A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with two kids in middle school. They noted time seems to be moving fast and I told them this only gets more true as you get older. And it's true. I cannot believe 2014 is around the corner, full of possibility, and yet where did 2013 go? I could swear it just started.

Even so, I'm ready to move on from 2013. While quite a few good things happened, difficult situations also arose and I'm ready to leave them behind. I'm ready to see what's next.

Read and Reading:

I loved Special Topics in Calamity Physics and couldn't wait to see what gifted writer Marisha Pessl came up with next. Night Film, while not perfect, was well worth the wait. Equal parts eerie (borderline creepy, which is not my thing) and captivating, I had a hard time putting it down. While there were a few moments in which I had to suspend disbelief, I let the plot unwind whichever way it felt like. Pessl contrasts reality and possibility, as well as our perceptions of both, and in this way, art imitates film. Or is it imitating life? As readers, we're always questioning what we think we understand. Is infamous director Cordova evil or a master of branding? Did his daughter kill herself because she was troubled or something more? Does magic exist? Mystery upon mystery, trapdoor after trapdoor, twists and turns abounding. All leading up to...not a resolution, per se, but you could say Cordova would have approved of the ending. So did I. (Side note: the book contains newspaper articles, photos of the director and deceased, print outs, and the like. Great bonus features. Apparently the e-book contains all manner of Easter eggs.)

Even if you aren't a dedicated reader of Allie Brosh's blog Hyperbole and a Half, you'll likely enjoy the book. The full color oages serve her drawings well. (May she always draw dogs. Always.) Many of these pieces made me laugh out loud, even the ones I'd already read. Adventures in Depression, parts 1 and 2, God of Cake, and her identity pieces are/were my favorites.

You can see all the books I've read at Goodreads. 

Currently reading:  Hazardous (Cyzewski), Written Together (Mallon), Comfort Me With Apples (Reichl), Thirst (Oliver), Eat With Joy (Stone), Feast (Lawson), A Million Little Ways (Freeman)

(I read 10 books this month. I don't have my book log with me but I believe my final tally for the year is 142. Assuming I don't finish anything between now and tomorrow night.)

TV:

Must-see TV: The Vampire Diaries, Reign, Once Upon A Time, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills


I still can't quit them: Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies.

Music:

New discoveries: Anna Ternheim, Pharrell Williams (so not new but I've not paid much attention until Happy, which makes me want to DANCE)

I went to Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God show at the Ryman for the third time. It's one of my favorite Christmas traditions. Ellie Holcomb was part of this year's line up and I swear her rendition of Deliver Us is the best yet.

I also went to Over the Rhine's Christmas show. I went to their Christmas show in Chicago before I moved here and it was one of the best I'd ever been to. They didn't disappoint this time either. They played a few songs off the Christmas album they'll release next year (CANNOT WAIT) and a few of my favorites off of Snow Angels.

Listen to the What I'm Into 2013 Spotify playlist.

Things I Love:

• My old roommate Jen was in town visiting her sister for Thanksgiving so I was able to meet up with her, her husband Jason (aka TM), and their baby for coffee. So fun catching up. So fun trading baseball banter with Jason. We'll never see eye to eye on Chicago baseball but I pray some day they'll see the light.

• One of the best meals of my life at Husk with my friend Jennifer. I can't afford to eat like that very often but it's going to be my go-to place when I have something to celebrate.

• Meeting up with Allison Buzard. Some of the best friendships start on Twitter. And then they're cemented when you witness a child puking in a coffee shop. Truth.

• Catching up with my friend Amanda who is back in town from Rwanda. So great hearing about her work there.

• Christmas in my hometown. I feel my heart and soul expand whenever I'm back amongst friends and family. I don't want to move back but a part of me has never left.

• Last Sunday was my only chance to hang out with my best friend while I'm back in town. I showed up at her house and she said, "want to go to Little Goat?" I squealed YES! and we hopped in the car and drove to the city. I've been wanting to go to one of Stephanie Izard's restaurants for ages (it's even on my Life List) and it was such a treat to go to Little Goat with Erin, especially since we watched Stephanie's season on Top Chef together. Amazing food, amazing service. An unforgettable night.

• Time with too many dear ones to list. You know who you are. Grateful for my time with each and every one. I cannot believe how many friendships have remained since I moved out of state. (Family, of course, is stuck with me.)

• Tiki-ing, followed by Frontera Grill with Brenna and Emily. A stellar night through and through.

• Catching up with the Bogel family. I love having a Louisville oasis.

• I've been using the PaperKarma and my junk mail is definitely on the wane. It's a free app and all you have to do is take a picture of the mail and they'll take you off the mailing list. Brilliant.

• I'm now 3 months in to my Birchbox subscription and still loving it. I love being able to try various beauty products with minimal investment. I'm especially a fan of the lip and skin products they've been sending. Keep up the good work, y'all!

On The Blog:

As the Book Club Editor for SheLoves Magazine, I was thrilled to finally unveil our name and tell you our first pick. Will you be joining us in January?

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What I'm Into Link Up Guidelines:

1. Today’s link-up will stay up for one week. The next What I'm Into link up will be Friday January 31.

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What have you been into this month?

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