Tag Archive | Reading

Being Proud of Yourself

Feb5

I was out and about, getting ready to come home and really needed some coffee. I’d had to have a fasting blood test done, so…. Imperative mode activated. Thought of McDonald’s, but didn’t want the drive thru lane. Then I thought hey, what about Casey’s? Good coffee, GREAT breakfast sandwiches, and the podcast I listen to mentions them so often!

And then I thought…. Hey. How about you be proud of yourself, go home and make a pot of coffee and your own breakfast sandwich.

The thought stopped me. Tripped me up. Being Proud of myself. I don’t often think about it, about progress made, things I’m proud of. I’m just getting through the day.

At the end of 2025 I made a plan for 2026. Picked out a word of the year, even. It’s Live, for those who are wondering. I got too into hermit mode again, and need to get out more and do more

It  means I’m cooking again. I don’t enjoy cooking, but I cook once and eat for 3 days. Salads almost every day because I enjoy them. It means spending the night once a month with my sister. It means doing crafts while on a video call with my niece. And decluttering on video call with one of my besties.  It means doing easy, beginning workout so this summer I can walk to the parade route and not have to worry about parking. Just take my chair and go. 

I’m not writing as much, but nothing fiction wise stuck. I am writing letters. My Coffee Epiphany happened at the post office, where I had dropped off 6 letters with family photos and sent them where they belong. I’m writing the letters for care home residents, they’ll be ready to go tomorrow. I am writing, just not the way people feel I should. 

Mostly, I’m taking control. Instead of tucking in and reading a book, I’m crafting, writing letters, redecorating , de cluttering, getting healthier and and and…. And I’m still reading.

But if I hit 464 new books in a year again, I don’t know that my body will recover. And that total– that’s only the new books, not the re-reads. I’m still reading, just also living.

I’ll be back to Fast Fives soon.

What are your goals for this year?

Fast Five: Your Reading Jornal

Jan14

When I go on YouTube and watch Reading Jornal videos,  sometimes I get inspired. Other times I think to myself “That is never going to be me.” Artistic, intricate and beautiful. Works of art. Some print the covers of the books they’ve read, others draw books on shelves and write the titles in.

There are the store bought reading journals, that come with pre-drawn bookshelves, places for book reviews and TBRs and Book Club reads. They end up both too much and not enough. Too many things I won’t use– if I write a book review, it’s almost always broad strokes before I write it here, good reads and/or Amazon. I don’t do it for every book. I read too much for that LOL. Book club? No, thank you. And the book shelves? Never enough space for all the titles I read.

So if it isn’t a one size fits all– how do you go about making a Reading Journal that you’ll enjoy? That you’ll use and get joy from it?

  1. Decide what type of .journal you want. This goes beyond pre-made or self made. If you’re making it yourself, what kind of notebook/journal do you want? Spiral notebook? Composition book? Journal? For me, I use a Big sized Happy Planner notebook. I like being able to take paper in and out, and the paper is heavy enough I can write on it with felt tip markers and it not bleed through.
  2. Think about what you want in it. For the list of books I’ve read, I’m perfectly ok with just a list. It’s numbered, with the title and date finished on it. I made a bookshelf with washi tape and hand drawn books  only for my 5 star reads. Some people want space for book reviews. Do you want multiple bingo cards or just one?
  3. Play around with it. There’s no right or wrong way to make your journal. Play with the format. Have fun. One of my bff’s (and family member) is trying to figure out how to make stickers scratch n sniff
  4. Whether you like stickers, making your own artful pages or prefer tables and graphs to art, make sure it appeals to you. You are the one who has to make it and use it. Chances are, you’ll use it more if you enjoy it. I have a page that is a pretty pink scrapbook paper covered in romance book trope & smutty book stickers. I love it.
  5. Have fun. Relax. Experiment. This isn’t a YouTube tutorial. It’s a hobby that should make you feel good. It should help you relax, give you a little joy.  If it’s your first one, don’t worry if you don’t use all the pages you made. It just let you know what you can leave out next year.

I hope you give making your own Reading Journal a go.

If you already have one, what are some of your favorite pages in it? I’ve  got room to add!

Fast Five Goal Catch Up

Sep29

Oh my goodness! It’s been a minute!  But summer is well and truly over, and it’s time to knuckle under again 😳 Heres a really quick update on the goals I had for this year:

  1. Reading goal has been crushed three months early according to Good Reads. I don’t know why this irritates me– but it does. I have days of re-reading old favorites, but I don’t count them. So I think the goal was appropriate, just… I feel let down that the goal was accomplished early instead of closer to the end time.
  2. ARCs are still a thing I love. I’m happy to report that I’ll have 2 upcoming for you. One, I’ve already read and am just collecting my thoughts. The other I’m awaiting with bated breath.
  3. Writing has been different (see below). I haven’t been writing as much, as my writing buddy and I seem to have taken the summer off. The poem a day is so far behind and I’m not sure if I want to resume it or not.
  4. I still doodle around with my fiction. I say I have several stories that I keep hopping around in, but they are all built in the same world so I’m not sure how good or bad that is. I’m having fun and that counts..
  5. I have been keeping up with writing for the Ladies of Horror Picture Prompt. You should go and read some of these amazing stories and poems! If you’re more of an audio type person, there are reading in YouTube done by the lovely Elaine Pascale, The Godmother of Horror here

Ta for now, my lovelies! Let me know if I got the links wrong and I’ll get them long form lol

Hurt Feelings? Bookish Talk

Jul30

I’m a mood reader. Grade A, 100%. I range from Rom-Com to this book will dehydrate you with the amount of tears you’re going to shed.

There are two books that I started and had to stop reading them. One by Jenn Bullard, and one by Sadie Kincaid. My heart hurt too much to read them at the time.

My mental health matters and so does yours. Even if it means putting down a book only 10% in. Or 85%.

I read a lot of rom-com after putting those down. Happy, bright, no tears for me. I’m not sure why I needed it. I enjoy them, some have even elicited belly laughs.

But I started Dancing almost every “Rom-Com” or “cozy” sorry I started.

I needed my feelings hurt.

That might sound strange to someone who doesn’t read. Or use it this way. But when I need a good cry, and  Jenn made me bawl and I’m pretty sure Sadies’s on the same trajectory…

Sometimes, you need a good cry. But the tears won’t come.

And the right book can help.

Even fiction can help you heal.

Angry Readers: Fast 5

Jun11

OR: How to anger your readers before even writing a word

  1. Constantly shifting publishing dates. Let’s be honest, we as readers don’t care if the date comes quicker. But if you leave us hanging? And then do it repeatedly? Some readers might lose their desire to read your work. Some might even, gasp, forget about it. Give yourself a cushion. We love happy surprises like a fav author publishing a book ahead of time
  2. Having a release coming up and then…. The title and you disappear. Now we all know, stuff happens. But as an author, you should at least apologize on your socials, or somewhere your fans can find it. If you’re ok, that is. At this point, some fans are wondering if you are ok.
  3. Stop writing in the middle of a series that has to be read in order. Looking at the fantasy genre here. I wait now, until all books are done and able to be bought. I do the same with duologues. If there’s a hint of a cliff hanger, well. I’ll wait, thank you.
  4. Don’t change the way you send out ARCs without letting the readers who get them know. It’s a wonderfully quick way to sow discontent around your new release. Wanting to send to only people who hype the pre-release on socials? Go for it. But make sure you let the people who you told reviews on blogs, Amazon and Goodreads were great that they aren’t getting said release. You are a writer. That kind of stuff should have been clearly communicated via email (since you have their emails).
  5. Don’t write a book you don’t love. Trust me. We the readers know when you are writing something and you don’t love it. We might not be able to say exactly what’s wrong with the story, but for your fans? It’ll be an irritant at the least. And when it’s really bad? We, the readers, will DNF.

That’s my fast five for pissing off your readers. While authors who committed the above have come across my TBR pile, and may still remain… Those things do impact how your work is seen when it does, finally, come out

What do authors do to annoy you,, other than the actual writing?

Bookish Thoughts: Publishing Calendars

May8

I’m coming at this from the reader’s Point of View.

As a reader, you pick up on things. More traditionally published authors have a fairly regular yearly schedule. For years, I’ve known that one of my fav fantasy authors would publish a book right before my birthday. Once a year, like clock work. Except this year, the clock stuttered. The book isn’t coming out until fall. There are some who miss their deadlines, but many of them follow this formula.

Then there are the indie authors. Some publish once a quarter. Some publish more. And I know I’ve talked about how some of the books have been… Below par. But I’ve also told you about the ones that have exceeded all expectations.

Devyn Sinclair. Ari Wright. Jillian West. Jenn Bullard.

I’m reading just about everything they publish. Ari Wright, there was one I couldn’t read because I don’t do well with time jumps. My brain doesn’t function great with the back and forth on timelines. I have 1 series to start with Devyn, and I’m choosing to wait for when there’s a desert of things to read.

I don’t know how these four ladies do it. If they waited  until they had a book in the bag with the next ready to go. Maybe they write that quick. It can be done– has been done for ages. Some authors use pen names. Some just do it

And while there may be little mistakes– let’s face it, mistakes happen with traditionally published work as well. But there aren’t huge mistakes. Like changing from 1st person to third or vice versa.

I still have authors that I love that publish once a year, or sometimes less (life happens). But for me– I appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to get that volume of work out in a year and to have it stick the landing.

For some the dream will always be traditional publishing, and that’s great. But there are those whose dream is to get stories out and get them read.

I’m so happy to be reading them.

Onto the next book!

Bookish Rant: 5 Things

Apr24

I hit two of the five aggravations below today. Not in the same book but still. Some are book specific and some are for KU as a platform.

Ready? Let’s go!

  1. Parallel timelines in the story with the same characters. Or extensive flashbacks. Give me a Part 1 and a Part 2. Or, here’s a theory, give us the backstory threaded into the present timeline. A lot of secrets come out when alcohol is involved. Or a good knock down, drag out fight.
  2. Using the word “pregnancy” in the title of a romance and not have the pregnancy happen till the last quarter-ish of the book. Come on! False advertising. Sometimes a girl just wants a good accidental pregnancy romance and having it pop up at the end ain’t it.
  3. Books that are published as a duet or trilogy, when the page counts do not support that format. I can read a massive book. Lots of us do. I understand that some people don’t, but if your part 1 is less than 200 pages— this should have been 1 novel. Perhaps the payout is better in KU for two books? I don’t know. It doesn’t bother me with the longer books, 300+ pages. I just wait until all the parts are released to read it. But for the shorter ones? I don’t know. I kind of feel like they are being published as written, and frankly stories can change in the writing. Or maybe you go the way of Martin or Rothfuss and leave us hanging.
  4. My Kindle putting book recommendations on my lists that will not be published for 5 months. Its April, 2025 right now and I’ve even seen one with a pub date of January 2026. Really? I understand putting it on a calendar but please quit making most of my recommendations be impossible to read right now.
  5. Amazon and Goodreads are linked, correct? So the both know when I haven’t finished a book. So why do I still get recommendations for a series that I DNF’d the first or second book?

I know. I’m a Bookish brat. Can you forgive me?

What are some of your pet peeves?

Authors who Challenge  you

Feb19

As readers, oftentimes we have triggers that we just can’t cross. That mess with our mental health. We adhere to those boundaries to protect ourselves.

Now, I don’t read books about cheaters– either male or female. It isn’t a trigger though– I just have little to no respect for the characters. There are exceptions, but it’s a generally held line.  I just don’t see the appeal .

Triggers are different. The reason for not reading those stories has more to do with your own mental health. About content that can cause you to spiral. For many of the women I know, that includes violence (in all forms) against women. In addition, I have triggers that have to do with drug and alcohol use. Those mentioned above are actually my personal biggest triggers.

However, I can no longer say I will not read a book with those triggers. I’m just very very careful about which authors I’ll trust with those issues.

Jillian West.

Jenn Bullard.

Jillian West pushes sometimes on my drug use trigger. Not often, but it does happen. It was handled so well, I started reading everything she wrote. Most of her work doesn’t phase me, but when it does she has trigger warnings outlined and it makes sense in the book. Honestly, like probably 90-95% of her work gives me the warm fuzzies. They are like stepping into a movie with your besties.

Jenn Bullard is a different beast entirely. And I do mean beast. If Jillian is like going out with your bestie– Jenn is the friend who is going to push you to your limits, hold you when you fall apart and then put you back together again.

Why am I telling you this? Welllll….. Jenn Bullard has a new book coming out in two days. In a previous book, “Forget”, oh it took me so long to pick it up and a little while longer to open it. In the forward, she tells readers it’s going to be a rough journey. Be careful of breakable objects. She ends the forward with “Okay, deep breaths, friends. Come yell at me later.”

I needed those deep breaths. Her work wrecks me in the best way possible. Bullard does what so few others can do– break a readers faith in a character and then bring them back into a reader’s good graces so we start rooting for them.

Jenn’s books mean many tears for me.

They are cathartic.

Oh, so cathartic.

Bad things happen to good people and still they survive. They find a way to thrive. To get to a Happily Ever After. And sometimes that HEA includes therapy, and that’s ok.

Her newest comes out on the 20th. I won’t be around for a bit– maybe I can be brave and meet it on Day 1 this time.

So, my Lovelies, do you have authors who break you & put you back together again?

Talk to you soon!

2025 Goal Setting

Jan1

Happy New Year’s, my Lovelies! Is 2025 being kind to you so far?

I normally do intentions, but this year I’ll call them goals. I can work towards a goal– we do it all the time.

Reading Goal: 300. Why did I make it LESS than what I read last year? Because hopefully I’ll be writing more, and doing more.

Writing Goals: Poem a day. Already have today’s done 😀 However we are also keeping our writing hour Monday thru Friday. I finally got a story that feels like it has bones. Like you can hang a novel on it and it will walk away into the ether. The goal is to both write it and self publish it in 2025.

In my personal life, my goal is to get out more. I have fully bought into the writer as hermit thing and it isn’t working for me. Well, it is.. but there are things I want to do as well. Places to go. Things to see. People to visit hehehehe. Some of those places are close, some involve a train ride and the windy city, and maybe one that could qualify as a road trip. I’m going to have to save save save for it! But even if I don’t go on the big trips, there’s nothing keeping me from the little ones.

So. That’s what I hope to do in the upcoming months. It will be interesting to read it on December 31, as I get ready for a goals check in!

Do you have any goals for 2025, reading, writing or personal?

2024 Wrap Up

Dec31

2024 I had some definite goals for both reading and writing (excuse me, intentions). Some personal ones as well. Here’s a check in on how the first two went.

To absolutely NO ONES surprise, I crushed my reading goals. So much so that I had to keep moving the goal posts out further. 150 became 180 became 220. I am ending 2024 having read 343 books. 344 if I finish the one I am currently reading. People ask me how, and I’ll tell you the secret. While I often have my television on for background noise, I only watch a few shows. Between COVID and the writers strike, I just started reading more.  I also work from home so spend zero time commuting.

Writing. I am not where I wanted to be but am doing better than I was. At one point I had 4 or 5 different stories bumping around in my head and would switch around. I finally found one that has legs on it and have been working on it exclusively.

I’ve also started writing more poetry. And submitting it! I’ve never submitted to an actual poetry market before, but I’ve done it now lol. And it feels good.

Really good.

Tomorrow will be time enough to reflect on goals for 2025. Today, I’d like to bask in what did go right in 2024.

Happy New Year’s, my Lovelies!