Goodbye 2022, Hello 2023

Hello everybody and happy 2023, nine days late! I am so amazed that we are already more than a week into the new year. It seems like 2022 went by in a blur, and now, we’re stepping into 2023. My 2022 was pretty good, and in today’s post, I’ll be looking back over 2022, reviewing my goals, looking up at 2023, and sharing my new year’s goals!

I made a few goals at the end of 2021, and I’ll go over them now, reviewing which ones I completed and which ones I didn’t do so well on. Honestly, I half forgot about these goals and didn’t follow them throughout the year a lot.

~ Blogging-related ~

• Get 100 followers.

Yes! Thank you, guys! My current total following count is 175 followers. I cannot believe that I made it this far, but I know that I wouldn’t be here without y’all. I am so happy to be here!

• Plan and schedule more posts.

I guess. I think that I did write more posts in advance this year.

• Do a few collabs.

I did, and they were so fun! You can check them out here.

• Have fun blogging!

Yes, I am! This year has been my third year of blogging, and it was very fun. I love blogging: sharing about the things I love, interacting with other bloggers, and reading other’s posts!

~ Writing-related ~

• Finish the first draft of my contemporary novel.

No. I just kind of scrapped that book, because I realized the lack of a plot. I might pick it up again, but probably not. I didn’t plan the novel much, and I kind of just didn’t enjoy writing it.

• Finish the first draft of my dystopian novel.

I did! Then, I wrote the second and third drafts. I feel like I got really far with this book this year!

• Write at least 1,000 words a day.

No, not really. Some months I wrote more, and other months I barely got any writing done.

~ Reading-related ~

• Read at least 60 52 books.

Starting out the year, I was aiming to read 60 books. About halfway through the year, I changed it to 52 books because I realized 60 wasn’t going to happen. I ended up reading 55 books, so about in between.

• Finish the LOTR series.

Yes, I finished the series this past fall. I loved it, and I don’t know why it took me so long to read it.

~ Running-related ~

• Enter another race.

I did! I entered a race in our local fair, and finished first for the females in my age group, although I was the only one, lol. It was a lot of fun, though!

• Run at least 200 miles.

I ran about 186, so I was soo close!

~ Life-related ~

• Start waking up earlier.

This has changed throughout the months, but overall, I guess I completed the goal.

• Make a better schedule.

Like with the previous goal, it’s changed throughout the year. I think that this is something I still have to work on this coming year.

• Write in my journal every day.

Nope. I didn’t do that a lot, definitely not every day.

Goals for 2023

• Finish my new book’s first draft.
• Improve my schedule.
• Get 300 followers on Books and Hooks.
• Read one classic a month.
• Read one spiritual book a month.
• Read at least four books a month.
• Improve with piano.
• Continue my Duolingo streak throughout the whole year.
• Do a gratitude jar every day.
• Run 223 miles (at least).

In 2022…

• I posted 74 posts on this blog and wrote 44.5K words overall.
• Some of my favorite posts I wrote were Organizing my Yarn/Crochet Shelf, The Music Loving Writer’s Tag (Original), My Favorite Book to Movie Adaptions, How to Start Crocheting: A Collab With BetsyJane, and The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys: Book Review.

In 2023…

• I plan to post consistently.
• I will continue sharing the same types of content I’ve been sharing, although I will probably be doing more crochet-related posts, and book reviews as well.
• I want to reach 300 followers, which may be a bit ambitious, but I guess we’ll see!
• I will try to post once a week, although breaks will be taken.

That’s all for today! How was your 2022? Did you hit your goals? What are some of your goals and plans for 2023? I’d love to chat in the comments! Also, be sure to comment and ask me some questions on my latest post, and I will answer them soon! I hope everyone has a blessed week, and I’ll be back with the Q&A in a few days! Bye for now!

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Monthly Wrap-Up: December 2022

Hello, welcome back to my blog! I hope you are having a wonderful day today! ☺️ Am I the only one who can’t believe it’s the final day of 2022?

In this post, I’ll be wrapping up December: talking about what I did, the books I read, which goals I accomplished, and sharing photos from my month! Let’s dive right in!

Books I Read

I feel like I had a really good reading month! This was probably due to the fact that I was trying to hit my 2022 reading goal.

By Your Side by Kasie West was a reread for me. I listened to the audiobook while I helped clean my little sibling’s room. This was the first Kasie West book I read, last year, and maybe my favorite, although it’s hard to rank her books! They are such cute, quick contemporary books that are easy to read, yet are still wholesome.

Far From the Tree by Robin Benway was my second book of the month, borrowed from the library. Although there were some aspects I did not like, I was able to overlook that and appreciate other points of the story. I liked it fairly well, although I was a bit disappointed with the ending for some reason.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys was just…amazing. Her books are always very good, informational, historical fiction novels, but they still are interesting and easier to read than a history textbook. This Ruta Sepetys book was no different; I learned a lot about a time in history I rarely hear of, 1989 Romania. I really hope she writes more amazing YA historical fiction novels!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson was very interesting. It’s not a genre I would normally be picking up, but my sister and I read it together so we could discuss it afterward, and I thought that it was a very thought-provoking book. I feel like the story didn’t really revolve around the characters, but more the question of how far is too far in medical science. It definitely made me think of things I’d never considered before, and I like that.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen was the third Jane Austen book I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it! Although it is an older book, I was able to follow along pretty well, and may be one of my favorite Jane Austen books so far.

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was a book I was assigned to read for school, but I actually enjoyed it a bit. I found it very fun at points, yet I didn’t see a very clear storyline in it.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han was another reread of the month. I remember really liking these when I read them last year, but this time, I feel as if I don’t as much. I was getting fairly annoyed by Peter Kavinsky, and just some things in the story.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han is the second book in the series. Again, it wasn’t as good as I remember it being the first time. One thing I do enjoy from these books, though, is the sister relationships!

Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was the perfect Christmas read! This was actually my first time reading it, though I’ve watched the movie multiple times. I really liked it! I like the story overall, and many of the descriptions throughout the book.

Stranger Things: The Other Side by Jody Houser is a comic book about the tv show, Stranger Things. I enjoyed it, although I don’t usually read comics. This is one of my favorite shows, and I read through this graphic novel in one sitting!

Today, on the last day of 2022, I am reading The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. I am probably going to finish it today, as I have only about 150 pages left in it as I am posting this. I think that it’s very well so far, and contains many good quotes.

Crochet Projects

This month, I got a few Christmas decorations finished, as well as many of my Christmas presents, despite my resolutions to get presents finished early this year! 😅

Blog Posts on “Books and Hooks”

DIY Book Tree: BetsyJane’s Blog Tour

The Christmas Tag

Five Last-Minute Gift Ideas: Collab With Diamond!

Merry Christmas // A Christmas Poem

Reviewing December’s Goals

• Go to bed by ten each night. Not every night, but I do feel like I’ve improved my sleep schedule this month.
• Bake some Christmas cookies. Yes! My family and I made many Christmas cookies and treats this year! I’ll add pictures of some of them at the bottom of the post!
• Complete my reading goal. Yes, this year’s goal was 52 books, and I finished with 55 books read this year. (If I finish the book I’m currently reading today.)
• Practice the piano every day and learn some Christmas songs. Nope!
• Make a Christmas music playlist. I added some new songs to a playlist my sister made last year, so kind of, I guess.
• Go thrift shopping. I did go thrift shopping a couple times this month, mostly to buy Christmas gifts and decorations!
• Get some more yarn. I did! I mostly needed to get some to make some presents, but I also bought some Christmas colored yarn and made myself a hat!
• Decorate for Christmas. Yup!

Goals for January

• Get into a new running routine.
• Post weekly on both of my blogs.
• Create a new schedule.
• Drink eight cups of water a day.
• Write every day.
• Get new glasses.
• Go through my clothes and get rid of stuff.
• Read a classic.
• Journal every day.

Pictures From My Month

My nails!

Truffles!

Buckeyes!

It snowed!

🤍

My cat, Luna! 💕

Icy frost on the window.

Peppermint meringue cookies!

Chocolate white chocolate cookies!

Gingersnap cookies my brother made!

Fudge!

Soup! 🍲

I’m the only one in my family basically that likes the Little Debbie brownies, and everything else thinks that they’re gross. Am I crazy?

What Happened in December?

• The main thing in December was Christmas! Although I didn’t get to go visit relatives due to some sickness going around, I had a fun Christmas with my family!
• My mom graduated from nursing school as well this month.
• I did a lot of baking, decorating, and crocheting this month!
• For Christmas, I got a notebook from my sister, and I have started to write another book! It is a contemporary novel, and maybe I will write a post about it soon.
• Now, I’ve started planning out my January and 2023.

That’s all for today! How was your December? Do you have anything exciting going on in January? I’d love to chat in the comments!

Check out for a post next week for a yearly wrap-up and an overview of my 2023!

Monthly Wrap-Up: December 2021

I feel like I always start out my monthly wrap-ups by saying something like this: “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it’s already this month”. So today I’m going to say: Happy New Year!! But, anyway, I can’t believe it’s 2022 already! 😆

Also, it’s already been six months that I’ve had this blog! I can’t believe that I’ve already been blogging for half a year!

Okay, well here’s the wrap-up:

Books

Any sequels will most likely contain spoilers for the first book(s) in the series.

1. Girl Online by Zoe Sugg is the first book in the girl online series. It’s about Penny, who has an anonymous blog where she talks about the things going on in her life: school, her family, boys, and the panic attacks she’s beginning to have. For the holidays, her family travels to New York, where she meets Noah. I absolutely loved this book, and I read the series very quickly. I’d rate it 5/5 stars!
2. Girl Online: On Tour by Zoe Sugg. This is the second book in the series, and it follows more of Penny’s adventures as she is going on tour with Noah, her boyfriend now. But she’s struggling with her life on tour: she’s missing her best friend and her family, Noah seems to always be busy, and most of his bandmates are unwelcoming. I loved this just as much as the first one, so it’s 5/5 stars!
3. Girl Online: Going Solo by Zoe Sugg is the third and final book in the girl online series. Penny’s life is looking more normal now, but nobody knows where Noah is, after he mysteriously vanished after the band tour. So, she agrees to go to Megan’s school; maybe she can make some more friends. I loved this one too, and I just think it is a great ending to the series. 5/5 stars!
4. The Story Of My Life by Helen Keller is Helen Keller’s autobiography. I had to read this for my English class, and I actually ended up really enjoying it. It follows Helen Keller through all of her struggles, talking about how she went bling and deaf at nineteen months, and it follows all of her accomplishments afterwards. I think that it was a really inspirational book. 5/5 stars!
5. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is the second book in the Lord of the rings series. It follows the members of the fellowship, who are now split apart, and after they have lost Gandalf in the Mines of Moria. I am enjoying the series so far, even if the books are a little slow, and I hope to read both The Return of the King and The Hobbit this year. I rated this book 5/5 stars!
6. A Cloud of Outrageous Blue by Vesper Stamper. This is a book set in 1348, and it was a very different one than any I’d read before. The historical fiction books I read are usually set in the 1900’s, so this was different, but good. It follows Edyth, who’s has lost her family. She then goes to live in a priory. 5/5 stars!
7. A Thief Among the Trees by Sabaa Tahir is a companion graphic novel to the Ember in the Ashes series. It’s about Elias and Helene when they were younger, and they are sent on a dangerous mission to steal poison. 5/5 stars!
8. Messenger by Lois Lowry is the the third book in the giver quartet. It’s about Matty, who now lives in the Village with the blind man. The village is starting to change, with darkness creeping in. When the villagers vote to close down the village to outsiders, Matty knows he must make one last message. 5/5 stars!
9. Son by Lois Lowry. This is the last book in the Giver quartet. It follows Claire, a birthmother in the community, who has a son, which is taken from her. When she is reassigned, she strives to learn more about the son she had. 5/5 stars!
10. Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith. This book is about Alice, who gets a lottery ticket for her friend Teddy for his birthday. He wins, and he starts to get too absorbed in the money, and everything. Instead of a windfall, they think this might just make them grow more apart. 4.5/5 stars.
11. Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West is the final book I read this year. Just like all other Kasie West books, I loved it! It’s about Kate, who doesn’t like talking to people. So when her best friend, Alana, gets her to do the high school’s podcast, she ends up being the host. But she actually finds out that she kind of likes it. 5/5 stars!

Writing

In December, I got a good amount of writing done. I got to chapter five in my contemporary novel, and I’m on the sixteenth chapter in the fantasy novel. I’m on chapter fifty-seven in my dystopian novel, too. I’m going to try and make up a good writing schedule, so I can write more effectively.

I’m going to try and finish the first draft of my dystopian novel, and the first draft of the contemporary novel!

Crochet

The main crochet projects I got done were last-minute Christmas presents, and some ornaments, and Christmas-related decor!

Running

I didn’t really get any running done this month, but I’m going to try to start running again in January! I also got a bike for Christmas, so I’ve been biking a little bit, too!

Other stuff

The main thing I had going on this month was getting ready for Christmas! I’ve also been on Christmas break for two weeks, so I’m actually kind of looking forward to starting again on Monday! My dad also re-did the floor in our living room, so it was kind of chaotic, but it looks really nice now!

I’m not going to do a whole “New Years Resolutions” blog post, but here are a few things I want to accomplish this year:

♡ Blogging-related ♡

• Get 100 followers
• Plan and scedual more posts
• Do a few collabs
• But, just have fun with it

♡ Writing-related ♡

• Finish the first draft of my contemporary novel
• Finish the first draft of my dystopian novel
• Write at least 1,000 words a day

♡ Reading-related ♡

• Read at least 60 books
• Finish the LOTR series

♡ Running-related ♡

• Enter another race
• Run at least 200 miles
• Just have fun with it

♡ Life-related ♡

• Start waking up earlier
• Make a better scedual
• Write in my journal everyday

Posts

Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2021

Crochet Christmas Tree Ornament Pattern: Christmas Tree

Crochet Christmas Tree Ornament Pattern: Heart

Christmas Joy Tag

My Christmas Decorations

Christmas Cookies/Treats My Family’s Making This Year

Ten Of My Favorite Books I Read In 2021 📚❤

This or That: Christmas Edition

Christmas/Winter Aesthetic ❄

Merry Christmas!

Some of My Favorite Bloggers/Blogs

Pictures

I really like how this pic turned out! I love the green sweater, and how the sun is on the page! The book is “The Two Towers” by the way!

My sister took this picture of the macarons I made!

Homemade rice crispies are the best!

Peppermint bark!!!!

My dad re-did the floor in our house, and now it looks so nice!

Christmas colored book spines!

Candy cane books!

And, our Christmas tree this year!

Also, this year, my sister and I are going to try and do a display thing on top of our bookshelf each month. This was December’s, and it was just Christmas-colored books!

Again, I can’t believe it’s already 2022! It seems like it was just 2020 a little while ago…

Okay, so I guess that’s all for today’s post! I hope you have a great weekend!!

~ Rebekah