The year’s end snuck up on me so quickly this year that I very nearly forgot about my annual Christmas letter. It’s been a year of immense change in my life; pretty much all for the better, and I find myself charging into 2024 with plenty of zeal and lust for life.
Where to begin? My family renovated our home. That’s probably a good place to start. After living in a matchbox with my wife and two kids for far longer than we would have liked; after dealing with council approvals, certifiers, engineers, builders, sub-contractors; after paying money out the wazoo, my sketchy little drawings became a reality. As I write this I’m sitting in my new home with a sense of relief and pride. The build ended up lasting about 4 months, wherein my family and I stayed at my mum’s house.
Coupled with building a new home, I built new habits by running a lot this year, with the goal of completing a marathon being in the forefront of my mind every day. Then in September the big day came, I was ready, and I had such an amazing experience. Running hasn’t stopped either – this is part of my life now. My goal for next year? Run 2 marathons! We’ll see…
In terms of writing, I spent the first few months of the year compiling my stories for Verdigris (my next novel as of yet unfinished), and after reading through and editing the 60,000 odd words I’ve done so far, I can see how the story finishes and ties together. Now I just need to write it! I’m not sure when I’ll hit the keyboard and complete the book, but for now it’s nice to see how it will end.
Musically it was another year of creative deluge. I have two more albums out in 2023 – Self Deprecation (PTSD) and 6s & 7s. Both are available on Bandcamp and all major streaming services. In the new year, look forward to Highland Songs – my next release currently being recorded.
As always, here is a list of my favourite reads for the year:
Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut) – Oh wow. How do I explain this one? Vonnegut’s classic combination of WWII realism and science fiction was the best book I read this year, and one of the best things I’ve ever read. An absolute beauty that reminds us of life’s simplicity, man’s cruelty, and the lengths our minds go to deal with the tragedies we all experience. Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. So it goes….
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Iain Reid) – A quick read, but shockingly sad. The reader can tell something is up in this psychological mystery. Definitely not for the faint of heart, Reid’s novel is one that stayed with me.
A Canticle for Leibowitz (Walter M. Miller Jr.) – A curious take on the classic post-nuclear apocalypse, where knowledge is been forgotten and sects of monks dot the wastelands. This is a three part tale, where each section of the book shows the monasteries at different time periods, and how they attempt to understand the past and push into a hopeful future.
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (John Koenig) – Not so much a novel but a compendium of bizarre and beautiful words. Words for feelings and situations we can’t quite name ourselves, yet all experience. I comforting little read to flick open at any random time and absorb the mystique of the definitions within.
The Flowers of Evil (Charles Baudelaire) – A famously beautiful collection of poems by the old French master. Even in English, Baudelaire’s themes translate well painted some gorgeous imagery. If only I knew French, I could read it in it’s native language, but the translation I had didn’t diminish the experience at all.
As always I’d like to wish anybody reading this a Merry Christmas. If you’re looking for presents for loved ones, or in need of a decent book to read, I do hope you’ll consider visiting my store or Amazon and grabbing a copy of any one of my works – Tenebrae Manor, The Will of the Wisp, A Boy Named Art or Vignettes – An Anthology.
I’ll see you all next year, let’s see what awaits! God bless you.
PSC x
