Have you ever found yourself wandering through make-up aisles and seeing bright, glittery options and wondering who in the world would wear something like that?
It’s me. I would wear that.
So, I was so excited to see liquid highlighters in fun colors at my local Aldi and couldn’t resist getting two to test out.
I read a slightly alarming fact this week.
Apparently, July 2, 2025, marked the point where we are closer to 2050 than we are to the year 2000. I find that so hard to comprehend. Even now, when someone says 20 years ago, my mind thinks the 1980’s. Time is weird and continues to get weirder as I get older.
Existential crisis aside, I did read 7 books in June. I was shocked that the list was primarily non-fiction:
-The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
-Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
-Roar by Stacy Sims
-The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
-Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
-Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
-Relentless Forward Progress by Bryon Powell
Let’s get into the reviews!
I have no idea how it’s already June.
This year has moved so incredibly fast, it’s honestly kind of scary. It’s made me reflect on that one quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I know I need to set aside some time this summer to slow down and enjoy it.
But even with time moving at warp speed, I did have a solid month of reading in May. As you can see from the list, it was an interesting mix of genres:
-Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
-The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen
-The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
-Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
-The Blue Plate by Mark Easter
-Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Let’s get into the reviews!
I feel like the internet lied to me.
After completing Caroline Girvan’s IRON Series multiple times, I was ready to shake things up. I combed through multiple discussion boards where nearly everyone recommended the FUEL Series as a great follow-up to the IRON Series.
So, I decided to give it a shot.
I don’t know about anyone else, but life has been… chaotic? I’m not even sure that’s the right word to describe it. Unrelenting? It didn’t help that I spent most of March either sick with a cold or sick with food poisoning.
But regardless, I’ve still been finding time to read. I read 10 books in March and April with the list including quite a bit of fantasy:
-Quicksilver by Callie Heart
-Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
-A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark
-The Passion Test by Chris Attwood and Janet Bray Attwood
-The Woman Destroyed by Simone De Beauvoir
-Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
-Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli
-Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman
-Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
-FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven
Let’s get into the reviews!
After complaining about how January was dragging on, February flew by! It’s somehow already almost mid-March. I’m genuinely not sure how or when that happened.
This was a slower month of reading for me. I tend to listen to audiobooks when I run, but as I’m dealing with a running injury, I haven’t been reading/listening to as many books. That said I did still read 5 books and it was a rather eclectic mix:
-I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
-Night by Elie Wiesel
-The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas
-The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy
-Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Let’s get into the reviews!
I’m stuck in the February doldrums right now.
I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by what’s going on in the world as well as some personal stuff. Add in a complete lack of motivation and a lingering running injury, and the blah feeling is real.
So, I find myself leaning into self care and relaxation practices and wanted to share some of my recent favorites!
I don’t know why, but January always seems to drag on forever. Is it the return to routine after the disruption of the holidays? Is it the cold and gloomy weather? Whatever the reason, I found books to be a big comfort this month.
January’s reads included:
-The September House by Carissa Orlando
-Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul by Dorcas Cheng-Tozun
-Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
-All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
-The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene
-Something Lost, Something Gained by Hillary Clinton
Let’s get into the reviews!
Given the state of the world lately (*gestures vaguely toward everything*), I’ve been giving thought to how I can make a personal difference without feeling completely overwhelmed.
It’s with this mindset that I recently watched Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy on Netflix. While I knew consumerism (especially surrounding the fashion industry) was a big problem, this documentary brought attention to some horrible truths.
I always get so excited about this post!
I love getting the chance to reflect on my favorite reads for the year and the chance to dive into all of the data. Now that I’ve been tracking my reading for a couple of years, there’s even more to look at and compare.
In 2024, I read a total of 86 books!!! I really had no idea I was reading so much. Usually, I’m in the mid to upper 60s range. (For comparison, I read 79 books in 2023, 68 books in 2022, 72 books in 2021, and 65 books in 2020.)
Let’s get into the specifics!