These are a few of my favorite things (of 2014)

Hey, wanna play a game? I’m going to list a whole slew of my favorite experiences from 2014. If you want to share yours, leave a comment and/or share a link.

Favorite book:

I’m making this game up. Therefore I can change the rules. Thus: subcategories!

Adult fiction: Money for Nothing, by P. G. Wodehouse. I read this aloud to Mark over many long drives and painting sessions, and laughed SO hard. I’ll give a runner-up, since I like to acknowledge good contemporary writing: Dear Mr. Knightley, by Katherine Reay.

Adult non-fiction: A Million Little Ways, by Emily Freeman.

YA: Looking back, I read very little YA in 2014. So I have to give this to a classic: Emily of Deep Valley, by Maud Hart Lovelace. (It may not have had much competition, but it deserves the honor regardless.)

Middle Grade: This is a re-read, but I’m so in love with The Secret Garden now after reading it aloud to my girls. Some runners-up: The Shadow Throne, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon, and The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher.

Picture Book: Julia’s House for Lost Creatures, by Ben Hatke. This book could have been written just for me and my girls.

Children’s non-fiction: How We Crossed the West: the Adventures of Lewis and Clark, by Rosalyn Schanzer. 

I LOVE Ms. Schanzer’s non-fiction picture books. We also read her book about the California Gold Rush... I learned more from these two picture books than I did from any middle school textbook. My three-year-old knows more about Lewis and Clark than I ever did before.

Favorite movie/tv show: BBC...I love you. Downton Abbey, Doctor Who, Death Comes to Pemberly, Northanger Abbey... But I think my favorite was the Masterpiece adaptation of Great Expectations. Mark and I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning because we HAD to finish it. We never do that.

Favorite song: Happy, by Pharrell Williams. This version kept my teething baby smiling, and the rest of us dancing:

Favorite new accomplishment: Making sourdough bread. And lots of yummy sourdough things.

Favorite food: Mark learned how to make sushi either late last year or early this year, and I’ve found I really like it. I could probably eat spicy Sriracha Mayonnaise on anything.

Favorite writing moment: Brainstorming funny bits for a book Mark and I are working on together. It’s slow-going, but lots of fun. There was this one time when we decided, "Hey, we should tell this part in the chair's viewpoint...!" then burst out laughing. Then did it. It might get cut someday, but right now it's awesome.

Favorite cute kid moment: There are many, trust me, but I won’t overwhelm you with all that cuteness at once. I think my favorite was a result of Lu’s reading level being a bit beyond her maturity. (Warning: you should probably be familiar with Little House to get the joke.) She started reading The First Four Years, only to come running to me in tears a few minutes later. “Mama!” she sobbed. “You know the sixth commandment we just learned about? How you can’t be in love with someone new when you’re already married? Well (gasp, sob), Laura’s committing adultery!! She was getting married to Almanzo and now she’s married to some guy named Manly!” You should have seen the relief on her face when I explained that Manly was Almanzo’s nickname...