I've rounded up the ratings for everything I read and watched in 2025. Click the link for the exhaustive results. Sinners, Frankenstein, The Bear, and Sorry, Baby topped the charts. Stranger Things missed the mark. My only five-star read was a previous favorite. On the whole, 2025 was mixed.

Every New Year's Eve, me, my husband, and our two gremlins reflect on the past year and make lists of things we hope to accomplish, change, or adopt in the year to come. My intentions are linked below and focus on everything from writing, branding, hobbies, lifestyle changes, and volunteering.

My 2025 wrap up is live! It includes a recap of my writing projects, a look at the year's reflections, and my favorite reads/watches/listens. #writingcommunity #wrapup #yearinreview

More AI bullshit. Lovely. Perhaps it’s time to remove my EPUB from Amazon.

Question for the elder emos: Do you have a favorite winter/festive song? Mine's "December" by Neck Deep (the original's better than the many remixes). I have a whole Christmas playlist, but this one's got its claws in deep. #elderemo #neckdeep #december

@amberherbert.bsky.social and I are doing an art advent this year that we threw together. She's doing writing and I'm doing 3D art. Today's prompt was Ice Planet, and this is my bit. The mountains are quite exaggerated, but I still like it as a whole. The […] [Original post on social.axfive.net]

My November blog is live! It includes Annwyn updates, my read and watch lists (with star ratings), a shitload of book reviews, and my tentative December TBR. #writingcommunity #booksky #writersky

If you're buying books this season, consider snagging a copy of Lipstick Covered Magnet. 100% of sales go to charity. books2read.com/u/mB5wMO forms.gle/J1zt8uih5BTe... #booksky #booksale #blackfriday

If you love horror that subverts tropes and follows an unlikable (and dare I say unreliable) protagonist, pick up a copy of Night of the Mannequins by @sgj.bsky.social! It's a banger. #horrorreads #stephengrahamjones #booksky

"No one is anyone until they are." - Kneecap, Irish film If you're worried you'll never finish that book, land that agent, or get a publishing deal, know everyone who came before you felt the same. Be persistent! Stay positive! You don't become someone by giving up. #authorsky #writingcommunity

Through the end of the year, I'm donating 100% of Lipstick Covered Magnet's sales to three charities: The People's Grocery in Colorado Springs, To Write Love On Her Arms, and the Children's Hospital. You can purchase copies here: books2read.com/u/mB5wMO #booksky #writersky #charity #authorsky

I wrote a deep dive into It (the novel and the two film adaptations) and why I love the story despite its many flaws. If you fancy a read, click the link below. #stephenking #pennywise #it #losersclub #filmsky #booksky

As authors, we’re meant to build platforms. I get it. We need to be visible. But only one tactic has ever worked for me: being unabashedly myself. I refuse to “sell out”. Find what works for you, what’s sustainable, and own it!

#writingcommunity: Where’s the strangest place your books have ended up? Mine is the Colorado prison library. I used to send letters to a murderer.

A great adaptation that includes the major plot beats and themes while elevating Shelley's work through originality and artistic flair. Also, Guillermo del Toro does an excellent job weaving in symbolism and emotional depth. Hardcore fans of the novel should approve.

After a successful few years in films like SMILE and STRANGE DARLING, Kyle Gallner is writing and starring in his own monster movie.

My October blog is live! It includes writing updates, Novel Writing Month goals, spooky read and watch lists, and my tentative November TBR. #writingcommunity #booksky

Annwyn revisions have begun, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the emotional and effective prose I stumbled into this morning. Another fun tidbit: I usually avoid chapter titles but crafted some for Annwyn. My first chapter: What Was, Still Is, and Never Happened. #writersky #fantasy

If you're a slasher fan seeking a new read for spooky season, look no further than Philip Fracassi's The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre. #slashers #horror #booksky

My September blog is live! It includes writing updates, mention of the Colorado Gold conference, my read/watch list, and my tentative October TBR. #writingcommunity #monthlywrapup #booksky #newsletter

Bill Skarsgård returns as Pennywise in the new trailer for HBO Max’s IT: WELCOME TO DERRY, hitting screens this Halloween.

When you're learning an instrument, it's best to work toward the music. I've done a fair amount of sheet work, but it took a while to find the first song I want to learn. It's ambitious but fun enough to keep me working toward my goal: Neck Deep's "In Bloom". #drumming #poppunk #neckdeep

Today in the life of a full-time writer: Start with coffee and contemplation, realize your horror duology is a series of novellas you've been trying to force into novel-shaped packages, and listen to 2000s emo while solidifying your high fantasy's final draft revision plan. #writersky #revising

I guess I know what I'm buying next.

I had the pleasure of reviewing Why I Love Horror, a collection of essays written by genre greats like @sgj.bsky.social, Tananarive Due, and @haileypiperfights.bsky.social. My post is one part review to three parts personal essay (it seemed appropriate). #horror #booksky #bookreview #writersky

Alright, folks! My new and improved newsletter is live. Sign up if you want to receive periodical updates or musings from yours truly. You can subscribe to my newsletters, reviews, or both. Whatever strikes your fancy. amberherbert.com/newsletter/ #writersky #newsletter #booksky #reviewer

My August blog is up! It includes writing project and life updates, my read/watch list (with star ratings), and my tentative September TBR. My newsletter is currently being rebuilt. I'll post a link to the sign-up page once it's live. #writingcommunity #monthlywrapup #booksky #newsletter

Bite-sized review: A decent craft companion to Stephen King's On Writing. Full review: amberherbert.com/blog/zen-in-... #writersky #writingcraft #bradbury #zenintheartofwriting

Incredible partnership and budget spending by a gory reboot! If this wasn't enough to sell you on Toxic Avenger, there's something wrong with you. #fangoria #toxicavenger #horror #nonprofit

If you haven't seen Weapons yet, you should absolutely get on that! It's one of the best horror films of the year, coming in at a personal second (after Sinners). You can read my spoiler-heavy review here: amberherbert.com/blog/weapons... #weapons #horror #filmsky #moviereview #zachcregger

Happy pub day to @chucktingle.bsky.social's Lucky Day! Check it out if you enjoy horror that doesn't shy away from the weird or emotionally profound. #bookrelease #chucktingle #pubday #booksky

After the success of FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES, Warner Bros. is pulling the trigger on another sequel in the long-running horror franchise.

Peter Vincent, you're our hero. Celebrating 40(?!) years of FRIGHT NIGHT.

My July blog is live! It features an honest look at my month-long break from writing and everything I learned during my hiatus. It also includes a list of new side quests, my read/watch list (with star ratings), and my tentative August TBR. #writingcommunity #monthlywrapup #booksky #newsletter

@chucktingle.bsky.social never disappoints. When Lucky Day is gory, it's a macabre Rube Goldberg machine reminiscent of a Final Destination installment. But it's also about how we view our simultaneously insignificant and profound existences. Full review linked below. #horror #bookreview #nightfire

Writers often focus on outcomes well outside their control, ranging from landing an agent to winning a literary prize or writing a bestseller. @amylbernstein.bsky.social looks at how to avoid a cycle of disappointment and failure by focusing on perseverance of effort instead.

The final season of Stranger Things has a trailer. Now YOU must guess what DnD monster and '80s song will go viral because of it. I'm putting money on Strahd singing Cher: reactormag.com/stranger-thi...

My June blog is live! This month's post includes a wrap up of this month but also a candid look at my mindset surrounding writing and my July hiatus from the craft. Word counts are missing, but my read/watch list is offered (with star ratings). #writingcommunity #monthlywrapup #booksky #writinglife

Bite-sized review: The Bear holds a mirror up to everyone hoping they'll punch through the stress of unrelenting ambition and find themselves along the way. Perfect for artists, perfectionists, and anyone running from their past. My full review is linked below. #thebear #seriesreview #tvsky

Happy #Juneteenth! 🤎🙏🏾✊🏾

My latest writing-related adventure starts in just under three hours: Virtual StokerCon. This year's schedule is full of intriguing content. Anyone else attending, in person or virtually? #writersky #stokercon #horrorwriter

After seeing the trailer for The Long Walk, I picked up the novel. It's not without its faults, but it's worth the headspace. Characters are strong and what you learn about the world is intriguing. I'm sure JT Mollner (Strange Darling) will make it shine. #thelongwalk #dystopian #richardbachman

A biting commentary on body image, the importance of beauty, and culture's expectations of women, The Ugly Stepsister is a bloody good time and doesn't shy away from cosmetic surgery and eating disorder body horror. #filmsky #moviesky #theuglystepsister #filmreview #horror #bodyhorror #shudder

Horror isn't oversaturated with message films; great horror films have ALWAYS had solid themes. The current horror renaissance means the genre's audience is larger, and many viewers simply don't seem to "get" the films that convey a nuanced message through a dark, twisted, and often fucked-up lens.

My May blog is live! This month's post includes my summer writing plans, project word counts and percentages, the month's watch and read lists with star rankings, and more. Monthly word count: 32,741 2025 word count to date: 97,895 #writingcommunity #monthlywrapup #booksky #writinggoals

Coup de Grâce by @sofiaajram.bsky.social is a poetic journey through a dark, monstrous, terrifying labyrinth built of slate-gray concrete. It will scratch the folds of your brain, unveiling an unrelenting truth that worms its way into your bones. #horrorreads #bramstokernominee #booksky

Song of the day is "Pale Moonlight" by Dayseeker—one of the songs on my WIP's soundtrack. Sometimes you need a writing playlist, and why not lean into the darkness/demon/monster metaphors whilst penning a vampire horror romance duology. #writersky #WIPplaylist