As we creep closer to the end of the year, I like to look back on the most popular posts on the blog from 2025.
Before I share the posts, I want to thank you all for staying with me all these years. I had over 1.41 million views in 2025 (still counting). I have had over 5.6 million views all time (since August of 2007). Each year I have had more than the year before. On days when I think I have nothing to share, knowing that all of you read this blog and count on it to help you help your readers is what keeps me going.
Yesterday I shared my most popular guest post of 2025. Today, I am moving on to revisit the posts I wrote in the last 12 month that resonated the most with all of you.
First I want to start with the Just Say No to AI series I started this year. Those posts were all up in the top 10. You can pull up the whole series here. The most popular of those posts (and in the top 2 of my posts this year) was the one that started the series:
Here is the thing though, that post and others like mine getting out there with this info led to Google stopping this from working. Sigh. I mean, yaya that we got the word out, but boo that Google also listened. I already have more Just Say No to AI posts planned for the new year.
Back in February I wrote about why Dark Romance is so popular and gave you links to help you get your displays and lists ready to help patrons.
Right at the end of December though (almost exactly 12 months ago), I had a post that got many clicks over the course of this year, some of that is because I reminded you multiple times throughout 2025 hat I wanted this to be all of our goals for 2025.
We are still not there in terms of this goal, but I hope you return to this post as the year ends and think about how you did in 2025 and make a plan for 2026. This is not a goal we can reach and be done with it; this is something we need to prioritize each and every year, even when things are going well. As I say in the post:
To that end, I want all of you to take a moment as we move from one year to the next and really think about how you are going to communicate your worth and articulate exactly what we do throughout 2025. I want you to start speaking out about how great we are BEFORE people try to attack you. I want you to do it in 2025 but then keep doing it, on a regular basis going forward.
Library workers too often are uncomfortable bragging about themselves (best case) or are afraid to sp-eak out for fear of retaliation by book banners (worst case).
To this I say-- GET OVER IT.
We have not prioritized telling our story. We have ALWAYS let others define us. And when we do try to advocate for ourselves we do stupid things like tell people are services are free. THEY ARE NOT FREE. EVERYONE HAS PRE-PAID FOR THEM.
I give you links to articles that will help you craft your story. I really do hope we keep this goal going into 2026.
Now on the the most popular post, one that defined the second half of my year:
This year was a whirl wind for me as I severed my official ties with a public library (left the library board after 24 years as an elected trustee) and jumped head first into being an author of books for the general reading public.
At every stop, in person or virtual, I brought the work of all of us library worker to a wider audience. And I still have plans to do more in 2026 including an appearance with Paul Tremblay, John Langan and Eric LaRocca in the Boston area on 1/31 (details soon). The great thing about this book is that it is evergreen. I can be out there promoting it for years to come. And I plan to do that.
Along the way this Fall, I met readers, library workers, new writers, and horror fans. I will always be grateful that this book resonated with people. I heard over and over again how important this book was to fans for themselves and to share with their family and friends to explain why horror means so much to them. I also heard from many people who knew about the authors in my book but were not sure if they would like their books, but by trying these authors on for size through their essays, they are ready to fully embrace horror.
And of course a HUGE thank you to the authors from the book who joined me along the way-- Rachel (3x), Clay (3x), Grady (2x), Sadie, Alma, Victor, Cynthia, and Hailey. We had a lot of fun and I know we introduced everyone to new authors. One of my favorite memories is from Westport, CT when Rachel matched all of our books with their corresponding Starbucks order. Or when Clay scared the entire audience at the Twisted Spine. Oh also when Victor said the working title of his new vampire novel set during the 1980s is "Crackula." You can relive all of these events and even see Rachel's "coffee alikes" at that post here.
And of course, thank you to the team at Saga for trusting me, for spending the time and money to get this book out into the world, for promoting it, for celebrating me in person in NYC, and just everything it takes to get a book into the world.
I will have even more to say about this journey and the places it has taken me before the end of the year and of course in my posts to start the year as I always look back on the year that was before presenting my goals for the year to come, but for now, just know that I appreciate all of the support.
It is not an exaggeration to say I could not have done this without all of you, the library workers on the ground putting books in people's hands every day. This book was dedicated to 4 specific library workers, but it is in honor of all of you.
So thank you for following me here on the blog every day, thank you for buying my book (Saga had to restock Ingram a few times already), thank you for voting for me to make the September LibraryReads list, but most importantly, thank you for helping your readers (horror and otherwise) all year long.
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