What a year 2023 was! It feels somewhat surreal to be looking back on a year that held so much for me, not only in terms of book related content and book joy, but also in personal growth, being open to change and starting new projects.

Looking back through my yearly calendar diary is a bit of a nostalgic routine for me each new year. I stop and ponder over what’s been written, what I may have been stressing myself over that week and what little notes, stickers and ‘artefacts’ if you will, I’ve left in there, eg. photos, cinema tickets, receipts.

Here’s what my 2023 involved:

• I brought in the 2023 New Year surrounded by some of my closest friends. It was a 10+ hr drive to get there and 100% worth the trip 💫
• Collins Booksellers Wagga was my place of work and my position there was as the Store Manager. I had the privilege of meeting, networking and talking books with so many new book friends, authors and illustrators.
• I dedicated a lot of time to playing tennis (my favourite sport) and become better and more consistent over time 🎾
• One of my best friends organised a wonderful birthday party for me! In which I was spoilt, full of food and joy 🎂
• I adopted a little cat and called her ‘Peach’ 🍑
• Hollie Startup who is based in London, designed and created my wonderful new logo for Mel Reviews Her Books 🖼
• I started and finished a relationship, and grew in leaps and bounds 💖
• Sulari Gentill and I had a wonderful chat at One Book One Temora 🎤
• The Riverina Readers Festival came to fruition 💙
• I begin studying Library and Information Studies at TAFE and then decided, it wasn’t for me 🤓 Book blogging suits me far better!
• I worked really hard on my mental health and committed to dedicating time to me. This lead to my personal growth and acknowledging my self worth 🧠
• Jugiong Writers Festival invited me to be their bookseller at their bi-annual Book Festival! What a wonderful experience this was – one I will truely cherish 🙏🏼
• I organised, communicated and brought together the most beautiful authors who were all about LOVE! I organised my last Collins Booksellers Wagga in store event and our first Riverina Readers Festival micro event – all in the same weekend 😅 (I like to push my limits but BY GOSH was it worth it!)
• I started a new job in the Disability sector and have learnt so much 🤩
• Social Worker Mel has made a full appearance and I really like her – she’s going to stick around 😊
• Our local ABC Radio had me on to talk about our Riverina Readers Festival event and it was so much fun 📻
• The Riverina Readers Festival committee had meeting, after meeting, after meeting. I may be bias in saying, but our team is really the best in the biz 👌🏼 … we’re only at July book friends
• Wagga Civic Theatre put on a number of amazing shows in which I attended! I love that place! 🎟🎭
• The Riverina Readers Festival officially became incorporated with me as President 💙
• I began planning, organising and starting Instagram Lives on Mel Reviews Her Books 🎤
• Weekly blog posts became an ongoing goal 💻
• I made new friends 💖
• I hugged my friends tight as they went overseas and explored the world while I stayed in Wagga and explored what I can build in the world of books 🌍
• My Literary Lovers Book Club has an inconsistent attendee in me, but luckily, they still accepted me coming along here and there 😉
• With our Festival Committee, we wrote plans, proposals and grant applications – of which we have had some success ⭐️
• I experienced many migraines and the process of handling them is now something I’m exploring 🏥
• I attended Write Around the Murray (WAM) Book Festival and had a stunning time 📖
• NaNoWriMo got me good and Instagram Live really become my intimate friend 🎥 20,000 words are now sitting in my word doc waiting for a time when the creativity sparks again.
• My family moved away and I felt incredibly lonely. I’ve learnt to appreciate those around me and what the community of Wagga can bring me 👥
• Cooking continued to be my downtime and I explored many new recipes, of which I shared a few with you all on here! 👩🏽‍🍳
• I renovated a bookcase and absolutely LOVE it 💚
• THE ROMANTICS Book Club became an online book club created by a friend and myself 📖
• I set myself the 2024 goal of conducting 12 Author Interviews on Instagram Live & developing a paid newsletter full of juicy content 💻
• Christmas and New Year was celebrated with my nearest and dearest 🎄🎆 and I’m rounding out 2023 feeling as if I’m bringing the right people into my orbit who are going to continue to support me and want the best for me ❤️

WOW! Now looking back after writing this all down, I cannot fathom how much I’ve actually done in 2023 🙈 What a year – here’s to another beautiful bookish year with all you book friends 🥂📖🎤💫

I hope 2023 has been tremendous for you xx