I’m beginning this year with my feel-good favorite by Steve Kluger, My Most Excellent Year. This is the tenth year in a row I’ve read it and just the sort of comfort-reading one needs when faced with so much uncertainty in the world.

This year I truly mean it when I say I want to cut back on the reading. I really hope to get a job this year and I also have to buckle down and write my thesis. To aid me, I’m avoiding the biggest temptation-the library. Instead I will focus on all the historical fictions in my house-American Girl and its spin offs, Dear America, Dear Canada etc.

I won’t be reading all 35 Dear America books in 17 days like last time, that was a baaaad idea. Even if it was kind of a cool skill to type half-blind because of the eye strain, it’s not worth it.

I won’t let myself know of any more new releases. I’ll also be muting the bookstagram accounts I follow to ensure this.

That is I won’t get into any new books this year. In the historical romance section, they’re releasing conclusions of four series I adore.

Herrera’s The Tropical Rebel Gets Her Duke is one I’ve been waiting for over a year!!! And I have just one more month to go! It will be taking a little longer for de la Rosa’s end of The Luna Sisters with Gabriela and the Gentleman coming in August. Same with Peckham finally telling Elena’s story after several years absence with The Rogue I Ravished tentively planned for October. Grossman will also be releasing her next book in the Once Upon a Eastend series this year too with Seduce Me in Secret.

In the contemporary romance section, there is more in story with Daria finishing the Primas of Power with Along Came Amor. Ryan is breaking out with the third book in the Skyland series, Can’t Get Enough in May. I plan to stay ontop of Kim-Lam’s next release in March, Something Cheeky which features a little more showmanship so I’m excited. Just as excited for Sutanto’s Worth Fighting For from the Meant to Be series, a contemporary romance based on Mulan and Shang! Yay, they need more love. Nava is also coming out with her next indigenous romance with Love is a War Song in July.

In the YA vein, I have to read Stone’s conclusion to her Dear Martin series, Dear Manny coming out in March. As well as the new releases from Lee coming in Aug, The Cuffing Game which is another retelling of P&P as well as Chao’s X Marks the Spot that came out yesterday. I may also read Delia Adhler’s YA backlog of Home Field Advantage, and Cool for Summer in preparation for her May relase of Come As You Are. But that’s it, only six.

As for Disney, I still need to catch up five books like Queen’s Council, Sword in Slumber, and the new releases like The Wishless Ones, and How Far I’ll Go but those don’t come out for awhile. I certainly can’t miss Bemused, it’s a fantasy fiction based on the Muses from Hercules. How can I not?

The one catch is I may have to actually buy the Be Prepared Twisted Tale instead of getting it from the interlibrary loan because it only released in Australia. So annoying, and just doesn’t make sense marketing wise. They just released that Mufasa movie, why are they only releasing a Lion King book in the UK and Australia? Do they think the US won’t like it or something? Just weird and a missed marketing opportunity for all eyes on the new movie to also be diverted to the shelves.

Finally, I have my eye on for the newest Clique book by Lisi Harrison and Ellen Marlow. Yes, the Clique is back a decade later and we’ll see how the Pretty Committee has succeeded or failed in their adult lives! Just yes!! I knew, I knew in my heart that the Clique would come out in the era of sequels and reboots and I hope it comes out this year! Now if, Secrets of My Hollywood Life would come to the sequel game, my reading life would be complete.

I also hope to read the new Gargoyles comics. I meant to do it last year but Dynamite kept pushing back the release date so who knows if that will hold up. I mean I interviewed Jake Freidman about Disney Afternoon: The Making of a Television Renaissance release two years ago, and it’s still being pushed back to late 2025. What’s the hold-up?

Finally, there’s the book club which we’ll be starting with Shirley Conran’s immense 80s novel of excess and luxury, Lace, which starts with the infamous opening line-“Which one of you bitches is my mother?” Dramatic, right?

So I probably won’t be posting as much but there will be some new things in store. Not to mention I plan to revamp this website a little to something nicer to look at. Fingers crossed, I’ll be able to do that without accidentally deleting all my hard work.

Have a happy new year!