Unpacking 2023
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Once upon a time, I always made sure to write an end-of-year blog post that included my favorite media and memories from that year. I felt pressured to do it for the sake of chronicling things that mattered to me during the year, and I felt pressured to share it as part of my online presence. Now, I still feel compelled to write a “wrap-up” of sorts, but I feel less compelled to write long, meandering paragraphs about the year.
So, I won’t.
If we’re going by numbers, I had two surgeries (technically three, but two were done simultaneously), four hospitalizations, and way too many CT scans. My medication regimen changed multiple times (for good and bad), and my hematologist, my nurse, my loved ones and I are all hoping I don’t have to get any more iron infusions (preferably ever). I read over 100 books (not all of which I chronicled online), listened to a lot of music, and watched over a dozen seasons of The Challenge (including all of its spinoffs). I played dozens of board games, card games, and video games.
Currently, I’m working on unpacking my medical diagnoses with the goal of creating zines that combine my personal experiences with the research my partners and I have done over the last two years. I’m not giving myself a deadline for those projects, but I expect they’ll be available before summer. I’m still writing for several publications and I’m querying new literary agents as I work on my first fantasy novel. I don’t know what 2024 looks like, but I hope it’s better.
Now, let’s do a speedy 2023 wrap-up!
Favorite Reads of 2023
Out of everything I read in 2023, I chose 30 titles that left an impact on me and shared them on Instagram. I also put together a Bookshop list if you want to check them out! If you specifically want comics and graphic novel recommendations, I compiled the 30 best releases of the year for The Mary Sue, which includes shop links for everything including single issues and digital comics.
Favorite Games of 2023
I wrote about a variety of tabletop and video games in 2023, all of which I loved playing! Highlights of 2023 definitely include interviewing Zelda voice actress Patricia Summersett and reviewing titles I’ve been looking forward to playing for ages. If you missed any of my coverage this year, here’s a handy list, ordered from most recent to least recent:
“The 14 best Baldur’s Gate 3 quality-of-life and style mods” (Polygon)
“‘The Lost Legends of Redwall: The Scout Anthology’ Feels Just Like the Books” (The Mary Sue)
“‘Scott Pilgrim’ Fans Are Going To Want To Check Out ‘Thirsty Suitors’ Next” (The Mary Sue)
“If You Get Into Any Cozy Sim This Winter, Let It Be ‘Coral Island’” (The Mary Sue) — And I ranked the available love interests, too!
“‘Mineko’s Night Market’ Paints a Unique Narrative & Challenges Your Crafting Skills” (The Mary Sue)
“‘Hello Kitty: Day at the Park’ Is Surprisingly Complex” (The Mary Sue)
“‘Fae Farm’ Invites You on an Epic (But Still Cozy) Adventure to a Magical World” (The Mary Sue)
“The Best Part of ‘Hello Kitty Island Adventure’ Is How It Highlights This OTP” (The Mary Sue)
“‘The Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City’ Is Worth the Hype” (The Mary Sue)
“‘Dave the Diver’ Is Blowing Up on Steam in the Most Unexpected Way” (The Mary Sue) — I’ll have more thoughts on this soon, since I’m close to finishing the game on Switch!
“‘Zelda’ Voice Actress Patricia Summersett Is in Awe of the ‘Mindboggling’ Player Creativity in ‘Tears of the Kingdom’” (The Mary Sue)
“Game Thoughts: Completing My Oobledex” (The Verbal Thing)
“‘Mail Time’ Is About to Be Your New Cozy Game Obsession” (The Mary Sue)
"Link is a gay icon, and Zelda fans know it” (Polygon) — This isn’t directly about Tears of the Kingdom, but I wrote it in the lead-up to the game’s release, so I’m including it
As for games I didn’t write about, these were my favorite things to play last year:
Video Games
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Root
For the King
Raft
Garden Story
Cat Cafe Manager
Tabletop & Card Games
Root
The Great Dalmuti
The Shakespeare Game
Fluxx & Monty Python Fluxx
Mansions of Madness
Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate
Wingspan
Sagrada
Azul
Unstable Unicorns
As for everything else, I may put together a 2023 vibes playlist and link it in my next ICYMI post! If you want to check out what movies I watched, visit my Letterboxd (and feel free to follow me if you like!). As much as I love writing about media (especially media I love), I want to present those thoughts in a different format.
Thanks for sticking with me in 2023! Here’s to a new year.
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