callistahogan: (Default)
I can't believe it is going to be 2010 in just six hours. It seems like it was just a month ago that I was ringing in 2009, and now it's the start of a new year and as always, it's time to reflect.

I'm not sure what to think of this year, to be honest. In ways, I could consider this year to be a ringing disappointment. Not only did I not finish any sort of full-length story, let alone write even 10,000 words of an original novel, but my goals of going out more sort of fell through after school started once more. I haven't made too many new friends, although I have met more people that I expected to. I was determined to update my journal on a regular basis, and now I'm lucky to update more than six times in a month. I didn't end up reviewing books promptly, giving up halfway through the year. I haven't become more outgoing, although that was one of my goals. I feel like I have just stayed right where I am; it seems like I haven't grown at all.

Looking under the surface, however, I see that so much has happened this year. For better or for worse, I am growing up. I am learning more about the world around me, becoming a woman. I had my first kiss this year, with a boyfriend that I did enjoy being with, although I haven't talked to him since he broke up with me over the answering machine in September, and the fact that there is no real closure there does not help my attempts to just stop thinking about it. My political views also evolved. Just a few months ago, I was sighing at Maine for allowing gay marriage -- but now I am in support of allowing gays to marry, after thinking seriously about the rights involved in marriage, and how everyone deserves those rights.

My writing has also improved drastically this year. Although I have not been doing a lot of writing, I find that I am able to express myself better. This year has taught me how to write a good essay, how to write a good short story, how to write a journal entry that people can relate to. I might not have written as much as I would have liked to, and even failed NaNoWriMo this year, but all in all, I am proud of my writing this year. I have written some good stories, and as a fifteen-year-old, it gives me a strong boost of confidence in my writing when people say that it is some of the best they have ever seen.

The thing that I regret the most this year is the way that I have fallen away from God. Although I am forever grateful to my sister for getting me to go back to church (although that might change, as she is now too sick to take me to and from church every Sunday morning), I find that I am not trusting in God the way I should. I regret that deeply, and I want to try and become a better Christian this year. And that does not mean going to church and reading my Bible. It doesn't mean that I am going to suddenly exclaim that everyone who doesn't believe exactly the way I do is going to hell. That's not the type of person I am, and that is not the type of person that God wants me to be either. I hope that by starting to read the Bible once more, I will be able to grow in my faith and become a gentler person, because I know that I haven't always been perfectly kind this year.

This year has been the year of the TV shows starting with a G. First, I discovered Glee, when the pilot first came out in May, I think? I enjoyed the first episode, but when it came back on in September (October?), I fell in love with it. Puck/Rachel is one of my favorite couples on that show, but it does not eclipse my OTP on another show, Greek. Although Greek is not as popular as it should be, primarily because of my other favorite show, Gossip Girl, which airs at the same time, it is a great show and Cappie/Casey are as cute as can be -- and they finally got together. Gossip Girl is also a show I just discovered this past week and clearly, it is everything I ever wanted in a TV show and more. Although season 3 is not quite as good as the other two, the fact that THE couple on the show, Chuck/Blair, finally got together is exciting.

So, all in all. This year has been a good year. I feel that I have grown in some ways, but I still have a lot of growing to do. I might have discovered where I wish to go to college (Amherst, Williams), but getting into those colleges is going to take a lot of work. I'm up to it, though, and I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be a good year.

Which brings me to my New Years' Resolutions. Although I do not entirely believe that they work, it doesn't hurt to make them, does it?

1. Read more. I haven't been reading as much as I would like to, so that should change in the coming year.
2. Update LJ more.
2a. Write book reviews in a timely fashion.
3. Start writing in my GORGEOUS paper journal that my dad bought me for Christmas.
4. Get out more (games, school events, church events, with friends).
5. Stop being so self-conscious about my appearance.
6. Eat healthier.
7. Read the Bible every day.
8. Make a new friend.
9. Discover at least one new TV show/author/band that I didn't know about prior to 2010.
10. Write more original fiction.
10a. Start work on, and finish, Yulian.

I think that's about it.

While I'm at it, regarding one of my resolutions: Since there are more people on my friends list than usual, are there any books you'd recommend me reading during the new year? I always look forward to book recommendations, and I am not quite sure what my next few books are going to be, once I finish Frankenstein and Team of Rivals. I did this same post last year, and I got some awesome recommendations. I like anything, by the way!

Date: 2009-12-31 11:56 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] greatalexanders.livejournal.com
Ohhhh, dear oh dear oh dear :P You're asking the person who just started reviewing his reading material 4 months ago...

Actually, seriously, I'd suggest taking a glance over some of my "top 5" - that's in my latest entry ;) - of the last few months; I'd also add the Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman collaboration Good Omens and Patrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind. Course, if you don't want SFF, I'm near useless to y'!

Date: 2010-01-02 01:15 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] callistahogan.livejournal.com
I've already read Good Omens, remember? I reviewed it at the very beginning of last year -- which seems like just a moment ago now. And I read The Name of the Wind at the end of eighth grade, so it's probably due for a reread one of these days (maybe when the next book FINALLY comes out). And I don't mind SFF at ALL.

Date: 2010-01-02 01:39 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] greatalexanders.livejournal.com
...Man, is Name of the Wind that old? Somehow, it just feels current.

And with the year I've had I'm allowed to forget things that happened at the start of it :P I'm still giving 5 recommendations after all!

Oh - and it's not one of my top five, but it was a good read; if you've not read it, and have a few days/weeks to spare, Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley's a good read and it's very different to most SFF out there....

Date: 2010-01-01 12:26 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] wheatear.livejournal.com
Well, you've actually made resolutions, so that's something. :P Happy New Year!

Date: 2010-01-01 12:47 am (UTC)From: [personal profile] maribou
maribou: (Default)
Happy New Year!

I haven't read it yet, but have you considered When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead? It's high on my list of read-soons and strikes me as something you would enjoy, based on what I've heard about it.

Date: 2010-01-01 09:59 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] kiwiria.livejournal.com
ext_5285: (Default)
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers
Knife by R.J. Anderson
Terrier by Tamora Pierce

... I could keep going! but I guess 5 recommendations is a good start ;)

Date: 2010-01-02 01:13 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] callistahogan.livejournal.com
Ooh, I've been meaning to read Dracula for a while. I'll probably borrow it from my brother, because he got it for Christmas -- and I got The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova for Christmas, so Dracula is high on my list for background purposes. :D

Date: 2010-01-02 01:52 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] kiwiria.livejournal.com
ext_5285: (Default)
The Historian seems to be one of those books that people either love or hate. I found it rather boring, but know others who consider it the best book they've ever read.

Date: 2010-01-01 01:38 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] pricelessone.livejournal.com
One of my favorite books, that you might enjoy is called Mistaken Identity by Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak.

Date: 2010-01-01 09:01 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] sushimonster724.livejournal.com
I love how your three favorite shows all start with G. Haha. I tend to avoid shows like Gossip Girl (90210, Melrose Place, the OC, TVD, etc.) but I watch too many youtube videos to not be in love with Dan/Blair.

And yeah, this year was very...time-passing? No real growth, but rather a passage of time that's currently freaking me out because that means at the end of this year I'll be applying for colleges. D:

I love your resolutions. :) At least you didn't try deluding yourself like I did. "Procrastinate less." Hahaha, yeahhh.

Books? I feel like I personally need to read a lot more so I currently lack too many recommendations. But...
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I've heard this is good, but people either LOVE it or absolutely hate it.
1984 by George Orwell or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - they're both visions of dystopia and the latter is particularly well-written.
I'm not sure if you're a Sarah Dessen fan? Or John Greene? But anything by those two is definitely recommended.

Date: 2010-01-02 01:11 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] callistahogan.livejournal.com
*gasp* Blasphemer! You HAVE to watch Gossip Girl; it is possibly one of the best shows I have ever watched. And if you watched it, you would LOVE Chuck/Blair. They are possibly the best ship ever. In the history of shipping. They even eclipse Cappie/Casey -- just barely, but they do. They're perfect for each other, and if you watched it, I promise you'd see that. *makes it her mission to make you watch Gossip Girl now*

And oh gosh, colleges. Next year, I'll probably have taken the freaking SATs. Or will be taking them soon, at least. GAH, now I'm terrified. I dunno what I'm gonna do after high school, honestly.

Date: 2010-01-02 01:30 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] sushimonster724.livejournal.com
Haha, there's no way I'd watch Gossip Girl. I've seen bits and pieces and I know I wouldn't really love it. As for Chuck/Blair - there's only show ever where my OTP for the show is the OTP of the show (that's Chuck). So I highly doubt I'd love C/B that much. :P

I'd tell you not to worry too much about colleges/SATs but that wouldn't work, haha. My advice? Take a prep course over the summer, take it once in the fall of junior year, and then based on how you do take it from there. And I'm not sure what I want to do in college, or even which college. So many people have that perfect school just for them - I like UVA and W&M and UPenn, but I'm not sure and I dunno if I'd get into them...but I know what subjects I like and can go from there. (Math, Psychology, maybe something with teaching.) It's really not that stressful if you start doing things wayyy ahead of schedule.

Date: 2010-01-02 01:36 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] callistahogan.livejournal.com
Awwww, *fine*. Burst my bubble, why don't you. But Chuck/Blair... I can't put into words how well they fit together. No other couple understands each other the way they understand each other, IMO. And gah, their SCENES. Ed Westwick and Leighton Meester have undeniable chemistry. GAH, the limo scene, the one at the end of the second scene, the angst, the sweet season 3 moments... So amazing. I think that the best season is either season 1 or 2. Probably season 2, because of CB. Sorry, I'll stop squealing now. If you really don't think you'd like it, I won't push you, but I got hooked on CB around episode 7. Limo scene FTW.

Date: 2010-01-02 01:46 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] sushimonster724.livejournal.com
Haha. It's sad that I cannot stand to watch that show and yet I know exactly scenes you're talking about. But yes, they do have chemistry so there's nothing really to hate there.

Date: 2010-01-04 04:57 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] risingtofall.livejournal.com
The Secret History by Donna Tart is one of my favorite books. So is Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, if you haven't read it, I highly, highly, highly recommend it.

Date: 2010-01-04 05:29 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] callistahogan.livejournal.com
Ooh, I love the Virgin Suicides. I read it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. I've been meaning to get around to reading Middlesex, but haven't done it yet. Maybe this year!

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