Blogmas Day 14: The Year-in-Review Tag
Hello! Welcome to Blogmas Day 14! How are we suddenly this deep into December? 😅
Advent Calendar
Nothing notable about today’s jigsaw puzzle, except that it includes quite a lot of the puzzle that’s supposed to be above it. That’s kind of bugging me, to be honest, but it’s my own fault for not putting the whole thing together. I don’t really have anywhere that I can do that right now. But anyway, it’s another cute picture, and look, a library!
The Year-in-Review Tag
I used to do this tag (back when we called it a “meme”) every year on my LiveJournal (boy am I dating myself now!!), and I kind of miss it. It’s a great way to reflect back on the highs and lows of the year and make goals for the new year approaching. The original was kind of long, so I might edit some less-relevant questions out. But here we go:
1. What is one thing you did in 2025 that you’d never done before?
I started this book blog, started reviewing new releases, and got involved with NetGalley. It’s been a lot of work, but fun!
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think my New Year’s resolution was to get this blog going, so yes! And yes, I’ll talk about my new resolutions below.
3. Did someone close to you give birth?
Not that I can think of.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My dog died this summer at 12 years old. 😔 We actually lost a dog, a cat, a fish, and a snail within a couple of months.
5. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?
Money. And a well-organized life. 🤣
6. What dates from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I’m terrible with dates, so none. I won’t even tell you how old I was when I stopped asking, “What day is Christmas again?” 🤣
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not having a panic attack on the day we moved. As an agoraphobe, moving house is An Extremely Terrifying Ordeal, but I dealt with it surprisingly well.
8. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just my usual scoliosis issues. I got some physiotherapy that really helped with my back and shoulder pain.
9. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new house!
10. Where did most of your money go?
Our new house. 🤣
11. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting to live in the town I’ve always dreamed of living in. Didn’t love the moving part, and we’re still renovating the house to suit us, which is a pain… but I love being here.
Also, learning to play the violin! I finally started lessons this year after wanting to learn violin since I was a kid. I still get excited when I pick it up and realize I can actually play this thing! Not very well yet, of course… but I’m getting there.
(Also also, the Thunderbolts movie!)
12. What song will always remind you of 2025?
My early violin pieces. 🥰
13. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Crafting. I really enjoy crochet, paint-by-numbers, diamond painting, making miniatures, and things like that, but I let entire months go by without doing anything creative. I really felt the lack of it.
14. What do you wish you’d done less of?
It might sound weird coming from a book blogger, but reading. Too often this year I sacrificed doing something else I wanted to do so that I could crank out book reviews or return my too-big stack of library books on time. I have this frantic feeling lately that my TBR list is growing faster than I can keep up with it, so I try to read more than I comfortably can. I need to find some chill!
15. How did/will you spend Christmas?
As usual, quietly with my parents. We have family things planned for before and after Christmas Day, but we prefer to relax on the day itself.
16. What was your favourite TV show in 2025?
Stranger Things. The cliffhanger for the Season 5 Part 1 finale?? 🤯
17. What was the best book you read?
Ahhh, I’ll be getting deeper into this question later this month, but I think my answer has to be Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori. I love trees, I love books, and I especially love books about trees. Also, it was all I could read during the week or so when my dog was dying, and it brought me a lot of comfort.
18. What was your greatest musical discovery?
RegnumUmbrae on YouTube. They compose really atmospheric, gothic, instrumental music and use it for gothic-vibes ambience videos, and I can’t get enough of them. Seriously, check them out on YouTube or Spotify. The music is absolutely gorgeous, and perfect for playing on a loop.
19. What did you want and get?
Our new house!
20. What did you want and not get?
Certain things I’d like to change about the new house that we haven’t got around to in our renovations yet.
21. Favourite film of this year?
THUNDERBOLTS. I’m an MCU girlie, and Bucky Barnes is my favourite character, so this was the perfect movie for me.
22. What did you do on your birthday?
It probably sounds sad to say I sat in bed and put together a new miniatures kit I was given, but it was actually WONDERFUL, and I enjoyed every second of it. I mean, look at it! A teeny weeny hot cocoa stand! 🥰
23. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If our renovations had lasted only a week or two after we moved in. *sigh*
24. What kept you sane?
Who says I’m sane? 😜 But I’d have to say YouTube. I spend a lot of time on there and really enjoy it.
25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmm. Either Sebastian Stan or Charlie Cox, probably. Wait, no, Shazad Latif! Finally got to watch his series Nautilus. His babeness is off the charts in that show. 😍
26. Who do you miss?
My dog. 😔
27. Who was the best new person you met?
I’ve met some lovely people in my new town. I couldn’t possibly rank them.
28. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025.
I think I’ve finally learned through this year’s move to sit back and take things as they come. So many things went wrong between buying and selling houses, and normally I would have been crushed by the weight of that stress. But I somehow shut it down and didn’t let it gain control of me. Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen, you know? Yeah, I think I worry a little less now.
29. Goals for the coming year?
My main goal is to take it easier with reading. I want to be choosier about what I pick up, especially from NetGalley. And as much as I love supporting my library, I really need to read books I already own.
Outside of reading goals, I want to continue improving on the violin, and organize my life. And find some chill! 🤣