Your Favorites from 2023 and What's Ahead in 2024
The most popular essays and hopes for the New Year
Happy almost New Year from our Covid/Strep/Flu-ridden home! Things are (tentatively) looking up after two weeks of misery.
We have rescheduled “Christmas morning” for New Year’s Day and God willing (and no one else catches the Flu) we will finally get to celebrate with our extended family. In the meantime, we’re watching movies, healing, and reflecting on the past year. I thought it would be fun to do a round up of the most popular pieces I wrote for this ol’ Substack in 2023. I wrote over 100 posts! And I’ve loved getting to know my subscribers, reading books with you, and interacting in the comments.
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Without further ado, here’s the top 10 most popular posts of 2023:
Pain, the Visitation, and Almost Having a Baby in the Parking Lot
The Antidote to the Anti-Aging Scam
The Ultimate Jane Austen Film Guide (for paid subscribers)
Is This How Motherhood Should Feel? (for paid subscribers)
A Case for Trick-or-Treating
Homeschooling Is Not the Answer to School Shootings
Can Authors Survive Financially on Book Sales? (for paid subscribers)
Good Reasons to Write a Book (for paid subscribers)
Book Review: A Life of One’s Own: Nine Women Writers Begin Again by Joanna Biggs (for paid subscribers)
Chaos Is Dull: G.K. Chesterton’s Detective Fiction Part I, Part II, and Part III
This Substack in 2024
In 2024, I’ll be writing more about books, parenthood, the creative life, faith, and imagination. I’ll resume This Week’s Miscellany of my favorite reads from each week for free subscribers. And I have some exciting plans for paid subscribers including essays and book reviews as well as sharing chapters of a work in progress with you as I complete them. It will give me extra accountability because I work best with a deadline. The project? A YA Fantasy that I’ve kept on the back burner for far too long. I have about 12,000 words written so far. Good idea to share it in installments? Terrible idea? I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out!
Other Creative Projects in 2024
I have two books that will release in 2024 barring unforeseen catastrophe. I’m excited to share about both projects with you. And I have been really ruthless about saying no to most travel, speaking events, book signings, and school visits in 2024. Saying no is not my strong suit. I get very excited and distracted by anything new and shiny. I love saying yes! I love speaking! I love going places! But I have some big projects ahead that are going to require my time and energy. So apart from the pilgrimage to Belgium and Germany that I’m leading with Fr. Harrison Ayre (currently 2/3 full, so if you want to go sign up soon!) and a few publishing team meet ups for work, I’ll be staying close to home and focusing on book projects and a new very big work project that I get to announce soon. (Caveat: If you’re wanting to fly me to an event in Europe or NYC or somewhere else amazing—-I will throw all my responsible intentions out the window and say yes. I’m only human!)
Family Life in 2024
I’m incredibly grateful for no big transitions in 2024. The kids will go to the same schools. We’re in a groove with what activities they’re involved in. I’m really hopeful for better health for us, more read alouds, more date nights, more hosting friends, and more day trips and enjoying the beautiful place we live. Having kids that span from Kindergarten to high school is not for the faint of heart. There is so much driving involved. And so many opportunities for me to grow in humility. While not as difficult as 2022 when we moved across the country, both started new jobs, sold a house, bought a house, and got Covid twice—whew—2023 wasn’t exactly easy. Hard in a different way, but still very hard. I think that’s just the season we’re in, though. I don’t expect 2024 to be easy, but I hope it’s a joyful year of watching our kids grow.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it. And if you find this Substack valuable, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
Subscribers, I’d love to hear more from you. What did you enjoy reading here in 2023? What do you wish there was more of? What would you like to see here in 2023? Any burning questions for the mail bag that I should answer in an upcoming This Week’s Miscellany?
Very grateful for all of you and looking forward to growing this community in the new year!
Yours,
Haley
Two new books next year! 🙌 Sending all the healthy vibes to you and your crew - it seems like no one escaped December unscathed by illness.
We also got hit by the flu in a really brutal way. 😩 Prayers for good health, adventures, and maybe just a few comped trips you can't say no to!