Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash
Hello, everyone! And welcome back to my blog!
I know we are well into the New Year by this point, but allow me to wish you a happy one anyway!
2023 was a big deal for this blog since that was the year I revived this little corner of the internet. I began The Storyteller's Citadel in January of 2021 as a New Year's resolution, and while I posted throughout that year, I didn't post at all here in 2022. But in April of last year I began posting again!! And not only did I post consistently, but I posted one more blog post than I did my very first year of blogging!
And now, here we are in 2024. The blog is now 3 years old!!😁 (The anniversary was January 19!) And, since I'm hoping to make this blog the hub for my online presence, (more on that in a future post) I'm hoping to post here even more than I did last year!
But first things first. In honor of the brand new year, today I present to you a 2023 in review post. And without further ado, let's begin!
~✎Writing Accomplishments~
God was so gracious and kind to me this year, and I made a lot of good progress in a book I'm working on.
One of my 2023 goals was to finish the book, and while that didn't happen, the work and prayers I put in to try and hit that milestone, ended up catapulting me really far into the story!
~📚Top Favorite Books~
After binging the films over the winter break, I read the Maze Runner trilogy in February and March, as well as one of the extra books, Crank Palace.
I loved all three of the books, with the first one being my favorite! I have to admit that the series is very confusing and heaps of things are unexplained. But I'm super grateful the books exist since they gave us the amazing film series! And I don't think the films run into all the story problems that the books do since particularly the final two films depart from the books like crazy!
But if you give up trying to understand it all and just want a fun and intriguing ride in a dystopian world, than the books are for you! If you want a tad more structure and a few more explanations, than the movies are probably better for that.
What I love so much about The Maze Runner series is that there's such a wonderful bond of brotherhood displayed between the Gladers. (Though, in my opinion, this is better shown in the films.)
I hadn't seen something like that on screen in awhile, so I really loved that "team" aspect of things. That mentality of: what what we do, we do together. And we're really going to try (despite unfortunately failing throughout the series) to keep everyone together and to leave no man behind.
Photo by me!
What if love is the point? by Carlos and Alexa PenaVega
I really enjoyed this one! It's non-fiction and it's essentially this couple's testimony, telling their story through their early years in Hollywood before they knew each other, to where they are now, married and with kids.
It was really sweet and wholesome. In my review for this book on the blog here, I said it was akin to sitting down with your older siblings in Christ and just talking about life together. It was really great, and I highly recommend it if you just want a comforting, friendly read.
The Blades of Acktar series by Tricia Mingerink
THIS. SERIES. WAS. AMAZING!!! I loved Leith (one of the main characters) so, so much! It's a trilogy, with a few books added on after the war. (Which most I sadly have not read! 😭) But the four books that I was able to read through audiobook were just phenomenal!!!
I do have to add that there were some elements of morality and Christianity that I was unsure of, but if you notice them too, they could be used as conversation starters with other Christians to explore more of what the Bible has to say on the topics.
What I loved about this series was that it explored the aftermath of someone's encounter with Christianity and how their thinking and actions were just completely changed after experiencing it. The character just becomes so good and sacrificial and faith-filled, ugh, it was amazing, truly! And that faith even inspired those who'd been Christians for far longer!
Secondly, there's another character that battles fear, and their concerns and uncertainties felt so real and so entrapping. It was a joy to watch them find God's strength and begin to stand in the confidence that we have in Christ.
Beyond the Tales series by Tricia Mingerink
I already have a blog post detailing all my thoughts on this series. Short version of my thoughts: I loved this trilogy!!!! 😍😍😍
But if you want more details, plus my recommendation for an alternative ending to the series, you can read that below:
Beyond the Tales Review
Beyond the Tales Review
Remember to Forget by Ashley Royer
This was such a sweet book! It took me right back to the 2012-2015 era, and any book that does that will have me drowning in nostalgia, haha 😅, but also immensely happy. These are the kind of contemporary novels that remind me I don't dislike that genre as much as I think I do.
What I loved about this book is that it explored what grief and lost can look like, particularly in a person so young. It felt real and raw, and I almost think the author must have gone through something similar to have written the emotional and mental battle so vividly.
The main character did annoy me at times, but I'm willing to let it go because of the story of recovery that the author was trying to tell. The point was that he was bad off, but he was going to get better.
~💃Top Favorite Music~
The Alchemy of Souls Soundtrack
"I'm Sorry" by Ailee
"Blue Flower" by Lia Itzy
Yep, so summer of 2023 I got bit by the K-drama bug. And I'm not at all mad, lol! These are two of the songs that play in the second and final season of Alchemy of Souls. The whole series was truly phenomenal, a masterclass in storytelling, character arcs, music, everything! I loved the emphasis on love, duty, friendship, family, and sacrifice in this show. Yes, all that, haha! And probably more!
It is a lot cleaner than most shows that are out there, which is one of the reasons I like it so much, but just as a warning, it is still TV-14.
"Uta to Hibiki" by Hiroyuki Sawano
A soundtrack from an anime some of my younger siblings showed me. Other notable music pieces from the film are titled "Parkour" and "Bubble-cho".
This song plays when the two main characters begin to understand each other after one of them reveals something personal about himself. The girl, who he revealed it to, cannot speak, so to convey her thoughts and feelings to him, she sings.
It was a really beautiful and heart-wrenching movie, but it does have language.
"I'm Sorry" by John Paesano
This song is from the final Maze Runner film. I couldn't find the video to directly embed it into the blog post, so here's the link to listen to it on Spotify.
Since I watched it back at the beginning of 2023, it has joined the ranks of one of my favorite films of all time! It was non-stop action, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! This piece plays during the final part of the climax, and the scene that goes along with it just has ALL the feels!!
"Beauty of Grace" by Thad Fiscella
This one is a lovely piano ballad, and it just makes my heart soar!
~💻Top Favorite of my Blog Posts~
Number 1 is my return to this Blog:
Because of God's kindness and blessings, I had what I needed to make my return to this little blog. I am so grateful to Him. He is so, so worthy of praise.
Number 2 is my review of the film The Tale of Despereaux:
I just really enjoyed rewatching this old film from my childhood and talking about it with you all!
Number 3 is my review of the film Miss Potter:
This was another one that was just really cheerful and enjoyable to simply watch, and, once again, I just loved getting to share the film with all of you!
In Conclusion:
Well, that sums up my 2023 in art! Let me know your thoughts on anything I mentioned above, and also let me know what your 2023 art favorites were!
Talk to you soon!
With love,
The Hopeful Pen.
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