Hi hi Reader,

List-making gives my anxiety a job to do.

Perhaps reading this one will bring you some peace. (Or at least some new books to add to your TBR.)

1. My heart is broken for all the destruction of the Los Angeles fires. It’s devastating, and if you’re in the midst of it: I am so sorry you’re living through this.

2. And now I want to say something about how, even though things are on fire, even though more chaos and heartbreak looms, this doesn’t mean the new year is a loss.

But I’m afraid it’s going to sound trite. And I don’t mean it in a trite way.

Instead, I mean it in a heartbreaking things are a horrible part of these lives we lead. And we can’t let them disqualify us from finding beautiful, true, wonder-filled things.

Because the good often shows up in the same breath as the heartbreaking, and being able to hold all of it is part of honoring this human experience. AND: it sucks and is awful. The both/and.

3. Let’s pivot to books because they’re my happy place. I read 64 books in 2024, and here are my top 10 faves (in no particular order):

• ​Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck​
  Tender, unexpected, and unforgettable. A love story in every sense of the word.
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• ​True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren​
  A playful and swoony rom-com that felt surprising and comfortably familiar!
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• ​When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill​
  A story of women's rage, what we supress, and how we make ourselves unignorable. And a story of everyday life and how we find spaces for ourselves when life doesn't seem to accommodate what we need.
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• ​The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna​
  ​A loving hug in book form. Some magic, some sass, and lots of found family.
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• ​How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang​
  ​There’s spice. There’s grief. There’s a gut-wrenching look at grown-up love and trauma. And, oh, there’s a TV writers' room. Maybe my favorite of the year.
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• ​Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez​
  ​A bold, witty, and deeply layered exploration of art, identity, and power. It kept me guessing at every turn, and when I discovered it was inspired by the life of Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta, it added a whole new layer of depth.
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• ​A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams​
  ​This book is pure magic—equal parts sultry and soulful. With its backdrop of history, jazz, and Harlem glamour, it's a masterful love story full of passion and complexity.
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• ​All Fours by Miranda July​
  ​Full disclosure: I hated reading this book, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. It’s bizarre, unsettling, and somehow brilliant—the kind of story that sticks with you.
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• ​Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas (in progress)​
  ​I was hesitant to dive into this after my mixed feelings about ACOTAR, but I gave it a go in November, and now I’m COMPLETELY hooked. Only 1.5 books to go!
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• ​Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe​
  ​Funny, sweet, sassy, and full of sharp observations about the world we live in. It’s as much about resilience as it is about pointing out what’s wrong with the world we live in.

4. I'm also working on a newsletter about my word for 2025. And actually, it’s not just a word—it’s a whole Venn diagram. And no, it’s not ‘alignment’ (though that's always in the background!). Stay tuned!

5. Speaking of, I’m also recording a podcast episode about what I’m most afraid of in my work right now. It’s fun! (And terrifying!)

6. And yes, there are some big shifts happening over here at RYHSY HQ. They’re lighting me up and scaring the heck out of me. It’s the creative risk thing. The—dare I say it?—raising your hand and saying yes thing.

7. What I guess I really want to say is this: I’m energized by the work I’m creating, even while my heart feels pulled to the heaviness happening in the world.

Both can be true.

8. And so, here I am—finding myself over and over again in this beautiful, complicated mess of a life.

Big love to you, wherever you are and whatever you’re holding.

PS. Have any fave books to pass along? Hit reply and tell me!