Best Of – Page 12

Categories: Best Of

Best of 2014 | Blog Posts

And it’s 2015! It’s blowing my mind that we’re already two days into a brand-new year. Usually by now, I’ve figured out my word for the year and have set my yearly goals, but I’ve done neither, so I’m feeling a bit unprepared for this year. But no matter – I will figure them out and I’m really excited about what awaits me in 2015. I believe it will be an exceptional year!

Today, I’m finishing up my “Best of 2015” posts with a look back on some of the blog posts I wrote this past year that I loved. It’s always been easier for me to open up, be vulnerable, and talk about how I’m feeling on my blog than I do in person, which is why I’m always so hesitant to talk about my blog to people in my real-life world. My blog is a piece of my heart, and I’m so thankful for those who have been along for the ride. I can’t wait to continue opening up throughout this next year. Blogging is therapy for me, so thank you for allowing me to share myself so freely.

Mushiness aside, here are some of my favorite posts from this past year:

1. My favorite post was On Being a Highly Sensitive Person. “I’ve always known that I’m super duper sensitive in terms of getting my feelings hurt too often and worrying too much about what people think of me. Criticism and sometimes even joking around at my expense is something I take personally. But someone with a highly sensitive nature is not just someone who is “too sensitive” and needs to “lighten up.” It goes much, much deeper than that. It’s actually a genetic trait!”

2. My most popular post (with over 1,200 views!) was On Being a Socially Anxious Introvert. “I wanted to be a star. I wanted to exude confidence and friendliness and openness. I wanted to be that girl who had no problem making friends, who could easily chat it up with a stranger on the street, who could enter new situations feeling curious and excited, not terrified and overwhelmed. And I hated, hated, hated that I was not that girl.”

3. My most helpful post was My Favorite Podcasts. “Podcasts are taking over my life! I can’t tell you how many times I say, “Oh, I heard about that on a podcast!” or “I was listening to a podcast and…” I listen to them when I’m getting ready, when I’m walking Dutch, when I’m exercising, when I’m driving, when I’m working, when I’m cooking, when I’m cleaning. They fulfill me.”

4. A post whose success surprised me was Unapologetic. “Everyone says you have to love yourself before you can love another, and I always thought that was a little cheesy and hokey. But maybe loving yourself isn’t so much about standing in front of the mirror and saying, “You are beautiful and funny and nice!” but about being unapologetically yourself.“

5. A post I feel didn’t get the attention it deserved was My Very Best Job Searching Tips. “Job searching can be dreadfully mundane, heartbreaking, and exhilarating. Whether it’s submitting resume after resume after resume, losing out on a great job, or getting a good lead on your dream job, it’s a roller coaster ride, for sure.”

6. My most beautiful post was On Dating. “Dating can be really fun. And exciting. And thrilling. It can make you fall asleep with a silly smile on your face and wake up with that same silly smile plastered, just from the thought of talking to him again. It can give you those delicious butterflies you feel deep in the pit of your belly as your phone dings with a text or you’re walking up to meet him for a date.”

7. The post I was most scared to push publish on was On Frugal Living. “Being frugal is not very fun, it’s not very sexy, it’s not very exciting. It’s boring. It’s saying no to plans with friends and turning away from the cute clothes at Target during my toiletries run and choosing my boring home-cooked meals over delicious take-out.”

8. The post I am most proud of was One Year of Writing Professionally. “There are days where the writing comes easily, and I’m knocking pages off my to-do list left and right. And then there are days when it feels like I forgot how to put words together to form a sentence. Nothing works and it can take me upwards of an hour to write a single 250-word page. As someone who is pretty high-strung and anxiety-prone, I can get myself worked up over these days, worrying that I will never, ever be able to write again and why am I even here I am terrible at this why did they hire me oh my god what if I am fooling everyone?! It’s fun being in my brain sometimes. Good writing days happen. Bad writing days happen. It’s nothing to get in a tizzy about!”

Categories: Best Of

Best of 2014 | Reading Stats

For the past three years, at the end of the year, I’ve sat down and come up with a list of the top ten books I read over the past year. This year, instead of doing that, I thought it might be more interesting to detail some of my reading stats for the year. I had a pretty great reading year, blowing past my goal to read 75 books, and I read some phenomenal titles. Let’s take a look back on 2014 in reading, shall we?

Total books read: 81
Most books read in one month: July and August (9)
Least books read in one month: December (3)
Male authors read: 6
Female authors read: 48
Books set in other countries: 15
Books written by non-white authors: 4

So, a solid year of reading with 81 books completed. I’m pretty happy with that number! But one thing I’m realizing is how much I need to diversify my reading selections – only 6 male authors and 4 non-white authors read. This was super enlightening for me, but I have a good plan for diversifying my reading selections for 2015 that I talk about below!

By Genre

Romance: 28
Chick lit: 23
Fiction: 12
YA fiction: 8
Non-fiction: 4
Memoir: 3
Historical fiction: 2
Middle-grade fiction: 1

No surprise here – I read a ton of romance and chick lit. These are my favorite genres to read because they’re light-hearted and make me feel good. As much as I want to diversify my reading, my selections will probably always fall heavily on the romance/chick-lit side of things.

Book Club

I read 11 books this year with my book club. We pick a lot of light reads because that’s what we love to read, but there were some heavier picks. This year, we read:

January – The Rosie Project (4 stars)
February – The Husband’s Secret (5 stars)
March – The Girl You Left Behind (3 stars)
April – The Storyteller (4 stars)
May – The Interestings (3 stars)
June – The Edge of Normal (5 stars)
July – The Book of Bright Ideas (4.5 stars)
August – Code Name Verity (3 stars)
September – The Silent Wife (3 stars)
October – Ugly Love (5 stars)
November – Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour (4 stars)
December – A House in the Sky (did not read)

Other Fun Stats

Book with most pages: In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner (560 pages)
Book with least pages: Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (192 pages)
Book that did not live up to the hype: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Book I think everybody should read: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

My Top Five Books

Two Kisses for Maddy by Matthew Logelin – This book affected me sooooo much. I almost don’t want to include it on my list because it put me in a funk for weeks after I read it. But I think that’s why I have to include it. This book touched me deeply, even though the subject matter was utterly heart-wrenching and depressing. It’s not a book for the faint of heart, but Matthew’s writing is so raw and gutting that I’m glad I read his story.
The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal – I wrote an entire post on my thoughts on the book, even though I could have probably written three or four more posts on how this book affected me. (I had Many Thoughts!) This book was such an interesting read, though, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – Hosseini can do no wrong, in my opinion. His books are so engaging, even if they aren’t the type of books I’d normally pick up. I’m never disappointed by him!
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – I’m so glad I discovered Rainbow Rowell this year. Her books make me so happy. This was the first novel of hers I read, and I’m so glad I started with this one. I read the majority of this book in one afternoon because I couldn’t put it down for anything.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom – If you haven’t read this book yet, just stop everything you’re doing, go buy the book, and read it. Please. It is such a great read, and it gave me all of the happy feels.

Final Thoughts & 2015 Goals

So, I’m pretty happy with my reading accomplishments this year! I didn’t read nearly as many books this year as I did last year, but 102 books read in one year is fairly nuts and I don’t think I’ll ever come close to that number again. Which I’m fine with – quality over quantity, right? I’d rather read fewer books that really speak to me, than many books that I rush through just to say I’ve read them. But still – 81 books is a huge number! I’m proud of that number. I’m proud I still made time to read, and that I read some phenomenal books that stuck with me for a long time.

In 2015, I’m lowering the total number of books I want to read because I really want to be more intentional about what I read. I’m still planning to read my romance novels and fun chick-lit books, but I decided to take on the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. I’ve already started perusing book lists and making a category on my Goodreads page of the books I might read to fulfill all the different challenges posed, and I’m excited to diversify my reading selections this year. Some of the best books I’ve read in my life are because I took a chance on a book that wasn’t in my reading comfort zone, and I’m hoping to find more favorite reads thanks to this challenge.

How many books did you read in 2014? Have you set any reading goals for 2015?

Categories: Best Of

Best of 2014 | Moments

Hello, hello!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. I sure did. I celebrated the holiday with my extended family on Christmas Eve, which was fun and enjoyable. Then, Christmas Day was spent with my nuclear family. My mom and I opened presents in the morning (I was totally spoiled with a new pair of TOMs, a set of essential oils, a new Vera Bradley purse, a pair of flats, and Google Chromecast), and then my brother and his family came over in the afternoon to open more presents and have dinner together. I ended my day with Chinese takeout and watching a movie with my boyfriend so, all in all, pretty splendid day.

This week, I’m going to be looking back on 2014 with a few “best of…” posts. I do this every year, and it’s one of my favorite things to do. Today, I wanted to talk about the ten best moments from 2014.

One. Taking my sixth cruise.

In May, I went on my sixth cruise (and my fifth one with my mom!) We sailed on the Carnival Liberty, stopping in Key West and two islands in the Bahamas. It was a much more low-key cruise for us than normal. We did a pub crawl in Key West (highly recommend!) and then just relaxed by the beach while in the Bahamas. It was a fun vacation and I think it’s time I start thinking about where I’ll be cruising for my seventh cruise. 🙂

Two. Meeting some of my favorite bloggers.

This year, I was able to meet three bloggers-turned-friends: Lisa, Jessica, and Nora. Lisa and I met up for a quick coffee date as she passed through Tampa on her way to a work conference, Jessica and I met up for drinks while she was in Tampa for her work conference, and then I traveled to Orlando to spend an afternoon with Nora (and her husband!) while she was in the area for a vacation. It was so nice to see all three of them, especially after reading their blogs for such a long time! They are gems, and I wish I lived closer to each of them.

Three. Traveling to Savannah

At the end of November, my mom and I took a road trip to Savannah for my birthday weekend. And it was such an amazing trip. I loved everything about Savannah: the history, the beauty, the food, the people. I would go back in a heartbeat. It’s such a gorgeous city and there is so much to do and see. I highly recommend visiting!

Four. Developing stronger relationships with my coworkers.

This year saw an explosion of growth for my company, so much so that we had to increase our office space. When I started the job in August of 2013, I was the only girl in my part of the office. Thankfully, the boys I was seated near were awesome and fun to be around, but I wanted some girl coworkers! And my wish was granted, as I’m now seated in a new part of the office and I am surrounded by females. We chit-chat throughout the day, and one of my coworkers has even become a super close friend to me (and she pushes me to get out more and do things, which I so need!) I loved my job before, but I love it even more now that I consider many of my coworkers’ good friends.

Five. Going to my first Miami Dolphins game.

In August, my mom and I were graciously gifted free tickets to one of the Bucs’ preseason home games, and they played none other than my beloved Miami Dolphins. I’ve never been to a Dolphins game before, so it was special and fun and exciting. We had amazing seats (near the 50-yard line!), the Dolphins won, and it was so neat to see my boys in person. Now to get myself to a Dolphins home game!

Six. Participating in Run or Dye 5K

My mom corralled me into this race, even though I didn’t really want to do it. This race happened in March, and I hadn’t been running much (or at all), so I wasn’t looking forward to it. I was hoping it would be fun, but I put way too much pressure on myself so I spent the entire days leading up to the race worrying about my performance. Thankfully, it was super fun! The race was filled with people of all ages, and I loved getting dye thrown on me as I ran through the different stations. I’d gladly do this race again!

Seven. Finding out I’m going to be an aunt again!

In July, my brother and sister-in-law revealed that she was pregnant, which was the most pleasant of surprises to find out! I honestly did not think she would have another child because they seemed so satisfied with their family of three. Then, in October, we found out she was having another boy! A second nephew! I can’t wait to welcome this little bundle of joy in early 2015.

Eight. Taking a photo every day.

On January 1, I started Project 365, taking a photo every day in 2014. It’s been a long journey and is not as easy as it may seem. Probably because, sometimes, my life is just boring. I wake up, go to work, come home, make dinner, watch TV, and go to bed. And there’s nothing very interesting to document. (Which is when I resort to pictures of Dutch. Because why not?) But I’m happy I saw this project through to the end. And I’ll be very happy to just take a photo when I feel like it in 2015.

Nine. Paying off my credit cards.

In early 2014, I paid off my credit cards and it was such an intensely awesome experience. It feels so good to not have those credit card bills looming over my head. I ended up using my credit cards throughout the year, but would always pay off the balance in full the next month. Next up: tackling those darn school loans.

Ten. Meeting Alex.

Meeting Alex has been the most wonderful way to end this year. It’s been a whirlwind, and he just makes me so ridiculously happy. I feel comfortable with him, and it’s not easy for me to feel comfortable with people. It takes me a long time to warm up to people, but it’s been so different with him. It’s just easy. He makes me feel good, and I’m just so excited for the future with him.

What were some of the best moments of your 2014?

Categories: Best Of

2013 in Review | Top 10 Blog Posts

Happy New Year, friends! I can’t even believe 2014 is upon us already. I have so many dreams, goals, and plans for this year and I am really excited to get them going. I’ve spent the last few weeks laying the groundwork, and now it’s time to execute and get serious about crushing some seriously big goals.

In any event, that’s not what today’s post is about! I’m still looking back at 2013 and I saw a fun post on Caroline’s blog the other day, where she reviewed some of her favorite blog posts from the past year. I thought I would do something similar, using some of her prompts and a few of my own. So, without further ado, my top ten blog posts of 2013!

1. My favorite post was Fatherless Father’s Day.

2. My most popular post was Goodbyes and Hellos.

3. My most helpful post was When Intentions Fail.

4. A post whose success surprised me was Writing Is Work.

5. A post I feel didn’t get the attention it deserved was We Are Strong.

6. My most beautiful post was On a Special Bible.

7. My favorite post I wrote, spawned from a post another blogger wrote, was Changing My Story.

8. The post I was most scared to push publish on was Guarding My Heart.

9. The post I am most proud of was This is Good Enough.

10. My favorite guest post I wrote was On Learning to Say Yes.

When I think about this blog, I never really have any specific goals for it. I’m not looking to increase readership, though I love when new readers happen upon my blog and connections form. I’m not looking to make money from blogging or get tons of sponsors or anything like that. I just want to write my story down. I want to be honest and truthful about what I’m dealing with and going through and triumphing with and losing at… the good, the bad, and the ugly. The happy moments and the sad moments. The times when I’m proud and the times when I’m defeated. All of it. It’s for me, because it’s a cathartic healing process for me to get it out of my brain, but it’s also for you. For the I’ve been there’s. And the I thought I was the only one’s.

So when I think about where I want my blog to go in 2014, the truth is, I don’t have a clue. I’d like to continue blogging consistently, which is something I don’t struggle with too much. When it’s something you love doing, you make the time. No matter what. I’d like to launch a new design because this one is starting to feel a little dated. And I’d like to be a better blog friend. Send cards for birthdays, email more, strengthen connections, reach out. I hold back a lot because I fear rejection and I get too caught up in my own head. They already have close blog friends, what do they need from me? The truth is, we all want to strengthen our blog friendships and I’ve never received an email or text or tweet from a blog friend checking in on me, or asking me about something, and felt annoyed. It always feels good. I want to make others feel good, too.

This blog may get more health- and financial-focused in the coming year, as these are two huge goals of mine and I know there will be many thoughts tumbling through my head that I want to get out. Above all, though, it will remain pure Stephany Writes. Snippets of my life, essays on what I’m going through, and plenty of pictures of Dutch to soften even the hardest heart. 🙂 Bring it on, 2014! I am so, so ready for you.

Categories: Best Of, Books

2013 in Review | Top 10 Books Read

Happy New Year’s Eve! I am working today, but crossing my fingers my work will let us out early. I don’t have any crazy party plans (I know – shocker!), but plan on ringing in the New Year with my family at home. We’ll watch the ball drop on TV, play some games, and just enjoy one another’s company. I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful New Year’s Eve!

For today’s post, I have another top ten list for you – the best books I read this year! I read 102 books this year, which is pure insanity, but there’s nothing I love more than getting completely wrapped up in a book. It was hard to narrow my favorite books down to a top ten list, but I did it! I put these in order, from books I really, really loved to books that changed my life. Here we go!

10. Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – 4 stars

This book is so quirky and so fun and I completely enjoyed my experience reading it. I laughed out loud a few times while reading (something I never do!) and I couldn’t help falling completely, hopelessly in love with these characters.

9. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay – 5 stars

This was one of the best YA novels I’ve read in a long time. It was part mystery, where you know something bad has happened to the main character but aren’t sure exactly what it is. It’s part love story, as this broken girl finds healing and hope in the love and strength of a boy. It’s part coming of age, as the character begins to come to terms with what has happened to her and grow from it. It’s a phenomenal read, the writing is exquisite, and it’s one that will make you feel good when you finish it.

8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – 5 stars

I’m always behind when it comes to reading what is popular. (I mean, I just read the Harry Potter series in 2010!) So it’s no surprise it took me a while to get into The Hunger Games series, but I’m so glad I finally did. I think the first book was easily the best, with the second and third books falling a little flat for me. (They were still good – just didn’t grip me the way the first one did.) I think it’s worth reading these books and deciding for yourself what the hoopla is about. It’s action-packed, well-written, and you just can’t help but love Katniss.

7. The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner – 4 stars

I’m not a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and her writing, but I really, really enjoyed this novel, which surprised me. It was also the first book I ever “read” via audiobook and the reader was wonderful which made the experience so much sweeter. This story was just very sweet and heartfelt, and I found myself really intrigued by the main character. She was smart and funny and sensible, and I could really connect with her and her self-esteem issues. I’ve yet to find a Weiner novel I love as much as I loved this one!

6. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton – 4.5 stars

This book reminded me why I loved reading so much. I was engaged from the get-go and fell completely into this story and the lives of these five women. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking, as you follow these women through love and loss and triumph and sadness. The writing was fantastic, the characters were easy to root for, and I liked the natural pace of the story. It made me happy, made me teary, and reminded me of the power of friendship.

5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – 4 stars

I stayed away from this memoir, mainly because I heard a lot of negativity surrounding the book. So I went into reading it with trepidation, thinking I wouldn’t enjoy it, but I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found Gilbert to be refreshingly honest and real and I really connected with her. This book taught me a lot about love, about life, about taking chances and surrendering. I really, really enjoyed her writing style, and I finished the book a bit confused why it gets so much bad press. To each their own, I suppose!

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – 5 stars

I remember enjoying this novel when it was required reading in high school, so it was a neat experience to read it again, simply because I wanted to. (Well, it was a book club book, but I wasn’t complaining!) When I read it in high school, I read it academically. This time around, I read it for the pure enjoyment of reading. It’s such a good book, easily in my top five of all time, and it gripped me from beginning to end. I could barely put it down! (Also, confession, but when I was in ninth grade, I had a total crush on Atticus and I can report that I still have a “literary crush” on him today.)

3. Wild by Cheryl Strayed – 5 stars

I didn’t expect to like this book, but I actually ended up loving it. I love the way this author writes. I love the bluntness and honesty and straightforward way she connects to readers. I couldn’t put this book down and all I wanted to do was read it, but at the same time, I didn’t want it to end. At times, it was a hard book to read, but this is a story of personal triumph and knowing that, no matter what you are going through, no matter how shitty and awful life seems right now, you will find your way out of it and it will be beautiful.

2. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini – 5 stars

It’s hard to express how deeply this book touched my life. Not only was it a well-written story with powerful characters and an engaging plot, but it made me take a good, long, hard look at my life and all the freedom I have, as a single woman living in America. I’m not immune to complaining and feeling woeful about my life, but I have so much freedom to do whatever I want, be whomever I want, marry the man I want to marry, travel where I want, etc etc. This book changed the way I viewed freedom. I felt dumbfounded while reading this book and seeing how women are still so oppressed today. This book broke my heart and pieced it back together again. It was heartwrenching to read at times, but still hopeful. This is such an important book for everyone to read.

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – 5 stars

I struggled a lot between A Thousand Splendid Suns or Me Before You as my favorite book this year and I finally settled on Me Before You. I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, because I knew it dealt with some heavy topics that I thought would leave me feeling depressed and sad. Instead, this book left me feeling happy and hopeful and with a changed view. First of all, the characters were wonderful. Lou and Will were two characters that I absolutely adored and it just makes me sad that these people are not real. I was expecting a dark and depressing book, but I got one that was funny and engaging and light-hearted, all the while dealing with heavy subject matter. I had a hard time putting this one down, and it’s one I recommend to just about anyone.

What’s the best book you read this year?