I liked some things more than others in 2024

The last dribbles of thoughts on 2024

Morning darklings,

I know there are technically 11 more days to the year, but I’m in my cozy time with the hubs mode. I am pleasantly predictable around the holidays, after all.

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reads

Let’s start with the fact that I read 111 books so far this year plus oodles of cookbooks. I’m almost done with another and have 4 more on deck for the rest of this month. Unsure if I can finish them all, but we’ll see.

Nonfiction: 52 psychology/health, 6 creative, 23 memoirs, 19 other

Fiction: 2 speculative, 1 suspense, 1 graphic novel, 7 kid lit

Bonus—Cookbooks: 38 (I used these as jump-off ideas for my blendies! Even the popsicle recipes were surprisingly helpful.)

From psychology to memoir, and one audiobook for clinicians, it was non-fiction o’clock this year, for sure. Beautiful things have come from that. I look forward to sharing those with you soon enough. Until then, let’s dive into my favorites!

These are not in ranked order.

non-fiction

Fun fact: Daniel Kahneman has won the Nobel Prize

fiction

(the limited pool that it was)

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TV

• Golden Girls still got top marks. We finished it, and that was beautiful and sad.

• Interview with the Vampire

• America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders—yeah, I’m shocked too

• My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale

• MAFS AU (Married at First Sight Australia)—new season

• Blow Up

• Emily in Paris—new season

• Monster High

• Demon Slayer—new season

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movies

Didn’t watch nearly as many this year.

• Call Me By Your Name—adaptation of one of my favorite novels

• A Zest For Death—based on Hannah Swensen books

• The Groomsman trilogy—Hallmark romance

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games

• Birth

• Hogwarts Legacy—shout out to the creators of the mod who also have arachnophobia; fighting floating boxes made me playing this game possible at all. Note: I did have to stop at a point, due to it hurting my fingers. So I have no completed it.

• Apex Legends

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places

Shopping

• Bob’s Red Mill flagship store | Portland, OR—they had me at bulk bean soup

• ReTails Thrift Store | Vancouver, OR

• Schoolhouse Showroom | Portland, OR—also has great tea lattes

• House of Vintage | Portland, OR

• Close Knit | Portland, OR

Parks

• Chinese Garden | Portland, OR

• Peninsula Park | Portland, OR

• Orchards Community Garden | Vancouver, WA

• Beaver Marsh | Vancouver, WA

• Leach Botanical Garden | Portland, OR

Tea/coffee

• Cup of Tea | Beaverton, OR

• Coffee Girl | Astoria, OR

• Wild Rose Coffee | Portland, OR

• Metallion Cafe | Vancouver, WA

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newsletters/essays

Though this coming year will have fewer a month, I look forward to bring you content like you see in my favorites here. <3

One from each month, with the exception of May and October. I just couldn’t choose.

I washed a 100 year old quilt in my washing machine

Dorothy Zbornak and I have something in common

Britney Spears, atypical spirituality, and showing up

On turtle speed and Daughter language

Gardens and grey thoughts

I’m on a liquid and cracker diet

You've met someone like me before

Combination brain and not writing

I'm in my playing season

Apparently I make feminist art sometimes

I wish I was a celestial body

A haunted house story

Little joys—Vol 3

Advent calendars and precious moments

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memes

From the boards.

My 2025 lists are promising, so I can’t wait to see what comes next year!

Subscribe to be a part of next year’s journey. Two anthologies are on their way (one is all mine, which feels crazy making), I’m working on a non-fiction project I can’t wait to share more about in the coming months, I’ve got a novel I’m chipping away at (and feeling excited about again), and I have so many more memes and stray thoughts to share with you.

Also, what I’ve learned this year is still to come!

And while you’re subscribing, consider becoming a paid darkling! All money will go towards writing fuel and publishing costs. Or groceries and credit card debt. They all come from the same accounts after all.

Until next time, harness the Little darknesses and embrace the Little things.