Hailey Hudson's Blog, page 11

My 2022 Anticipated Releases: What I Thought

It’s that time of year again! At the beginning of 2022, I shared a post titled 45 2022 Releases I Can’t Wait to Read. Now, I’m back for an update on which ones I actually read this year (it turns out I’ve only read 16 of them, which is pretty terrible?!) and what I thought about them. Read on for all of my thoughts, and let me know in the comments which 2022 releases you especially enjoyed.

2022 Books I Was Excited About

When You Get the Chance, Emma Lord (release date: January 4th; YA contemporary)

I preordered this book because Emma Lord is one of my auto-buy authors, and I’m glad I did! I think my review is all I need to say: “THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE BOOK IN THE WORLD OMG I CANNOT. The book of my theater nerd DREAMS!!!… There was a lot of happy shrieking and squealing that went on when I finished this book. Emma Lord gets me.”

My Fine Fellow, Jennieke Cohen (release date: January 11th; YA historical fiction)

I DNF’d this book. According to my review, it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t exciting enough to motivate me to finish.

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, Meg Long (release date: January 11th; YA sci-fi)

The Iditarod, but make it sci-fi? Give it to me! Honestly, this book gave me hope–I complain a lot about how there is nothing new under the sun in YA (especially in fantasy or sci-fi), but this felt fresh. A tightly-written, fast-paced story full of genetically engineered wolves, gangsters, and snow goblins all trying to survive on a brutally icy planet, I was absolutely riveted. My expectations were high, but they still were blown out of the water! I got this for Joshua for Christmas.

Rise: My Story, Lindsey Vonn (release date: January 11th; memoir)

This was pretty good!

Admissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School, Kendra James (release date: January 18th; memoir)

Another solid memoir. (I read memoirs really fast and retain nothing so that’s why I have nothing to say about these, lol.)

Wishing Upon the Same Stars, Jacquetta Nammar Feldman (release date: February 1st; MG contemporary)

This was REALLY good on so many levels. I teared up multiple times. “Maybe peace will begin here, with us. Maybe, we can keep holding on.” “Sometimes home is the place you never thought it would be.”

One for All, Lillie Lainoff (release date: March 8th; YA historical adventure fiction)

I was SO excited for this book, which is an #ownvoices Three Musketeers retelling where the main character has POTS. It was amazing to read a fiction book where a character has one of the same chronic illnesses I do! Definitely recommend this one. “Sick girls had to fight for what they could get.”

Sisters of Night and Fog, Erika Robuck (release date: March 1st; adult historical fiction)

This was so good. I couldn’t put it down!!!

Being Mary Bennet, J.C. Peterson (release date: March 15th; YA contemporary)

I loved this from the very first page–I can’t say enough about it! I rooted for Marnie and felt her triumphs and downfalls so acutely (and you gotta love a girl who makes a pro/con list about whether to name her future cats with a literary theme). The characters, their relationships, and how they changed were done so well. I literally screamed my way through the last chapters and I’m already so excited to read this again. “Let’s be difficult women.”

Always Jane, Jenn Bennett (release date: March 29th; YA contemporary)

I am head over heels for anything Jenn Bennett writes. While this was not my favorite of her books, it’s a great story with a solid setting and characters. I also really appreciated and related to the aphasia representation as I experience aphasia with my seizures.

The Diamond Eye, Kate Quinn (release date: March 29th; adult historical fiction)

The story of a quiet bookworm who becomes history’s deadliest female sniper? Um, yes please! I tore through this one! “I believe in books.”

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, Simu Liu (release date: May 3rd; memoir)

I teared up at the end because I love seeing marginalized individuals succeed in the arts, and because I related to Simu’s long and often misunderstood journey to success. “It is one thing to have a dream and another altogether to own it–boldly, fearlessly–in its entirety.”

Forging Silver into Stars, Brigid Kemmerer (release date: May 3rd; YA fantasy)

This is the start of a new book series set in the world of Brigid’s Cursebreakers series! It was so fun to be back in that world with the characters all grown up, but still themselves. And we love disabled MC’s. (Be warned it’s definitely steamier than her other stuff, though.)

Breathe and Count Back from Ten, Natalia Sylvester (release date: May 10th; YA contemporary)

My expectations for this book were high… and they were blown away!! The #ownvoices disability rep was SO good and I related to it so much. The part about scars and how people call you a warrior, like they need to glorify pain to accept it, really hit me. I loved the concept of Mermaid Cove. And Alex was just the sweetest.

Tokyo Dreaming, Emiko Jean (release date: May 31st; YA contemporary)

Unfortunately, this sequel fell flat for me, and I DNF’d it.

Before Takeoff, Adi Alsaid (release date: June 7th; YA contemporary)

This book had a weird premise and I almost ended up not reading it, but it’s set in the Atlanta airport and that intrigued me, so I picked it up… and then DNF’d because I had no idea what was happening or why.

2022 Books I Haven’t Read Yet

Here are the releases that I was really looking forward to, but didn’t get around to reading (there are just so many books to be read, ya know?):

God, Technology, and the Christian Life, Tony Reinke (release date: January 25th; Christian nonfiction)This Woven Kingdom, Tahereh Mafi (release date: February 1st; YA fantasy) (I got this from the library but then never got around to reading it haha)Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies, Laura Thompson (release date: March 1st; nonfiction) (same here hahaha)Lines of Courage, Jennifer A. Nielsen (release date: May 17th; MG historical fiction)You, Me, and Our Heartstrings, Melissa See (release date: May 31st; YA contemporary) (I don’t know how I haven’t read this yet? I just checked and my library does have it, so I put it on hold. Because–Julliard, and disability rep [aka two of my favorite things]? I am SO here for this!)Following Jesus in a Digital Age, Jason Thacker (release date: June 14th; Christian nonfiction)Wishtress, Nadine Brandes (release date: September 13th; YA fantasy)Greywaren, Maggie Stiefvater (release date: October 18th; YA fantasy/paranormal) (I read a chapter or two but just couldn’t get into it. I need to try again, because I love the Dreamer trilogy)Chain of Thorns, Cassandra Clare (release date: November 1st; fantasy fiction) (I need to read this!!! I love these characters so much!)

Maybe they’ll happen in 2023. And finally, here are some additional releases that were lower on my radar but I also have not yet read (this is so bad lol):

The Storyteller, Kathryn Williams (release date: January 11th; YA) Suffering Wisely and Well: The Grief of Job and the Grace of God , Eric Ortlund (release date: January 11th; Christian nonfiction)Anatomy: A Love Story, Dana Schwartz (release date: January 18th; YA historical mystery) Demystifying Decision-Making: A Practical Guide , Aimee Joseph (release date: January 18th; Christian nonfiction)Castles in Their Bones, Laura Sebastian (release date: February 1st; YA fantasy) Mirror Girls , Kelly McWilliams (release date: February 8th; YA historical fiction) The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea , Axie Oh (release date: February 22nd; YA fantasy) Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More , Jen Oshman (release date: March 22nd; Christian nonfiction) This Rebel Heart , Katherine Locke (release date: April 5th; YA historical fantasy) Debating Darcy, Sayantani DasGupta (release date: April 5th; YA contemporary) Love from Scratch, Kaitlyn Hill (release date: April 5th; YA contemporary) I Will Protect You: A True Story of Twins Who Survived Auschwitz, Eva Mozes Kor (release date: April 5th; memoir)Tears and Tossings: Hope in the Waves of Life, Sarah Walton (release date: May 2nd; Christian nonfiction)When the Wolf Camped at Our Door: My Childhood in the Great Depression, Aileen Kilgore Henderson (release date: May 24th; memoir)Together We Burn, Isabel Ibanez (release date: May 31st; YA fantasy)The Wonderland Trials, Sara Ella (release date: July 12th; YA dystopian fantasy) (Alice in Wonderland retelling)The Dragon’s Promise, Elizabeth Lim (release date: August 30th; YA fantasy) A Wilderness of Stars, Shea Ernshaw (release date: November 29th; YA fantasy)

What were your favorite 2022 releases? Have you read any of these? Let me know in the comments!

December 2022 Monthly Wrap-Up

December was a very busy month (read my Blogmas posts starting here). There was so much going on with medical stuff, work, and spending time with people. Unfortunately, I also spent the last week of the month/year in the hospital (remember when I thought I had the flu? Yeah, turns out it was actually a bloodstream infection… just a small difference).

This month I’m…

Reading: What’s Not to Love, Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. Tilly and the Bookwanderers, Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales, Tilly and the Map of Stories, and The Book Smugglers, Anna James. Liturgy of the Ordinary, Tish Harrison Warren (reread). A Place Called Home, David Ambroz. One Jump at a Time, Nathan Chen. Ghosts of Greenglass House, Kate Milford. Tennis Shoes, Noel Streatfeild. 10 total.

Listening to: Christmas music. The Nutcracker. Anastasia. Jonah Kagen’s new EP Georgia Got Colder. Faithful, Nicole Duckworth.

Watching: YouTube–Shelby Church; Jordan Bauth; The Frey Life. Movies–The Golden Compass.

Writing: Because this month was so crazy, I chose to take a break from writing and submitting fiction. However, I did continue to work on songwriting stuff, and I also did my usual volunteer work for People Hope and the Diamonds Conference.

Grateful for: Starting to work on classical vocal pieces. A place where I can be around my people. Discovering the most magical new-to-me MG series. The coziest rainy winter days. Planning fun things for next year. Live theatre. Getting into the shacket trend. Meeting a little boy with a feeding tube. Being able to drive again. My VA. A neighbor feeding my cat when I was in the hospital. Friends bringing me Italian ice.

What did you do in December? I hope you had a wonderful holiday season!

Blogmas 2022 Day 25 (Merry Christmas!)

Merry Christmas! I had a great day with my family today! This morning they went to their church and I stayed at home to rest. Sophie and I laid on the couch by the Christmas tree and read Castle in the Clouds, which is the most perfect Christmas reread.

My family got home late morning, and my cousin and his girlfriend joined us. We set out a snack lunch with some charcuterie boards.

Then, we moved into the office for the main event of the day (for me, anyway): opening stockings and gifts! It took over two hours and it was fun to drag it out.

Each year in my final Blogmas post, I record the gifts I gave and received so I can look back on them in the future. This year I gave my family:

Mom – beagle tote bag (homemade by my friend); Thoughts of Dog 2023 calendarDad – orange cup that says “Not today Saban” (it’s a college football thing, or so I’m told); orange TN shortsJoshua – Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long; tabletop disc golf (also a box of Kleenex as a gag gift–it’s an inside joke)Grandpa – a mousepad with photos of usGrandma Hudson – soap that looks like piano keysFamily gift – I do a homemade creative gift every year for my mom, dad, and Joshua, and this year I wrote them a children’s book called Mr. O’Malley’s Crane (which is also an inside joke). I commissioned @catarinabookdesigns to illustrate the cover, and it came out absolutely gorgeous!

My main gifts/favorite gifts I received were a couple of chronic illness T-shirts (a heart floral anatomy shirt and a “standing is my cardio” shirt); several of the “shoe books” by Noel Streatfeild; little gold hoop earrings with pearls; a gold bracelet; and a bracket that attaches to your laptop to hold your phone as a second screen.

My stocking had candles and Jellie Bellies. I also used some Christmas money to buy Emma Carey’s book The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, and I commandeered Joshua’s book of the Bandstand sheet music and immediately started playing and singing it.

Shortly after opening gifts, I had to go to bed to rest. The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes and it was 7:00, and everyone had eaten their big Christmas dinner and my cousin was getting ready to leave. We had a really nice Christmas (as my grandpa said today, we do Christmas right).

Thanks for joining along on all 25 days of Blogmas! This is the end of the road (and by the time Christmas comes, I’m always ready for a break from daily blogging). But you know what’s up next–a bunch of posts about all the good books I read this year and all the good books I want to read next year. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the rest of your break! (Sophie got her stocking tonight when everyone left and she was finally allowed out of the crate.)

Today I’m grateful for: I’m grateful for you reading my Blogmas posts and making December more fun!

Check out Blogmas Day 25 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2022 Day 24 (migraine)

After consulting with my family this morning, we decided I was probably safe to go ahead and come over to the house for Christmas! However, I had a lot to do to get ready to go, and I felt like trash (just normal chronic illness trash, I thought). So I spent the morning lying in bed dozing and running fluids. 

Unfortunately, though, I kept feeling worse and worse. Instead of going to the house early afternoon, we decided I should continue resting at home and make sure I didn’t spike a fever later in the day. It’s genuinely so hard to tell sometimes whether I’m chronic illness sick or muggle sick. I didn’t have any congestion or sore throat, but “normal” symptoms like my migraines, fatigue, and nausea were killing me. Between feeling really bad physically and wondering if I’d be spending Christmas alone in bed, I wasn’t in a good mood and it didn’t feel like Christmas.

I did finally come over to my parents’ house tonight. We hung around and watched A Christmas Story, although I was mostly just lying on the couch with an ice pack on my head doing rough (I’m due for my monthly migraine injection and I always have migraines leading up to it–my rescue migraine med is not working today either).

Today I’m grateful for: That I can go to bed soon.

Check out Blogmas Day 24 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2022 Day 23 (recovering)

It’s amazing how much better you feel when your fever is no longer 103 for eight hours straight! Initially, today I’d planned to have my friend Brooke over and then go to my parents’ house tonight and stay with them through Christmas. But instead, I had a restful day at home to let my body recover from yesterday and to make sure I was no longer contagious (I’m thinking I must not have the flu after all since I felt back to my normal today).

I asked for a PRN home health nursing visit to access my port because I had to deaccess yesterday (I was sweating so much from my fever that my dressing got messed up and came unattached, so it was no longer sterile).

After the nurse came and went, I set up camp on the couch. I enjoyed working for a few hours on several blog posts that will go up next week or in early January, like a monthly wrap-up, yearly summary, and a few end-of-year/beginning-of-year book blog posts (there are SO many amazing MG books coming out in 2023, I cannot wait!).

I did some reading and letter writing this afternoon. I started feeling feverish around 6:00, but I was up again feeling better pretty shortly, eating toast and tidying my apartment. I’m still not sure whether I will be able to see my family this weekend.

Today I’m grateful for: Fun Christmas gifts in the mail–my friends know me so well!

Check out Blogmas Day 23 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2022 Day 22 (got the flu)

Today I was supposed to finish up work for the year and go to my music studio for my lessons, but instead I ended up getting extremely sick. It’s been an absolutely miserable day, but I’m glad to have an explanation for those new symptoms I’d originally chalked up to chronic illness this week.

Things went downhill really fast last night; I started feeling worse and worse, and laid awake all night with intense shivering/convulsions and a lot of pain. I had a bad migraine this morning. I took an at-home Covid test, which was negative, so I figured I have the flu.

Because of my chronic illnesses, when I get sick, it’s not a matter of just enjoying some Netflix with a box of tissues–this evening my phone was still at 90% because I hadn’t even felt well enough to look at it today. Tasks like sending my doctor a message or flushing my line after running fluids become Herculean. All I could do today was lie in bed, either dozing or else just lying there, physically unable to move. I could barely lift my head off the pillow.

After my fever being 103 all day, it finally dropped to 98 tonight after Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and Tamiflu, and I feel human for the first time in 24 hours! I celebrated by managing to move from my bed to the couch and watch a little YouTube.

Today I’m grateful for: I’m always grateful for my feeding tube and port, but especially on days like today. Also, my mom not only bringing over medicine but literally bringing it inside my house to my bed because I couldn’t get up and walk 10 feet to the door to get it.

Check out Blogmas Day 22 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2022 Day 21 (Grandpa’s here!)

I woke up yet again feeling rough in a new/different way, and grumpy and discouraged about it. Something is off with my body but I don’t know what. Also, it needs to be Christmas break already. I had an onboarding meeting with a new client first thing and I wasn’t feeling it (see below). But the lady was really lovely and it’s a cool business model.

I finished up the piece on ADA compliance for websites. Then I had to go back to bed.

After sleeping for a couple of hours, I got up and finished the goal setting blog post, and got in a good classically-focused voice practice.

Tonight I went to my family’s house for a few hours to hang around and visit with them because my grandpa flew in today! He’ll be here for about a week. It was fun to spend time with everyone, but I feel like complete trash again now and I’m very ready for bed.

Today I’m grateful for: We are very close to Christmas break.

Check out Blogmas Day 21 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2022 Day 20 (haircut)

I woke up feeling rough and feeling grumpy about it. But I had lots to do today, so by 11, I dragged myself to the couch with an infusion and with the mattress topper piece to finish up.

I was already dead by noon, but I forced myself through a mattress review piece. Then I had to admit defeat and go back to bed. I wasn’t able to fall asleep, though, so after resting for a while I just got up and kept going.

I practiced voice, getting in a good strong warm-up and working on several of my original songs. By then it was late afternoon; I’d been planning to get some errands done today that I had been wanting and needing to get done for a while. I didn’t feel like going out but I did it anyway (and ended up having a nice errands day!). First I got a haircut. I got four inches off and a “bubble layer” (not totally sure what that is, but I like it!).

Next I went to Kroger to get some stuff I needed because it was next door. I had a lot of trouble finding things, though, and I was struggling to be on my feet. On the way home I swung by a liquor store and then drove through some neighborhoods in the area where I’d like to buy a house. Once I got home I had a ton of stuff to unpack and put away. Now I’m ready to tuck in with my letters, books, and journals.

Today I’m grateful for: My VA, and work that’s easy and mindless for when I can’t function.

Check out Blogmas Day 20 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2022 Day 19 (visitors in and out)

Today started out stressful. I had my weekly nursing visit and we were really struggling to flush my port or get blood return; I’d been having pain/tenderness/pus for a few days, which isn’t abnormal for me necessarily, but I also had a weird dream last night that there was a blood clot in my port. Anyway, knock on wood but eventually my port seemed to be working and we were able to draw labs and run fluids, so hopefully I won’t have to go to vascular or the ER this week.

I was able to get in a couple good hours of work on a mattress topper piece for a new client (in between answering medical calls and freaking out after finding out about something exciting). Early afternoon, Andrea came by to pick up something from me, exchange Christmas gifts, and visit for an hour or two. It was the last time I’ll see her before the baby comes!

When she left I dealt with a low blood sugar and uploaded a mattress review piece into the client’s CMS. Then I had to go to bed and take a nap. Unfortunately I didn’t feel better when I woke up and wasn’t able to do anything else today; I just laid in bed reading Nathan Chen’s memoir.

Today I’m grateful for: My cute kitty being cute (as shown above).

Check out Blogmas Day 19 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2022 Day 18 (church lunch)

Today we had a lot of things going on at church that I was excited about! I’d been awake throwing up for a few hours last night, but I still managed to get out the door by ten (I got this festive shirt at Goodwill recently).

A missionary that my church supports came to share during the service today. She had some really beautiful thoughts on hope and redemption and how her suffering has turned into her ministry.

Afterward, we all went over to the big building for lunch. I set up a table for writing letters to the missionary from our congregation, and longingly watched people eat homemade Christmas lunch–savory ham, rich mac n cheese, homemade cheesecake, and so much more. (May I remind you that I was throwing up all night after trying to eat simple store-bought Christmas cookies yesterday.)

We had a gift exchange after lunch. We do both gag gifts and real gifts. I took dish towels and got hand lotion, but someone stole it from me.

Overall, it was a great day at church and brought me so much joy! But I was also very ready to come home and crawl into bed. I slept for a couple of hours. Then, this evening, I did some banking stuff and planned out my week. (I feel like I should be on Christmas break but it’s still very much real life.)

Today I’m grateful for: My favorite little coming up to me and physically uncrossing my legs because she wanted to sit in my lap.

Check out Blogmas Day 18 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?