My Goings-On in December:
Here are the things that stand out to me this month:
- Holidays! Much of December was spent with family (Jade’s home for Christmas break and the other two kids have off as well). I love breaks because we do stuff like play board games and watch movies and shows together. We also did our annual Escape Room (we had to resort to board game versions last year, so this was extra fun!) We did not escape this time, but that’s okay.
- Singing. Danielle and I sing on the worship team at our church, and my husband drums. We’ve been serving a lot lately! I shared our Christmas service in my Sunday Post last week, but figured I’d share here as well. If you’re curious to see me and my daughter singing together, you can see me lead a song here and my daughter leads the song here (there’s only one song in between if you just want to watch straight through). Or you can watch our Christmas service (this link leads to the song I lead. Danielle’s is right after it–and that’s my husband on drums).
- Revisions, revisions, revisions. I finished the manuscript I’ve been working on! Technically, I did this in January (on the 2nd), but I’m writing it here anyway. I should note that when I say “finished,” you should take this with a grain of salt. There is no such thing.
Features & Discussions:
December 2021 Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway
Top Ten Covers of 2021
2022 Book Blog Discussion Challenge Sign-Up
December 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Link-Up & Giveaway
2021 End of Year Book Survey (& Year in Graphs!)
My 2021 Reading Progress:
I read 13 books in December, putting me at 115 books for the year! I’ve also read 16 picture books, which I don’t include in my Goodreads count (several of these were for the Cybils Awards). And I did 10 manuscripts readings for the year. (Unless you count my own, which I’ve read LOTS of times at this point.)
December 2021 Reviews
All the reviews I posted in December are Cybils reviews.
- When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez | Review
- The One Thing You’d Save by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng | Review
- Starfish by Lisa Fipps |Review
- The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Kate Cosgrove | Review
- I Wish I Had a Wookiee: And Other Poems for Our Galaxy by Ian Doescher, illustrated by Tim Budgen | Review
- Reckless, Glorious, Girl by Ellen Hagan | Review
- My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness by Georgia Heard | Review
- For Every Little Thing: Poems and Prayers to Celebrate the Day by June Cotner & Nancy Tupper Ling,
illustrated by Helen Cann | Review - Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca | Review
- Muted by Tami Charles | Review
- Dear Ugly Sisters: And Other Poems by Laura Mucha, illustrated by Tanya Rex | Review
- Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac | Review
December Best of the Bunch:
(Best of the Bunch is hosted over at Cocoon of Books. We link up our favorite reads of the month!)
My Fave for December was Starfish by Lisa Fipps. This is the type of book that I think everyone can get something out of.
2021 Goals Progress:
The Discussion Challenge was my one and only goal for 2021. I failed.
Progress: 11/21-30 Discussions (Chatty Kathy)
I failed this challenge pretty miserably. I think for 2022 I’ll just make my goal 1 discussion per month. That’s the most I can hope for lately.
2021 End of Year Book Survey (& Year in Graphs!)
Top Ten Covers of 2021
Zombie Apocalypse Book Tag
The Personal Library Book Tag
It’s Time for the Cybils Awards: I’m a Round 1 Poetry Judge!
How to Create Book Page Art. (And a Peek at Mine!)
The Joys of Verse Novels, Graphic Novels and Other Very Quick Reads. Let’s Discuss!
Balancing Spending on the Blog, Making Money, and All the Moral Dilemmas that Go Along With It
I’ve Been Stalking Your Goodreads.
2020 End of Year Book Survey (& Year in Graphs!)
Unbiased Reviews: Is There Such a Thing?
HOST/SIGN-UP LINK – Feed Your Fiction Addiction & It Starts at Midnight
Wrap-Up Round-Up!
Don’t forget to link your December wrap-up posts up to the Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up. And enter the giveaway!
I’m glad you had a good December, Nicole! 13 books, especially during a typically busy month, is a great accomplishment!
You have such a beautiful voice Nicole! And your daughter too.Congrats on 115 books! I think I hit right about that as well, I had to lower my goal because I hit a reading slump. I’m so determined not to do that this year lol.
Those books look wonderful, I’ll have to check out some of your reviews. I joined the discussion challenge as well, I think I’ll aim for 1 a month as well, lol.
Hope January is a good one!
Ash @ Essentially Ash
I miss escape rooms! At least you could have a good time with family. Breaks really were the best when my daughter was in school because everything stopped. No sports, no dance, no school, just time.
My daughter isn’t doing a sport this winter, but when she did, they still had practices over break – crazy, right?
I’ve seen Starfish on so many “best books” lists in the last few weeks. I’m glad you had a good December and got to hang out with your kids. I hope you’re having a great January!
I’m not surprised you’ve seen Starfish on a lot of lists – it’s a great book!
If I wasn’t reading this post at school I would have listened to the singing, I’ll have to do that when I get home. Glad you had a nice December and that you “finished” your manuscript! Hope January is going well for you so far!
You guys have such beautiful voices! And you had the most wonderful reading year, over 100 YAY! That’s amazing! Wishing you all a wonderful January!
Aw, thanks! It’s been great serving on the worship team with my daughter and husband!
Woot! Congrats on finishing the revisions! It sounds like December was a great month.
Thank you!!
Happy new year! Congratulations on finishing the manuscripts for your revision and on reading so many books in 2021. Glad to hear that you had a lovely holiday season 🙂
“We also did our annual Escape Room (we had to resort to board game versions last year, so this was extra fun!) We did not escape this time, but that’s okay.”
I’m envious! I’m sure I would love to play escape. Even if only to fail at it LOL.
“I did 10 manuscripts readings for the year. (Unless you count my own, which I’ve read LOTS of times at this point.)”
Oh, that’s A LOT (I suppose you’re talking about beta-reading the WIPs of fellow writers?). It’s a lovely activity though, isn’t it?
As usual, best of luck with your book!
I would love to go to an Escape Room! When Covid ends I’m gonna drag my partner with me!
Yes, we absolutely love our annual escape room trip!
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some cute kid books