One of the main reasons I was so excited to move into a house was the chance to create a creative space for myself. While I enjoy writing, I also find joy in making art. I quickly filled the built-in closet of my cape cod office with art supplies. But this post isn't about art, this is about the elements of my writing space, although it is more generally my creative corner.  Today I'd like to share with you the important elements of my special space that help me focus and enjoy whatever project my hands and imagination are building together.

CHAIR: While I do enjoy sitting on the floor when I craft or write, a comfy chair is just as important as an open floor. My sister, who is one of the most important people in my life and who has always been my biggest fan, gave me this chair. So, every time I sit in it, it's like having her with me, cheering me on. The other great thing about this chair is that it I can sit in it like a regular office chair, and it's also wide enough for me to comfortably sit cross-legged. Sometimes, even my cat can squeeze on it with me, too.

STOOL: The stool next to my chair was a gift from another important person in my life: my godmother and aunt who has also become a very dear friend and confidant in adulthood. She brought it back with her from Peru. We have traveled to Costa Rica together, and it reminds me of our shared love of traveling and learning Spanish. It is perfect for setting my computer on when I need to get up or watch a video as I sit on the floor. And of course, it works like any side table to hold research materials or a hot cup of coffee. 

CANDLES: I learned in a writing class once to find a scent that calms you and place it in your writing space so that it can help you associate the smell with writing. A candle is the perfect way to do that. While I do have some favorite scents, really any candle helps me focus on writing. I love the light that candles give off and the flickering flame reminds me of sitting around a campfire. The candles pictured here are special because one has a wooden wick which adds not just a smell to the air, but the sound of wood burning. At times, I can get lost thinking about where my writing should go next and the sputtering crackles of the burning wood help me focus completely on my mental brainstorms. The white candle was a gift from a coworker and friend that she made herself as a Swedish housewarming gift, for the light to bless our home. Now, I have it blessing my writing space as a reminder that I have so many supportive people in my life.

SPEAKER: A good writing session is not complete without a way to play some soothing or motivating music. I rarely write in science, so the speakers are a must have for a productive writing space.

WALLS: When my husband and I moved into our house, we (and friends and family) spent the first week painting almost every single wall of the house. The light green creates a serene room for me to work in, but most importantly, the room was painted by two of my best friends. Every time I take time to gaze at the wall, I'm reminded of them.

DECOR: If it isn't apparent already, I like to surround myself with items that remind me of things that I love. Displayed on the open shelf are my watercolor materials, a new medium that I've been exploring and using to unwind and create without pressure or expectations. The small candle is a memento from a friend's wedding. And while it's hard to see, there is a memento from my own wedding. A name card holder made from polymer clay and stamped with our names and wedding date stands to display the covers of books I'm reading that will be added to my book journal. Since taking this picture, book shelves have been added to my writing alcove and Wisconsin Badger decorations can be found throughout the room.

SUNLIGHT: Last but not least, light is super important. While the little lamp creates a warm glow around the chair at night, the best light shines through the window all day long. Having the sun shine on a notebook or on my arm while I type is one of the most calming components of my writing corner.

I had big plans for rating and ranking every book that I read in 2021, however I fell behind in recording the books I did read, and overall fell quite a bit short of my yearly reading goal. Suffice it to say, 2021 was not one of my best reading years. Not only did I not meet my goal of 36 books read, but I also was mildly unimpressed with most of the books that I did read. While trying to list out the books that I read and rank them from least favorite to favorite, I struggled to pinpoint the one that really wowed me. But, ultimately, I was able to rank them, so here goes. As l did last year, I have added some insight as to what I liked most about my top ten books of 2021.

So, there you have it. My 2021 reads, ranked. As I reflected back on each of them and thought about what I liked and didn't like, I do have to give a cover shout out to The Gilded Ones. The cover is absolutely stunning and in real life the gold foil just makes it shine. Although the story itself was not as amazing as I'd hoped, I will still read the second one. The cover to the sequel is just as breathtaking. 

I was disappointed in myself for not reaching my reading goal, so I am pushing myself harder in 2022. Also, as I was a little underwhelmed with the books I read in 2021, I am allowing myself to focus more on books that truly excite me. I have turned to fantasy and science fiction in the first few months of 2022, and it has been thrilling to say the least. I am hoping that this coming year will be my best year yet of reading as an adult.

This year, I wanted to try something I've never done before: rank every book I read in the past year. I thought it would be a simple task, but it's really not. Although there were books that I enjoyed more than others, each had its own merit and place in my heart during such a tumultuous year. I started 2020 off strong, but I lost my stride when I took a vacation in February. We all know what March brought us, and it took me until the end of May to be able to concentrate and find joy in reading again. Then, during the summer, three friends and I sponsored a reading challenge to raise money for charity, and the excitement in trying to win the competition and discover new authors and read about more diverse topics spurred me on to meet and exceed my goal of reading 36 books. All in all I read 43, and although one book has to be last, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I found something to appreciate in every book I read. To rank the entire list, I looked at what I rated each book after I read it and placed each book within my 5-star, 4-star, and finally 3-star ratings. Within those starred ratings, I thought about how each book made me feel as I experienced it, and that's how I came to the listing below. So, without further ado, here are all the books I read in 2020 ranked from 43 to number one.

And finally, here are my top ten books of 2020. It was really hard to rank these, as they all are so very different. I gave each of them a 5-star rating, so to order them from ten to one, I thought about how much I enjoyed reading each one and how it left me feeling after I finished. For the final ten, I also added a little context about what stood out for each book.

And there you have it! This was a fun exercise to do to reflect on the books I read last year. I think this year I'll try to think of a more sophisticated ranking system as I read books in 2021 so that if and when I do this next year, there will be more thought put into the rankings that considers more about the various merits of each book. Afterall, it is quite difficult to compare so many different kinds of books to one another.