Seriously, I’m pretending the new year just started this past weekend. Why? I’ve been sick nearly straight through since the weekend after Christmas. In all honesty, I was due – I very rarely get sick, I’ve been under a lot of mental stress, and once the holidays ended my body just went, “THAT’S IT. WE’RE SHUTTING DOWN.”, and BAM! Bring on the plague.
However, I am finally feeling pretty much 100% again and can’t wait to dive into my goals for January (which I am epically behind on)! Despite being sick, it was actually really nice to spend nights just vegging out with Netflix on the couch, and forcing myself to just RELAX. Yeah, the sickness part sucked, but I am so happy with myself for using all my free time to chill and recover, and not try and be working on projects and goals through the whole thing. It was a much needed break.
Today I want to talk about zines! As I mentioned in my yearly goals post, I really want to start reading zines. Why? Simply put, I feel they are right up my alley. I love memoirs, and personal blogs, and zines just seems like a fabulous mini-version of that. Plus, with every purchase I am supporting an indie business/artist/writer, which is yet another thing I love to do. So all around, it just seems like something I’m going to love.
I have to thank the wonderful Sonya Cheney for introducing me to the term ‘zine’ last year. As a zine writer herself, she had a few posts about them when I first started following her and I was instantly intrigued. Recently, she put together this post highlighting her favorite zine distributors. It’s an amazing jumping off point. There are pages and pages of zines to browse through! Here are my top picks for my first order:
Via Pioneers Press:
Anything by Julia Eff. I was drawn in by the titles, and after reading the descriptions, they sound amazing.
Better Days: Stuff That Helps With All This Anxiety by Sarah Rose. Given my anxiety struggles as of late, this sounds perfect.
Via Stranger Danger:
Always and Forever: A Zine About Friendship
Dig Deep, any of them.
I still need to decide what to order, but you can be sure they’ll be a post on my January picks! Do you read zines? What are some of your faves that I should check out?
anopensketchbook.wordpress.com 
If you order anything by Julia Eff, you have to let me know what you think. A number of them have been on my list for a while now because they really do have some of the best titles. Plus, I think Read Once and Destroy has some of my all-time favorite cover art. I also can highly recommend Dig Deep and Always & Forever. Pals: The Radical Possibilities of Friendship is another good one on the friends track, too. I can’t wait to see what you end up getting because I could seriously talk about zines all day!
Yay!! I ordered a few of yours, and some by Julia Eff….cant wait to get them in!! We’ll definitely have to discuss!! Saving Dig Deep and Always and Forever for February. š
I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the zines…and I’m so glad you’re feeling better!
Thank you! Me too! š There will definitely be posts about the zines, so you’ll hear for sure.
Also, I just realized that your posts have stopped showing up in my reader…I’ve been catching up. Now I just need to figure out how to get you to show up again!
Strange! I never use the reader, so I’m no help (I opted for updates just come to my email – it’s easier for me). I did randomly have my email decide one time to start sending all blog post updates from those I followed to my spam folder…for no apparent reason. That was annoying!
I’ve never read a zine but they sound very interesting! I’m really glad you are feeling better š
Jessica
the.pyreflies.org
I haven’t read many zines, but I love the fact that they’re still around. Can’t wait to see your future picks.
I should have my first few in in the next couple days or so – hope they’ll be great!