#my reads 2025

[septembersung]

January 2025 booklist

A Short History of the World According to Sheep by Sally Coultherd

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, trans. Anthony Bonner

The Tribes of Britain by David Miles

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Five Years After by William Forstchen

Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson

The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner

Notes below the cut.

A Short History of the World According to Sheep by Sally Coultherd: didn’t quite finish because it had to go back to the library

Fascinating, entertaining, enjoyable. Taught me “yan tan tethera,” which I will enjoy teaching my kids. The first chapter in books like these is always about pre history so far back it’s difficult for the non specialist to see it as little more than guess work and that’s the least enjoyable part. I’m not a strict young earther by any means but once you see the anti-Christian foundation in the standard secular narrative it gets stale fast, no matter what the science says. But the many many aspects of our world that were built by shepherding were wonderful to explore. I read bits of this out loud but nothing sustained because “adult” topics are thrown in frequently and while I’m a skilled editor aloud on the fly for age appropriateness, that gets tiresome. I love old English culture (modern England you can keep) so there were many chapters that were just delightful.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, trans. Anthony Bonner: read aloud; started

Of all people, my six year old wanted to hear this, and then so did the 7 and 11yos, so away we went. I like Jules Verne. Also I am endlessly entertained by historical speculations on things we now know. (Yeah, I’m the kind of person who enjoyed the digressions on the nature of the whale in Moby Dick.) It really picked up once they were actually chasing the “narwhal.”

The Tribes of Britain by David Miles: started

I picked this up because it was just there on the shelf and my kids are reading some British history for school so it’s topical and and I wanted to knock off another “started once but never finished and still judging me from the shelf” book. Same note on the first chapter as for the sheep history book, but it picks up wonderfully after that. I’ve read bits of it aloud. I love super early history within the last ~7k years, always have.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Endlessly entertaining. So much secondhand embarrassment. Really enjoyed the second half once she decides to throw herself into the experience. Relished the reveals at the end, especially Amelia. Appreciated that there layers of Austen references but no clear one to one correlations.

Five Years After by William Forstchen

I wrote about my disappointment for this installment in the series earlier in my tag #book talk. Honestly I need another one, Ten Years After, where John has stiffened his spine and embraced the presidency and made his little town the new capital of the new USA reforged, instead of trying to recreate the technological wonder that was. This will give the author the chance to address one or the most fundamentally important issues he absolutely neglected (probably because he didn’t want each book to be 1,000 pages but still): TEXTILES. See also: ink and paper.

Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson: reread; read aloud (started)

One evening dinner was late and cranky kids were complaining about food and we ended up having a frank (yet age appropriate) discussion about buying groceries on a tight budget in a 300000% inflation economy so I whipped out some food anecdotes I remember from this book, beginning with, the children in the hamlet didn’t drink milk; when the family has milk, it went to the piglet that would ensure their survival in the winter, and no one seemed to suffer for it. They were fascinated! And distracted from complaining. So another read aloud was born. Some people complain this book has no plot, but who needs plot when you have charming anecdotes and vignettes and immersive scene setting? Not me!

The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner (started)

About halfway through and I love it so far. Think of it as a less spiritual, 14th century, In This House of Brede. Everyone is so stupid and I love them so much. The most insane things happen. But no spoilers.

[tawnysoup]

Finally now that the comic is fully public on comicfury, I get to share it with all of you here, too <3

If you enjoyed, please consider supporting by buying a PDF of the comic on itch.io: https://tawnysoup.itch.io/home-in-the-woods

[edithdraws]

Hello Adam Warlock nation 🧡

[egophiliac]

Your first initial impressions of any Twst character vs your current feelings about them?

honestly, my perception of pretty much every character went through some metamorphosis of "this guy looks like a jerk" to "oh, he's a stupid jerk? now hold on." it's all about that balancing act between a dark brooding asshole and a dark brooding asshole who is also totally ridiculous, and it really does make ALL the difference.

perhaps most ironically, I've mentioned before that I was absolutely not into the Diasomnias at first, because the impression the website gave pre-release was somehow even less favorable than for everyone else and I was mad at Lilia for getting my hopes up for a token girl). and then we got their stories and, well, I kind of just haven't stopped thinking about them since. 🤷

also, I went in thinking that Crowley was going to be. y'know. competent at his job. a helpful guide. a mysterious yet caring mentor figure, a fitting leader for this band of delicate young magic waifs with their fancy little magic outfits and their perfect, perfect hair. I've never been so glad to be wrong.

[charlottecherries]

2025: My goals and plans

Goal 1: Improve Academic Performance

Read more- Do pre and post lecture reading

Set soft deadlines

Begin writing work as soon as it is set

Have a friend to help with accountability

Create a study group for each module

Goal 2: Improve skin

Use a face mask 1-2 times a week

Gua sha and jade roller daily

Create a skincare routine a stick to it

Use a body scrub a few times a week

Moisturise twice daily

Goal 3: Improve Health

Drink more water

Workout four times a week

Eat more produce

Do a mix of exercise- Weights, Cardio, Pilates

Create a stretch and flexibility routine

Take necessary vitamins

Get over eight hours of sleep

Goal 4: Learn Latin

Do a ten minute lessons everyday

Read one chapter of a Latin book every week

Goal 5: Read More

Read at least one leisure book every month

Set time based goals for reading

Reduce screen time and replace it with books

Goal 6: Improve my career

Find career based internships and experience

Read more about related topics

[sainz100]

2024 Brazilian GP | x

[robotgutzz]

This is the last thing i wanted to post here.

We need to get fucking MAD.

Where is the outcry i was promised? All I’m hearing are meek “we told you so”s directed at very pleased brick walls.

The longer we wait, the more damage will be done. My future is being sabotaged right before my eyes and no one is helping. This is the scariest moment of my life- this affects me directly and you directly, too. Spread this like a wildfire - this cannot go on. Too many people are already having their rights stripped away. This is scary. Get mad. Where is your rage? Where is the pushback that we swore would come? We are watching history repeat itself.

You are not alone.

This isn’t a democracy, this is a dictatorship.

Fight for your right to survive.

[divineandmajesticinone]

RESET THE SERIES I PILOT TRAILER

"My last wish of you. From this moment on, whatever should happen, may only death be what separates the two of us from each other."

[clj-art-blog]

DFQC (Yuezun Daren), XLH (Goddess Xiyun), SQ (just sweet puppy Shangque as always) and very insignificant YZ Fanfiction from @bellesdiaries

"Repatriation"

For the @lbfad-minibang

[marvelsmostwanted]

Clearly some of you did not do your pre-election Project 2025 bedtime reading

…because while reading through all of the executive orders Trump issued on Day 1, I was like ah yes, the anti-trans policy from page 331 - just what the Heritage Foundation ordered! It’s not good that this is the plan they’re following, but if we don’t want to be blindsided by the policies they’re about to try to implement, at least we have the ability to anticipate what’s coming next. Keep your enemies closer and all that. And turns out your enemies conveniently outlined their cartoonishly evil plans in one handy PDF!

I honestly do recommend skimming this for a glimpse into the mindset that just entered the White House. (Brace yourself. It’s not great.)

https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

[sideblogdotjpeg]

post battle, one last short rest

[7clubs]

kyaaa faraberry blast

[katabay]

bayek, doing some exploring :)

[diceverses]

First entry for Stanuary and also a fanart for @detectivejigsawpines ‘s incredible fic Nothing More than Feelings with Hope, Fantasy, and Stubbornness celebrating being less depressed in the mindscape! Fantasy was not described but I imagined him as baby Stan in a pirate bandana. Hope I did your characters justice!

[xomoosexo]

welcome to 2025

[jobeeart]

this is a gift, it comes with a price