WELCOME to our monthly collection where we offer links and ideas for you to explore with us. I hope you have a cup of tea and a quiet moment to savor the good things in life while you read.

The time between Christmas and New Year’s Day, usually from December 26 to the 31st, is called Twixtmas. It’s a time to relax and take a break from the busy Christmas festivities. The word is thought to be a combination of the Old English word “betwixt” (meaning “between”) and “Christmas.” I hope to celebrate Twixtmas by enjoying leftovers, leisurely walks, and planning for the new year. These are short days with possible low energy levels – also known as the perfect time to get cozy with a book. It’s a time to appreciate all that’s been and to anticipate good for the future. I am hoping my next “Word of the Year” comes to me. I may even get a little bored, but that’s when creativity can reveal new ideas and solutions! I’m looking forward to what inspires me during these days.

Brighter Winter. Registration for this reading challenge is open until the end of December. It is free, runs through January and February and is incentive to use these slower winter months to read. There are also several other levels that you can pay to enter. I thought I would give the free challenge a try and am looking forward to it. Join me if that sounds fun to you!

Are you a reader that struggles to read? Maybe you will connect with these thoughts from Pink Pineapple XO.

What’s in your fridge? You could probably concoct a delicious soup with this graphic from Healthy Family Project.

Home is a Cup of Tea Read this short story for a bit of travel, nostalgia and thoughts on tea.

How to choose a word of the year. I’ve read lots of articles explaining how to choose or giving examples of words of the year. A lot of them make it seem complicated. But this article has some great thoughts on choosing a word. It looks like she has had several years of experience choosing and using her words of the year. Don’t overthink it, but give it some thought.

Since this is the last post for 2024, I have been looking at some statistics behind the scenes. So She Reads is two years old in January. Our most viewed article this year was Finding Calm During December. The most read article of all time is We Need You, Teachers. If you’ve just become a subscriber, you might want to check those out.

Also, if you are new to So She Reads, we would suggest you check out these pages: Helpful Information is the page where we talk about how we choose and rate books. We would love to hear from you in the comments, so read our Comment Policy. If you want to know a little more about us, read the About page. All of these pages have been recently updated, so check them out even if you’ve been here awhile.

I remember some thoughts in a sermon I heard as a child between Christmas and New Year’s Day. One of the preacher’s points was to return all the tools, books, dishes or anything that you had borrowed over the last twelve months so you could start the new year with a clean slate, owing no one. He also said to take care of all forgiving and apologizing to keep your life current, as this keeps relationships flowing smoothly. So what comes to mind?

I am thinking of two books I recommended recently and later felt were not appropriate. I have taken them both off of the posts they were on. It’s been a wake -up call to me. I want to choose books carefully, read books that are upbuilding, and recommend the best of what I read to you. If you read either of these books: Winterhouse or Christmas Letters, I hope you took them with a grain of salt and can forgive me if they were offensive to you. If you have any advice or encouragement for me in this area feel free to contact me, and I would be happy to talk with you about it.

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We want to say thanks for reading and commenting on So She Reads this last year. Thank you very much to everyone who donated– we want to keep on publishing so you always have something good to read. If you click our blog title above the title of your email, it will take you to So She Reads Home Page where you can donate, too, if you find value in what you read on So She Reads.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

–Liz and Eva

P. S. Coming Soon! In our next article, look for a link to 40 Prayers for a New Start. With scripture references and prayer prompts, this download will help you make a new start in 2025.