January Update | in which isabelle knight starts yet another book

Hello, all ye bookworms and writers and readers and other Random People Lurking Around My Blog! ^^ Though that last part sounded rather… ominous. *clears throat* Anyway! I do hope January has been a wonderful month for you all and that it has been full of hot chocolate, writing, and cozy reading!! I know it most certainly has been for me! Today, I thought I would pop in for a little… monthly writing update, if you will.

I fell out of doing these on my blog due to a Very Irritatingly Uncooperative Manuscript (and so I really didn’t feel like I was making any progress worth sharing except for “Stuck in mud. Stuck in mud. Stuck in mud.” on repeat, and I did not feel as though that made for a very nice monthly update), but I thought it was high time that I at long last updated you all on how writing has been going. Oh yes, and reading as well, since I’ve discovered some wonderful books this month!! (Many thanks to all the brilliant middle-grade authors who’ve sent me review copies!!)

But overall, this month has been lovely in terms of writing and friendships!! I am so very grateful to Hallie Kropf and Journey Bloomfield for keeping my spirits up as I struggled through writing and all their support as I wrestled a new story!! You two are the best writing friends a girl could possibly have. 🙂

Now. Without further ado, let this update commence…

Writing

Dear old Island Keepers….

*sighs and pats it on the head*

For those who have lurked around my blog long enough, they shall no doubt be familiar with this middle-grade fantasy. I actually started working on it in January 2025 (gasp!! It’s one-year-old!!!), and it was one of the projects I struggled the most with writing. Figuring out all the tangled plot threads (past Isabelle, whyever did you choose to just word vomit a first draft instead of perhaps actually making the book legible enough for me to read??) was such a terrible headache.

I adore this story. I adore the world and I adore Sunflight. However, this poor story has been set aside for the time being, as I ought not to keep bashing it in the head in attempts to fix it, I have decided.

Never fear though, as I do hope to come back to this story later!! I can’t imagine ever leaving Sunflight behind…

And so, as I have set down my previous WIP, I have also taken it as a chance to go and run wild with this Other Shiny New Idea!! I shan’t reveal anything, but it just such a cozy middle-grade fantasy!!! <333 And I adore the main character so much!!! She’s just….. *melts into bubbles of happiness because I just love writing her so much* And her friends!!! *melts into more bubbles of happiness because animal companions!*

Though, I am getting into the middle, where I must figure out to actually do with this quest I’ve sent her on and keep the… vibes of the book, I suppose. I am trying very hard not to dive to deep into Doom & Despair with this book. Keep it… cozy, I suppose. Like Beyond Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence. That’s sort of the vibe I’m going for. Though I’ve absolutely no clue how to write it. XD

Then again, what writer ever knows how to write their new books?

I’m trying to take it slowly with this first draft and actually figure out the plot threads. With any luck, this shall take around as long as the first draft of Enchantria: Guardian’s Heir did. Which is to say, around six months. Twas a slow process, but it left me with a legible first draft at the end of it!! Past Isabelle knew what she was doing then. *nods approvingly* Unlike with Island Keepers. *glances at Past Isabelle*

*eye twitches*

*resists the strong urge to strangle something*

Travel!

Oooh, look at what we have here. A shiny new section titled “travel”!!

This is because… I went traveling!!! We went to Malaysia in early January for four days, and it was… interesting? We went to Penang, which is basically like this island in Malaysia.

I… do not really know what to say about it yet, really. I’m still mildly sour over it. We were searching high and low to find places to eat, as we had no clue where to really go, and stumbled upon a great deal of Terrible Restaurants, as well as a few Alright Restaurants. You need to know where to go to find food, I suppose. Which we did not. XD And a great deal of the restaurants are overhyped, I would say…

Oddly enough, Penang reminded me of China. Really, as we took the taxi to the hotel, I really couldn’t stop thinking that it looked a lot of China! (Albeit, with some more interesting sights.) But a lot of the buildings and skyscrapers and such looked quite a lot like the buildings back in Chengdu. We did walk to the pier though, and I got a bunch of photos!!!!

And we stayed in this Very Cool hotel room!!! (At least, in my opinion.) It was huge! (Well, not that huge, I suppose, but it had a whole living room, kitchen, two bedrooms — my own room!!!! YIPPEEE! — and this random dark, small study with no windows and a little dim light up ahead that I decided to use as my little writing garret.)

There was also this street that had a bunch of street art and umbrellas hanging over us!!!!

Twas quite fun to walk there and pretend I was this fantasy main character going down this magical alleyway.

Though I must admit, I missed Thailand greatly while I was there. There really is no country like Thailand. (And I confess, I like Thai food better than Malaysian food….)

Reading

I was lucky enough to read a great deal of splendid middle-grade books this month!!! I stumbled across some delightful reads in Kindle Unlimited (including the one and only Greenglass House!!! It is such a gorgeous middle-grade book!!!!! So cozy and just such a perfect winter read by Kate Milford. <33 It has an incredible sequel as well!), and I also found this nifty little thing called NetGalley which book reviewers use to get ARCs.

I have been requesting a great deal of middle-grade ARCs.

Too many, perhaps…

(I’ll get around to reviewing them all though!! Unless I do not like the book, for whatever reason.)

But at any rate, here are some of the books I’ve loved reading this month!

Greenglass House by Kate Milford.

This book is just… *chef’s kiss* There is no book like it, in my opinion. It is such a cozy, wintry read!! The setting is so well built and it really really feels like a real place you could be standing in! The characters were all so well-written as well (and there’s a wide cast of them!). Milo’s friendship with Meddy is wonderful, and the stories and just the way everything weaves together… it is perfect. One of my favorite middle-grade fantasies ever.

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia by Leia Ham.

I reviewed this one a while ago, and it is such a gorgeous middle-grade read!!! I loved seeing a Chinese character in a book that wasn’t one about Chinese culture, and oh my goodness, it is just so full of fantasy and twists, and a wonderful read!!!

Not to mention the ending…

*sobs*

*is still very much not over the climax*

The CFC have yet to forgive the author for that ending.

And it has a magical academy setting!! Which I found positively delightful! It reminded me of Hogwarts a bit (though I feel like every magical academy in middle-grade is just going to be compared to Hogwarts for years to come), and seeing the main character grow and such was just wonderful!!!

The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly

A gorgeous upcoming middle-grade read!!! It is short and yet so full of emotion and hope and depth. And such a wonderful author’s note in the beginning. <3 It’s sort of dystopian, and yet it’s not too dark, and it is full of light and hope and friendship!! Ever so excited for this book to come out!

I was also unfortunate enough to fall victim to a terribly heartbreaking short story written by the one and only Journey Bloomfield. Y’all can read it over here, and tis a wonderful sci-fi story (Tolkien!!! The Hobbit!!) but also…

….

*twitches*

I have yet to forgive her for the ending.

And there we go, folks! That was a sort of wrap of my month in writing! ^^ Do let me know down in the comments what you thought of it!! And also how your own January went! Did you go anywhere fun? Write anything you adore? Finish that scene you’ve been dreading for ages? I’d love to hear from you!!

And before I leave you…

Here! Enjoy an Emma M. Lion meme!!

I swear it makes sense if you take a closer look. XD

Oh yes, and also a LOTR meme!!

Till next time, folks!! ^^ Wishing y’all a wonderful, productive, book-ish February!!

And now I ought to go and finally catch up on all the ARCs I’ve been sent….

-Isabelle