Episode #230: Year End Review!
Grace and Alvina look back on 2023, discuss the highs and lows, and also review how they did on their new year's resolutions!
How have you been?
Grace has been really busy finishing her novel review, getting ready for Christmas, and cleaning her studio! It is nice to start the year with a clean studio! Chinese Menu was named winner in the 2023 Food Writing Memoir Novel category by the Readable Feast Award! (The Readable Feast is an annual New England culinary book awards program and festival.) The awards ceremony was dedicated to Mary Catherine Deibel, owner of the restaurant that Grace and Robert were married in many years ago.
Alvina is working hard to wrap things up before they fly to California and Taiwan! They are leaving for a month. (There’s a Kindling Words board meeting after recording this podcast!) She’s been enjoying Christmas parties and of course karaoke!
A look back on 2023…
The book friends share some of their lowlights and highlights. Grace’s lowlight: getting older and accepting her body for the way that it is. Hazel is really leaving her childhood behind and growing up. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s been a big adjustment for Grace and Alex. Alvina’s lowlight started out with Stephen’s step-mother’s cancer diagnosis and their sister-in-law’s. They’re both cancer-free right now. Grace’s highlights were having two books come out! (Once Upon a Book in February and Chinese Menu in September!) Personally, Grace loved her family trip to Portland, OR and her trip to Portland, ME with just Hazel! Alvina’s highlights were travel trips to San Francisco, the US Virgin Islands, and Vermont!
How did we do on New Year’s Resolutions?
Grace and Alvina look back and see how they did on their 2023 goals! Alvina takes up the learning the Ukele and Grace does another 5k! They also share their aspirations
Publishing News/Gossip
Grace brings up the wild Cait Corrain Good Reads controversy.
Gratefuls
Alvina is grateful for her word of the year “connection.” While keeping that word in mind, she kept the spirit of connection alive wherever she was. Grace is grateful for the interview on the podcast, “You Are What You Read”. Grace is thankful for all of her readers who bought Chinese Menu and for all the indie book shoppers!
THANK YOU!
Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, and Alex at Pacyworks Studio for producing and editing this podcast. Be sure to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and tell a friend about us. (Use the hashtag #bookfriendsforever.)
You can find Alvina @Planetalvina on Twitter and TikTok and @Alvinaling on Instagram and Threads, @alvinaling on BlueSky
You can find Grace @Pacylin on Instagram and Threads, @authorgracelin on Facebook, @gracelinauthor on TikTok, and @authorgracelin on BlueSky Social!
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