2022 Musings, Highlights + 2023 Aspirations

HAPPY NEW YEAR! (It’s been a while.)

2022 felt like a combination of 2020 and 2021, sometimes worse, sometimes better, but overall if I had to describe my year in a couple words, it would be “weird rollercoaster.” Frankly, it’s a bit of an improvement from last year, because I described it as feeling like a hamster in another wheel and not liking it.

(Except 20222 had one last shitty hoorah for me, so I’m back to not liking that wheel.)

But here’s to hoping 2023 will bring in better things in store than 2022! The annual highlights and goals post is something I started back in 2020 based on the Bookend Winter prompt from Lauren @ Northern Plunder, and I didn’t want to skip out on it. It’s easy to forget about the good things that happen in the midst of everything, so this post is a good way to reflect on those and perhaps look back on years later.

Blogging Highlights of 2022

For the past two years, I focused a lot on doing behind-the-scenes work: cleaning up posts, tags, categories, media files, etc. While I did a little of that in 2022 as well, it definitely wasn’t as intensive as the past couple of years. I had time to do other blogging things I wanted to do, but I didn’t get to do previously! (I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’m focusing a lot more on self-care and not beating myself up as much as I used to. It’s a work in progress.)

The biggest thing is I got to experiment with posts and start defining the content that I want to have. I’ve gotten pickier about what reviews I want to write about, and I’ve accepted that it’s okay to write in-depth, longer posts; in fact, I probably enjoyed writing them sometimes. Most of my content was still book reviews, but I also pulled out two posts that I originally wanted to publish years ago, overhauled them (mostly) and finally published them rather than keeping them in the dungeon.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that I’m wordier, but I feel like my writing style has definitely evolved over the past few years (I would hope so) and for once, I’m actually proud of those posts (not all of them). I can probably say they were my favorite posts to write this year.

And well, if we want to talk about statistics, 2022 is my best blogging year in a while (aka double of last year’s views!); it actually makes it more special that November also marked ten years of this blog. To everyone who stopped by this year (and every year) and read posts, left comments, or followed/continue to follow my shenanigans, thank you for popping by! I hope you’ll continue sticking around. 🥺

Top 5 Most Viewed Posts

It’s always fun to look back and see which posts were read the most because sometimes there are posts that make the list when they’ve been forgotten or just weren’t expected to make it. Reviews dominated both 2020 and 2021 most viewed posts on the blog, and 2022 was no exception. Last year (feels weird to say last year when it’s not even a week into the new year), however, has quite a few surprises.

(Sometimes I think it’s better to move this in the best of post that I started in 2021, but I think these sometimes qualify as a personal highlight of blogging, so I’m leaving it here.)

Love Between Fairy and Devil Review

This review for Love Between Fairy and Devil did not play any games the moment it published; it literally smashed every blogging milestone within weeks. And okay, I knew it would do well because of the timing of the post (and the fact it was one of the most hyped Chinese dramas of the summer), but I did not expect it to uh… stomp all over my stats that quickly? insert shocked Pikachu face But I enjoyed writing this one a lot (it’s also one I experimented with differently compared to prior reviews), and it’s one of my favorites of 2022, so I’m thrilled that it’s doing well.

We also have a brand new top post of all-time! (The data nerd in the deep recesses of my soul is also curious how the stats for this one will affect the overall stats of the blog in 2023, but that’s for me to know when I’m feeling nosy about numbers.)

Side note: I actually didn’t plan on writing a review for this one and then decided, eh, why not? I keep saying I want to write more about Asian dramas, but I never follow through.

Meteor Garden Review

Like the previous post, this review of the 2018 reboot of the Taiwanese drama definitely carried the blog throughout the year, and I truly thought this would be the top post for the third year in the row. Having this knocked from the top blog pedestal so quickly is probably the biggest surprise I’ve gotten.

Should You Blog Under a Pen Name? Why It Is Absolutely Okay

I first wrote a draft of this back in 2019, and the current live post is very different from the original draft, which says a lot about how my writing style has changed in the past three years. Sharing my insights about blogging under a pen name is another favorite post of mine (because I think it’s important the use of pseudonyms is normalized in blogging), but unlike the top post of this year, I didn’t expect this to make it into the Top 5, especially since it’s one of my longest posts ever, if not the longest.

Is the Shadowhunters TV Show Better Than the Movie?

The second biggest surprise is my post from way back in the day about Shadowhunters, which I completely forgot about but also I thought it was more dead than dead (is that even possible?). But somehow, it got a second life four years later (where did you all come from) and reminded me I definitely wrote a post about Shadowhunters (even if it’s just over season 1, episode 1) and that I should probably continue the show since I did originally want to do a full write up between the differences (I thought it would be fun). Will I, though? Probably not; I’m a little occupied watching Asian dramas and it’s very cozy in here. I’ve also moved on from the show if I want to be honest with myself.

I don’t dare open this post, because I don’t want to think about my writing style from 2018 and more than likely I wish for a hole to open up beneath me. Anyway, if you saw that post and see any typos or sentences that sound funny, just pretend you saw nothing.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Six Crimson Cranes nearly takes the fourth spot for the second year in a row, but it actually got shoved out of the way last second. This is likely because of The Dragon’s Promise, the second book in the duology, released in August as well.

2022 Personal Highlights Musings

While the rollercoaster goes up for blogging, the rollercoaster in my personal life crashed a few times throughout the year. 2022 was hard on my mental health in a lot of ways, but especially around April-May and August-now. I won’t get into details about the cause of those, though.

In a nutshell, self-care was very much a priority for me this year. I’ve gotten better at not beating myself up over not being productive because rest is important, though I think I still have a ways to go before the niggling voice at the back of my mind that keeps telling me I need to do something at all times fully leaves me alone. I’ve gotten the chance to jump back into Asian dramas again, which I have sorely missed, but I’ve also spent more time actually watching other shows and movies to relax instead of forgetting about my Netflix account. And I know my goal was to watch 52 movies or shows for the past two years, but I think I went over that number.

I also got back into reading more webtoons! This was a little later in the year (December), but it’s better late than never, right? (As they say.) Unfortunately, the stint didn’t last too long because for the past few days I found myself obsessed with BitLife again and it’s been a very wild time. (Sherlock Holmes born into the British Royal Family as a Duke but dying at 4 years old is just one of them. So much for being a world-renowned detective… sad trumpet noises)

I thought I would keep up with bullet journaling, but it turns out I just collected notebooks instead. 🤡 2022 was a shift back into Habitica and Finch after Kal discovered it earlier this year, and while it’s different from bullet journaling, it’s what’s currently working for me. Whether that changes in 2023, though, that’s a different story.

I hoped I would get back to learning Korean, but honestly, I didn’t touch a single lesson and I am okay with this because language learning is hard (and also trying not beat myself up over not being constantly productive every minute). I am, however, happy with the fact I can understand a few basic words from dramas, and I remember most of the alphabet still. Assuming I actually get back into language learning in the year, I’ll definitely need a refresher before I continue, but for someone who hasn’t touched a single lesson in over a year, it’s a win that I remember that information since I feel like I’ve been in a brain fog for much of 2022.

With all that said, this section feels more like a personal reflection of the past year rather than highlights. 2022 could definitely be rougher, but having/knowing I have friends who support and value me that I hang out with regularly (albeit virtually) has made it much better. (I’m looking at you, Clo.)

2023 Goals

As much as goals are fun to set up, I end up not going through with it because I do, in fact, forget about most of them a week later. (Or if I do, I feel like I didn’t because I’m harsh on myself, and yes, I should be kinder to myself.) I also realize that habits and consistency don’t really work for me; setting something concrete and following it to a tee (like journaling every Sunday) usually results in me not doing it more often than actually going through with it.

But it’s a little fun to have a few aspirations in the new year. Some of these are repeats from previous years, and that’s okay, because everyone goes at their own pace. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Blogging Goals

Long story short, 2023 will be a year of experimenting and figuring things out. The blog has grown a lot in the past decade, and I’ve grown personally as well (not just in the very obvious mid-teens vs mid-twenties). It only makes sense for the blog to evolve along because it would feel weird if I kept it in the same style as when the blog first started.

Like I mentioned earlier in the post, the past two years have been pretty maintenance/clean-up intensive (added on top of not getting internet access at home and relying on mobile internet access), so I didn’t really get the chance to do things in blogging that I wanted to do. My 2022 blogging goals were very much a repeat of the ones I set in 2021, and it’ll mostly be the same for 2023 with a few changes and some crossover with my reading goals.

My biggest hope this year is completing my old ARCs and writing those reviews, because I then want to evaluate and define what kind of content I want to post. A lot of my content comprises book reviews, and while I do like writing my thoughts about books I read, I think I’ve reached the point of book review burnout. I don’t know if it’s just my review style or if it’s that I’ve been doing this for so long and want to move on* (but don’t really want to), but that’s something I hope to figure out in the new year.

*omg no, I’m not quitting blogging; I love blogging, and I must continue plotting for world domination keep my writing skills sharp through a creative outlet.

I’ve also been hoping to write more Asian drama reviews since writing about Meteor Garden and I didn’t really get to do so until late 2022, so I’m hoping I’ll do more of those in the new year.

Additionally, I’m hoping to pull out a few drafts I’ve written back in the day and finally publishing them instead of leaving them in the dungeon. Chances are they’ll get an overhaul like my post about book blogging evolving rather than dying, since I think all of them were written nearly four years ago and I have more insights to share than before.

I genuinely don’t think I’ll be any more active and on top of blog comments and hopping than I have been, so I’m accepting my current pace of responding/hopping every 1-2 months as the way the cards fall and the energy that I have. With that said, I do hope that I’ll find new blogs to visit at the very least.

Last, but definitely not least, but Clo and I should definitely work on a collab post or two. As she puts it in DMs, we talk way too much and come up with way too many ideas, but we’re somehow incapable of making this become an actual thing.

Reading Goals

I mentioned this in the last section because there’s some crossover, but I’m hoping I’ll finish all of my old ARCs in 2023. You can say it’s perfect timing with Kal’s Project Backlist Reading Challenge.

I was originally hoping to finish the 12 I had in 2022, but yeah… that didn’t exactly happen. But I finished a few books, which is still progress and better than nothing, and I currently have 9 books total to read and review, 1 of which is a 2023 release. Theoretically, I should finish, but if the last two years are any indication, I’m notoriously bad at this. This does not stop me from hoping, though, and maybe third year is the charm?

If all else fails, I think it’s time for me to accept I’ll probably not get around to them (or until five years later, like I did with Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor).

There is one book that will be an exception though, at least until HarperCollins management gets their ducks together and the union gets a better contract.

I’m also hoping I’ll get around to my library holds and cleaning those out so I can make room for new holds and begin the cycle again. Some books I had on my end of 2022 TBR have been on there for over two years. I need help.

My reading goal this year is going down to 30 instead of 50, even though 100 is a more accurate and still attainable number. 30 makes things less stressful for me (mostly since I don’t feel like I’ll be reading as much — I haven’t touched a book since early December), though, because nothing like “You’re 5 books behind reaching your goal!” giving prime anxiety. I can always adjust it later.

Personal Goals

Bullet journaling may have been abandoned, but journaling remains strong even if it’s inconsistent. But inconsistency sums up my life currently, so at least I’m on-brand. I’m hoping I’ll get the chance to journal more regularly, whether that’s once a week or once every few days. Journaling has always been my go-to when the going gets tough, because something about squawking into the void of paper feels very therapeutic when therapy is expensive.

I still want to keep my goal of 52 movies or shows, because I’ll only abandon it if I don’t and 52 seems like a reasonable number while still reading regularly. A great majority of those will probably be Marvel, though, because I’m hoping I’ll catch up on the MCU (even if I’m going to be scattered). And there’s a lot of those.

It’ll be nice to get back into language learning, but like last year, it’ll be at the bottom of my priorities since I’m also focusing on the other non-disclosed goal from last year and that will definitely take up a chunk of my energy. Self-care is definitely something I’ll have to prioritize again (or at least being kinder to myself), and hopefully 2023 turns out better for me personally and is kinder to my mental health.

Let’s talk: how was your 2022? What do you have planned for 2023?