Hi Friends! I’m back with another virtual bookshelf review, as well as a general 2023 year in review!

Before the Review…A Brief Reflection on My Reading Habits

If you remember my 2022 reading list, you’ll also remember that I was pretty disappointed in how many books I read in the year. After spending so much time reading while in grad school and having impressive reading lists for 2019 through 2021, I’ve noticed a new pressure to read as many, or more, books as every year before. 2022 felt like a huge step backward, and honestly, 2023 doesn’t feel much different.

I read 15 books in 2023 - that’s three more than 2022. I suppose that’s still technically a step forward, but it feels so insignificant, I don’t even want to count it as progress. Which is really unfair.

From there, I spiral. I’m so disappointed in my book count for the year, I’m almost paralyzed to keep going, to get into the stride of my love for reading again, to just sit down and READ.

One of my goals for 2024, which I listed out here, is to read 30 books in 2024. But I have a caveat. I want to read 30 books that I love in 2024. I’m not going to keep reading books I’m not enjoying or I’m having a hard time diving into simply because I have this goal of 30 books.

Sure, the goal is 30 books. But the real goal is to love reading again, to nurture my own reading life, especially as I seek to instill a love of reading into my children. Now’s the time to get it back on track. :)

In the meantime, here’s my 2023 reading list and year in review.

My 2023 Reading List & Year in Review

January - February 2023

I’m lumping January and February together since I don’t have much to report about these two months. Tucker and I returned to a normal routine shortly after a ski trip with my family over the New Year holiday.

Tucker started a new job at our church, as the assistant facilities manager. He’s still loving it. I was still working at Covenant College, entering a new and very busy spring season of events.

I finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and loved it. I was well on my way to finishing the Harry Potter series, though I had some distractions along the way.

I visited my in-laws in Tampa, FL, for a work trip turned mini-vacation. It was so fun to have Bob and Laurie all to myself - they taught me how to play “Oh Hell,” a card game that I am terrible at. Bob also gave me a gorgeous copy of Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, since Tucker and I had just finished the BBC series.

Not many photos from this month, but I did find photos of our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple - I visited Tucker at work and then cooked a steak dinner, with chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels for dessert.

March 2023

In March, I played a lot of Minecraft (I built a Cracker Barrel that I’m VERY proud of) and I knitted my first two-toned headband. I made Tucker try it on for me, but I promised not to post those photos anywhere on the internet. (Though if you text me, I will gladly share - his face is so proud, like he’s the one who made it.)

We celebrated our one year anniversary at St. John’s Restaurant. It was delicious, as always. Our menu said “Happy Anniversary,” and they gave us complimentary champagne and scallops to celebrate.

Some animals visited Covenant, and I snapped a photo of Martha with a donkey.

I read Steeped in Stories: Timeless Children's Novels to Refresh Our Tired Souls by Mitali Perkins and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling - both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

April 2023

April was very exciting. First, a trip to the barn nursery to get new spring plants, and then we found out we were pregnant! I wrote a separate blog post about the night we found out, if you’re curious. :)

We also had friends over and watched Tucker fight a giant bug from the comfort of our living room. I got even better at making Shepherd’s pie (which I documented, because I’m proud of the progress I’ve made).

I got distracted from Harry Potter and started re-reading the Percy Jackson series. I finished Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan.

May 2023

In May, my busy work summer began, along with horrible first trimester symptoms. I was in for a rough few months. As most women with children will attest, the first few months of pregnancy are difficult because you feel horrible but no one can know, because you haven’t announced the pregnancy yet.

We didn’t get any photos from this month, on account of my feeling like death warmed over most days. But I did get to begin working with my amazing summer staff, who despite my very-pregnant and very-stressed leadership were always such a joy to work with.

I also finished Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse.

June 2023

In June, we went to the Renaissance Festival and finally told our families about the pregnancy!

RenFest was a lot of fun, though super packed and pretty hot. Again, I was fighting pregnancy symptoms while trying to pretend everything was normal. Since the GA RenFest is close to Kiki & Pop’s house, we all visited them that evening and got to tell the family we were expecting.

We waited until the conversation died down and everyone was in the living room before handing Laurie, my mother-in-law, the envelope of ultrasound photos and stating that we had some news for everyone. Then we all cried. It was so sweet.

A few days later, Tucker and I flew to Kansas for my Mom’s birthday and to tell my side of the family the same news. We did it in a similar way - handed my mom the envelope and announced the news. Such a fun weekend of celebrating together!

My baby bump also started showing around this time, so I documented a few of the weeks (I definitely didn’t keep up with the bump pics though).

I finished Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth - I think this one and the Sea of Monsters are my favorites.

July 2023

My birthday is at the beginning of July, so my dear friend Emma hosted a little birthday dinner for me. We had mocktails, short ribs, twice baked potatoes, and birthday candles in the dinner rolls. She made delicious strawberry short cakes for dessert. It was so fun to celebrate our pregnancy with them, too!

It was also around this time that Tucker and I decided it was time for me to quit my job and start being home full time a bit earlier than planned. We always knew once the baby was born that I’d be a stay at home mom and homeschool our children. The summer had proved more difficult than expected, so we moved our timeline up a bit. My wonderful summer staff threw me a going-away baby shower, which was so sweet and definitely made the goodbyes harder than I expected.

The end of July was difficult and sad for our family - we said goodbye to Pop, Tucker’s grandfather, and spent time in Hiram for the funeral. It was a beautiful service and we miss Pop every day. We are so grateful we got to share the news of his first great-grandchild (and a more developed ultrasound photo) with him before he passed.

August 2023

In August, I began staying home full time, and I immediately feel in love with it. It’s still a learning process, which I plan to keep documenting on this blog, but it’s such a joy to care for and steward our home as we waited for our little girl to arrive.

We also went on a babymoon, that doubled as a birthday trip for Tucker. Finally in my second trimester and no longer stressed from work, we spent a long weekend in Dahlonega, GA, at The Yellow Daisy Bed and Breakfast (without horrible pregnancy symptoms). Tucker’s parents had gifted us a two-night stay for Christmas last year, and it seemed like the perfect time to take one last romantic getaway before we gave birth.

We spent lots of time wandering through the small town, which was within walking distance of our B&B. We bought stuff for the baby in antique stores, as well as decided on her name (which we’d kept a secret until she arrived)! We both got crystal hummingbird ornaments to commemorate our trip, as well as a beautiful crystal hummingbird for the baby’s room.

I also started a part-time job at Mother’s Day Out, at our church, to give me something to do (and some extra income) until the baby joined us in December.

Finally, I finished the Percy Jackson series and picked up Harry Potter again. I finished reading Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The last Harry Potter book made me cry - specifically when Mrs. Weasley fights Bellatrix for her daughter Ginny. Not me thinking of my own daughter growing safely in my belly in that moment. I also started reading Let Me Be a Woman by Elizabeth Elliot, which quickly rose to the top of my favorite book list.

September 2023

September was very full, as evidenced by the many, many photos included.

First, my bump really popped this month, which probably has something to do with officially being six months pregnant (and feeing it!).

Second, Tucker and I traveled to Tulsa, OK, for my college friend’s wedding. It was a very full weekend, with a bachelorette party, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and the wedding, all to celebrate Amy and Geoffrey. So fun, and so funny to look back on the bachelorette photos especially. Ya girl couldn’t drink, but that didn’t stop her from being obnoxious and so round. ;)

After Tulsa, Tucker and I needed to use up the last of his vacation days before the year ended (and before I was too big to travel, which was about a week later), so we spent the following week in Tampa with his parents. We went to Diagon Alley in Harry Potter World and I tried butterbeer for the first time. Surprise, it’s delicious. We also bought a cute little Hogwarts onesie for the baby.

At the end of the trip, Tucker’s best friend Fultz flew in for the afternoon. That’s when tragedy struck and I stupidly didn’t drink enough water while we sat at the Salt Shack for an early dinner. I ended up passing out in the middle of the restaurant (and barfing a little as I came to). I was rushed to the ER, hooked up to an IV, and ended up perfectly fine. Baby was perfectly fine through it all as well, thank God. It was a scare for sure, but one we were so thankful ended up being a false alarm. It resulted in some fun ER photos, though.

No books this month - there was simply too much else going on. ;)

October 2023

October was far less eventful (though still full), which was a welcome change after the ER trip.

My bump grew exponentially again, and Tucker’s parents gifted us with a bedframe, which Tucker expertly modeled.

We began more seriously working on getting the baby room ready. My mom and sisters drove all the way to Lookout Mountain to throw me a baby shower with my mother- and sister-in-law. It was such a beautiful day, with all my favorite people. I’m so grateful for the community Tucker and I have around us here on the mountain - we are so blessed!

My mom and Nana stayed to help put together the baby furniture and launder all the baby clothes.

My co-workers at Mother’s Day Out threw me another small baby shower, which was lovely. Firefighters visited the kids at MDO, as well.

Finally, I read Flourish: How the Love of Christ Frees Us from Self-Focus by Lydia Brownback, Devoted: Great Men and their Godly Moms by Tim Challies, and I finally finished On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. That last book was homework for the baby, since we plan to sleep train.

November 2023

Getting so close to the baby made November fly by.

Unfortunately, my car pooped out for good after months of troubles and we had to buy a new one. Fortunately, Tucker’s brother Zac happened to selling his around the same time, so we got a new one quickly.

We finished the baby room (as much as we could - we’re both pretty convinced the room will change with the baby’s needs as we figure out how to take care of her). We packed go-bags and finished our birth plan - we hoped to go all natural but also told our doctor to have that epidural ready to go if I decide it’s time.

We also got a 3D scan of our baby, and she’s so cute! I hate to bring that up and then not show the photo, but we want to keep photos of our children off the internet. If you’re curious to see the 3D photo, be sure to text me and I’d be happy to share it with you!

We spent Thanksgiving at Kiki’s house in Hiram, which was a lot of fun (and the food was so delicious). The Curtis kids got to pick out the guns they wanted from a stash left for them by Pop. Tucker got a WWII gun with a bayonet, and he talked about it for the entire evening, he was so excited.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Tucker and I went to pick up our Christmas tree and decorated our home for Christmas. I love our home, but I always love it a little extra when it’s covered in lights and red and green. So cozy.

I also read The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy - it wasn’t great, but it was a quick, easy read that kept me off my phone.

By the end of November, we were less than two weeks away from our due date and feeling the anticipation of meeting our baby girl so soon!

December 2023

December was busy and full of blessings!

I ended my time at MDO and went home again full time - our baby’s due date was sometime early December, so we figured it was time for me to go home and wait.

And I discovered that the waiting was the worst - the days went by very slowly and every little change in my body felt like, “this is it!” Only for me to wake up the next morning still pregnant.

To pass the time, I napped a lot, spent time with Tucker’s family, learned to needlepoint, made some homemade ornaments, wrapped Christmas presents, finished what little there was still to do in the baby’s room, and napped some more. I went to Charlie and MG’s improv show, hoping to laugh the baby out but she took her sweet time.

I also read “Kiss” by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy - again, not a great read but it passed the time and kept me off my phone.

Our due date came and went and we looked forward to our induction date in mid-December. Thankfully, I went into labor the morning of our induction and we ended up at the hospital literally one hour prior to my induction timeslot with spontaneous labor. (Yay for spontaneous labor - I was so grateful!)

After over a day of labor and 3+ hours of pushing (yikes), Amelia Ruth was born - healthy, a full head of hair, and all legs (which she gets from her daddy). My parents drove all the way from Kansas City to meet her for the first time. Tucker’s parents, my parents, and Tucker’s siblings all came to see her in the hospital - she was only a few hours old and already so loved.

The rest of December was a bit of a blur since we brought our daughter home - lots of diapers, cuddles, hilarious poop faces, pretty smiles, and plenty of crying (by both me and Amelia). We spent Christmas day with Tucker’s family. My mom, sister Kalena, and brother Ethan got to visit between Christmas and New Years. We were blessed with so much family time. It’s been a lovely, full blur.

Postpartum life hasn’t been easy, but we’re on the up and up already - our community has blessed us with lots of prayers, encouragement, and food. I’m healing well and Amelia is already sleeping in longer and longer stretches at night.

We even took Amelia to church for the first time on New Years Eve - she slept the whole time. Yet another wonderful way to end the year.

There’s our year in review, with my brief book list sprinkled throughout. Thank you for reading about our 2023 - it was full of blessings, new beginnings, and lots of love. Here’s to 2024!

Below is a plain view of my 2023 Booklist, as well as links to previous years.

2020 Booklist - 2021 Booklist - 2022 Booklist

2023 Booklist:

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” by J.K. Rowling

“Steeped in Stories: Timeless Children's Novels to Refresh Our Tired Souls” by Mitali Perkins

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by J.K. Rowling

“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan

“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters” by Rick Riordan

“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse” by Rick Riordan

“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth” by Rick Riordan

“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian” by Rick Riordan

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling

“Let Me Be a Woman” by Elisabeth Elliot

“Flourish: How the Love of Christ Frees Us from Self-Focus” by Lydia Brownback

“Devoted: Great Men and their Godly Moms” by Tim Challies

“On Becoming Babywise” by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

“The Promises She Keeps” by Erin Healy

“Kiss” by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

Be sure to keep an eye on my Virtual Bookshelf for 2024’s reads - I’ll update soon! Happy reading! :D