Kimberly Hirsh

Finished reading: The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie 📚

Poirot’s first case. A bit of homage to Doyle at the start, then on to the modes that come to define Christie’s work: a rogue’s gallery & a drawing room reveal.

Dense fog advisory today until 10 AM. Big woodland goth vibes.

Q: the longest time you’ve ever gone without showering?

A: Don’t know but far too long, more than a week. I’m generally bad about it & new parenthood made it even worse.

Q: who was your crush in middle school lmao

A: Had a different one each year. Not naming names but one of them performed surgery on my mom a few years ago.

Q: Was there ever a series of books you were skeptical about, but ended up liking very much?

A: I can’t think of any right now but this is a great question & I’m going to keep thinking about it.

Saw @heroicendeavour@glammr.us answering anonymous questions and thought it might be fun to do this myself. I reserve the right to refuse to answer any question but if you want to get in my nonny inbox, here’s the link to send me a question.

First anonymous question: Hottest sport?

My answer: I don’t really sport and I’m super heat sensitive so… All of them that aren’t water or snow sports?

Second anonymous question: Who’s the last person you texted?

My answer: My sister

Third anonymous question: If you could choose any career would it be what you’re doing right now or something else?

My answer: This is such a hard question. I would be a professional musical theater performer and fiction writer if I could but I do love my work.

Fourth anonymous question: Favorite place you’ve ever visited?

My answer: The Library of Congress

Next anonymous message: You are the best!

My reply: Thanks! Backatcha!

Next anonymous question: Favourite fandom/ship for fanfic?

My answer: Oh my goodness this is way harder than the career question.

My AO3 bookmarks say New Girl, Nick/Jess. Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dorian/Iron Bull is a close second. But mostly I love good gen friendfic. By which I mean fic about friends hanging out, not fic I write about my friends.

Next anon q: Do you remember your Bronzer days with joy? Or with time (and events) does it feel like just an old phase you went through?

Answer: So much joy. Some of the most fun ever. I will never stop being a Bronzer and I will never stop loving other Bronzers.

Anon message: You’re still one of the first people I think of fondly when I’m reminiscing. 🪵🫀

Reply: Aww thank you! That’s super sweet.

Q: What are your plans this weekend?

A: Nothing big - maybe going to the Farmer’s Market & then prepping bc on 1/16 I leave for Amsterdam - W got a Fulbright and M & I will travel Europe with him as he studies international copyright!

Q: What’s one thing that typical town libraries should change to increase community participation?

A: Find ways to reach people who aren’t already coming in the building. What else is going on locally? Can you have a library presence at those events? Can you partner with other organizations?

Begin As You Mean to Go On, courtesy of Leigh Bardugo:

1. Read for pleasure: Read The Mysterious Affair at Styles on my Kobo.
2. Make things (courtesy of Kim Werker): Set up my new Bullet Journal.
3. Take walks: Did a first day hike at Eno River State Park.

My Child Woke Me Up at 1:30 and I’m Still Awake at 4: The Kimberly Hirsh Story

PS If you’re wondering why I’m still awake at 4 it’s because my mom keeps having miserable side effects from the TKIs for her leukemia and then I worry and my body goes into anxiety mode. Also all my dreams now are stress dreams and I don’t want them.

On this day last year, I wrote:

“…my word of the year for 2022 is MEND. My goal is to keep going.”

Last night I quote tweeted someone who said “Please brag to me about a thing you did in 2022 that you’re proud of.” & added:

“I kept going.”

It feels good to achieve a goal.

I don’t know if I’ll get to do all the year-end/new year transition things I’d hoped to do today: tarot stuff, bullet journal migration. I need a nap and my right wrist is hurting and I think my left will soon follow. But guess what? Listening to my body is a great way to mark this transition.

Instead of one word for 2023, I have two:

ADVENTURE + REST

Tomorrow I’ll share more about my intentions for the year with Leigh Bardugo’s Begin As You Mean to Go On and Kim Werker’s Year of Making. But I have three intentions for the new year:

1. Read for pleasure.
2. Make things.
3. Take walks.

More on those tomorrow.

And I want to keep moving toward living in alignment with my core values:

• Curiosity
• Creativity
• Care

That’s all for now. I’ll share more soon.

Did the PBS Kids NYE countdown so… Here’s to some good stuff happening in 2023.

Finished reading: Career Change: Stop hating your job, discover what you really want to do with your life, and start doing it! by Joanna Penn 📚

Posting this so it automatically gets added to my year-end reading post.

Finished reading: Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur 📚

Posting this so it automatically gets added to my year-end reading post.

I’m calling it for the year. I’m not going to try to squeeze one more in before the end of the day tomorrow. When I wrote my year in reading post on December 2, I’d read 46 books this year. I’ve read 5 more since. I’ve also got a nifty new Micro.blog plug-in that will show you the covers of all the books I read.

Not a lot has changed in terms of my favorites since that original post. Hildafolk and The Bloody Chamber continue to be standouts. I’m very happy to be caught up on Leigh Bardugo just in time to get behind again when my preorder for Hell Bent comes in.

Season of Love is a recent favorite. Raybearer was super compelling and as I’ve started the sequel, that’ll probably be my next finished read.

I’ve got Bloodmarked on hold but it’s a wait of about 14 weeks. (I’m going to buy the paperback when it comes out so it’ll match my copy of Legendborn.)

Here’s all the books I read this year: