My December 2024 Round Up

Happy end of December!

Happy holidays and happy December! I have some fun updates for you in this Substack, so let’s get into it! I’d love to know how your December’s going -- feel free to drop a comment below.

What I’ve Been Reading Recently:

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

Quick Plot Summary: Micah’s grandpa Ephraim has always told him stories about the magical circus he visited when he was a boy. But when his grandpa falls sick, Micah and his new friend Jenny set out to seek help from the Lightbender, Circus Mirandus’ greatest magician, who owes Ephraim a miracle. But what he finds out may change everything.

This was a delightful read! I enjoyed reading about Circus Mirandus and all of the beautiful magic that happens throughout the whole book. I also loved the Lightbender – his character was amazing!

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

Note: This book is probably 14+ for a small amount of swearing/young adult words and other YA concepts.

Quick Plot Summary: After Zayneb gets suspended for standing up to her anti-Muslim teacher, she finds herself in Doha, Qatar, staying with her aunt for an early spring break. Then she meets Adam, who has recently been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and who is figuring out how to live his life. As their lives intertwine, Zayneb and Adam must make the most of the time they have together before they go separate ways.

This was such a fun, enlightening read! I picked it up for my World Literature class, and it did not disappoint. I loved Zayneb, Adam, and their predicament throughout the whole novel, and it gave me a new perspective on life in Qatar, which I had only briefly heard of before.

What I’ve Been Listening To Recently:

I follow an amazing violinist, Gabrielle Martin, on Instagram, and when I heard she had a Star Wars cover in minor key, I immediately added it to my playlist! Give it a listen below.

You may have heard of the Disney movie The Rise of Red, which came out earlier this year and has garnered a lot of attention at this year’s D23. I love the song “Shuffle of Love” from the soundtrack. It only has a few seconds of screen time in the movie, but it’s such a fun song – I even came up with a dance routine to it!

It wouldn’t be the holidays without mentioning Lindsey Stirling’s single “Sleigh Ride.” Completely done in violin, it’s definitely a cheery tune for the holiday season!

A Writing Update:

If you follow my Instagram closely, you might have seen my story on December 1st, explaining that I did, in fact, surpass my word count goal for November! Drumroll, please…

I wrote 10,417 words this November! (Which, if you’re wondering, is about 3,000 words more than last year!) So I’m very pleased with myself – if you wrote last month, drop your word count below; I’d love to hear about it.

As for this month…

Okay, I’ve probably only written like 200 words this month on Project Royalty, which is kind of sad. But it’s okay to have off days. Or weeks. Or months. *nervous chuckle*

That being said, winter break is upon us, so I’m definitely planning on diving back into my story during that period of time. School always picks up right before and after the holiday season, so I’ve been swamped with that (as well as other responsibilities!). I’m also hoping to have some fun content coming out this upcoming year, so stay tuned for that. 😉

Speaking of writing, if you haven’t seen the snippet from my book I put out a few weeks ago, make sure to go check it out! I had a lot of fun writing the scene. ♥️

A Life Update:

I’ve been reading a TON this year, both for school and my Goodreads goal (which I only need one more book for! 😀). One of the books I loved this month was Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – it was such a good book! It was also quite depressing and sad, but I loved everything about it: the characters, the plot, the setting – all of which were bleak and dismal, a great vibe for the holidays.

Ahem. Sorry for the sarcasm.

Besides reading, I’ve been doing school! Most notably Substack posts (like the one you’re reading right now), lots of feedback for some friends on my online writing community, chemistry (acids and bases 😅), and a lot of math.

Also, it SNOWED here this month, which was amazing! It didn’t stick long, but my family bundled up in coats and hats and gloves and went outside to enjoy the frosty air. That was definitely a highlight.❄️

I’d love to hear how your December is going in the comments below!

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