I participated in The Broke and The Bookish’s Secret Santa Exchange over the holidays, and I was super surprised at how quickly my box of goodies showed up. It was like only a few days after Thanksgiving. My Secret Santa was Nichole, though I don’t know anything else about her.

Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker.

When Callie’s life is cut short by a tragic accident, she expects to find nothingness, or maybe some version of heaven.

Instead, her spirit travels to the Prism, an ethereal plane populated by the ghosts she thought were fictional. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who is meant to guide her as she learns to haunt and bring peace to the loved ones she left behind.

However, Callie uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: The angry souls who always populate ghost stories are real, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

As she fights to save them, Callie will learn that while it may no longer beat, her heart can still love-and break.

The Raven Boys By Maggie Stiefvater

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow

Not everyone can take on the things that go bump in the night.

Not everyone tries.

But Jill Kismet is not just anyone.

She’s a Hunter, trained by the best – and in over her head.

Welcome to the night shift…

I also got lots of swag and pins from various series and authors. Some yummy candy that I ate shamelessly while playing MMORPGs, and hot chocolate. Two nail polishes that I didn’t have and I’ve already worn the green shade for Christmas. I was so surprised and I am so thankful to my secret santa. So if by chance you see this….Thank you. 🙂

The year is drawing to a close, and I have to say that 2013 was amazing. I let go of a lot of things holding me back, and just went for it. I tried new things, I experienced lots of different things, I lived rather than listening to that little voice in the back of my head that seemed to keep me from venturing outside of my little box.

#1. I started a book blog. I originally started out on blogger, but I found myself getting irritated with the updates, so I came to wordpress. I figured it would be fun to tell the internet all of my thoughts on books, rather than just talking my friends’ ears off. Through blogging I’ve had the chance to read a lot of really interesting books that I wouldn’t have normally picked up. I dunked my toe into the YA world, and I’ve been caught up in it.

#2. I completed not one, but TWO 5k walks this year. I did the Color Me Rad 5k during the summer with a group of friends. It was a lot of fun–during this race every 1k you complete you’re pelted with colored cornstarch, so by the end of the race you’re a rainbow mess. And in December I did the Jingle Bell Dash with my mom, in 20*F weather. Chilly but fun.

#3. Took a huge chance, and submitted a short story to an open call, and was published in an anthology. My short story The Harrowing can be found in Bitter Blackout. This upcoming year, I plan on expanding it and releasing it on it’s own. I just got the cover art for it, and I’m SO excited to share it.

#4. Went on my first hike since I was a kid. A friend and I and her dad went to Tipsoo Lake and hiked the loop. It was beautiful, breathtaking and mosquito laden. I think I ended up with 50 bites in total. Learned the hard way that mosquito repellant and sunscreen cancel each other out.

#5. I went to Emerald City Comicon and had my picture taken with two Klingons.

#6. I had the chance to explore my county more and write with some amazing people through being an Municipal Liaison with NaNoWriMo. I’ve made some great friends, and I’m looking forward to next year and doing it all over again.

#7. I went camping with a bunch of Girl Scouts. My co-leader and I took our girls to Camporee, and had tons of fun. Our girls were Daisies so it was their first time at Girl Scout Camp.

#8. Speaking of Girl Scouts, I not only got the opportunity to start a troop, but after our summer break we not only doubled, but tripled our amount of girls in our troop.

#9. I went ‘grown up camping’ for the first time ever. For my birthday, my parents bought me tickets to Watershed festival. It’s a MASSIVE country music fest on the other side of the state. We camped for three days in 100+ weather all while getting the chance to listen to some of my favorite artists.

#10. This year was year of the concerts. I got the chance to see Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, Five Finger Death Punch and many other artists that I love.

#11. I grew a pretty elaborate, involved veggie garden. I had beets, three different types of peppers, carrots, onions, lettuce, broccoli, green beans, different varieties of tomatoes, zucchini, and a couple other types of squash. I also went blueberry picking for the first time.

#12. I participated in The Broke and Bookish’s Secret Santa! I’m so behind on posting, but I’ll have a post of what I received up in a few days.

#13. I met some of the most wonderful people this year. I made friends with other bloggers, some extraordinary authors, and I get to write along side some pretty awesome people in the flash fiction group I joined.

What are some things that you did this year that really stood out to you? I’d love to hear them.

Have a very Happy and safe New Year.