#i'm listening to an audiobook but october was such a good reading month that it made november feel weird

[burins]

@timetoboldlygo tagged me in a people I wanna know better tag meme, which was a delightful notification to receive from someone who came to my wedding. also she did tag me a full month ago and i forgot about it until i went into my drafts even though we fully talked about it IN PERSON.

Last song? the last music i listened to was yo-yo ma's version of ennio morricone's main theme from once upon a time in america. his whole ennio morricone album has been on repeat when i've been writing for like... a month or two.

the last non-instrumental track was uhhhh something han had on in the car! i think it was off yukika's new album.

the last THING i listened to was the audiobook of the old ways by robert macfarland, which i got to via raja shehadeh's marvelous palestinian walks (I am about 15 years late on palestinian walks but it is very good as both explanation of the slow creep of occupation via methods both legal - shehadeh's background - and by force; and as love letter to a countryside.)

i very much enjoyed macfarland's more recent book underland, which is all about caves. (cue everyone who read timkon road trip fic saying "we know.") i liked the old ways, which is all about walking, particularly in britain, but i think he gets caught up in his (admittedly very lovely) prose in a way that sometimes detracts from his arguments. he has a tendency not to question the tone/narrative of his sources, or to present them uncritically, which always sends my little ears twitching. (underland feels better-researched.)

i have now turned a music question into a book rec. ANYWAY!

Favourite colour? I always used to say purple but it's orange... honestly i like colors in combination much better than by themselves. a real sucker for green and orange or blue and a nice coral

Currently watching? taskmaster! i am SO bad at narrative TV. every week someone will tell me about a great show i would definitely enjoy and then i continue not to watch it. i did spend four hours yesterday (like everyone else on the internet) watching hbomberguy absolutely destroy about four people's careers though!

Last movie? not counting hbomberguy?? uh. i watched part of mad max fury road over some guy's shoulder on the plane back in october?

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury? savory/salty

Relationship status? married! :)

Current obsessions? batman/dc comics as it's been for the past uh year. and what a year it's been!

Last thing you googled? i'm trying to dig up old forum posts about the reception of birds of prey (particularly among queer fans/shippers) when it came out. this has involved a lot of googling, most of it not particularly successful, so if you know of what fan sites might have been active around 1999-2000.... let me know what to pop into the wayback machine.

tagging @curiositeath @butcherlarry @girderednerve and anyone else who wants to do this!!

#tag game

[puttingwingsonwords]

September Reading Wrap Up

September was not a great month for my chronic illness, so I didn't end up reading a lot. I did play through Disco Elyisum twice, though. And the books I did manage to finish were really good.

Stats

total books read: 3

2023 reading challenge progress: 71 out of 100 (somewhat behind)

formats: 2 audiobooks, 1 print book

Books

All of the books I read this month were 4.5 or 5 stars! The 5 star rating goes to Don't Want to Be Your Monster.

• Don't Want to Be Your Monster by Deke Moulton (audio, ARC)

rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Just a wonderful middle grade supernatural mystery novel. You can find my review on instagram. I would have absolutely loved to read this as a young horror fan.

• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (audio)

rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

By now this is everyone's go-to cozy fantasy rec, but you know what, they're right. It's great! The author also is an amazing narrator.

• A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (print)

rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

From cozy fantasy to cozy sci-fi. A book like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day.

Currently reading and TBR

By now, the second week of October, I've already finished more books than I did in the whole of September (though, granted, I was already in the middle of three of them at the start of the month). I'm doing the Monster Manor Indie Autumn reading challenge so I've been mainly reading indie books and have more on my TBR.

Right now I'm listening to an ARC of the upcoming Chameleon Moon audiobook, and I've also started the audiobook of Juniper & Thorn (that one isn't indie, but a 12 Books Challenge recommendation). My next non-audio read will be Δάιος by Andromeda Ruins, which I hope to start tonight or tomorrow.

#my reading #books #reading wrap up #booklr

[tolerateit]

MEGGGGGGG! Hi! I am back with "Kate tells Meg what she is reading because she is bored and it is fun" time! I was away on vacation all last week and somehow only read one book. I had convinced myself that I would read more, and brought three books + my kindle, and then smacked myself when I didn't because I COULD HAVE PICKED UP MORE BOOKS WHILE I WAS AWAY. Tsk, let's hope I learn from this mistake this time, it's been a while since I've flown with the intent to go shopping and adventuring and not just visiting family while staying put.

BUT! Before that I finished the Audiobook of Good Omens with the show as the voice cast and I LOVED IT, and now desperately want to rewatch the show and reread the book in some sick cycle of never ending insanity. I highly recommend both !

Then, the book I read was Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas, and holy shit, this book is so atmospheric. I liked all the characters, and the romance was a little slow burny which I adored. Sometimes, the main couples interacts drove me a little crazy, but it was always resolved and they seem to trust each other so much that I just was kinda swoony no matter what. It was the perfect end of summer with still hot day but cool nights read, with a good mix of spooky in there too. It was really a solid 4-4.5 stars for me.

Now, I am reading the Missing of Clairedelune by Christelle Dabos and I hope I have the motivation to finish the Mirror Visitor series, because these books just capture my attention so much. The world building is incredible, and yeah, it can be clunky sometimes, but I feel like it works really well with our main protagionst and narrator. Also, a slow burn over a series??? sign me the FUCK UP. While working, I am listening to the Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer and I like it so far, it's interesting. I like the concept, and Clover is a good narrator, but literally only like 10% into it, so we will see how it goes. I feel good!

anywaysssss I miss you, and I hope you are well :D I am back on my book buying ban for the rest of the year, so yell at me if I mention buying another book from a bookstore!!

THIS IS SUCH A TREAT OMG also also I love how we both enjoyed some Neil gaiman work recently!! I reread the ocean at the end of the lane and I'm still blown away by how good it was. Of course Elena knows has been another top read this month and im looking forward to more cozy/spooky fall themed books in October!!! (also set a book buying limit for the next few months!! No more than 8 books 😉)

#you ask for the tab* #Wonderful mutuals 💖 #Book recs*

[lizziestudieshistory]

Books of 2022 - August

Honestly, I've had a very mixed reading month, I loved some things and disliked others.

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb - I buddy read this with a friend, it was her first time and my 3rd(?) time reading this one and we both really enjoyed ourselves.

Fire and Blood by George R.R Martin - I had a fabulous time with this one, in places it gave me the same vibes I have reading the Silmarillion. However, a few places (Jaehaerys) really bogged me down and it tarnished my experience a bit. Still really wonderful addition to Westeros!

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien - well it's me and Tolkien what do you expect?!

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson - I slightly regret rereading this one, it's always a risk that you'll dislike something on a reread and this was the case here. Not necessarily because it's bad but amongst the rest of the fantasy I read this month Sanderson's simplistic and VERY American style stuck out unfavourably. I definitely think I'm drifting away from Sanderson in some respects as I'm struggling to see past his flaws, so I think I'll steer clear of him until Stormlight 5 is released.

Endless Night by Agatha Christie - I'm slighlty disappointed in this one... I guessed the ending within about 20% of the book and was just waiting for events to play out. I do think I'd have enjoyed this one more IF I hadn't read Roger Ackroyd so recently but still Christie is a great atmospheric writing and her plotting is fantastic.

Verity by Colleen Hoover - I listened to this when I needed an audiobook to keep me company whilst I was cleaning... I have REGRETS. That's all I have to say.

Hopefully September will be more positive, and have less rereads - this month was evenly split and that's not what I want considering how many new books I have to get through. However, I am starting a full-time PGCE tomorrow so I'll be reading less. Let's hope they're good books to make up for it! Otherwise I'm giving up and just reading Tolkien and Hobb in October.

#books of 2022 #books #reading #mini book reviews #august wrap up #ship of magic #robin hobb #fire and blood #george r.r. martin #return of the king #j.r.r. tolkien #Warbreaker #brandon sanderson #endless night #agatha christie #verity #colleen hoover #really not proof read sorry!

[elizabethmulder]

I posted 15,947 times in 2022

That's 2,357 more posts than 2021!

11 posts created (0%)

15,936 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@hayscodeviolation

@smallscreensource

@juliahart

@amanitacaplan

@dailywomen

I tagged 15,944 of my posts in 2022

#the rookie - 949 posts

#nancy drew - 881 posts

#stranger things - 730 posts

#nancy and ace - 503 posts

#pretty - 371 posts

#artwork - 311 posts

#succession - 297 posts

#buffy the vampire slayer - 294 posts

#the wilds - 271 posts

#dair - 263 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i mean i'm constantly reading that i'm not enough xyz for being abc and yeah it sucks even if i have dealt with since being a child *shrug*

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

hi there 👋 is the wilds a good show?

Hey there to you! I really enjoyed it, especially the first season, I still enjoyed the second season it just kinda veered off a bit. It can get darker in tone for some episodes. But I really enjoyed the growth of the characters and seeing how people react to being stuck on an island. It only has two seasons and it definitely ends like there should be a third but unfortunately there won't be. Feel free to ask if there's something more specific you wanted to know.

1 note - Posted August 16, 2022

#4

I’m finally caught up with my dash which I haven’t been in MONTHS or maybe its a year...I don’t know about anyone else my last two years were not chill and slow paced. With the exception of my anxiety which unfortunately does take up my time, I’m hoping to have more time to do more than just keep up with daily tasks. Maybe finally paint my room, write or start on some craft projects. I’m really  trying to work on myself, mentally and physically healing. Just trying to find a better version of my old self. 

1 note - Posted January 11, 2022

#3

Tagged by @hawksnat thank you Nat!

Rules: Tag 9 people you’re interested in getting to know better. 

Favourite Color: Mustard 

Currently Reading: I’m listening to the audiobook of ‘When No One Is Watching’ by Alyssa Cole and on my Kindle ‘Ruin and Rising’ by Leigh Bardugo. 

Last Song: Block Me Out by Gracie Abrams on Spotify and Zombie by Schuyler Fisk on Youtube Music

Last Series: Stranger Things, First Kill and Love, Victor are the only things I’ve watched on my own in awhile. I watched The Staircase and Who Do You Believe? with my mom. 

Last Movie: The Secret Garden, Hustle, Father of the Bride and The 355 are the only movies I’ve watched this month.  

Sweet/spicy/savoury: I do love sweets, that aren’t too sweet, but savory. 

Currently Working On: Trying to motivate myself in starting to redecorate my room. But also declutter in general, need more of a clean space all over the house. 

I’m tagging. @diagnosiskasparaitis @intostarlight @killsandthrills @bisummers

@mkmusicmaniac @my-shields-are-down @kteague  @spaceball @thesedarkcafedays picked a few from my activity, hi! none of you have to but if you want to. <3

9 notes - Posted June 20, 2022

#2

It really wouldn’t be a Taylor album release day if you didn’t sit and think which songs were gonna be the new Dair songs. So far it’s Maroon, Labyrinth and Sweet Nothings. I really need to give more listens though. 

10 notes - Posted October 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Oh, these two have the same birthday…

29 notes - Posted April 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #The fact that Buffy and Dair are still in my top 10 in the year 2022 is !!! to me #I only didn't tag 3 posts. lol #Lets be real that should just be Chenford #I actually made more than 2 posts this year!

[bookloure]

October 2022 Reading Wrap-Up | October has been a very slow reading month for me. Every book in this wrap-up was read on audiobook (salamat, Scribd, YouTube, and Spotify!). If not for audiobooks, I doubt may matatapos ako lol.

Ganun lang siguro talaga ano? May ebb and flow talaga ng motivation to read. Factor din siguro na nahyperfixate nanaman ako sa HotD and ASOIAF fandom in general. It’s hard for me to get into something, but when I do, it’s twice as hard to get me off it. Tambay nanaman ako ng Reddit and YouTube, getting all my ASOIAF fix.

Anyway, it's still a good reading month because I finally ticked off a major TBR book. And ang saya pa kasi I get to read it with friends. (:

So here are three books I finished this month, plus some mini-reviews:

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I 1000% recommend listening to the audiobook narrated by Rob Inglis. I think it's a good way to approach this book. May nakita ako sa Goodreads na ang major complaint nung reviewer was the songs, but I thoroughly enjoyed it on the audiobook. Although I must say, I liked the movie version of the battle with Smaug better. It was anticlimactic in the book.

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I also love this book. I wrote a more detailed review of the book somewhere on the internet. Mas Cartoon Network kid ako kesa Nickelodeon kaya di ko sya kilala at di ko alam yung iCarly. But this was a good introduction, for sure. I look forward to reading more from her. Gustong gusto ko yung authorial voice nya.

Anne of Windy Poplars | ⭐⭐ - I think dito talaga nanggaling slump ko eh. It's my least favorite of the Anne Of Green Gables Series so far. The tone is different from the other books. It's so episodic and fragmented in a way na hindi nag work sa'kin. Anne Shirley just kept magically turning people's lives 360°; it's so unbelievable. The first three books are also episodic, but there was cohesion in a way that AoWP lacked. Parang short story collections lang sya na tinagpi-tagpi. I'm also so tired of them saying shit about Dora. She's a good girl and deserves better. Ang saving grace lang talaga ng book na ito ay si Rebecca Dew eh. Love her character.

Anyway, balik work na bukas. Manonood na lang siguro ulit ako ng Unsolved Mysteries tonight.

#reading wrap up #bookblr

[magnetarmadda]

Hi there! Like probably a lot of people, I'm quite jealous and in awe of the amount of reading you seem to get done. If you don't mind my asking, did you read this many books when you were in grad school? I'm in the last few months of my PhD (in paleontology!) and I've found that working on my thesis has absolutely killed my ability to get through books. Did this happen to you? Did your brain recover afterward? Or did you never deal with the reading slump?

Thanks! (And I hope you're having a good day, because you seem like a cool and nice person!)

Hey, hi! First, best of luck with your final months of grad school!!! Honestly, for me, they were so hard because of the lack of structure. Just, “finish your dissertation” and that was all the instruction really. If you ever wanna chat/vent about that, lemme know!! (Also paleontology!!! That’s so cool!!)

I always like to preface my reading habits with this: I have a very fast reading comprehension speed, and so for me, it averages out to about 100 pages of a novel in an hour and about 75 pages of nonfiction in an hour. In that way, I got lucky with the combination of early reading education, at-home book discussions, and genetics. So I can sit down and read a 300-page book in one evening, which meant that, even though I was only reading only one or two days a week, I was still getting through 50+ a year that way in grad school

I also listen to a lot of audiobooks and love trade paperbacks of graphic novels. The graphic novels can be quite fast reads for me, and this again is partly luck and genetics—my mom’s an artist, so I learned to look at images critically quite young, and can frequently find important info in them quickly. Then, for audiobooks, I do struggle with some chronic illnesses and chronic pain, and I frequently have to check out of life—but I cannot be left alone in my own head, or I rapidly catastrophize lol. I also can’t shut my own brain off when it’s time to sleep, so I listen to audiobooks then as well. I’d say this means I average about 4 audiobooks a month, where they’re usually between 8 and 14 hours (I do listen at 1.25 or 1.5 speed, because otherwise my brain stops paying attention)

I was also lucky with my advisor in grad school. She had a firm self-care policy, in that she cares more about her students’ well-being and health than timely progress. So I never felt like I was stealing moments or neglecting my work—I was trying to cultivate the healthiest version of myself, given all the other factors outside of my control. In the six years I worked with her, we actually spent more than one meeting talking about fantasy novels instead of research, which was lovely

But, yeah, there were a lot of reading struggles in grad school for me. I would go long stretches of time where the idea of opening a book and reading more words was unbearable, because god, didn’t I just spend all day reading and writing?? I also started to not care as much for the types of books I read before grad school, so now I’ve got a few stacks of books on hand I feel guilty that I haven’t read (but I’m trying to recognize that I’ll probably never read them, because tastes can change). So I might've had motivation to read, but nothing I had on hand sounded particularly good

Submitting that dissertation and knowing the hard part was over was actually the biggest relief, I think maybe of my life. I defended in mid-October and then submitted the finished manuscript about two weeks later, and then I spent a solid month just…reading whatever the fuck I wanted to lol. I have a postdoc now (and am applying for faculty jobs 🤞), and the responsibilities are waaaaaay less than as a grad student. In fact, my PI is adamant that I should not do more than 40 hrs a week, and so I’ve been able to plow through books like wild in the last few months

I also want to say: grad school is hard. It’s so absolutely difficult. Master’s programs are rough, and PhD programs are their own rodeo, and it sucks to say (because it sounds awful to most people, I know), but unless someone goes through grad school themselves, it’s hard to fathom what makes it so hard and exhausting. It’s totally okay to cut yourself some slack for finding you don’t have as much energy for other things, even the things you really enjoy. The books will be there waiting, and I'll admit it took me a solid 4 years to accept that myself lol

Thanks for the lovely ask, and I really do wish you well as you finish up 💜 again, I'm here--ask box or dm--if you'd like to take more about any part of the process 💜

#about me #reading #mad answers asks

[chels10621]

I miss reading an actual book

I have a confession to make... I miss sitting down and ready a book. Whether it's sitting by the fire on a cold night or laying in bed with a glass of wine, listening to music while reading.

One of my childhood friends introduced me to an app called "Libby" which I could check out a book or audiobook. It did wonders these past three months, but honestly, I miss holding a book in my hand and just read. Imagine going into another world and being in the main character's shoes.

While I was furloughed during COVID, that's all I did. Order a book from Amazon and once it came in, I read that book. Once I finished that book, I ordered another one. And another. When I went back to work in October 2020, I read a total of six books. Now, I'm a slow reader, but I read those books. The biggest challenge book I read was Outlander. I was so proud of myself when I finished that book. I wanted to rechallenge myself and read the second book, but work was taking my free time.

But what's been difficult, is finding a good book that catches my interest, like Fifty Shades of Grey and 365 Days. I've always enjoyed raunchy books or what people call them nowadays...smut books. They're good! But I understand that not everybody likes that kind of books. Lately, I've found more books to read thanks to TikTok. Yes, TIKTOK! Since Feb 2022, I've listened to five books but work is taking up my free time as usual.

#booktok #booklover #bookworm #raunchy #smutbooks

[starlightyellow]

Starlight's Weekly Finds 3/20-3/27

Hi! My name is Starlight and I want to push myself more to post more of what I like on my account, so what better way to do that then to throw all my niche interests in a post to encourage others to talk about them too! This newsletter will consists of a read, a music wrap, and a movie of the week. As this goes, I'll add more or less depending. thanks for tuning in this week and I hope you come back for the next.

Read of The Month

This week I'd finally gotten around to getting a digital library card from @queerliblib ! The Queer Liberation Library is a free digital library the is entirely comprised of books created by LGBT+ BIPOC authors. They have such a ride variety of audiobooks and scanned copies that I feel there's something for everyone. To apply for a library card is free, however please be mindful it may be a bit of a wait for your library card depending on when you apply. I was lucky and received mine within like a few days of applying. All info to learn more and to apply will be on the @queerliblib socials.

I'm currently reading Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve. It follows a trans guy named Dean who is recently cast as a major male lead in a school play. The story follows how Dean navigates his transition while also juggling graduating school and making it to an acting school in New York. I'm about halfway through and I highly recommend.

Music Wrap of the Week.

Okay so this section alone will probably turn into it's own individual post at some point considering I finally am getting into KPOP. I'm focusing on girl groups right now and I've listened to ALOT this week. Here's only a few of my favorites from the week.

QWER: Secret Diary

Okay, I give. This first song is technically a band as opposed to a girl group. However, their music is so good I have to let it slide. Debuting on October 18 2023, QWER is a South Korean girl band consisting of 4 members(shown below). QWER is such an interesting Kpop group to me with the members pulling inspo and influence from American bands like Slipknot and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They bring something a little different that I really love.

Pictured left to right: Magenta(24), Hina(23), Chodan(25), and Siyeon(23).

XG: Winter Without You

The next on the list came as a pleasent surprise, because I didn't know I had heard a song from them before. You may know this 7 member group from their song Shooting Star, which is a great song, but just a little played out after the sped up version went viral on TikTok. Winter Without You leans more into the RNB aspect of the group's concept, and it makes me feel like Christmas should be here again. If you like modern holiday songs or were a big fan of Ariana Grande's album Christmas and Chill, this song was made for you.

Pictured left to right from top row to bottom: MAYA(18), Hinata(21), Juria(19), Harvey(21), Cocona(18), Jurin(21), and Chisa(22).

Loossemble- Real World

LOOSSEMBLE is a group that caught my eye from their single Sensitive, but Real World I feel is an underrated song on their debut album. Debuting September 15, 2023 LOOSEMBLE consists of 5 members(PICTURED BELOW). This is a new subdivision of the girl group LOONA, with some members also being from LOONA 1/3 respectively. Just like with my other recs this week, the whole debut album is a bop tbh. Honorable mention for Strawberry Soda track as well. I haven't really gotten in my LOONA bag just yet, but if it's anything like LOOSSEMBLE, I'm fully sat.

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: Go Won(23) ,Hyeju(22),Hyunjin(23) ,VIVI(27), and Yeojin(21).

Movie of the Week : TMNT (2007 Film)

To say I'm a TMNT fanatic would be an understatment. No matter what gen TMNT is in, I can always find something to cherish about every form of content that been pumped out ofer the years. More praise should be given to this film as a whole. Yes at points the animation of the turltes can be a little.... jarring to say the least.

However, the storyline is so good I can overlook the jumpscare that is having to look at them during certain scenes. This is one of this first instances on screen prior to the Michael Bay films that I felt really allowed Leo to be more than just a leader to his brothers.

Leonardo in most depictions up until recent years was always shown as the levelheaded leader who rarely has a genuine spat with his team and if he does, it usually has to do with the stress from being a leader and not neccesarily with having to be a brother.

This film follows the turtles after Leo returns from what was supposed to be a few months' mission that turned into a year and him trying to recollect his team. You have Mickey and Donnie who are elated the Leo is home, while Raph carries on as though nothing has changed, almost mad that Leo had the gull to come back.

This boils over into a moving fight scene between Raph and Leo, but the difference from this onscreen arguments between the two than the ones at the time were that they allowed Leo to argue, even physically fight Raph but not as his leader. It was a his genuine brother. They allow Leo to get fed up and tired of Raph's attitude enough to give into the preconceived notion that Raph thinks Leo has about him. If you haven't seen it, I would make it a point to. Especially for this scene alone. Def a 5/5 in my book.

And that's a wrap! Thank you so much for reading my first put together blog post!

#Youtube #loossemble #qwer #xg kpop #qll #queer lit #queer liberation #digital library #tmnt #kpop #realistic fiction #newsletter #trans literature #trans books

[ocean-anchored]

Dear future self... 2024 Goals & Recap

I'm going to be 30 this year. I said last year that 29 was scary but man, I think 30 is going to be interesting & I really don't know how I'm going to feel about it. Especially considering this last birthday was another horrible fail of a year. I was miserable, I was so depressed for all of October. My hope this year is to specifically spend it only with people who I know care about me & that I know are going to be in my life long term, either that or I really am going to book a flight & just peace out for a week over my birthday. I'm really leaning towards the ladder because I don't want to be around for it, but we'll see how this year goes.

Recap: I wanted to save more and stick to a budget which I'm not fully sure I did yet. Until I do my taxes & see how much I owe to CRA which might be scary, then I'll know how much I saved. I have been putting money away, I have like $27k in my savings but I know I'm going to owe a big chunk like maybe $20k to CRA so it's hard to say right now. I didn't really live close to a budget because I ended up being out for like 5-6 days a week the entire year. I wanted to put myself out there more & do more things out of my comfort zone. I think I did some of this. I did more hikes alone, I did go on an incredible 17 day US trip where I planned & organized the entire thing for Ed & I so that was huge. I also explored a handful but mostly New York by myself. Like legitimately left, figured out the subways & getting around & sight seeing, so that was huge for me. I also started going to a new church by myself which was great. I also essentially asked Troy out, a few times which normally I would never do. I've also met another girl, Sandra who is really sweet & great. I actually also started the game night evenings at my place, that was nerve wracking for a time because I hadn't hosted in forever & also putting a bunch of people together who didn't know each other but that turned out really well. I wanted to better my relationship with God. This one hurts me a bit. I feel like the first 5 ish months I really did great. I've fallen short of it. The first few months with Zack I wasn't focused which is very unfortunate. The last few months I've really been trying to get back & focus on this. I wanted to read more books which didn't really happen until about two months ago. I hadn't had any time for reading, then I got the library app & in two months I listened to 4 audiobooks & read a book. I haven't finished the hard copy books yet that I started. I wanted to go to the mountains more, I feel like I started & ended with this better. I didn't go as often as I wanted through the summer but I went on a handful at the start of the year & then this later months I've gone a good bunch of times, including 2 or 3 hikes alone. I wanted to expand my circle of friends. This I feel like I have & this is amazing. I have Amber who I can't rave about more. Sasha has been really great & now her friend Shruti as well. I've also been close with Shane this year. I met Daniel, Jeremiah's friend who him & I have had some really great times together building too. I've seen Sandra twice now & hope to continue building that relationship as she's really sweet. I did meet a girl from church whom I really need to reach out to & apologize for not connecting with. Jeremiah & my friendship has dwindled... he's seeing someone now so the last 3 ish months he's been distant to say the least. I wanted to create a healthy lifestyle, man this one sucked. Not only did I fail so miserably on my self care, but I lacked on my work out routine. Even though I did a lot more walking & for a while I got in a good habit of going out 2-3 times a day with Nova for at least an hour & a half but my eating, everything has been so out of whack. I wanted to rebuild with Steven & Amanda which I really got to do this year which has been amazing. I'm really thankful for that. I wanted to grow more in my career which I definitely did. More so that hopefully these coming weeks I'm going to be training a new girl & going to be learning & taking on a bigger role with Ed. I wanted a better daily routine which I just touched on was not very good. I had short spirts of being on top of it but it never lasted. I wanted to be strong enough & not date, which clearly that didn't last very long at least until May.

#dear future self #yearly recap #yearly goals #dearfutureself

[puttingwingsonwords]

October Reading Wrap Up

My reading has picked up speed this month (though I'm still behind on my reading goal, which is, granted, very high for me); I finished eight books and am in the middle of four more. Yes, four... I usually read two books at a time, one audio and one digital/physical, but I'm embracing the ADHD chaos right now! Hopefully it will help me finish 21 books before the year is over. If not, reading goals are meaningless anyway <3

Stats

total books read: 8

2023 reading challenge progress: 79 out of 100 (somewhat behind)

formats: 5 print, 2 digital, 1 audio

Books

My favourite this month was, predictably, The Sun and the Star. Overall this was my most mixed month yet, with a range from 2 to 5 star ratings—but mostly good!

• The Sun and the Star by Mark Oshiro and Rick Riordan (print)

rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A book about one of my favourite characters from one of my favourite series written by two of my favourite authors, and somehow it still pleasantly surprised me!

• Devout: An Anthology of Angels edited by Quinton Li (print)

rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazing indie speculative anthology exploring the horror, queerness and sexuality of angels.

• Victims of a Map: A Bilingual Anthology with Mahmoud Darwish, Adonis, Samih al-Qasim (digital)

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A great introduction to these influential Arab poets, with the Arabic and English side by side.

• A Flame in the Night by Morgan Dante (audio)

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First erotica I've ever read so it was a bit like jumping in at the deep end... Luckily I loved it! It's polyamorous, it's queer, it's gothic; yes, please, give me more.

• Heart, Haunt, Havoc by Freydís Moon (print)

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

More queer indie horror! I only wish it was longer.

• Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon (print)

rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I was ever so slightly less into this one than the first book, but it was still great. I support women's rights and wrongs. Anticipating the final book with bated breath!

• The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (print, borrowed)

rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It was fine. I only read it because my friend wanted to talk about it and lent me her copy. Not sure why this series got so big, except for the interesting magic system it's not all that special?

• Δάιος by Andromeda Ruins (digital)

rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I was drawn in by the premise and loved the autistic rep, but it really felt like it needed a couple more rounds of editing to improve story structure and overall writing quality.

Currently reading and TBR

I'm listening to the Chameleon Moon audiobook, which I had hoped to have finished already so I'm going to set aside more time to read it! I'm also listening to Juniper & Thorn and reading Activestills: Photography as Protest in Palestine/Israel and A Map of Absence: An Anthology of Palestinian Writing on the Nakba.

I've added several more books on Palestine and/or by Palestinian authors to my immediate TBR to further educate myself. I talked about that in this instagram post, and I've also shared a couple of reading lists and free book offers in the Free Palestine highlight on my page there if you're looking for recommendations yourself.

My attention span has been all over the place, so I'll probably continue to switch between several books. Might have found a good way to avoid reading slumps there? We'll see how far I've gotten by next month!

#reading wrap up #booklr

[cosettepontmercys]

Hi Cossette! Happy (belated) October 🍂 It's been a been quite an eventful past few months hence the slow reply!

Talking about reading, I have been very behind with updating my Goodreads profile, but I have managed to read more than 50 books this year so I'm pretty content! I did find a lot of books a bit forgettable, but I've really enjoyed:

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry

Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick

For The Eras Tour, I haven't thought about making bracelets just yet but I'm definitely going through my wardrobe and fancying dressing up the Reputation Era (esp. the black hoodie look from the LWYMMD music video)!! And ahh I'm also very thrilled about the Paramore guest appearance!! (Castles Crumbling really has been growing on me 💖)

As of Maisie Peters, I still personally prefer the coherence & production of You Signed Up For This (I listen to her debut more often in order), I think The Good Witch really showcased her songwriting strength & her willingness to experiment with new sounds! Out of the 2 albums, which do you personally prefer?

Over the course of the past few months, I've been listening to Guts (Olivia Rodrigo), Bewitched (Laufey), and The Loveliest Time (Carly Rae Jepsen) quite a lot! Carly's latest b-sides is quite a pleasant surprise: it's her most experimental body of work to date but I really enjoyed it nevertheless! I also love listening to the upbeat tracks from Guts - they're quite a refreshing change from Sour!

Other albums that I've enjoyed include: The Rise and Fall Of A Midwest Princess (Chappell Roan) & The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We (Mitski)! I'll need to relisten to these a bit more but they are growing on me 🩷

My recent top pick goes to Laufey's Bewitched: I think this might actually be my favourite 2023 release - it's a no skip album to me and I love how coherent & well thought out her sophomore effort is!! Which songs are your favourite so far? And which of the 2 Laufey albums do you prefer?

P.S. Ahh I'm very excited about 1989 (Taylor's Version), The Eras Tour Movie, as well as the new Holly Humberstone album!!

happy happy belated october and happy eras tour movie day and happy holly debut day! 🤍 i hope you're doing well, jennifer!

i feel like everyone i know has had a bit of a ~ forgettable ~ reading year with only a handful of highlights! i've been in and out of a fantasy slump, which is really frustrating because there's so many fantasy books that keep popping up on my radar!

the reputation era seems like such a FUN era to dress up as !! i saw a bunch of people in rep era-esque outfits at my show and i loved it 🤍 i wonder if she'll sing castles crumbling with hayley each night — i was really hoping we'd get castles crumbling for my surprise song in seattle, since paramore was originally supposed to play in seattle the day after eras seattle, but i also would not trade my surprise songs for the world!

i personally prefer the good witch over you signed up for this, but i do still really love you signed up for this! i think my ranking of maisie albums is good witch → trying → ysuft → dressed too nice for a jacket? maybe? what about you? the good witch is definitely my most streamed album of the year so far, according to apple music replay!

i also loved bewitched, loveliest time & guts, but haven't listened to bewitched or loveliest time as much as i would want to! i've been in more of an audiobook mood lately than a music one! i think i like guts more than sour overall, but i think i like my favorites from sour more than my favorites on guts, if that makes sense? what about you? what are your favorites from guts?

i haven't had a chance to listen to chappell roan's new album or mitski, but i really really need to!! the only other fall release i've listened to lately is del water gap's i miss you already + i haven't left yet! i really want to get bewitched on vinyl i think my favorite might be letter to my 13 year old self, but i need to do a couple more listens until i'm certain! what's your favorite?

i have listened to paint my bedroom black though, and i LOVED it! have you listened to it yet? what are your favorites from it? 🤍

hope you're doing well and having a good october!!!

#post: answered #mutual: jennifer

[bookaddict24-7]

Dangerous Reading Slumps

Crawling out of a reading slump--getting my nails dirty with the letters unread and the sentences unfinished--is messy work. But if we don’t try to dig ourselves out of these metaphors that fail to stick with us; if we don’t try to overcome the mountains of characters that we encounter while trying to leave this cage made of our own hesitations, then how will we read all of the books we want to read? 

The poor books on my shelves will sometimes watch me struggle--fearing that in my haste to find the next read to pull me out of this fog, I will set them aside and never pick them up again. 

But these are the dangers of Reading Slumps. 

#reading slumps #book #on books #on reading #read #reading #reader #my writing #late night thoughts #sigh #i'm listening to an audiobook but october was such a good reading month that it made november feel weird #book blog #book blogger #writer

[svtshuastruck]

Octorber wrap up!

october was a wonderful reading month for me. with 23 books (i did read for 24h straight on halloween) and over 6,000 pages read, it would be an understatement to say that i'm pleased. i'll try to keep this as short and to the point as i can. thank you for stopping by to read this!

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1. the silent voice (koe no katachi) vol 4-7 by Yoshitoki Ōima

ratings:⭐⭐⭐ (4th volume) ⭐⭐⭐ (5th volume) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (6th volume) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (7th volume)

i've written a separate post about the entire volumes of this manga and you can find it here. really enjoyed them!

2. spy x family vol 1 and 2 by Tatsuya Endo

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (both 1 and 2)

absolutely loved these two! it was a buddy read in a discord server and boy was this good. it is a dramatic comedy of a family which follows a tsundere spy father, a hitman mother and an esper kid and the kid is basically the only one knowing about the other two's occupation. hilarious manga and i can't wait to continue reading this!!

3. komi can't communicate vol 1 and 2 by Tomohito Oda

rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (vol 1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (vol 2)

rhbdnepifk 8 books here are mangas rbjdskwe but this was also a buddy read and i really enjoyed this. the chapters were a little too long for my liking but overall, a sweet and cute read!

4. ace of spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

this was the book club pick for sept for the crusty book club! you can find the review here. i will never be able to put all my thoughts into coherent sentences rjfsdnlc. 5 stars it was!

5. with the fire on high by elizabeth acevedo

rating: ⭐⭐⭐.75

so this book follows a teen mom in high school who has a passion for cooking and aspires to be a chef. the audiobook is fantastic ! it is narrated by the author herself and it's just *chef's kiss* this was my first book from this author and i will be checking out the others soon! (also i heard that the author narrates almost all her books so 👀)

6. the black veins by ashia monet

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

this was the book club pick for the vintage books and wine book club. i, for one, DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS BOOK ISN'T TALKED ABOUT MORE. this book, is so good. like so gooooooodd !!

i need everyone to pick this up asap and fall in love with the found family aspect like 🛐 please.

this is book is about blythe, a sixteen year old guardian out of the 7 guardians. it is magical realism, found family trope, absolutely fucking loveable characters. i am adopting caspian and antonio (yes wylan, you're getting sibs). i cannot wait to discuss this book and omg pls just read it okay?

7. how we fall apart by katie zhao

rating: ⭐⭐

sigh this book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021. the premise sounded so good. but it, unfortunately, did not work out for me. listen, it started off great-- the setting is slightly disturbing like you know something is off but you can't put your finger on it sorta vibes but as it continued it was-- no.

the "plot twist" at the end? i like to predict while reading mystery/thrillers and this was the kinda plot twist with like the culprit being the twin we never know existed and stuff (not a spoiler, just an example) like there was no freaking way the reader could have even thought that that person was the culprit. the characters were just flat.

i wish this book had been longer and the motives of the 4 were explored more but to conclude: this book wasn't it for me but if it intrigues you, maybe give it a try!

8. the atlas six by olivie blake

rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

im just going to paste my goodreads review here cause it's past 12am and im tired ---

this was a buddy read (•ᴗ•) woohooo !! i have mixed feelings about this book. i definitely think i would like it more if i were to reread it. the very last portion of the book, i did not understand very well. there was so many things told to the reader that i was just like "huh" all the characters were fascinating to read about. i, obviously, had a fav and a least fav within the povs and characters. Libby and reina were my favs and Callum (oh Callum) was my least favorite the pacing was odd-- it did get better towards the end but still... odd. the philosophical theories and thoughts got pretty repetitive and it kinda made everything weird...? when i was reading it, it was kinda annoying how many times i would think about how much i would have enjoyed this book more if it had an editor. there were some things that didn't make sense. minor spoilers ahead for ex: there's a chapter in libby's pov and it ends with "tristan didn't move until after she was gone". how? how do we know that? that tristan didn't move after she was gone if we're reading from libby's pov? i really liked how the romance wasn't obvious. i was shipping two characters in the beginning and towards the end, i was shipping the same two characters with different people? if that makes any sense. the magic system.... is vague. i was--still am confused about how it works? i wish stuff had been described better. that brings me to: i heard this author's books are going to be published through v.e schwab's publishing company(?) and i'm looking forward to the edited version of her books. the book tries to be intelligent. and i can't say it actually ends up being intelligent. again, i wish stuff was described better. haha now i'm being repetitive--ironic.

im just gonna leave this here and might come back in the morning to edit this haha.

meme break: (more like pun break but oh well xD)

8. everything i never told you by celeste ng

this was a dnf so pretty bummed about that :/ i just wish tws and cws were properly mentioned. dnf at 50% please read all the tws before starting this here i started this on a whim just because i had heard a lot of things about it and while i did check the tws, the website i used did not mention one that i'm often bothered by and... that did not end well.

9. everyone's an aliebn when ur an aliebn too by jomny sun

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

this is such a cute read!! i don't have a lot of things to say but i enjoyed it a lot [><]b

10. if we were villains by m.l rio

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

this was the book club pick for the late night book club! this is eerie atmosphere + shakespeare + complicated relationships + murder. a perfect read for 2 am (i totally did not read it all through the night). this book follows our main character right after he is out of the prison and is met with the police officer who is super curious to know who exactly committed the murder and claims to know that our mc covered it up. and so, our theatre actor of an mc narrates the story in the form of a play. there are acts and scenes and a shit ton of shakespeare references.

an absolute classic, i'd argue, which fits perfectly into the dark academia category. i devoured this book in 7 or so hours and yes, it was read during the readathon xD. the pacing was a bit odd at times and i wish all the characters were shed light on equally but other than that, this book is amazing. i did figure out who would be killed and who killed them but the ride was so enjoyable, i had to give it a 4 star.

11. fangs by sarah andersen

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

my god this is such a cute graphic novel?! i read on tapas and you can find that here. it is about a vampire who falls in love with a werewolf and just follows bits and pieces of their lives and it was the cutest things i've ever read.

12. a house in the cerulean sea by t.j clune

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

this was supposed to be the book club read for the late night book club for the month of may but then the controversy happened and the liveshow was cancelled and the very bored, stuck on page 160 self put it down. i picked it up again in oct because i needed a physical book to read in school and because i read most of my books in their digital form, this was literally my only hope erdbg. i started enjoying it a lot more and sorta realised that i wasn't really in the mood for fantasy read back then haha. it was cute and fun while it lasted and maybe i'll pick up his other book. idk

13. a dowry of blood by s.t. gibson

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

LOVED THIS!! this is a retelling of dracula's wives and polyamorous and queer and just a-may-zing. our main character is unnamed and is referred to by the name her love interest aka dracula gave her and it is like addressed? in a way? to dracula himself. i read the audiobook. highly recommend. ALSO IT IS A NOVELLA SO HOW THE FUCK WAS SO MUCH FIT IN THERE IDK.

14. sheets by Brenna Thummler

rating: ⭐⭐⭐

it was cute. might pick up the next one but idk. art style is stunning tho.

15. the love hypothesis by ali hazelwood

rating: A WHOPPING 5 STARS WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT ME TO RATE THIS SHIT??

IM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE SYNOPSIS INTO COHERENT WORDS BUT JUST READ THIS SHIT OH MY FUCKING GOD IT MADE ME SCREAM OUT LOUD LIKE A CRAZY PERSON AT 11:30 PM CAUSE I HAD TO FINISH THIS FOR A READATHON.

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there we go. it's 1:30 am idk if i'm making sense but do i care: maybe. but do i ? :) oct was a pretty good reading month and i'll catch y'all in my next post okay? okay, bye i'm going to sleep now. and no there are no book pics cause i'm tired okay? bye now oh wait tags. right okay bye.

#books #book review #books & libraries #reading #bookworm #serenity's bookstore cafe #the atlas six #the love hypothesis #what else did i read this month omg #if we were villains #ace of spades #a house in the cerulean sea? #alr das it im tired #if you find this post you are very very lucky okay? #okay now ima go