My Favorite Books of 2015

I didn’t get to read as much as I would have liked this year (but then, I often feel as though I never get to read as much as I would ever like…), but the books I did read were all enjoyable. The only one that I just couldn’t get into (and stopped reading altogether) was The Bostonians by Henry James. I wanted to like the book, it had been on my to-read list for a long time, but I had a hard time getting into the story and connecting with the characters – they all seemed wooden and uninteresting. I try to make a point of finishing every book I’ve started, but I gave myself special permission to not finish this one as life is too short (and my reading list too long )to be stuck in a book I’m not enjoying.

Without further ado, here are my favorite reads of 2015:

In Celebration of Joyful Things

I’m not going to lie, Christmas is especially sweet for me this year because it follows a rather rough fall. I was adjusting to being a full-time student, working during the day and studying and writing papers when not working; having to cut back on time spent with friends and family, getting used to a tighter budget, not being able to read for pleasure, and not getting to travel as much as I am used to. I know that list sounds petty – these are all first world problems, ones that the majority of the world long to have. And I tried to remind myself often during the semester how very blessed I was to be able to go to school and earn money at the same time. But it didn’t make the stress any less potent, and I really, truly, could not wait for Christmas, if only because it meant the end of the semester and a time of rest.

Merry Gingerbread Cookies

Hello there, friends! It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? The last two weeks were nothing short of a blur as I went through finals and my work and social schedules crescendoed all at once. Monday morning of this week was my first day with nothing other than work. I’m not going to lie, it was nothing short of delightful to not have to finish up papers and take tests.