🎄Merry Everything and Happy Whatever!

*heaves a deep, existential sigh before I start writing* Oh, hi, yes it’s me. Yes, I am still alive. But, shit, what a year. I can hardly believe it’s almost over.

I mean, I can believe it because I’ve been alive long enough to understand how time works, but after the year I’ve had I’m not feeling so merry and bright. More like wary and ready to fight.

(You have no idea how long it took me to come up with that rhyme.)

Anyway, I’m working on my attitude. We’ll see where it ends up by the time I finish writing this post.

I really don’t want to use my time here to complain like the Grinch, but let me just say, that I’m surprised I didn’t delete this blog in a moment of raging depression or stress. Something just held me back and I didn’t delete this shit! It’s still here. I’m still here. You’re still here. And as we approach the end of 2023, that is something to be optimistic about. I want to go into 2024 with renewed joy for life, for love, for reading, for just everything. Because if I’ve learned anything over the last twelve to eighteen months it’s that our time is not guaranteed and you have to make the best of it while you can.

But I’m still working my way up to that because like I said, it’s been a fucking year. So for now, I’m coasting my way to the end of 2023 on nothing but fumes and weed and chocolate balls. Hey, I’m a work in progress. My heart is in the right place though… I think.

Looking back, I didn’t even write one of these end-of-the-year posts for 2022. That’s right around the time shit started to go off the rails for me. It’s been months of bullshit, and like 3 weeks of pure joy. So with my heart where it should be, let’s talk about the joy. Let’s talk about the good things that were – and the good things I’m optimistic are coming – before I sign off for my annual break from blogging for the rest of the year.

“But Krystin! You haven’t posted anything since April. Hasn’t this whole year been one big break?”

Um, shut up.

But also, do you have a bucket list? I kind of do. Nothing written down, but there are things I’ve always known I wanted to do. See the Grand Canyon. Travel to London, England. Sit in a hot tub in the middle of winter in Banff. This year I got to cross one thing off of my list: a New England road trip!

18 days. 3733 kilometres. 6 states. 3 mountains. 2 provinces. And 1 tenth wedding anniversary. It was one of the best times of my life and it really put things in perspective for me.

So, here’s a picture of me after climbing to the top of my first mountain ever, where I was contemplating literally everything.

This was pure joy and determination right here.

I want more of that for me in 2024. I want more of that for you. And maybe that’s not easy while you’re trying to be a good person, an aware person, and just a person in general, but the longer the world keeps spinning out of control, the more imperative it is for us to find a way.

Being here is going to be part of my way.

I know I was almost entirely M.I.A. from this blog for most of this year, so you have no reason to believe me, but I truly intend to dedicate myself to this space going forward because I love it here. I love all of you. I love books and talking about books. And I just want to focus on the good things in my life, even when the inevitable bad things gum up the works.

I have at least one big thing planned for Here’s the Fucking Twist next year. You might have noticed the brand new Beta Reading tab on the home page. More on that soon! And I’m off work until the 10th with a drafts folder that is FULL. I’m putting a hell of a year behind me, and I hope you stick around for it.

In the meantime, I want to wish you the very best holiday season and a wonderful New Year, and I will see you back here in 2024, with book reviews and sassy attitude.

Stay safe. Be kind, and be as merry & bright as you can be ❤️💚