my virtual bookshelf my 2022 reading list my year in review

2022 is over and I was nowhere near my reading goal for the year. I read 11 books last year, which I tracked on My Virtual Bookshelf. While I’m not proud of the small number of books I read, I know 11 books is still a huge accomplishment, considering my busy year.

What with getting married, quitting a stressful job, starting a new job, and traveling quite a bit, I’m still proud of the small pockets of reading time I found throughout the year. To beef up this reading list review, I figured in addition to my 2022 booklist, I’d also include brief updates of what I did this year, plus photos!

Please enjoy

My 2022 Reading List & My 2022 in Review:

JANUARY 2022

I read “A Flicker in the Dark” by Stacy Willingham and I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a fan. I had joined a book club with some friends from work - I still miss you guys! - and they’re big modern mystery/thriller fans. Not my cup of tea, but it was fun to read with friends!

I also visited Rock City with my almost-husband’s family; we did a take-home wedding cake tasting (landing on an earl gray, blueberry cake); we made a bunch more wedding decisions.

FEBRUARY 2022

I read “The Meaning of Marriage” by Tim Keller as part of pre-marital counseling and “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson as part of a church book club. Again, it is so fun to read books with others; I’m always grateful for it.

I also helped host a Krystal Eating Contest at work and designed a WWE-style belt for the winner; we made more and more wedding decisions; we took more engagement photos; a dear friend threw a wedding shower for me at the Chattanooga Mercantile Tea Room - such a blessing. We got to wear fun hats!

MARCH 2022

I started reading “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott and it became my favorite book of the year. It took me awhile to get through, so I don’t think I finished it until July, but still one of the best stories I’ve read in awhile. I’ll likely write about it here someday soon, especially since I bought a copy for my mom for Christmas and we want to read it together.

I ALSO GOT MARRIED! I have plans to detail that day in February this year for Valentine’s Day, because if I’m going to be cheesy, I might as well go all out. Everything about that weekend was perfect, so stay tuned, photos are coming. We also honeymooned in Blowing Rock, Asheville, and Boone, North Carolina. Tucker calls that our fake honeymoon, since he still has plans to take me to Italy soon! :)

APRIL 2022

I don’t remember reading much in April, though I was probably still making my way through “Little Women.”

Tucker and I nested in our apartment, making everything just so for our new life together; he also taught me how to rollerblade and tried to teach me how to slingshot a hockey puck—I’m terrible at that second part; we cooked at home more and watched a Lightning game at his brother’s house; I went to a concert with Tucker’s dad and siblings.

Tucker and I also started a vegetable garden, in addition to the many, many plants we added to our back porch.

MAY 2022

In May, we got our wedding photos back and I read “Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer” by Rowan Williams, which was a wonderful refresher in basic Christian theology. We finished our back porch, complete with lights and an outrageous amount of pretty plants and the veggie garden, full of peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, and various herbs. We tanned a lot on that porch and drank many Arnold Palmers. I didn’t get many photos this month. We also dog sat and realized we are NOT dog people. ;)

JUNE 2022

I didn’t read much in June either.

We kept our garden up; I went on a lot of walks; I tried and failed at making biscuits.

I attended a work trip in Nashville for a few days, which was actually very rewarding and fun, though stressful. I met up with Tucker in Nashville and we drove to Indianapolis, Indiana, to visit Tucker’s sister, Martha, and also to celebrate my birthday in early July.

JULY 2022

No reading in July.

Martha was finishing an art internship in Indy and had a free place for us to stay, so we hung out with her for Fourth of July weekend - we looked at a lot of art, watched a lot of New Girl, and I redesigned my website to its current light blue style.

I also got promoted at my old job and joined the Operations Team, affectionally nicknamed the OPS Squad - I miss you girls!

AUGUST 2022

I started reading again! I decided to finally get through the Harry Potter series, since I’d never read them. I got through the first 2 and a half books in August, snagging them all from my in-laws’ home in Tampa. I’m in book five currently and I’m pleasantly surprised how wonderful (and how funny) they all are.

My mom and Nana came to visit for a few days - I made them brunch and set it up in our living room. I got a little obsessed with tattoos, though I never pulled the trigger and got one. (Maybe this year?) We started cooking even more - I got really good a meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I got offered a job at Covenant College and quit my old job. We invited some friends to join us in Tampa, Florida, for a little birthday weekend getaway for Tucker. We visited the Ringling Museum in Sarasota and ate at the Salt Shack on the Bay and Bern’s Steakhouse. August was a ton of fun.

SEPTEMBER 2022

I kept reading through Harry Potter and I trained my replacement at my old job. I gained a dear friend in that process and knew I was leaving my old tasks in wonderful hands. I’m also pretty sure this was the month I finally finished changing my name - Kayley Forshey no longer exists.

I am now, in the eyes God and man, Kayley Marie Curtis!

I started my new job; I went to The Band CAMINO Concert at The Signal; we got our Moon River tickets and then didn’t go because it was rainy - luckily they refunded everyone anyway. We got to see Chris D’Elia live in Atlanta, one of our favorite comedians, which was incredible.

We also nailed down our weekly meal routine: I cook Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday; Thursday is leftover night; Friday’s pizza night; Saturday is free-for-all during the day and Chickfila at night (we buy enough for Sunday night too - Tucker calls it gathering manna for the Sabbath); & Sunday is brunch with family and/or friends and Chickfila for dinner. It’s been a great system.

I didn’t get any photos this month.

OCTOBER 2022

I started reading “Dune” by Frank Herbert, though I’ve still not finished it. I did finish Harry Potter books 1 through 4. I read “Everything Sad is Untrue” by Daniel Nayeri, in another book club with my church. I got to lead the book club discussion at Two Ten Jack’s with some ladies from LMPC and it was so fun!

We joined a Sunday School at church and started our own small group, with two other couples that we’ve become such fast friends with. We’re reading through “Respectable Sins” by Jerry Bridges, and we took a break for the holidays, though we’re eager to start back up again soon! I tried making Shepherd’s Pie for the first time and it wasn’t half-bad - and I’ve pretty much perfected it now. I discovered Hard Root Beer and it’s delicious, though I seem to be the only person who likes it. I also learned how to make Beef Stew and Brunswick Stew - crockpots are a life changer. No photos this month either.

NOVEMBER 2022

I read “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri. I was a huge fan of the Shirley Temple movie as a kid, and surprise, surprise, the book is even better. I also looked up Shirley Temple’s life after acting and she has an impressive and surprising career in politics and government - go check her out if you’re curious.

Tucker and I, along with Tucker’s brother Zac, travelled to Augusta, Georgia, to spend the weekend with Tucker’s buddy Will. Though it was rainy and muggy, we did the Belle Meade Hunt, an annual event where all the riders simulate a fox hunt and all the families and friends of the riders follow behind in trailers, listening to music and partying. It was a blast. We then watched the 1939 Adventures of Robin Hood, which was surprisingly hilarious.

I started Minecraft Mondays with my friends Emma and Lizzy - I got much better at creative mode and even built a Cracker Barrel that I’m very proud of. Even Tucker was impressed.

We spent Thanksgiving in Hiram, Georgia, at Kiki & Pop’s house, Tucker’s grandparents. The whole family was there, plus one of Charlie’s friends. We had a bb-gun contest, too!

On November 29th, we bought our first Christmas tree together as a married couple.

DECEMBER 2022

Not much reading this month either, though I’m still powering through “Dune” and I started Harry Potter book 5.

We spent the month getting our home ready for our first married Christmas - collecting ornaments, buying stockings, baking lots of cookies for family, friends, and neighbors.

Our friends Dustin and Emma got married; we threw our first Christmas party together for our small group; we attended the Covenant College Celebrate Christmas Concert (an event that I also helped plan and worked).

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my in-laws’ home; we did legos and puzzles together and played games; we had another bb-gun contest; I learned how to knit; then we flew to Minneapolis to spend New Year’s with my family, where I learned to ski and attended my first hockey game.

It was a wonderful way to end the year.