As promised, this week Iâm giving you a behind-the-scenes look at my Substack. For each newsletter/post I publish, I receive stats on the number of emails opened, views, clicks, likes, comments, etc. Itâs fun for me to look back at the end of the year to see what resonated most with my readers. Perhaps youâre curious too, or you need a second chance to catch a trending post you may have missed.
Letâs dig in and see what sparked your interest over the past year. Here are the Top Ten Most Valuable Posts of 2025 (based on the number of views).
#10
My Bookstack, May-June
My Bookstacks, published every two months, give ratings and reviews of books I've read. These posts are always popular, with comments and suggestions from other readers adding to the conversation.
#9
Are You Carrying a Full Worry Box?
I donât remember where we first heard of the concept of a âWorry Box,â but it was an apt analogy for the worrying tendencies around our home. While Iâm typically an optimistâalways hopeful and looking on the bright sideâmy husband balances me out with his concern over things that could go wrong.
#8
Our Happy, Horrific, New Orleans New Year (part 1 of 3)
As a writer, Iâve struggled with how to tell this story. To focus on the travel, food, the Sugar Bowl game, and Notre Dame win, seems disrespectful to those who lost their lives on New Yearâs Day. But to focus only on the terrorist attack gives the evildoer a victoryâallowing him to steal not only those lives, but also the joy of our lives, and the New Orleans that we saw bursting out in music, art, dance, food, and community throughout the city.
Not only was Part 1 of this story popular, but Parts 2 and 3 had my highest email open rates of the year.
#7
Happy Birthday, my sweet book-baby. đŁ
Sheâs arrived! đŁđđ Empty-Nest Joyride made her debut into the world today and sheâs ready to fly!
One thing Iâve learned is that launching a book is not for the faint of heart! There were a few times this week I thought my brain might explode with all the different tasks I was trying to juggle. But giving birth was never easy, was it?
#6
Little Tykes, Endless To-dos, Loveable Trolls, and Lasting Takeaways
Iâve struggled all week to find a theme for this post, putting pressure on myself to impart some great nuggets of wisdomâsome lasting takeawaysâfor you, my reader. I havenât written to you in over a month, and during that time, Iâve had countless bright ideas pop into my head. Unfortunately, if I donât jot them down, they vanish. Midlife brain works that way...
#5
From Life to Death to Life
How do I begin to describe the past ten days? When you lose a loved one, everything about your normal life stops, even as the rest of the world keeps spinning around you.
#4
A Post-Wedding Post
Reflections from a Mother of the Bride.
You know that feeling you get after returning from an amazing vacation? You spend hours planning and anticipating, and then gazing at those sparkling turquoise waters, majestic snow-capped mountains, ancient architectural wondersâthe unforgettable sights dreamed of for months.
Like any great trip, the adventure of Leahâs wedding began long before the big day...
#3
My BookStack and 2024 BestStack
You might be wondering whichâof the 37 books I read in 2024âwere my absolute favorites. These are the books that stuck with me the longest and that I told others about the most often. My love for them bears repeating.
#2
And the #1 post in 2025 wasâŚ
Springing𪝠the Big News!
It's time to spill the tea. đŤ
Like daffodil and tulip bulbs that sleep quietly underground for a season, thereâs a special project that Iâve been keeping under wraps. Unlike flower bulbs which pop up after a few months in hiding, this projectâonce just a dreamâtook root over six years ago. And itâs finally ready to bloom!
To sum up this yearâs top posts, my readers seemed most interested in:
My book release. (# 1, 2, & 7) đ Thank you so much for your support! If you havenât picked up your copy of Empty-Nest Joyride yet, itâs available wherever books are sold online. If youâve read some or all of it, leaving a rating or review will help others discover âHope, Love, and Purpose on the Road to Contentment!â
Book reviews. (# 3 & 10) đ Itâs awesome that weâre all becoming more avid and engaged readers! In the words of Austrian poet Rilke, and often quoted by Anne Bogel (a.k.a. Modern Mrs. Darcy):
âAh, how good it is to be among people who are reading.â
Life stories. (#4, 5, 6, 8 & 9) The little joys, unexpected sorrows, everyday concerns, and big happenings that make up my life and yoursâand what we can glean from them. Itâs been a joy to take this ride together!
I look forward to another year ofâŚ
Writing for you,
Linda
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Let me know how you discovered me, what posts you enjoy, what youâd like more (or less) of, etc. Or just let me know you were here by hitting the â¤ď¸.
Thanks for this, Linda. Great idea! I think I may try doing the same with my Substack next week! Now, I want to grab a bit of lunch and sit down to read your Top Ten! Bless you!
Thanks, Linda for sharing your life with us. I pray the Lord blesses you this year as well and shines His face on you and yours.