Vocabulary Lists

The last few years I’ve joined in on the One-Word-Resolution thing and it’s worked better for me than any list of resolutions I pretended to stick to in the past. Last year’s word was PERSEVERE and it was definitely one I had to work at in various areas of my life. It kind of tired me out in the last couple of months, which has led me to a gentler one for this year: FLOW. I’m leaning into my personal motto of “It’ll all work out” and allowing myself the slower transition to some professional changes and taking deep breaths as I prepare to query my latest novel. Traditional publishing is pretty challenging these days and I’m determined to face obstacles with grace and clarity. (Yeah, right.)

Annotated Bibliography

Last year when I reviewed my books read and examined my efforts to read more books authored by #ownvoices, I was disappointed with my numbers. This year, I made many more conscious choices and when I saw or heard of a book by an #ownvoices author that caught my interest, I put it on hold right away at the library (or in some cases, purchased the book, of course) instead of simply putting in my TBR list. (Fun fact: I just looked at my post about my reading stats from last year and basically wrote that EXACT same sentence. HA! Oh, well, I’m leaving it in because it’s still a valid method for me to keep those choices front and center.

 )Unfortunately, though my stats are still good, it only went up by a very small margin. Luckily, it’s a fun goal to improve upon! So Many Good Books out there.

Secondary Sources

I remember reading a year or two ago about the American history textbooks used in a Texas school district using the phrase “guest workers” for slaves. They have since fixed this horrific portrayal, but it came to mind when I read this article in the NYT that did a comparison of two textbooks from the same publisher for different states. It’s an enlightening read about what kinds of differences exist and why it happens. For me, it prompted a reminder that this is one of many ways we have to pause and consider where someone is coming from in their opinions/arguments.

Currently Reading (print): The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park (YA)

Currently Reading (audio): in-between books right now

Song of the Week:

Here’s a song from my playlist…I think it kind of goes with my 2019 word; also, I am THIS CLOSE to writing “The End” on my current WIP, and “Almost Home” seems like a good way to phrase how things are feeling right now. 🙂