As this year (and decade) draws to a close, I always love seeing roundup posts. Before making any new resolutions or goals, I think it’s important to look back and celebrate past accomplishments.

So here are a few things from this year that I’d like to look back on.

Notable Book Reviews:

“Three Memoirs to Add to Your Summer Reading” – I loved reading Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime”, Tembi Locke’s “From Scratch”, and Roxane Gay’s “Hunger”. While I usually don’t reach for memoir first, these three books were excellent reads.

“Dear Haiti, Love Alaine: A Novel Full of History and Black Girl Magic” – I’m excited whenever I find new books by Haitian authors. This is a great book for anyone curious about Haitian history and contemporary Haitian Americans.

“For Black Girls Like Me Offers a Much Needed Perspective” – This was definitely one of my favorite books this year. It was beautifully written and centers on Keda, a transracial adoptee. I saw myself so much in the book, and I highly recommend this novel.

Notable Interviews:

“Fighting for the Most Vulnerable: A Conversation with Dr. Ely Thelot” – This interview was special to me because it focuses on child traffiking in Haiti (a somber topic) but Dr. Thelot also provides hope with the work that is being done.

“The Most Nurtured: A Conversation with Taina M” – For this interview, I had the chance to interview my good friend Taina. I love what she is doing by creating safe spaces for women of color through yoga and community workshops.

Notable Posts:

“Reflections on Angela Tucker’s Red Table Talk. ” – This was another one of my favorite posts this year. Angela was given a huge platform and appeared on Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk, and I offer my thoughts on her bravery in sharing her story.

“Beyonce’s Homecoming Highlights the Importance of HBCUs” – This was the first post I wrote after taking a blogging hiatus, and I talked about my experience at an HBCU, and how Beyonce put HBCUs front and center at her Coachella performance.

Notable Essays

“Why I’ll Never Go on a Mission Trip Again” – Having been on several mission trips in my lifetime, I wrote about how most mission trips are approached and how they could be better. The piece was widely shared on Zora by Medium and racked up thousands of views.

“LA Carnival is Perfect for First Timers” – This past summer, I decided to venture into travel writing and pitched a story to Travel Noire. I visited Los Angles for the first time and had the pleasure of attending Carnival and providing a recap.

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As always, thank you for reading! Over the next few months, I’ll be stopping in to update my media page as I expand my writing and speaking portfolio. For more updates on my writing or upcoming speaking engagements follow me on twitter at @mariettewrites!