Welcome to Friday! We are officially in the season of complete darkness by 5:30pm and the evenings are feeling…long. This is good for catching up on reading and Gilmore Girls (I’m in season 4 now!).
Last week was my 20th “Five on a Friday” post, so if you’ve been following along since the beginning, thank you. If you are new here, welcome! This week I’m sharing some end-of-year planning activities, my thoughts on short stories, audiobook recommendations under 10 hours, a holiday countdown idea for kids, and my 2019 reading recap!
• End of Year Planning •
Since 2015, I’ve been doing quite a bit of personal planning and reflections. I love a clean slate (new week, month, or year) and the ability to look back at my planner, calendar, and photos from those previous years to make sense of the time that has passed. I generally start to think about this in November and finalize my thoughts the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Here are a few of my favorite year-end activities:
Year in Review: I’ve been writing an annual reflection since 2016 and it is so fun to go back and read them each year. A list format is easiest for me. I think through my year chronologically and by categories (work, family, personal). I include major life events, places I’ve traveled, and goals I accomplished (or didn’t). I also include any major life lessons I learned that year.
Interview: I started asking my son these questions when he was four. I think I saw this idea on social media one day and I didn’t know it would become an annual tradition for us. I love to see how his answers change to the same questions each year. I also take a picture of him and keep it with his responses (preserving a moment in time!). Here are the questions I’ve been asking him on New Year’s Day:
- If you won a million dollars, what would you buy?
- How long does it take to get to the beach?
- What job would you like to do when you grow up?
- What’s your favorite animal?
- Who is the strongest superhero?
- If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- Who do you hang out with all the time?
- What song makes you want to sing?
- What are you scared of?
- What is your favorite game to play?
25 for 2025: I learned this one from listening to Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Each year, I set a number of intentions or goals that align with the last two digits of the year. (Next year will be 25 in 2025, this year is 24 in 2024, last year was 23 in 2023, you get it.) These can be big goals that may take the year to achieve or maybe I can accomplish one in a single day. Some items that are always on my list include goals around walking, reading, writing, and exploring (this can even be local spots I want to visit). I also include some home admin stuff that we need to get done. Sometimes I include professional goals like keeping up with a certification or attending a conference. Mostly, this is to make sure I’m planning to have some fun and spending my time in a meaningful way. The best memories I have are usually the ones I planned for – I blocked the time on my calendar, bought the tickets, booked the hotel, made the reservation, or sent the invitations.
Word of the Year: Another Happier suggestion! This is a word or phrase that describes the tone I’d like to set for the year. Bonus points if it has a literal and metaphorical meaning. I already know my word for 2025!
I have a friend who is delightfully nerdy and we love to brainstorm together and share our lists with each other. I recommend blocking off time to go to a coffee shop or meeting up with friends for a planning session! (This is supposed to be fun and should not feel like a burden. I’ve been in seasons of life where doing this stuff just doesn’t make sense, so give yourself some grace if you are in a season of sacrifice!)
• Short Stories •
As we approach the end of the year and life gets a little busy, I find myself turning toward short stories. I can get through a short story in just a few days (or a weekend afternoon if I’m determined). I have to admit that I haven’t always been a fan because they don’t always resonate with me. I recently learned I may need to reframe my expectations of short stories. I read The Secret Lives of Church Ladies with the MMD Book Club and I listened to this What Should I Read Next podcast episode. Of course I ended up adding recommendations to my TBR. Since I loved Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow, I’m excited to pick up Table for Two. It’s a collection of six short stories that take place in New York City and a novella that’s set in Los Angeles.
• Holiday Book Countdown •
I know we aren’t even to Thanksgiving yet, but I’m sharing a holiday tradition in case you want to try it out. During the pandemic, I wanted to make the holiday season really special since we weren’t able to travel to see family. My son was three at the time and really enjoyed opening gifts (that’s all of us, right?). I had several holiday picture books and I decided to try out the “25 days of Christmas” picture book countdown. I wrapped up each book individually and stuck a number on the front. On December 1st, he opened Book 1, on December 2nd, he opened Book 2, etc. This became a cozy nightly tradition with some reading fun! Below are a few of our favorite holiday books to include. (And yes, we use the same books each year!)
• Short Audio Books •
While we are planning for the holidays, let’s be honest: it can be difficult to set aside time to pick up a physical book. We are all doing plenty of cleaning, decorating, wrapping presents, and running errands all over town. Sometimes it’s a family affair and sometimes I’m on my own – the perfect opportunity to listen to an audio book! Below are audiobooks I have actually listened to that are all under 10 hours:
- Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin – 2.5 hours
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling – 4.5 hours
- Heartburn by Nora Ephron (Meryl Streep is the narrator!) – 5.5 hours
- Bossypants by Tina Fey – 5.5 hours
- Modern Romance, An Investigation – by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg – 6 hours
- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson – 7 hours
- The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton – 7 hours
- Yes Please by Amy Poehler – 7.5 hours
- We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union – 8 hours
- The Actor’s Life, A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer – 8 hours
- Paper Towns by John Green – 8 hours
- The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant – 8 hours
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah – 9 hours (one of the first audiobooks I ever listened to and a great place to start for anyone new to audiobooks!)
- Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton – 9 hours
Pro tip: if you struggle with audiobooks, start with a book you’ve already read. You can get used to the narration and determine your audio speed. Another bonus is that if you happen to miss a section (or fall asleep), it’s not a big deal because you’ve already read it! Check out the Libby app for free audiobooks through your library.
• 2019 Reading Recap •
If you’ve been following along, you know I’m looking back at previous reading years. Check out 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020.
In 2019, my son was two, we moved to another state, and I was also traveling for work quite frequently. To say I was busy would be an understatement. I still squeezed in some time to read! Some of my favorite books of the year were This is Where You Belong and The Only Woman in the Room. I also decided to begin the complete Harry Potter series on audio; Jim Dale’s narration is excellent (Bonus: the first two books in the HP series are under 10 hours!)
A few questions for your weekend:
- Do you have any end-of-year planning rituals?
- What’s your favorite short story collection or individual short story?
- What’s your favorite book series to listen to on audio?
This weekend, I hope you are able to sneak in a few minutes to read. That could be before the kids are up, or by listening to an audiobook while you’re folding laundry, or swiping through a page or two on an e-reader while you’re standing in line at the grocery store. It’s ok if you can’t “get away” to read. It’s ok if you don’t always remember what you read. It’s still there, shaping you.
Happy Reading!
