Happiness Sprinkles: My Favorite Books of 2023
I'm sharing one of my annual cookie recipes, too!
Hello, lovelies!
My house smells like gingerbread and a fresh fir wreath and I can’t stop playing holiday playlists on repeat! Which must mean that it’s time to share some of my favorites of 2023…
But first, here is a photo of the messy gingerbread house that I decorated with my husband, Tom. We were lazy this year and bought a pre-assembled one from Costco, but hey, we still got to enjoy getting icing everywhere and eating the leftover candy!
RSVP Reminder:
There is still space for my 1-hour bookish holiday hangout!
“Books & Cookies” party call with Evelyn (on Google Meet)
Saturday, December 16, 2023
2pm ET / 11am PT
Bring yourself and a plate of cookies and pull up a chair while we chat about my upcoming books and writing, as well as swap book recs!
My 2023 Favorites
This is a mishmash of what I’ve loved this year, what I’m doing now, and what I’m looking forward to next year!
Favorite fantasy novel: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett - a grumpy British academic tries to complete her life’s work (an encyclopedia of fairies) but is swept away by a charismatic and suspiciously magical colleague
Favorite literary fiction: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi - a dark fairy tale-esque take on losing oneself to love and desire
Favorite non-fiction: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin - part inspiration and part meditation, I highly recommend this for anyone in a creative field. I dog-eared soooo many pages of this book!
Most anticipated book of 2024: In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf - I was lucky enough to read this one early! It’s like Where the Crawdads Sing meets Practical Magic, a perfect blend of atmospheric Southern mystery and a hint of the surreal.
Favorite podcast: ReThinking by Adam Grant, especially this episode with poet Maggie Smith—
Favorite cookie: Every year, I think I’ll change up my holiday cookies, but somehow I always end up baking the same ones because I love them so much. I am also sucker for soft, pillowy snickerdoodles (not the crunchy kind), so I wanted to share this holiday fave—
EGGNOG SNICKERDOODLES (recipe from this website)
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/3 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup eggnog
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternately with the eggnog. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
5. Mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg in a small bowl.
6. Shape the dough into rounded tablespoons; roll in sugar and nutmeg mixture.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are just set and starting to crack.
Thank you for spending 2023 with me. Here’s to 2024 together!
xoxo,
~e