020 and the mental toll has been as challenging as the physical strain. I’m tired of not feeling like myself and I’m ready to make a change.

Not sure how often I’ll post updates, but I’m going to make this a regular series as I track my progress and share my goals. For now, know that I’m working on a 6 month plan to address my physical health by increasing movement, improving my diet, and building consistency. Mostly, it’s returning to old habits that I thought ingrained but which took a hit over the last two-ish years when I returned to the office following a roughly 8-month stint of WFH life. Three injuries, 2 biopsies, and several health flares didn’t help.

Keep an eye on this space for future updates and good luck on your own journeys.

Follow me on

twitter | instagram | youtube | pinterest | goodreads

off the shelf: what I’ve read so far – 2023 reads

Once again, I didn’t mean to take 5 months to post a reading update, but here we are. Some of these are briefer than others because I failed to write my notes as I read, but the ratings are as arbitrarily cakey as ever.

Currently reading

I Didn’t Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt by Madeleine Dore

Ironically, I set this one aside for a month or so because I couldn’t do the thing… I’m almost done and it’s been a great read so far and a solid reminder to let go of what isn’t serving.

Read

The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today, vol. 1 by 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

If you’re looking for a sweet, slice-of-life manga about a somewhat hopeless mess of a 20-something and her human-sized cat, this is the one for you. Randomly picked it based on the title and it became an insta-fave. It’s only 5 volumes long, so worth a read if you’re looking for a short manga series.

Sweat and Soap, vol. 1-6 by Kintetsu Yamada 🍰🍰🍰🍰

One of my coworkers recommended this series after I mentioned that I like the more adult romance manga. It’s the story of a girl who suffers from excess sweating and a perfume expert who is captivated by her scent. Shenanigans ensue. It’s 11 volumes long, so I’m working my way through it.

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai 🍰🍰🍰

I had mixed feelings about this one at first. Thought about DNF-ing at first, but I was stuck at the Dr.’s office and it was on my Kindle so I kept going and am happy I did. I prefer Alisha Rai’s earlier books (pre illustrated cover era), but this was a fun change and I enjoyed the heist element.

Rowankind by Jacey Bedford 🍰🍰🍰

I started reading this one in December 2021 and I kept setting it aside, distracted by new books and library holds, until I considered DNF-ing it. But I persisted and here we are. Book 2 is the strongest in the series IMHO, but if you’re into alternate British history with a fantasy element, and want to read something that isn’t set in Medieval England, give it a try.

The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

Britta and Wes were just what I needed to get out of a reading slump. Jess Owens mentioned this book in one of her reading vlogs and I was curious so I ordered it from the library and set my other books aside. It was perfect. A sweet but spicy slow burn romance between a writer embarking on a body positivity-inspired wellness journey and the CEO/fitness coach who takes her on as his client. You can feel the tension rolling off the page as they fall for each other.

Audiobooks

Get a Life, Chloe Brown 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰 and Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert 🍰🍰🍰🍰

Lumping these two together because I binged them one after the other. Why only books 1 and 3? Because I read book 2 when it came out and had these on my TBR for-ever! Talia Hibbert can do no wrong. She gets the humor just right and hits all the marks with the romance. I loved Chloe and could relate to her struggles with chronic pain and really enjoyed Eve’s journey of discovery.

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

Is Ali Hazelwood my new fave? Yes. Yes, she is. Tropey and familiar, but just what I needed when I was going through a rough time and desperately wanted something light and fluffy. I also love the side characters that Ali Hazelwood creates. They’re just a fleshed out as the mains and it makes for a good side plot.

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn 🍰🍰🍰

YES! After DNF-ing the last installment, I’m happy to find that this one reignited my love for the mix of mystery and sexual tension that Deanna Raybourn does best. However, I kind of wish I read the book, rather than listened to the audio because the narrator’s rendition of male voices really messed with the one in my head. I’m not sure I would’ve gotten behind Stoker if the narrator’s rendition had been my first experience of the character.

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren 🍰🍰🍰

I did it. I finally found the Christina Lauren series that checks my box. I don’t know if it’s a reflection of the current trends in romance publishing or a sign of my penchant for high heat reads, but I’ve never been able to get into any of the other books I’ve tried by Christina Lauren. This being their first published series, I can finally see why they got so popular within the romance reader community. Boss billionaire romance isn’t my usual trope, but this one does it for me.

Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

This. This is the one that ticks all my boxes. If I had to recommend just one in this series, this would be it. Genuinely spicy with well-developed characters.

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren 🍰🍰🍰

Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. I’m not into the “I knew her as a kid” trope, so this one didn’t quite land for me.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

I was ambivalent about this one for a while, but I finally gave in to the hype and have 0 regrets! This was just the fun sort of campy romance I think of when I think of true RomCom, with the perfect amount of angst to balance it out. So glad I gave it a try.

DNF

The Christmas One Night Stand by L. Steele

Got about a third of the way through this one but the plot dragged a bit and too much was tied to other couples in what I figure was an earlier part of the series or a related, sister series. 🤷‍♀️ I lost interest in the story.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

I DNF-ed her second book and now her third. I think it’s safe to say Helen Hoang’s series isn’t for me.

On Hold

Chase Wilde Comes Home by Jennifer Ryan

Follow me on

twitter | instagram | youtube | pinterest | goodreads

writing: revealing my not so secret project

In honor of Valentine’s Day (my favorite holiday, matched only by Halloween), I thought it would be fun to finally share some details about the romance novel I’m currently querying. Before You Called Me Baby is my mid-2019 NaNoWriMo U-Turn, a story so vivid in my mind that I set aside another project to embark on a whole new journey in a genre that I love, but had never written. It’s gone through multiple rewrites, edits, proofreads, and betas, and now we’re in the query trenches…

Before You Called Me Baby moodboard aesthetic

Yane has spent years pining for her best friend, James. Right when it looks like James noticed, his ex walks back into the picture. But with less than three months to put together an art show, or kiss her grad degree goodbye, the last thing Yane needs are messy feelings distracting her from her goal. Too bad life never goes as planned.

BEFORE YOU CALLED ME BABY is a slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance featuring a Cuban-American art student on the brink of graduation secretly pining for her best friend, who may or may not be back together with his ex.