I know I’m late af, but I didn’t want to say anything about this until we crowned the winner of the Morris Award! But last year was the weirdest year ever. But tbh, it was one of my best. I was terrified after November 2024, so getting the small good news in 2025 here and there actually helped me a tiny bit. But I realized I never talked about it here!
January
It freaking snowed here in Texas! And that was weird af right there lol And then we found out we would be presenting at ALA! I was hella excited to pair Social Justice and sports with some really amazing authors. AND it was in Philly?! I would be able to tour the Linc?! Things were falling into place for me and though I was scared of what was to come, I was still excited for the rest of the year.
February
THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WON SUPER BOWL 59. THEY PUT BTA TO THE CHIEFS AND TILL THIS DAY WATCHING RERUNS GIVES ME CHILLS LOL (Also I think I accepted a spot on the William Morris Award committee this month too. It was a good month lol)
March
I went to the Rodeo with my Husband and he showed me the little Book locker things that were all around. He helped fill them with book donations and now they’re set up all over the place for people to pick up some books as they’re at the Rodeo. For free. It’s definitely pretty cool every year. Does my librarian heart good to see them all set up!
April
Sinners came out and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. We opened another satellite branch at this time too. Prep for SRP really ramped up and I remembered at the last minute that it was National Library Week lol
May
I got to meet Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft during their J vs K tour for my job! The largest antebellum plantation in America got destroyed in a fire! SRP Sign ups started! This Could Be Forever came out and I don’t think I could really explain how much I loved it. AND THEN I MET EBONY LADELLE. I made that bomb ass book rec post for our bomb ass theme last year, Color Our World!
June
Obviously SRP started. I started pubbing for my ALA panel. And honestly I’m still shocked and surprised that I was able to do that. People liked my Color Our World post, so I made a Queer Read the Rainbow theme to add to it. I made a cute thing on books with a playlist for National Black Music Appreciation Month! At the end of the month it was time for my trip to Philly! I tried to visit the Linc but they weren’t open for tours because of FIFA stuff. I was heartbroken. But I went into the team store and spent a band in there instead of going in. (Still heartbroken I didn’t get to see the Lombardis while I was there.) I also did my panel and impressed my own self. I did mess up, but everyone else thought it was supposed to go that way. And man I really had to thank God because how did I get so lucky that Ali noticed ME, literally all the books on that panel were SO GOOD, and the authors were even better, and I ended up really loving not only the books, but the panel and the subject matter of the panel. (I say that because I’m not the traditional librarian anymore. I work for a very large system. I have like 26 branches plus some satellites. I usually work from home. In short, I’m the person who picks which books to buy and in which branch they go to.) Anyways, somehow my first couple years in ALA was amazing. Literally everything aligned for me and I don’t think it could have went any better.
July
My reading journal got featured in the Newsletter for my library system lol I think that’s the nerdiest thing that’s ever happened to me, but whatever lol I thought it was cool and I have been chomping at the bit to show y’all my one for this year already lol On 7/13 Day I posted about some books set around Houston in some of my favorite places. The “Do you have any kids?” sound blew up on social media and I ended up using it because people asked to “speak to a librarian” and when I say “I’m one,” they look at me and ask for a real one. And of course, I started pulling out my Fall 2025 reads!
August
“Alexander come back to sleep” sound popped off and it had me standing on my furniture and peering outside a second story window of my home lol I pulled out the Halloween reads because I couldn’t wait anymore lol And of course I got excited for books that were coming out in September since that’s when the big dump of Fall reads is. And football season restarted!
September
It was National Library Card Sign-Up Month! National Read a Book Day was also that month. I got one of my most anticipated reads of 2026 here, the Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moses! I did a Lyric-ature post for Folded by Kehlani. And I STILL love that song. It was finally Fall and all the books I’ve been waiting on finally came out!
October
I went to my first Berkley event. I felt so like, Idk. Like I didn’t belong. There were so many huge creators there and I was just there with barely anyone. But I got some really cool ARCs, the cutest bag, and I met some really cool other bloggers. (Some I knew and some I didn’t) It was a really cool experience! Huge thanks to Berkley because I didn’t even know they knew my name. This was my first Book Fluencer event and my goodness, it was the best one! I also had a YA work meeting in person and because it was in October it was a costume meeting! I went as one of the Muses from Bemused by Farrah Rochon!
November
MY BIRTHDAY! It’s at the literal beginning of the month, so I’ll start with that lolol I turned 37! I lasted until Thanksgiving, but the day AFTER I was ready for holiday reads!
December
The holidays and then I got to vote with my committee members on which book would win the Morris award! We finally did and then I had to keep that secret for like a month and a half lol One of the hardest secrets to keep because I ALWAYS talk about books I love and I hadn’t been able to do that this past year lol I also did my Top Reads and my Libby Wrap-Up! I also got a root canal at the end of the month and I begged publishers for some recovery Reads lol
2025 Seemed like it was long af, but work wise it was actually pretty good! I hope this year turns out to be just as good! And better. I hope for all of us things work out better this year than it did last year!
What about you? What did you do last year? Let me know in the comments!