Hi there friend.

It’s been another long gap in my posting. It’s lovely to be here again.

2023 ended up being a tough one. I’ve been ill with fatigue for most of it, which has indeed felt like standing out in the cold and watching life in all its intricacies, beautiful as they are, pass me by. All my creative projects had to be put on hold: the collaging, the drawing, the painting, the embroidering I’d recently got in to and, unfortunately, the writing too. I am happiest when I’m creating, whether that be a paragraph of novel, something visual or a spreadsheet for my marketing job, but fatigue sucked the joy out of everything.

I am pleased to say I am recovering well and through pacing myself, I’m finding my way back to all of life (including a little art and the novel! Yay!).

2023 therefore has been a year of listening for me. Listening to my mind and body, and also, to books. In my convalescence books have been my friend, in their physical form, on kindle and via audible -I think I would’ve gone crazy without audible actually. So other than checking in, I thought I’d give you some recommendations, my top 6 books from my year of reading and listening to 30+, in case you’re looking for a new read, or a Christmas present.

In reverse order:

6. Susan Dennard’s Young Adult Fantasy The Luminaries (& the recent sequel Hunting Moon)

Set in Hemlock Falls, the populace must constantly patrol the forest where ghouls and monsters regularly appear before they kill those in or outside the town. The story follows teenager Winnie Wednesday as she completes trials to become a monster hunter (and avenge her ostracization) and learns the secrets of the forest (and her best friend).

Out of all the YA I’ve read recently this felt like it was written for a younger readership. (Although the character is around the age of my novel’s protagonist at its beginning, which was good to experience.) That said, the monsters and imaginative realm of the forest are brilliant, and I enjoyed the story.

5. The Rebound by Leeanne Slade

I don’t think I’ve ever really read any romantic comedies. However, when you’re resting with fatigue, they’re a really easy and fun read/listen.

This was one of my favourites: Kitty is proposed to by her long-term boyfriend, yet she’s terrified of marriage. They part for a period and as the title suggests she meets someone new who turns her life upside down.

4. Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone

My other favourite rom com, part of 3 short story listens all with characters in common, yet completely separate stories. This one begins with Vera needing help with her website from the platform provider. She calls the customer service line and then… love blooms. The whole thing is written in speech as if on the telephone, which is really fun. It also felt like ‘everyday romance’ which Cara Bastone specialises in, which was also a highlight for me.

3. Wintersong (& the sequel Shadowsong) by S. Jae-Jones

Another YA. This felt older and psychologically darker than Susan Dennard. For anyone born in the 80’s you’ll recognise what feels like the Labyrinth fan fiction element of it, but together, the books felt to me like works in their own right, especially in the second book.

This one follows Liesl as she goes underground to rescue her sister who’s been taken by the Goblin King, which sets her on a trip of self-discovery. Music is key to the story (as Liesl is a composer), which I enjoyed as a former violinist.

2. Colm Toibin’s The Testament of Mary

Now, I’ve begun dreaming of a sequel to my novel (yes I know I need to finish the first one first!). I listened to this, read by Meryl Streep, to help my thoughts for it. I think this originally begun life as a play -a monologue- before becoming a novella. It tells the story of Jesus’ mum, Mary, as she lives out her life out after Jesus’ death, and how the experience of her son has impacted her. Mary is a grumpy and very real mum, clearly grappling with her grief, which feels totally opposite of how she’s portrayed generally in culture and the bible. This was great.

In all the books above the voices of the protagonists were intimate, with a lot of personality, which has really made me think about my novel and how close the reader is to the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings. I may have been not writing but I was thinking and continue to mull these reading experiences over.

1. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Now this is the audiobook that got me into an audible free trial which started my listening binge. When I was first unwell, it really felt like, as Matthew McConaughey would say, a total red light. How could I possibly turn it green? Listening to McConaughey’s stories of his life and his traffic light system not only comforted me, but helped me think about my situation in a different way.

It’s also very funny. And if you’re unwell you need more laughs than usual.

I’d also like to include a special shout out to my friend Lisa Fransson and her debut novel The Shape of Guilt. Told from the viewpoint of a toy rabbit, a family’s secrets unravel. I won’t say more. Get your copy!!

Netflix has also been a companion, recommendations include the films Nyad and A Time to Kill, the mini-series Unorthodox and the documentary Fantastic Fungi.

And did you see the Kae Tempest documentary on BBC? I saw them at an early gig. They were brilliant then, and their work continues to inspire me now.

So now you’re better Lucy, what of the novel?

Well, I’m pleased you ask.

I’ve reconnected with my mentor and I’m back at it, working through the first 40,000 words with the hope of a fresh draft of that section by March -I’m about a third of the way through right now. 😀

I hope the year has treated you well, and if not that you’ve found a way to weather the storm you’ve faced. One last tip from me would be the Calm app. It has been my one consistent, every day, helping me, calming me through my experience. If you need to rest, I’ve found it essential in helping make space for it.

Ok that’s enough of the tips from me. I will leave you with a few drawings I made whilst recovering on a trip to Cornwall.

Until next time.

Lucy x