We hope you enjoyed the December 2025 issue of This Awful Awesome Life. Many thanks to Orlando Bartro for his contributions to the magazine. We’re at the beginning of a new year. How are you feeling about the future? With the cost of almost everything continuing to go up; remember, we are a free publication.
Our 2025 numbers are in, and I’m pleased to announce we more than doubled our readership and the numbers of articles viewed over our 2024 figures. Thank you for making this possible! We appreciate you, and we will work hard to surpass those numbers in 2026.
January is always a special month because it is the birth month of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Please take a moment to honor and appreciate his life and legacy.
This month we’re tackling farewells and new beginnings. What do you want for 2026?
In 2025, we struggled with maintaining the checks and balances between the three branches of our federal government. The fight continues as we head to the midterm elections. Which political leaders disregard/ignore the powers of Congress and the authority of the federal courts? Who can we elect who will protect and support the Constitution of the United States? Do your homework before the midterms.
Make those New Years resolutions count by being aware of what’s going on around you. Major corporations are creating monopolies that threaten to eliminate our free markets for selecting goods, services, and receiving unbiased information. Some of these mergers also threaten our job markets and the safety protocols put in place to protect American workers. If you’ve studied American history you remember the importance of President Teddy Roosevelt’s crusade against monopolies.
Orlando Bartro shifts our focus back to great literature this month and discusses how Jane Austen named her characters.
How important are libraries? What gifts do they give us? This month we’ll discuss the gifts to our imaginations.
My January poem deals with endings and beginnings. My short story is about friendships.
For our column, “Happy Birthday,” celebrating the birthdays of famous writers, I selected the Japanese author, Haruki Murakami..
For January 2026 in “The Twelve Months of Grain,” I’m featuring white rice in a family favorite recipe for Stuffed Green Peppers. No links for this one because it’s one of my own creations. The recipe has no exact measurements because my sons always liked having extra rice and beans to go along with their stuffed peppers. Also, they like spicy food, so we put in extra red and black pepper and pepper flakes. If you’re not a fan of Mexican food, you can use Italian sausage and seasonings and leave out the jalapenos.
This month, I reviewed My Friends by Fredrik Backman. It’s a wonderful reminder of the importance of friendships as we navigate our way through life’s joys and sorrows.
Our reading recommendations for kids, young adults, and adults feature an eclectic mix of fiction and non-fiction.
Our January 2026 Quiz isn’t really a quiz, but it gives us the chance to use our imaginations in a fun and special way. It also has an educational component..
We’re constantly updating our Author Page to include the latest published works of your new favorite authors, and we’re adding authors. Being able to give authors a free place to display their work is a dream come true for me, so please check every month to see who’s new and what’s new.
Don’t miss our new Artist Page where we will be celebrating creatives and providing their contact information. We will be updating and adding to the list during this month and the following months, so keep checking our new page.
Elizabeth Meitzler has a new book out, The Assist (Book 2 in the Ballantine Boys series). Be sure to visit her on our Author Page.
Tony Valerino recently published his second book. Pivotal Moments That Shaped America, History of the U.S. from the Boston Tea Party to the War on Terror is available in e-book, hardcover, and paperback at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Also check your favorite local bookstores. Valerino will be featured in the February issue of This Awful Awesome Life.
Everything in Between is now available as an audiobook and in hardcover or paperback. The narrator, Louise Porter, does a wonderful job bringing Sabrina and her story to life. I can’t wait for you to have a listen. You can purchase the audiobook for Everything in Between on Amazon, iTunes, or Audible. https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Everything-in-Between/dp/B0DDR8GRWS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TV0J0HCWYT7T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tdRKc5MxwdOobXZOLckDvQ.0BXe9QYH3JnZOn9j0LC6Yy6gCG9UI3lIcRu4KlRnIPs&dib_tag=se&keywords=everything+in+between+by+frances+joyce+audiobook&qid=1725234363&sprefix=everything+in+between+by+frances+joyce+audiobook%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-
I’m incredibly proud of this novel. If you enjoy my writing, you should definitely check it out. Independent authors can’t afford splashy book launches and expensive PR campaigns to make the public aware of their work. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Adults can and should be able to disagree without threats, name calling, spreading misinformation, or lying. Can the leaders you support do this?
Now more than ever, I encourage you to watch C-SPAN and get to know the members of Congress, the members of the president’s cabinet, and the leading experts who testify at Congressional hearings. Listen to what they are saying and what they refuse to say out loud. Do they actually care about the Constitution and the people of this country?
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Happy Reading,
Fran