This was a productive year. While I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to do, I progressed as a writer, reader, and person. I read some great books, worked on projects that I’m proud of, and even added a little bit to my bibliography. I attended two conventions that inspired the heck out of me, and for the first time in my life, I felt good about my writing.

I’m usually a total pessimist, but barring some catastrophe, I think 2024 might be my year. (I knocked on wood as I typed this.)

Last Year’s Resolutions

Read 48+ books (including 10 by Stephen King). So far, I’ve read 53 books this year (and I might finish one more by year’s end). As for Stephen King, I managed to read all 10 books and, in the process, learned to appreciate his work even more (except for Insomnia, which I thought was downright awful).

Submit at least 5 short stories. I came close to achieving this, having submitted 4—one of which was accepted! A few projects got in the way, and I neglected my short stories for the latter half of the year.

Get back on social media. Other than returning to Goodreads, I failed at this. There was no place to go. With Twitter Muskified and Facebook seeming equally dreadful, I didn’t really have an option.

Stop yo-yoing my weight. This was my biggest failure of the year. I managed to lose 6 pounds toward the beginning of the year, only to gain it back and then some.

Resolutions for 2024

I have a lot of resolutions this year. Out of these six, I’ll be happy to accomplish at least four.

Read 52+ books. An average of a book a week seems right. My main goal is to make a dent in my bookshelves which are currently overflowing.

Submit M: The Plastic Prometheus. My edits should be done by mid-January and then I’ll give it couple months for my beta readers. After that, I’ll start shopping it around!

Edit another book-length project. I have several novels that I’ve written over the years that need editing. Any one of them could be my next project, though I must admit that the weird fiction collection that I wrote last year has been on my mind lately. Maybe I can resurrect that.

Get back into fantasy. I have said many times on this blog that fantasy was my first love. Seeing all the opportunities for fantasy short fiction out there makes me want to start writing my own. But first, I need to read more of the genre to remember how it’s done.

Finish secret project. Can’t say anything yet, except that I hope to finish it in time for next year’s BizarroCon.

The Year of Self-Care. So caught up in my work, I’ve neglected myself. I hope to remove the spare tire above my waist, improve my posture, work on skin care, and a bunch of little things to make me feel better about myself.

Top 10 Books

Finally, I wanted to share my favorite books of the year. Neil Gaiman made a double appearance on this list, and I hope to dive into more of his work in 2024. But I have to say that my #1 book, The Scar, not only easily earned its position, but it may also be one of my favorite books of all time.

1. The Scar by China Miéville
2. Books of Blood: Vol. 1 by Clive Barker
3. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
4. Just After Sunset by Stephen King
5. Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
6. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
7. The Hollower by Mary Sangiovanni
8. Ghoul by Brian Keene
9. Moonfellows by Danger Slater
10. Mania by Lucas Mangum

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See you in the new year!

Tchau,

Zé