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The newsletters in my inbox lately have been geared towards end-of-year holiday wishes and, increasingly, "Year in Review" style messages. I've never done a Year in Review, but I like the idea of reflecting, as a bookend to the beginning of each year when I write out my goals.
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For the first time in a few years, I did not write down my goals in January, too caught up with renovating my condo. Despite the chaos of construction early in the year, looking back I realized I did more than I had thought. In a nutshell:
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- I had two short stories published
- and wrote four more.
- I enjoyed the company of the South Carolina Writers Association short fiction group
- and joined another group, the Women's Fiction Writers Association.
- I had my first novel out on submission
- and wrote another novel.
- I read over 100 books, lots of short stories, and too much fanfiction.
- I gained another niece! (This technically belongs to 2024 but since she was a blob for the first few months, I'm counting this as 2025's high point).
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As I created my "Best of 2025" lists to share, I realized this issue of the newsletter is for readers. Below are:
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- 12 of my favorite books
- tech resources including two newsletters, a music suggestion, and something for library lovers
- five unexpected short stories
- and two anthologies
If you read anything I suggested, shoot me a message to let me know what you thought! Or come say hi on Instagram @gabrielle.contelmo.
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Wishing you all a happy holiday season and a felicitous new year!
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My Favorite Books of 2025
My reading year started slow because renovations took up most of my energy, leaving me mentally exhausted at the end of each day. I decided to go easy on myself and read something less strenuous which is how I ended up rereading the entirety of the Animorphs series, which I adored as a kid.
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Animorphs jump-started my year and I ended up reading over 100 books, including several excellent Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) from Netgalley. Looking back at my list, I read more widely than I initially thought, and even branched out into horror, a new genre for me. With more than twelve five-star reads out of 100, I felt lucky that I found so many books, new and old, to love this year.
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MVP of the Year
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You might remember Animorphs as the 1990s middle-grade series where teens turn into animals to fight aliens invading Earth. I wasn't sure how the books would stand up as an adult, but to my surprise they were just as good, if not better, than I remembered. The series doesn't pull its punches, treating children with agency and the ability to make a difference in the face of overwhelming odds. With heavy themes like body-horror, genocide, ethics, and war crimes mixed in with humor, a touch of romance, and silly hi-jinks, the 60+ books are somehow appropriate for kids (I started reading them when I was eight) and robust enough for deeper examination as an adult. I highly recommend to readers of all ages.
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The Last Watch (and the rest of The Divide trilogy) by J.S. Dewes
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The Blighted Stars (and the rest of The Devoured Worlds trilogy) by Megan E. O'Keefe
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Isn't it Obvious by Rachel Rynya Katz
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First Time Caller by B.K. Borison
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Racing Hearts by Ann Adams
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Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (and the rest of the Emily Wilde trilogy) by Heather Fawcett
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Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
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A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
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The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
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The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
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My Best Tech Resources of 2025
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The browser extension called, appropriately, Library Extension is my new hero. By adding this plug in to my internet browser, anytime I look at books on sites like Goodreads (or Amazon or Barnes and Noble), Library Extension tells me whether the book is available at my library. While adding a library card (or cards) will give you more options, the extension also searches free sites like the Internet Archive and Hoopla.
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I mentioned mynoise.net in this newsletter earlier this year, but it's still a favorite for providing background noise while I write (Cafe Restaurant) and while I read in the evenings (Irish Coast).
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Jane Friedman is always my go-to site for writing information and news. Recently, I subscribed to The Bottom Line, Jane's publishing industry newsletter, and Electric Speed, her newsletter for resources for creatives and have found both valuable.
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Seeing as I mentioned Netgalley earlier, I'm adding it here for the uninitiated. Netgalley is the site used by publishers to share ARCs (advance reader copies) of books that haven't yet been released. If you're approved, you get to read the newest books and in exchange you write an honest review on a site like Goodreads or Amazon. Several of my favorite books this year came from Netgalley.
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A Brief Selection of Short Stories
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"A Mild Sense of Peril" by Bodhi Jet Atkinson in Sundog Lit. Sparse, dialogue only, one of my favorites this year.
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"Our side of the sea" by Rebecca Peng in The Orange & Bee. A fairytale about mermaids. Toothsome and heartbreaking.
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"Adam and Eve as the First Horror Story" by Levi Abadilla in Singapore Unbound. A new origin story, bloody and thought-provoking.
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"Doctors HATE Her!! Local Woman Is NOT Cursed"
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by Bree Wernicke in Bourbon Penn. Fun, uncanny, and told in the style of a series of Reddit posts.
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"observations of a personality store" by lillie e. franks in Story Bottle Co. Told in list form, a clever concept that sneaks up on you with unexpected emotion.
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I had two short stories published this year, both in anthologies. One is a hopeful story about love at the end of the world, while the other is a spooky tale of cryptids and familial violence. Very different tones, but I love both of them and am thrilled they're available in print.
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HOPE: The Thing With Feathers, Edited by B. Morris Allen
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What Lurks: A Cryptid Anthology from Graveside Press
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If you've read this far, thank you for all your support. I hope the end of your year is filled with warmth, love, and hope for the new year.
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Please do not reply directly to this email, as the inbox is not monitored. If you'd like to get in touch, use the Contact form on my website or email me at gabrielle@gabriellecontelmo.com.
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