Holdouttrout

I'm on storygraph (spectra37) and I wanted a monthly TBR shelf challenge and I couldn't find one that was quite what I was looking for... so I made my own!

Monthly TBR Challenge (2025).

I set it up for one book per month, and then I added a few fun bonus challenges, like "I couldn't help myself: I read this instead" or "Talk of the Town" or "Before it was cool." I let myself be very clever, hah!

I went ahead and made it public, but since it was already well into January by the time I set it up, I figured that it would most likely be just for myself... but 48 other people joined! We are now two months into the year... so it's the perfect time to post about it, lol. So far, I've completed two months on time (by the skin of my teeth), and have a noticeable gap in my bookshelf's TBR shelf. Woot!

What I'm really hoping for is to get books I've borrowed back to their owners. I've only had some of them for years at this point...

I've seen these snowflake challenges floating around on my reading page and thought I would give it a shot.

I updated my profile page here, edited my ao3 a tiny bit, and added a pinned post to tumblr! I like having things more up-to-date and it was a nice reminder, too, about how sometimes people can make random connections by going through a profile.

Hoping to do additional days but am fairly slammed rn, so we'll see!

I have the opportunity this weekend to do some writing and make serious progress on a fic I've been working on... I'm just feeling a little shy about the actual writing part. And I know what this is. I run into this sort of wall every time I try to write something a little longer. I swear I can set my fandom watch by it, it's so punctual. I'd really like to push through this wall; on the other side of that wall is better writing, more interesting stories, and I WANT TO GET THERE.

That being said, I set myself the goal of doing three hours (just three hours!) of serious writing this weekend. I was hoping to do an hour today, but have had the WORST headache today. So bad I cannot imagine sitting for hours and looking at my computer screen again after I'm done with work. Ugh.

Anyway, here's hoping for headaches to subside!

I am about to read the first two books in my honorary nieces' favorite series: Dragon Masters. Pretty sure there is nothing cuter than little kids getting excited about their stories. I told them that I LOVE dragons and they said that I should borrow the books and I had to start with the FIRST one.

I have high hopes.

ETA: I just finished them both, and they are, in fact, delightful. I hope they'll let me borrow more...

I have many things to do today, including mailing a package I tried to mail last weekend, picking up a library book, cleaning my bathroom, vacuuming, hanging out with terminally online people (done, will do more later), possibly writing, remembering to start my dishwasher (two down!), maybe some laundry, maybe some other odds and ends... busy day!

I also just started watching Gentleman Jack and it is delightful and supremely full of Looks and Hands and Walking... IDK if I didn't have just so much to do today, I'd probably watch the whole thing in one go.

I feel like I used to have so much time for fandom, whereas now I never feel like there's enough time for anything. I'm sure I could do all the math and figure out exactly where all my time has gone--I can think of a few things that I've added to my life since I was basically just binging Stargate and going to work... but it's still a little frustrating, and sometimes I just wonder if time really is moving faster now that I'm older.

It's so nice when a new fandom starts up and I get to feel that little *zing* of "Oh hey! New fandom! People are nice! Actors are pretty!" It's even nicer when someone gives you a link to a discord server that's tiny and friendly--my favorite discords have the fewest people on them.

Anyway, I'm fully on the Moiraine/Siuan train, so you know... not saying there will be fic, but this one seems fic-able, and I hope it does happen!

(I am also going to have to at least attempt to read at least 1-2 of those damn books, which I was pretty sure I did Not Want to Do, but there's just so much world to reference...)

I will say that people need to start giving shows more episodes in a season. I'm not just saying that because I want more now, but because it's really clear the pacing is just not good when you do a full season's story, with an ensemble cast, in eight episodes. I think 12 would have been better.

I am also happy because a good friend is reading through Harrow the Ninth and WTF-ing about it at me and I love hearing her wild guesses (sometimes eerily accurate and sometimes just ludicrous) about what's going on. The more I read this book, the more I think it's... well, it's... definitely a book that rewards a second reading, which is cool in a way but also a flaw when reading it the first time through.

In the spirit of trying to get more into this whole "maintaining a blog" with "actual content" thing... have some random notes about my life? Is this what we do? I'm so out of practice!

1. I just got a Verilux light thing and I read the instructions... and yet I still don't know that I know what to do with it. I just... let it cast light upon my visage? And that's supposed to do... something? Has this been peer-reviewed? My therapist suggested it, and one friend has assured me that yes, light upon thine visage Does Something and should be attempted.

2. I acquired plants during the pandemic (like just about everyone else), and I have a camellia with leaves that keep turning brown. I finally got around to looking up why that might be, and it's either fungi or pests, so... I need to get rid of the affected leaves and if that doesn't work, then use oil on them. If any of you have more suggestions on that, let me know.

3. I watched Encanto and really liked it. It made me cry a bit, but in a good, cathartic way, so yay!

4. I'm just about to sit down and watch Matric: Resurrections. I might try to do an ETA or comment or something on thoughts after I finish.(ETA: There is in fact a tiny comment, feel free to comment on that thread.)

I started a roast just after lunch today in my slow cooker and then went outside for a couple of hours. Just came back in and went "Huh. Something smells good. Must be one of my neighbors...wait! That's MY food that smells good!"

So my afternoon is going well!