“I tried to pick my battles ’til the battle picked me” … Miss Print will be back soon

If you’ve been reading my monthly recaps, you know that 2024 has not been my year. I keep hoping for things to get easier only to have some new malady drop.

Suffice to say I am, again, out of new content to share. I have some pre-scheduled posts that will go live on Fridays for National Poetry Month but other than that things will be quiet here for a bit.

But I’m still reading and still reviewing and I’ll be back soon once I have some time to play catch up.

If you’re curious about what’s been going on and what I’ve been reading in the meantime, check out my March 2024 recap.

2024: My year of balance and making space …

Happy New Year! What a ride 2023 has been. Here’s to new things and old comforts for 2024. See you later this week for regular posting.

For now I’m thinking about the clean slate that 2024 brings where I can draw a line under everything that came before and start fresh from here. While I don’t always make concrete resolutions, I am a fan of beginning as I mean to go on as explained by Leigh Bardugo in an instagram post. I’ve been trying to take that idea to heart as I think about the energy and intentions I want to carry through this new year.

2023 was a year of grace and letting go of that which no longer serves me.

In 2024 I am making space for what is meant for me to find me and focusing on balance.

What does that mean exactly? I am going to focus on the things I can control and give less space to the things I cannot. I am going to be open to new opportunities. I am going to remember that we are always growing and learning and give myself space for that.

I also want to try really hard to develop two habits.

First: I am, once again, signing up for Adriene Mishler’s 30 day yoga journey (details and sign up page) with the hope and intention of actually finishing it in January. I first heard about Yoga with Adriene from my friend Estelle and tried to keep myself accountable with my instagram buddy Molly a few years ago. But, as is the way of things, the past few Januarys have had various maladies and illnesses that kept me off track. This year I am hoping to develop different routine. We’ll see how it goes. Wish me luck. I think I’ll need it.

Second: I am going to try to get back to a daily-ish creative writing habit. This has a few layers where I want to start querying seriously but also build up more discipline to write regularly whether it’s quick story pieces or poem snippets. This routine is always the first thing to go when things get rocky (which was most of 2023) and it’s the thing I miss the most. I’m not sure what this will look like yet–daily computer time starting at a Word doc? Carrying a notebook? Poem-a-day? Maybe a little of each. We’ll see.

What energy are you hoping to bring into 2024?

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night

I hope you’re all enjoying the holiday for those who celebrate or the time off for those who don’t. Wishing you all peace, rest, and joy. See you for regular programming later this week!

See you in December.

Things have been busy for Miss Print. Except for my monthly recap and some scheduled posts, I am taking the month off from posting to catch up on reviews and get some content ready to share. Stay tuned!

Happy 16th Blog Birthday to Me!

Sixteen years ago, I decided to start a blog. I named it Miss Print and I thought it would be a good place to share book reviews as I tried to find a way to demonstrate my expertise during my senior year of college when I began working on my applications for graduate school to get my MLS and become a librarian. It’s been with me ever since through the ups and downs of book blogging and social media.

That’s sixteen years of blogging, of book reviews, and sharing a love of bookish and library-ish things with all of you. 2023 has been a weird social media year and the role blogs play in that landscape has changed a lot since I started Miss Print. Thank you to every reader and subscriber and commenter who has joined me along the way, every online searcher who has made their way here looking for booktalks, reviews and book covers.

And thank you to each and every person who’s come to read and comment on my post about Antigonish (and my other poetry posts) over the years. I never in my life thought sharing my little thoughts on poetry would bring me so much joy or start so many conversations. I’m so grateful for the surprise.

Over the years a lot has changed for the blog–and for me!–and that’s the way it should be because blogs are living documents and if we’re not changing, we’re not growing.

I haven’t been very good about consistently marking this anniversary lately because it gets overshadowed by the more exciting anniversary of adopting my dog Bella (two years in the Print family as of August 10!) but this year especially felt like a good time to mark the occassion.

Curious what 2023 has been like for me? Check out my monthly recaps.

Here are some highlights I thought it would be fun to share for posterity:

• Miss Print has around 459,000 lifetime views with 247,000 visitors
• In 2023 the blog has averaged 4,500 views a month
• In 2023 (so far) the blog’s word count totals 35.9k
• Most of the blog’s shares have come from Pinterest (18.9k)

Here are the 16 most viewed blog posts from the last year:

1. Poetically Speaking about Antigonish [I met a man who wasn’t there] by Hughes Mearns
2. Everything You Need To Know About Donating Books to the Library (And What to Do With Them Instead)
3. Poetically Speaking: Manic Pixie Dream Girl Says by Olivia Gatwood
4. Situational Friends vs Real Friends: An Anecdotal Post
5. Author Interview: Romina Garber on Lobizona and Cazadora
6. Poetically Speaking with Me (Miss Print) about “let it go” by ee cummings
7. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson: A Review
8. The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart: A Review
9. Thoughts on “Variations on a Theme” by Kenneth Koch
10. Poetically Speaking: Myth by Muriel Rukeyser
11. Poetically Speaking: Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare
12. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus: A Review
13. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street: A Review
14. Maker Kits: Passive Programs in a Bag for the Library
15. “Woman Work” and “When I am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple”
16. We need to talk about J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter, and why it’s time to say goodbye to both

And here are the 16 blog posts that have received the most views over the life of the blog:

1. Poetically Speaking about Antigonish [I met a man who wasn’t there] by Hughes Mearns
2. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus: A Review
3. Everything You Need To Know About Donating Books to the Library (And What to Do With Them Instead)
4. Poetically Speaking: Manic Pixie Dream Girl Says by Olivia Gatwood
5. Situational Friends vs Real Friends: An Anecdotal Post
6. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: A review
7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: A (book and movie) Review
8. “Woman Work” and “When I am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple”
9. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd: A Review
10. Let’s Talk About Fairy Tales: A Review of The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
11. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: A Review
12. Poetically Speaking with Me (Miss Print) about “let it go” by ee cummings
13. Thoughts on “Variations on a Theme” by Kenneth Koch
14. Fat Kid Rules the World: A Banned Book Review
15. Living in the now: a review of Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
16. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson: A Review

Thank you to everyone who’s joined me on the way!

2023: My year of grace and letting go

I’m not a big resolution person but I do like the fresh start that January brings–both for the new year and for me as it’s my birthday month (another new year of sorts). In the past I have created what I call “personal development” goals for the new year (or even the new fiscal year) and I have made plans. All of which has felt increasingly like hubris after the last three years. I’ve seen people share words of the year or yearly mantras–ideas that have always felt manageable but never fully resonated with me.

Until last week when I was thinking about the energy I wanted to bring into 2023. And then I knew.

2023 is my year of grace. My year to grant myself the grace I find so much easier to give others. This is a year to celebrate wins, to give myself the space to try, and to be gentle with myself.

2023 is also the year I let go of that which no longer serves me. It is the year I give myself permission to keep my circle small if I want to. To clean out my closet. To start again. To try and move on.

What energy are you hoping to bring into 2023?

See You in the New Year

With the holiday season upon us, I’m taking a break here at Miss Print.

I’ll have my December reading tracker at the end of the month but other than that things will be quiet around here until January while I spend time making the most of a crisis-free vacation after last year’s disasters.

Enjoy the holidays, the winter, the lead up to the new year, and this picture of my beautiful puppy who celebrated her second birthday earlier this month:

See you in January!

Sunsetting Chick Lit Wednesday

I’ve been doing Chick Lit Wednesday reviews on the blog since it’s first year (way back in 2007).  Over the years the purpose and vision of this weekly feature has changed and, as I enter my fifteenth year as a blogger, I’ve decided to sunset this weekly feature. As time has passed I have realized Chick Lit Wednesday has, in many ways, runs its course and singling out those Wednesday reviews is misleading as the vast majority of reviews on this blog highlight books with strong feminist themes and characters–something I originally hoped to highlight with Chick Lit Wednesday.

What does that mean for the blog? Not much is going to change! I will still follow a Monday/Wednesday (and sometimes Friday) post schedule. Books will still be reviewed through a feminist lens.

The main difference is reviews will no longer be labeled “Chick Lit Wednesday.” I’m leaving the tag Chick Lit Wednesday active on the blog if anyone wants to browse older posts and won’t change titles for previously published content.

Panel Announcement: See Me (Virtually) at SLJTeen Live!

Big news: I’m moderating a panel at SLJTeen Live! on Thursday August 4.

SLJTeen Live! is a full day of free, virtual events showcasing forthcoming titles for teens and tweens with panels, keynotes, and more. The event is also entirely virtual and free to attend live the day of or after the fact via recordings in the virtual environment.

Mark your calendars for my panel “Let’s Talk About Mental Health” on Thursday August 4 at 10:05am EST.

I’ll be moderating the “Let’s Talk About Mental Health” panel featuring authors Ted Anderson, Matthew Dawkins, Lizzy Mason, and Amber McBride on Thursday May 4 at 10:05am EST.

 

These books cover the topics relevant to so many teens (and adults!) today. Listen and learn about these teens and their stories on mental health.

Details including the full program schedule and how to register can be found on the SLJTeen Live! home page.

Here’s more about all of the authors:

 

And my bio because why not?

See you there!

 

Join Me (Virtually) on May 19 for SLJ’s Day of Dialog

I have some fun news! I’m be moderating a panel at School Library Journal’s Day of Dialog on May 19.

SLJ’s Day of Dialog is always a fun day filled with author talks and panels. It’s a great way to hear about new-to-you authors, upcoming titles, and debuts. It’s also entirely virtual and free to attend (live or after the fact in the virtual environment).

I’ll be moderating the “It’s in the Air” panel featuring authors Kacen Callender, Jas Hammonds, Susan Lee, Maya Prasad, and Rhiannon Wilde on Thursday May 19 at 11:00am EST.

 

This panel features authors of rom-coms, swoony love stories, and tales that address questions of identity, discussing their novels and the genre.

You can register for the event here: https://www.slj.com/event/school-library-journal-day-of-dialog-2022-spring#home

The full program schedule can be found here: https://www.slj.com/event/school-library-journal-day-of-dialog-2022-spring#program

Here’s more about all of the authors:

And my bio because why not?

See you there!