I am one of many Kelsi Corns who participated in her Killer Corn Readathon from 01 June – 11 June. Who exactly are Kelsi Corns? We are patrons of her YouTube channel, Slime and Slashers, and we receive bonus content for supporting her creative endeavors. For participating in Kelsi’s mini slasher readathon and completing 8 prompts, I received two killer cartoon corns (a candy corn and a corn on the cob) and earned accessories for both of them. While the theme was slashers, participants did not have to read slasher stories to earn their corns. Additionally, Kelsi allowed books to be used for multiple prompts.
Killer Corns
Prompts
Read a book ending in an even # of pages.
Read a book ending in an odd # of pages.
Read a book set at summer camp or at a carnival.
Read a book written by a woman.
Read a book published before 2020.
Watch a Slasher Movie.
Read a book with only 1 word OR with more than 3 words in the title.
Read a book without red on the cover.
I read a middle-grade book about a dangerous summer camp, a slasher novel, and two supernatural novellas to earn my candy corn witch and my kitty cat corn on the cob.
In addition, I attended the watch party on Kelsi’s discord to watch the slasher movie, Hello, Mary Lou: Prom Night 2, with friends. I gave it a 1/2 star because it was awful and not at all connected to the original Prom Night, starring the fabulous Jamie Lee Curtis.
Prompts #3 and #5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dolly (Prompts #1, #4, #8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐; The Man In the Picture (Prompt #8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Prompts #2 and #7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Welcome to Camp Nightmare by R.L. Stine is a delightfully dark middle-grade horror book and the 9th book in the original iconic Goosebumps series. It is about a young boy named Billy who is shipped off to Camp Nightmoon for his first summer camp experience. Even before arriving at Camp Nightmoon, Billy and his new friends encounter some strange situations. Welcome to Camp Nightmare was a fast, suspenseful read. This tale kept you guessing until the very end with plenty of mystery, frightening moments, and twists and turns that lead up to a VERY surprising and satisfying ending. This was my first 5-star Goosebumps.
Dolly by Susan Black is a supernatural story surrounding a damaged doll that mysteriously manifests itself through the transgressions of those who possess it. Timid Edward and his haughty cousin Leonora spend one summer as children at Iyot House in the English countryside with their Aunt Kestrel. Their time together is spent amicably enough until Aunt Kestrel presents Leonora with a large baby doll made of china for her birthday. Leonora’s reaction to the doll changes their lives forever. 4-star read for me.
The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill is a haunting story that involves a mesmerizing painting with a precarious secret. Oliver travels to Cambridge to visit his former professor, Theo Parmitter, who happens to be an art collector. One evening, Theo shares an unbelievably strange story with Oliver concerning a painting of masked partygoers at a Venetian carnival that he aquired many years ago. 4.5 star read for me.
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones is an homage to slasher films. High school senior, Jade Daniels, is complicated and a hardcore fan of slasher movies from the 80s. A new community is being built across the lake from her small town in the national forest that triggers bad feelings amongst the townpeople, conjures up the urban legend surrounding Camp Blood, and sets off a chain of events right out of a slasher movie. This novel starts off at a slow pace but quickly picks up speed, and Jones keeps you guessing until the bittersweet end with plenty of twists and turns. 4-stars for a slashery good time.
If you want to hear more about my thoughts on this book or the other books I read for the Killer Corn Readathon, please check out my Killer Corn Readathon Vlog. I had a great deal of fun with this readathon.
The Killer Corn Readathon kicked off my reading for June; however, I read plenty of other amazing books during the first month of the summer which I will hopefully be sharing with you soon, dear reader. Do you participate in readathons or reading challenges? Please let me know in the comments below. I love reading about the reading adventures of fellow bibliophiles. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!
“Can’t I just like horror because it’s great? Does there have to be some big explanation?”~ Stephen Graham Jones, My Heart Is a Chainsaw
According to Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, “observing Halfway Day on July 2nd is a catalyst for reflection.” Six months ago I shared with you, dear reader, my one-word theme for 2023, my 23 for 2023 List with my aims for the year, as well as a list of other fun plans I wanted to participate in alongside my aims. All of these tools set into motion the resolutions I wanted to achieve for myself throughout the year. Today, I am sharing how I am doing with my one-word theme, my aims, and my additional projects thus far.
My one-word theme is CREATE. YES, my year has been all about creating through 1) bringing (something) into existence (content, organization of my office), 2) causing (something) to happen as a result of my actions (relationships-community, friends, family; memories), 3) originating a role by playing a character for the first time (performing improv; graduating from Anubis Improv; auditioning), and 4) investing with new rank or title (myself through personal development; cohosting content with others).
My 23 for 2023 List
1. Schedule dental appointment (implant crown).
2. Buy myself flowers quarterly. (1st and 2nd quarter) ongoing
3. Buy a new vacuum cleaner.
4. Buy two white bookcases for office.bought 3; planning to buy a 4th one soon
5. Buy a book cart.
6. Deal with digital clutter (email, photos, documents). slow going; bought additional photo storage
7. Organize home office.
8. Organize home library.
9. Write my personal manifesto.
10. Write a will.
11. Scrapbook monthly. only scrapbooked 2 days at event in June
12. Complete Year of Gratitude scrapbook.
13. Learn StreamYard to host sprints on my YouTube channel.
14. Host two Readathons on my YouTube channel (February/May).
15. Read 23 Books that I did not get to in 2022. slow going; I’ve read 6 so far.
16. Have a Year of Christie (Agatha Christie). slow going; I’ve read 3 so far.
17. Read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. started in June; postponed
18. Read The Galveston Diet by Mary Claire Haver, M.D.
19. Revisit Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin.
20. Read Tranquility by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam.
21. Complete Becky Higgins Classroom: Photo Tips + Work Flow.
22. Complete the WordPress Blogging course.
23. Update theme (layout) for blog.
Other Fun Plans for 2023:
#Outside23in23 super inconsistent; recommitted on July 1st
2023 Reading Challenge (Goodreads) 47/75 (10 books ahead of schedule)
Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club ✅
FOMO Book Club ✅
Collabs with Kelsi not as many as last year; The Shining and Year of King wrap up; cohost Old School April (sprints); cohost live chat of Night of the Living Trekkies
Frugal February did well for the majority of the month; spent a little moolah on an overnight trip to Orange Beach-room free of charge (had to use voucher in February); visited bookstores, but spent very little on used books; dinner out
Birthday Message Project 18 birthdays so far
TA-DA List keeping one loosely
Even though I have only completed 7 aims, there are 4 aims that I have been consistently working on (slowly) since the beginning of the year. I have accomplished a great deal on my YouTube channel, my reading life has expanded, and I am making wonderful memories with family and friends. The second half of the year will see a major lifestyle change that will affect my health (hopefully positively), recommitting to some of the aims on my 23 for 2023 List, and a trip to Sicily in September. I am looking forward to the adventures I will be having from now until the end of 2023. Dear reader, what are some aims you reached in the first half of this year? What are you looking forward to accomplishing or experiencing in the second half of 2023? Happiness!
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ~ Aristotle
May was a fun reading month for me because many of the books I read were related to ZOMBIES. May is Zombie Awareness Month and in celebration I usually go a little overboard reading zombie books and watching zombie movies and television shows. More so this year since I hosted Zombiethon on my channel, Kat’s Novel Adventures. I completed nine books. Of those nine books, I read six for Zombiethon with one of the zombie books being chosen for May’s Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club selection. I finally got around to reading Rise of the Princess by D.A.L. which was a book on my 23 Books for 2023 and Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian for the FOMO Book Club. Lastly, I read the first selection for the Middle Grade March Book Club called The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill. In addition to Zombiethon, I also read 5 short stories about zombies for Horror Mayhem. May was another month of reading a variety of genres and discovering new authors; and, I revisited characters from a middle-grade zombie series I started last year.
ZOMBIETHON READATHON
Zombiethon was created by ME. This month-long readathon/watchathon was my second event on my channel, and it fulfilled #14 on my 23 for 2023 List. I could not be more pleased with the zombie short stories and books I read throughout the month of May. In addition to reading prompts, there were movie prompts, live chats, and reading sprints. I selected a group read, Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall. I created seven reading prompts which inspired my Zombiethon TBR.
Zombies can be __________________, so…
Zany: Read a humorous zombie story. (Kate Walden Directs: Night of the Zombie Chickens by Julie Mata)
Open-Minded: Read a zombie story with romantic vibes. (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith)
Moody: Read a middle-grade zombie story. (Blue Moon by James Ponti – Book 2 in Dead City series)
Brainy: Read a nonfiction article, an essay, or book about zombies. (“Do Zombies Feel Pain? Exploring Sensory Neuropathy” by Luke W. Boyd)
Imaginative: Read a comic book, a graphic novel, a manga, or a picture book related to zombies. (Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack by Stacy McAnulty)
Enterprising: Read a zombie story that made it to the little or big screen. (The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey)
Spontaneous: Mood Read (Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall)
Zombies can be ZANY! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zombies can be OPEN-MINDED! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zombies can be MOODY! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zombies can be BRAINY! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zombies can be IMAGINATIVE! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zombies can be ENTERPRISING! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zombies can be SPONTANEOUS! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved that my zombie literature varied with some middle-grade books, humourous undead books, articles and essays, short stories, and even a picture book about brains.
Kate Walden Directs: Night of the Zombie Chickens by Julie Mata is more about the ups and downs of friendship in junior high than zombies, but it was still a fun read. Kate is a young filmmaker who hits a roadblock filming her zombie movie when her best friend decides to snub her for the popular girl in school.
Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith is the entertaining sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Elizabeth Bennet and her husband, Fitzwilliam Darcy, are enjoying wedded bliss when an unfortunate encounter with an unmentionable threatens their happily ever after.
Blue Moon, the exciting sequel to Dead City, by James Ponti is zomberific. Tagging along with Molly and her Omega friends for another action-filled zombie adventure in New York City was enjoyable. The group discovers the origin of zombies in “The Big Apple” as well as the identities of the Unlucky 13 and which ones hold the power in Dead City.
I read the article, “Do Zombies Feel Pain? Exploring Sensory Neuropathy” by Luke W. Boyd on the Zombie Research Society website. According to Boyd’s research, “Zombies have most likely experienced nerve damage that contributes to the common notion that they experience little to no physical pain. It could just be due to trauma, injury, infection, or Trioxin. But they most certainly seem to ignore discomfort in their ultimate pursuit of human flesh.” Interesting article about zombies with a scientific approach of whether or not they can feel pain.
Brains! Not just a Zombie Snack by Stacy McAnulty is a cute and informative picture book about brains. A friendly zombie girl informs readers about the importance of the brain, its parts and their functions, and the comparisons of the human brain with other animal brains. I love this whimsical way of teaching a science concept to children of all ages.
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey is a refreshing new take on zombies which are called “hungries” in this post-apocalyptic novel. Melanie is a zombie girl; however, it is not evident just by looking at her or talking with her. She is highly intelligent, experiences emotions, and enjoys reading. However, she also craves the flesh of animals (including the human ones) when their scent triggers her. An unexpected and vicious attack at the military base where she lives propels her and a small group of people beyond the base’s border and into a wasteland. Now, humanity hangs in the balance. 5 stars for this well-written novel with well-developed characters and its fresh approach to the genre of zombie fiction!
Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall was chosen as Zombiethon’s group read as well as May’s selection for the Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club. I love zombies and comic cons, so I thought this comedy-horror book would appeal to me. Jim Pike is an assistant manager at the Botany Bay Hotel with no real aspirations in life. He is on duty for the annual Star Trek convention where a strange virus is attending along with loads of Star Trek fans. Night of the Living Trekkies has humor, heart, and hordes of zombies along with plenty of action, gore, and a twist. It was well-written, so much fun to read, and would make an excellent zombie film. I gave this zomberific good time 5 stars!
I did a Zombiethon wrap up video on my Youtube channel which not only included my readathon but also included my watchathon if you are interested in the zombie movies I watched throughout May.
HORROR MAYHEM
My friend Mindy @ Mindy’s Book Journey was one of the hosts for the month-long readathon, Horror Mayhem. The criteria for this readathon was to read short horror fiction that was less than 250 pages. I wanted to support her reading event, so I chose to read 5 zombie-related short stories from Zombies: A Compendium of the Living Dead edited by Otto Penzler. I am always looking for an excuse to incorporate more short stories in my reading life.
“Eat Me” by Robert McCammon ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Jumbee” by Henry S. Whitehead ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The Outsider” by H.P. Lovecraft ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Home Delivery” by Stephen King ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I did a Horror Mayhem wrap up video on my Youtube channel if you are interested in hearing more about these short stories and my thoughts on them.
Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian was the March/April book club selection for the FOMO Book Club. Since the lovely ladies who run this book club did not meet until 07 May, I was able to complete this one right at the beginning of May and join their discussion. This middle-grade novel is my first ever by Michelle Magorian. Despite heartbreaking moments in the novel, I absolutely loved the story, many of the characters and their relationships, as well as the amazing setting where the majority of the story takes place.
Good Night, Mr. Tom begins on the threshhold of World War II. Willie Beech is sent from London to Little Weirwold in the English countryside to live with a kindly old widower named Mr. Tom. Willie is skinny, apprehensive, and terrified of all the new sights and sounds of country life. Mr. Tom soon discovers that William comes from an abusive home, and William soon discovers that Mr. Tom is a kind and patient old man. Together, they form a close relationship that makes them learn to love the world again. This literary gem is a compelling and heartbreaking historical fiction story that tugs at the heart strings and shows the triumph of the human spirit during challenging experiences. This new favorite of mine easily earned 5 stars.
23 BOOKS FOR 2023 (Reading ARC)
Rise of the Princess by D.A.L. was the Reading ARC (advanced reader copy) sent to me by the author Daniel back in December. I already had a full TBR in December with the three readathons that I was participating in that I did not get to it. It is one of the books on my 23 Books for 2023 list which ended up on my TBR for February, March, and April. I finally started it at the very end of April and finished it the first week in May.
It is a terrific fairy tale adventure about two princesses, Lizzy and Ruby, who go on a quest with a fairy named Blake to rescue
Ruby’s sisters from a few impolite trolls. They experience all sorts of magical creatures along the way. Rise of the Princess has heart, humor, and heroics to make for a worthwhile middle-grade read. This whimsical reading experience earned 4 stars from me.
MIDDLE GRADE MARCH BOOK CLUB
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill was the first book club selection for the Middle Grade March Book Club which launched in May. This online book club is run by four wonderful booktubers: Krista @ Books and Jams, Amanda @ The Curly Reader, Katie @ Life Between Words, and Jenna @ Jenna Reads n Writes (Instagram).
The Ogress and the Orphans is a beautifully written middle-grade fantasy with a fable-like quality. Once there was a lovely town called Stone-in-the Glen where warm-hearted citizens lived and worked together as a harmonious
community. Then, several tragic events cause the idyllic town to fall on hard times and neighbors no longer act neighborly.
The Ogress and the Orphans was my first experience reading Kelly Barnhill, and I absolutely loved it so much. It is a long book and is a slower paced story; however, I did not mind that at all because the story kept me engaged with its lyrical prose. This story is about kindness, empathy, the importance of books and family, as well as what it means to be a good neighbor. “The more you give, the more you have” is a theme that runs throughout the book. While there are some heartrending moments, there are many tender moments that made reading this story enjoyable. It was a fabulous 5-star fantasy for me!
If you want to hear more about my thoughts on this book or the other books I read in May, please check out my May wrap up video.
Dear reader, June is nearly wrapping up. I completed 4 books for Kelsi’s Killer Corn Slasherthon, a patreon exclusive reading event held at the beginning of June. I have also completed 3 books for a reading project and book clubs. I am currently reading The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson for the Middle Grade March Book Club and Her Perfect Hero by Emma Bennet for Summer Book Bingo. In addition, I have Beloved by Toni Morrison still left on my TBR which I’m hoping I will be able to get to before the month ends. So much fun reading going on in June. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!
“A library is a medicine cabinet. What can heal one person may not work at all for somebody else.” ~ Sandra Cisneros, A House of My Own
April was another wonderful reading month for me. I completed ten books. Of those ten books, I read eight for Old School April. This readathon was part of an epic nostalgiathon. I finally completed Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley which I had been reading since January to kick off my Year of Christie reading project. I buddy read one book off my 23 Books for 2023, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Lastly, I read We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix which was the selection for the Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club. I enjoyed a variety of genres, discovered four new authors, and revisited a couple of old school favorites.
Old School April Readathon
The Old School April Nostalgiathon was created by Kelsi @ Slime and Slashers. She invited 7 other booktubers, including me, along with one Instagrammer to cohost this month-long event with her. It was a blast! In addition to reading prompts, there were movie prompts and bonus activity prompts. There were nine reading prompts for inspiration, and I used one book for two prompts.
Read a Goosebumps or Book that fits AYAOTD vibes (Night of the Living Dummy 2 by R.L. Stine)
Read any 80s Horror Book (The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker)
Read an Animal Attack Book (The Werewolf of Fever Swamp by R.L. Stine)
Read a Book with Old Technology on Cover or in Story (The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene)
Mood Read (The X-Files: Earth Children Are Weird by Jason Rekulak)
Read a Fear Street, Point Horror, or Christopher Pike Book (Double Date by R.L. Stine)
Read a Book with Magic or Cursed Objects (The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker)
Read any 90s Horror Book (The Unexpected Guest adapted by Charles Osborne)
Read a Book by Female Author or with Female Protagonist (We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix)
The Night of the Living Dummy 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Hellbound Heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp ⭐⭐⭐
The Secret of the Old Clock ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The X-Files: Earth Children Are Weird ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Double Date ⭐⭐⭐
The Unexpected Guest ⭐⭐⭐⭐
We Sold Our Souls ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed reading the picture book featuring young Mulder and Scully. This book is my first written by Jason Rekulak and illustrated by Kim Smith. The story was fun and the illustrations were well-done. I would love to purchase more picture books in this series featuring other nostalgic characters. The Goosebumps books and my first Fear Street book were entertaining. I loved revisiting The Secret of the Old Clock and The Hellbound Heart. Both stories are terrific! Nancy Drew is extremely nostalgic for me. I loved reading her mysteries in middle school. The Helbound Heart is not for the faint of heart with its body horror and sadistic Cenobites, but a classic for horror fans and fans of Clive Barker. I substituted The Unexpected Guest for the 90s horror prompt. This book is my first Agatha Christie story for the year. It was originally written by Agatha Christie as a play and later adapted as a novel by Charles Osborne. This book is the first I have read by him. I rather enjoyed it and would have loved to have seen the play performed on the stage. Of course, I did not guess the murderer. Christie is so clever!
We Sold Our Souls was the April book club selection for the Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club, and it was a rockin’ good time. Kris Pulaski, lead guitarist for a heavy metal band, is close to making the big time with her bandmates when the lead singer, Terry Hunt, sells them out for fame and a solo career. Kris is the only member of the band who is not on board with signing Hunt’s plan for the future of their band. After no options and reluctantly signing a questionable contract, her music career and relationships with her bandmates cease, leaving her alone, broke, and extremely bitter. Years pass, but she is still bitter. While driving home early one morning from her dead-end job, she spots a billboard of Terry Hunt advertising his upcoming epic concert and decides to reclaim her music and her life. I enjoyed this story with its heavy metal references, a well-developed protagonist, and off-putting creatures amid a social commentary about capitalism and conspiracy theories.
Year of Christie
Many thanks to my friend Rita for recommending Agatha Christie: An Elusive Womanto me at the end of 2022. I knew next to nothing about Agatha Christie’s personal life or career and have only read a handful of her mystery novels. Lucy Worsley wrote a fantastic biography that included plenty of photos of Agatha Christie and the cast of characters that impacted her life. I liked the way Worsley formatted the book and gave examples of where Christie’s life made its way into her fictional stories. Agatha Christie was a fascinating woman and a wonderful writer who lived an interesting life. I look forward to reading more of her mysteries this year. 5 stars!
Buddy Read
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig was an AMAZING read for me! It is one of the books on my 23 Books for 2023 list which I buddy read with my friend Mary @ Booking Through Life. We had two wonderful discussions about this terrific book.
Nora Seed’s life is less than ideal. She is extremely unhappy with her current job and nonexistent personal life. After the one bright spot in her life is unexpectedly taken from her, despair completely takes her over, and she ends her life. However, she finds herself inside the Midnight Library, between life and death,
where she is greeted by her childhood school librarian, Mrs. Elm. The books inside this library are the lives that Nora could have lived if she would have chosen them. The Midnight Library is a well-written, captivating story about purpose, choices, success, and second chances. Nora struggles with her purpose in life in regard to her relationships as well as what it means to be successful. I loved how Haig connected elements in the story to growth. Nora Seed, Mrs. Elm, a root life, and “then the tree-the tree that is our life-develops branches” all point to growth and the development of the many lives we live. The fact that Haig chose an elm tree, a symbol with the Underworld in Celtic mythology, to name Mrs. Elm was wonderful to me. She is Nora’s guide and someone who connects her between life and death.
This book made me pause and examine my own life, my choices, as well as my regrets. In our first meeting, Mary and I discussed whether or not we would want to see how our different lives played out or keep our current life. At first, I was all for wanting a sneak peek, but as I read on and experienced Nora’s different lives, I agreed with Mary that our “root life” or our current life is exactly where we need to be. Choosing an alternate life has far-reaching consequences not only for ourselves, but also for others. I think once you make peace with your past and your present circumstances are embraced, your current life then opens up to plenty of possibilities. It is no longer about changing the past, but living in the now and paving the way for your future. 5 stars!
If you want to hear more about my thoughts on this book or the other books I read in April, please check out my April wrap up video.
May has gotten off to a great start. I completed two books that I carried over from April and have finished three books already for Zombiethon, a month-long readathon/watchathon event that I am hosting on my channel. The Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club chose a zombie selection for May called Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall. It also happens to be the group read for Zombiethon. It is a humorous zombie story. I am also joining the Middle Grade March Book Club, and their May selection is The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill. So much fun stuff to read in May.
Lastly, I have two winners for the Middle Grade March giveaway. Congrats to Kathryn and Katie for winning a copy of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. The books are on backorder, so as soon as I receive them, I will contact you. Thanks for participating. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!
“Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one’s hand.” ~ Ezra Pound
Happy Zombie Awareness Month, dear reader! I am super excited to celebrate ZOMBIES this year because I am hosting Zombiethon: Zombie Awareness Readathon & Watchathon on my channel, Kat’s Novel Adventures. I have created another Zombie Fun List just for this year. It will include everything related to zombies, such as movies, television shows, books, short stories, articles, cocktails, and clothing. I also created a Discord for my channel which includes the Zombiethon event. I will be hosting live chats, reading sprints, as well as a book giveaway. It promises to be a zomberific good time!
In the past, my books and movies were mood reads or mood watches. This year, I decided to create reading and watchng prompts to guide me in picking out my movies and books. Having prompts this year added a bit of whimsy to the choices I made for this year’s celebration of Zombie Awareness Month.
Zombie Fun List
Movies
Television Shows
I plan to catch up on Fear the Walking Dead with the 8th and final season coming out on May 14th. If I have some extra time in the month, I would also like to watch a few episodes of Kingdom which is currently streaming on Netflix. Kingdom is a South Korean zombie show set in the 16th century.
Books, Short Stories, and Articles
As for short stories, I plan to read “Eat Me” by Robert R. McCammon which is included in a collection of zombie stories titled Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead edited by John Skipp. My article to read this month is “Do Zombies Feel Pain? Exploring Sensory Neuropathy” which was posted on 17 February 2023 by Luke W. Boyd. You can find this article as well as plenty of other articles and information related to zombies on the Zombie Research Society website.
As always, I am delighted to be celebrating zombies throughout the month of May. If time permits, I will sprinkle a zombie post here or there throughout the month. Of course, dear reader, you are invited to participate in all the zombie shenanigans I have planned for Zombiethon. Who do zombies avoid eating, and why? Clowns, because they taste funny! Happiness!
“A non-frightening zombie is a lame zombie.” ~ Scott M. Gimple
March was a MARVELOUS reading month for me. I read six short stories for The Week of Weird Readathon and completed eight books. Of those eight books, I read five for Middle Grade March. Both readathons were new reading adventures for me. I read quite a few new authors and discovered new middle-grade favorites. In addition, I completed The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson which I had been buddy reading with my sister Rachel since January. I completed Tranquility by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam which I had been reading since January while also participating in Vanderkam’s Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge. Lastly, I finished Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier which was the January/February selection for the FOMO Book Club.
The Week of Weird Readathon
I have been wanting to read more short stories ever since devouring three collections by Joe Hill back in the spring of 2020. These collections are Strange Weather, Full Throttle, and 20th Century Ghosts. For those of you who do not know, Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son. He is a fantastic writer, and his books and short stories are wonderful! I sprinkle short stories into my reading life sparingly, so when The Week of Weird Readathon was announced by Crystal @ fiberartsy and Jason @ Jason’s Weird Reads, I was excited to add a few of them on my March TBR. There were five reading prompts for inspiration. I read a few of the stories and listened to a couple on the podcast, Levar Burton Reads.
Old Weird:Read a weird fiction story or book published between 1910s – 1970s.
New Weird:Read a weird fiction story or book published between 1980s to the present.
Out of This World:Read a weird fiction story or book featuring science fiction elements.
The Dark:Read a weird fiction story or book featuring supernatural or horror elements.
Flora and Fauna:Read a weird fiction story featuring nature.
For Old Weird, I listened to Levar Burton read “Childfinder” by Octavia Butler. This story was my introduction to Butler’s work. It is about a rogue telepath that defies the establishment to protect telepathic children who have not yet tapped into their abilities. It was a good story; however, I felt like it was the prologue to something bigger. 3.5 stars
For New Weird, I read “Afterlife” by Stephen King. Anyone who has followed me for some time knows that Stephen King is my absolute favorite author, so it should be no surprise that one of his short stories made this list. Bill, an investment banker, dies and ends up in a purgatorial waiting room of sorts. He meets Mr. Harris and is given the opportunity (again, because he has been there before) to choose between two doors. Bill can choose to relive his past life with no previous memories or choose finality of existence. It is an interesting dilemma, and I was surprised by Bill’s decision. 4 stars
For Out of This World, I listened to Levar Burton read “I Was a Teenage Space Jockey” by Stephen Graham Jones. This story was my introduction to Jones’s work. Two 6th grade Native American boys spend Halloween evening in a video arcade and have a surreal experience while playing Galaga. I loved this nostalgic story centered around these two characters. 5 stars
For The Dark, I listened to Levar Burton read “The Story We Used to Tell” by Shirley Jackson. This story was my introduction to Jackson’s work. Katherine visits her friend Y at her late husband’s family mansion. During the visit, they come upon a creepy painting in one of the bedrooms that disburbs both women. The next day Y goes missing and is later discovered inside the off-putting painting by Katherine. This story was incredibly dark and eerie, and I loved the goosebumps it gave me. 5 stars
For Flora and Fauna, I listened to Levar Burton read “Cricket” by Kenneth Yu. This story was my introduction to Yu’s work. (I thought I had listened to another story of his, but that story, “The Paper Menagerie” was actually written by Ken Lui. HA!) Richard and his family were tasked with caring for his mother until her death. He held a grudge against his siblings for this arrangement, perceiving it more as a burden then a blessing. After the elderly matriarch’s death, a talking cricket mysteriously appears, dispensing wisdom to Richard and his wife Lucy. This unexpected guest intrigues Lucy, entertains the couple’s young son, but angers Richard. Lots of great messages in this short story. 4 stars
I read an additional story that could pretty much fulfill all of the reading prompts except New Weird, and it was “Colour Out of Space” by H.P. Lovecraft. An alien entity comes to earth and lands near a farm where it destroys the family who owns the farm as well as anything living in direct proximity of the farm. This descriptive story is scary, ominous, and exudes dread. If you read this short story, dear reader, make sure to check out the movie with Nick Cage afterwards. It was a terrific film adaptation. 5 stars
Middle Grade March
The Middle Grade March Readathon on BookTube was hosted by four lovely ladies, Krista @ Books and Jams, Amanda @ The Curly Reader, Katie @ Life Between Words, Jenna @ Jenna Reads n Writes (Instagram). As you know, dear reader, I enjoy reading children’s literature, and I read some fabulous middle-grade books throughout the month of March. There were five reading prompts for inspiration plus a group read, A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga.
An award winner, but not Newbery (The Voyage of the Frog by Gary Paulsen)
A Sci-fi/Dystopian book (A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga)
Sky or Sea on the cover (Odder by Katherine Applegate)
Book with a neurodiverse character (Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling)
Book published in the last year (Odder by Katherine Applegate)
The Voyage of the Frog ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Rover’s Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Odder ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vacancy (Chills, Thrills, & Kills Book Club selection for March) ⭐⭐⭐💫 3.5 stars
Even though I enjoyed everything I read for Middle Grade March, my absolute favorite story was Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. It was heartfelt, humorous, and had wonderfully written characters. I fell in love with the spunky main character Aven Green. Dear reader, if you want to hear more about my thoughts on any of the books I read during Middle Grade March, please check out my Middle Grade March wrap up video. It also includes my thoughts on Vacancy by K.R. Alexander which was my March book club selection for the Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club. I also hosted my first book giveaway on my channel. Since I loved Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus so much, I gave away 6 copies to readers who expressed interest. I have 3 more copies to give away, so if you are interested, dear reader, please leave me a comment on this blog post, and I will enter you into a drawing. Giveaway ends on Sunday, May 7th at 11:59 PM.
FOMO Book Club
Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier was the January/February book club selection for the FOMO Book Club. This online book club is run by three brilliant British booktubers, Alice @ Alice and the Giant Bookshelf, Gemma @ Gem of Books, and Jack @ Spread Book Joy. I must confess that Jaimaca Inn is my first Daphne du Maurier story, and I was not disappointed by this classic tale. Jamaica Inn gives off gothic vibes with its suspenseful atmosphere, gloomy and dark setting, and mysterious characters, including Jamaica Inn.
Despite her naïveté and lack of good judgement on occasion, I really liked the protagonist, Mary Yellin. She is young and inexperienced; however, I admire her sagacity, determination, and courage. After the death of her mother, Mary leaves her home in Helford to live with her Aunt Patience, her mother’s sister, and Uncle Joss at Jamaica Inn. Soon after her arrival, she is disheartened to learn that Aunt Patience has married an unsavory man, and Jamaica Inn has unpleasant secrets. This novel is considered romantic suspense, but it is my kind of romance. While I was not too surprised by Mary’s decision at the end of the novel, I did enjoy all of the twists and turns, the mystery surrounding Jamaica Inn, and Daphne du Maurier’s storytelling. 4 stars for Jamaica Inn!
Buddy Read
Back in January, my sister Rachel and I started the personal development book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (Caring): A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson. Yes, I covered up the expletive so as not to offend anyone; and, yes my sister laughed at me and pointed out it is just a word. Personally, I do not think it was necessary for Manson to use this word to effectively get his information out to his readers. However, he probably would not give a f*ck what I think anyway.
Once I got passed the cuss word in the title and the first chapter, laden with foul language and crude examples, I actually learned some valuable information that I could apply to my own life. There were quite a few takeaways from this book, but a few that really resonated with me included: happiness comes about through problem-solving, there is value in suffering, distinguishing between good and bad values, failure is a way forward, and the “do something” principle. I personally like how instead of looking for motivation to inspire action, you can take action to inspire motivation. Manson states, “If you lack motivation to make an important change in your life, do something – anything, really – and then harness the reaction to that action as a way to begin motivating yourself.” This self-improvement book earned a solid 3.5 stars.
23 for 2023 List
Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters by Laura Vanderkam is #20 on my 23 for 2023 List. I was not planning to read Vanderkam’s book until the summer; however, she hosted a Tranquility by
Tuesday Challenge in January, and it became the perfect time to dive in and get reaquainted with a few of the rules to see if they could help calm the chaos in my own life. My plan is to write a separate post specifically about my overall thoughts about this book and my experience with participating in the challenge. As I have mentioned in a previous post, I was excited to read Tranquility by Tuesday because I was one of the 150 participants in her time study to gather the data for this book. A couple of the rules had become habits or modified habits during the original time study, but most of them had fallen by the wayside and were forgotten. However, after reading the book (which I thought was fantastic) and completing the challenge (which I thought was eye-opening and fun), I am excited about how most of these rules can become effective habits in my life over time if I intentionally put them into practice. 5 stars for this personal development gem.
As you can see, I had a productive month of reading, dear reader. If you want to hear more about my thoughts on this book or the other books I read in March, please check out my March wrap up video.
My sister and I are taking a break in between now and June. Rachel is an actuary and started her busy season at work at the end of March, and I have commitments in April with Old School April and in May with Zombiethon. I have been reading a bunch in April. I finally got around to reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club chose a rockin’ selection by Grady Hendrix. And, I finally finished reading Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley. Hopefully (always hopeful), I will be writing a post soon about what I read in April. Lots of terrific reads to share with you!
Lastly, do not forget about my book giveaway. Leave me a comment on this blog post if you are interested in a chance to win a copy of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. Giveaway ends on Sunday, May 7th at 11:59 PM. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!
“Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.” ~ Vera Nazarian
The rule focused on for Week 9 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was effortful before effortless. The purpose of this rule is to mindfully think about how you spend your leisure time. Laura Vanderkam created this rule to encourage having effortful fun before having effortless fun. In addition, Laura stated in an email to participants of the challenge, “When you do effortful fun before effortless, you’ll get to do both.”
So, what exactly is effortful fun? According to Laura, effortful fun is “fun that requires some planning, coordination, or mindfulness.” Examples of effortful fun are reading, putting together a puzzle, playing board games with friends or family, or scrapbooking.
So, what exactly is effortless fun? Social media and screen time fall into the category of effortless fun.
Anyone who falls down the rabbit hole of spending too much time scrolling on social media, may want to implement Laura’s rule and check out Catherine Price’s book, How To Break Up with Your Phone. I learned about Catherine Price and this book on the Happiness Lab podcast where she was interviewed by Dr. Laurie Santos. Listening to her story and the reason for writing this book inspired me to read it. The book includes Price’s 30-day challenge that can help people develop a new relationship with their phone. It works!
Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #9 that Laura sent us on Friday, 17 March and made a plan for the week.
What are your favorite sorts of effortful fun – that is, fun that requires some planning, coordination, or mindfulness? Reading, scrapbooking, putting puzzles together, content creation (blog and YouTube channel), hanging out with friends and family (and fur babies), and discussing books are myfavorite sorts of effortful fun.
What leisure activities do you typically do at night in the hours before bed or during downtime on weekends? Read, watch television, watch YouTube videos (booktubers), edit my own YouTube videos
How much time, in minutes, do you estimate you spend on social media on a typical weekday? What about on weekends? When do these minutes happen? Weekdays (about 150 minutes M-F); Weekend (about 60 minutes); mainly happen in the morning or early evening
How much time, in minutes, do you estimate you spend on TV or other video entertainment on a typical weekday? How about on weekends? (about 30-60 minutes – YouTube per day); (about 120-240 minutes of television on the weekends); I mainly watch television with my hubby on Friday and Saturday evenings; I also tend to watch YouTube videos while eating breakfast or lunch; and sometimes, I listen to a video while unloading/loading dishes or folding laundry.
Today, choose one form of “effortful” fun to do before screen time. What will this be? Reading
What challenges might you encounter in doing effortful fun before effortless fun? No challenges; reading is my favorite choice for effortful fun
What needs to happen to ensure you spend time on this effortful fun activity first? Always have a book handy and schedule it
RESULTS
Throughout this week, I chose effortful fun before effortless fun. I pretty much have done this rule off and on since I participated in the original time study back in the spring of 2021. I am really proud with how well I did this week with all of the Tranquility by Tuesday rules.
REFLECTION
Think back over the past week. What sorts of “effortful” fun did you make time for? Reading, content creation, dinner at my mother-in-law’s house, book discussions
When did you choose to make time for this effortful fun? I make time to read whenever I can, especially in the morning while drinking my coffee or right before bed; content creation is done throughout the day, sometimes in the evening; dinner at my mother-in-law’s house is on Friday evenings, book discussions in the evenings (evenings vary).
What effects did you see in your life from making time for effortful fun? Positive effects; experience more reading; experience more joy
What challenges did you face while trying to do effortful fun before effortless fun? After posting a book review on Instagram or something on FB, I sometimes linger and scroll for a few minutes.
How did you address these challenges? I did not really address it; limited amount of time scrolling, and I no longer do it right before bed.
If you modified this rule, how did you do so? n/a
How likely are you to continue to do effortful fun before effortless fun? Very likely; since I have done this rule off and on since I participated in the original time study back in the spring of 2021.I like this rule. Good reminder that time is a limited resource, so choose how you spend it wisely.
Did you observe a bedtime this past week? Yes, finally! I got an A++! I was in bed every night by 10:30, except Monday. I stayed up until 10:50, reading The Voyage of the Frog. On five of the seven nights, I read before going to sleep. On Friday night, I wrote a book review, and on Saturday night, Barry and I watched multiple episodes of Wednesday before going to sleep.
Plan on Friday? Yes, after dinner on Friday evening
Move by 3 p.m.? Yes, walked all four days in my backyard
Do your chosen activity three times per week? I read Choose Joy (3-minute devotions) all 7 mornings. I got outside for at least 23 minutes, 2 times this week, for the #Outside23in23 Challenge.On Tuesday, I walked for 10 minutes, then played with dogs in the backyard for 15 minutes. On Wednesday, I walked for 15 minutes earlier in the day, then read for 20 minutes outside later that afternoon.
Create a back-up slot? Yes, I had two back-up slots on Saturday morning and Monday evening. I used Saturday morning for chores since I planned on Friday evening; and, Monday evening for helping Claire with a school assignment (we were supposed to meet on Sunday afternoon, but she had to reschedule).
Have one big adventure and one little adventure? YES, two of each. My two big adventures were attending Romeo and Juliet and dinner afterwards with my hubby, Andrew, his girlfriend Meagan (precious), and our friend Helen AND attending Andrew’s ceremony and dinner for being inducted into an International Honor Society for Foreign Languages and Literature (accepted for French). For my little adventures, on Saturday morning, my friend Shanna and I took a quick trip to the Friends of the Library store AND on Wednesday night, I attended the Middle Grade March livestream (one hour).
Take one night for you? Yes, actually two nights. On Sunday night, Rachel and I discussed chapter 8 of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. On Thursday night, I attended my weekly improv class (Level 4).
Batch the little things? Yes! I was much more effective this week. From 10:15am – 12:10pm, I completed financial tasks, placed a coffee order on Big Cat Coffee, did some digital decluttering, and created an email for my mother-in-law to access her MYChart medical information.
Romeo & Juliet at the Columbia Theatre with Helen, Kat, Barry, Andrew, and Meagan
Andrew and Meagan at La Caretta
International Honor Society Inductees
Kat and Andrew
Kat and Andrew
Well, that is a wrap on the Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge, dear reader. I will eventually share my overall thoughts about the book and the challenge as well as which rules I plan to keep incorporating in my life. It was wonderful to see how Laura Vandrekam turned all of the time study data into Tranquility by Tuesday. I am happy that I was a part of the time study as well as the book. Happiness!
“Leisure time is too precious to be totally leisurely about leisure.” ~ Laura Vanderkam
I have been wanting to write this wrap up post about everything I read in February for some time, dear reader. February was a much better reading month than January. I completed 12 books, and I owe a bunch of thanks to the creation of my very first month-long readathon, Folklore February, where I read folktales, fairytales, and fables.
FolkLore February Readathon
I read eight books and watched one movie for this readathon. Reading beautifully illustrated picture books added a layer of whimsy to my folkloric experience. Additionally, I read “Snow-White and Rose-Red” from my Brothers Grimm collection (Flame Tree Publishing) in anticipation of reading Snow & Rose.
I highly recommend watching Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. It is a perfectly blended musical, dark fantasy, and stop-animation film with all the feels. I loved it even though it made me cry like a baby.
In addition to reading and watching a movie, I hosted (for the very first time) reading SPRINTS on my YouTube channel. Sprints are a wonderful way to engage with your community of followers while completing reading goals or productivity tasks. I hosted three times throughout the month and had a blast. Kelsi joined me as a co-host which made it an even more enjoyable experience.
Read a Folktale. (Stone Soup by Marcia Brown)
Read a Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Andersen. (The Snow Queen adapted and illustrated by Richard Hess)
Read a Fairy Tale by the Brothers Grimm. (Rapunzel adapted by Barbara Rogasky and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman)
Read a Fable. (The Hare and the Tortoise illustrated by Brian Wildsmith)
MOOD READ or WATCH (Snow & Rose by Emily Windfield Martin)
Read or Watch a Retelling of a folktale, fairytale, or fable. (The Cajun Little Red Riding Hood by Berthe Amoss)
Read a Fractured Fairy Tale. (The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Brian Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith)
Read a Folktale from a country other than your own. (The Mitten adapted and illustrated by Jan Brett)
Watch a screen adaptation of your favorite folktale, fairy tale, or fable. (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio)
Folktale ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fable ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mood Read (Fairy Tale Retelling) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fractured Fairy Tale ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ukrainian Folktale ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fairy Tale Retelling ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Even though I enjoyed everything I read for Folklore February, my absolute favorite story was Snow & Rose. It was fantastic, and I actually enjoyed it more than the original fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm. Dear reader, if you want to hear more about my thoughts on any of the books I read during Folklore February, please check out my Folklore February wrap up video.
Other February Readathons
In addition to Folklore February, I participated in a weekend readathon, GarbAugust 1.5: Wasted Weekend, hosted by Olly at CriminOlly. This readathon was a fun event where you read something trashy. I chose a book I picked up at a recent library sale called Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life & Times by James Finn Garner. They are modern retellings of classic fairy tales. The stories were short, sweet (and not so sweet) as well as entertaining. It was a 3-star read for me.
I participated in a week-long reading event, the Little House Readathon, hosted by Elizabeth at LizziefayeLovesBooks. This readathon was wonderful because I revisited a childhood favorite, The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I loved reading the Little House on the Prairie series as a child. The Long Winter is the 6th book in the series and was the group read for this event. The story is about the horrendous winter the Ingalls family and their neighbors of De Smet had to endure from October-April of 1880-1881. I gave it 5 stars!
Cozy Cottage Book Club
At the beginning of February, I finally finished Stardust by Neil Gaiman. It was the January selection for the Cozy Cottage Book Club. I did not finish the book in time but still attended the online meeting and had a splendid time. Stardust is a beautifully written fairy tale for adults. It has romance, magic, fantastical creatures, and villianous characters set both in the village of Wall and the beautiful and dark world of Faerie. I was captivated by the whimsical world as well as the well-developed and likeable characters. 5 stars for a magical journey!
Chills, Thrills, & Kills Book Club
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay was our February book club selection. It is a psychological horror novel about a family of three vacationing at a cabin in an isolated wooded area. All is well until four strangers unexpectedly show up at the cabin with an ominous message that is not well-received, leading to brutal and heartbreaking consequences. I had high expectations going into this novel which was my introduction to Paul Tremblay’s work. Unfortunately, I finished reading this novel with more questions than answers.
It was an okay but not exceptional read for me, thus earning a 3.5 star rating. I am eager to see the film adaptation, Knock at the Cabin, since I have been told the film is less ambiguous than the novel. I already put the film on my Halloween Movie Marathon list. Dear reader, if you want to hear more about my thoughts on this book or the other books I read in February, please check out my February wrap up video.
As you can tell, dear reader, I had an marvelous month of reading in February. My book club selection for March was Vacancy by K.R. Alexander. I read several middle-grade books for Middle Grade March, and I finished my first book for the FOMO Book Club. Stay tuned because I will be posting a wrap up of what I read in March. I will also be sharing my epic plans I have for April. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!
“Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.” ~ Mary Schmich
The rule focused on for Week 8 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was batch the little things. The purpose of this rule is to carve out some time in your schedule to complete little tasks all at once. This time is not meant for daily routines or completing major chores or projects. Instead, it is a small window of time (30-90 minutes) where you could pay a bill, write a message in a birthday card, schedule a doctor’s appointment, or place an online order for coffee. There is no right or wrong way to use this rule; however, key elements to eventually turning this rule into a habit is to keep a running list of tasks and to set aside time to complete them.
Laura Vanderkam calls her running list of small tasks (not urgent) a Friday “punch list.” She allows her small tasks to accumulate over the week and works on them at a designated time on Friday. Gretchen Rubin wrote about a similar “power hour” in her book Better Than Before: Mastering the Habit of Our Everyday Lives. She used her designated time to tackle small one-time tasks that she kept postponing. Her list did not include recurring tasks or tasks with deadlines.
Laura believes “this rule creates two important effects: it forces prioritization, and it keeps little tasks from always being an option (pages 195-196).” In Tranquility by Tuesday, Laura also includes a six-step process to turn this rule into a habit to waste less time.
Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #8 that Laura sent us on Friday, 10 March and made a plan for the week.
Think back over the past twenty-four hours. What “small tasks” have made it onto your daily to-do list? What about “small tasks” that you completed as soon as you thought of them, even if you were working on something else at the time? Honestly, I have not been keeping a daily to-do list for a few weeks now. I usually make a note in my planner, write it on a post-it note, or try (HA HA!) to rely on my memory. I have not written anything down in the past twenty-four hours. Sometimes, I will stop and complete a “small task” while working on something else; generally it is a task that takes maybe a minute ot two.
How much time, in minutes, do you estimate you spent on these tasks last week? About 180 minutes between two days
When could you schedule a time at work each day, or each week, to tackle small work tasks (and any personal tasks that have to happen during business hours)? a Wednesday or Friday morning would be ideal; realistically, right now it is wherever I have a block of time close to the deadline of the task
When could you schedule a weekly chore window – perhaps on the weekend or in the evening – to tackle small personal tasks? Saturday or Sunday morning; Monday or Wednesday evening
What might prevent you from batching the little tasks in your life? other tasks that are more important or have a more pressing deadline
How could you deal with these challenges? right now, I basically squeeze in chunks of time, here or there, to get these little tasks done; I could schedule it with a back-up slot in the event I do not finish or something comes up that needs my attention
RESULTS
I completed small tasks this week; however, I did not batch them together. I pretty much fit them in between other scheduled projects. I can see the benefit of this rule. I am still struggling with getting to sleep on time; however, there were two nights this week that resulted in me getting home later than usual. I did well with the rest of the rules. Progress!
REFLECTION
Think back over the past week. What times did you designate for little tasks during your workdays? For this particular week to incorporate this rule, I scheduled Batch the Little Things on Tuesday (mid-day). However, I spent 25 minutes on Monday evening writing a message in a b-day card and addressing the envelope, so I could mail it that evening before going to Books-A-Million ; on Tuesday before lunch, I worked about 15 minutes on a financial task; on Wednesday morning, I spent 45 minutes ordering concert tickets (Stevie Nicks and The Cure)
What windows did you designate for household tasks and chores? I designated my household chores on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
What effect did you see in your life from batching the little things? Unfortunately, since I did not adhere to this rule in the way it should be implemented, I did not experience the desired effect of spending my time more efficiently.
What challenges did you face in trying to batch the little things? My main challenge is the lack of organization currently in my life. I AM OVEREXTENDING MYSELF. I let other activities come first, so then I was squeezing these tasks in last minute; trying to rely on my memory to write the b-day card in a timely manner failed.
How did you address these challenges? I did not address them while living it; however, I have a game plan for the future if I implement this rule the way it is intended to work. Make a list of the small tasks with deadline if applicable; schedule the little tasks; honor the time alloted to batch the little things. We shall see if I do better next week.
If you modified this rule, how did you do so? I modified this rule by squeezing in small tasks in between other activities or projects.
How likely are you to continue batching the little things in your life? I want to say very likely, but until I shed some commitments and get myself organized, I may be a little hit or miss with this rule. I love the concept.
Did you observe a bedtime this past week? Not really; I went to sleep three nights by 10:30 p.m. or earlier; two of the early nights (Monday & Tuesday) I read before going to sleep. On Thursday night, I had improv class, got home, showered, and went to sleep. On Friday and Sunday evenings, I attended events where I got home late, so after showering, I went to sleep. I worked on content before bed on Wednesday evening. While I did read before going to sleep on Saturday night, I was having some technical issues with my vlog (music) prior to getting into bed. Even though I did not consistently observe my bedtime, I did NO scrolling before going to sleep any night during this week.
Plan on Friday? Not on Friday, but on Saturday morning
Move by 3 p.m.? Yes, four times; On three days, I walked outside in my backyard.On Tuesday, I took Tooty for a 45-minute walk around my subdivision.
Do your chosen activity three times per week? I read Choose Joy (3-minute devotions) 6 mornings. I got outside for at least 23 minutes, 4 times this week, for the #Outside23in23 Challenge.On Wednesday, I was out earlier in the day to walk and play with Luna in the backyard, and later that evening, Barry and I took both dogs for a 45-minute walk around the subdivision.
Create a back-up slot? Yes, I had four back-up slots on Friday evening, Saturday morning, Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday morning/afternoon. I used Friday evening for a big adventure; Saturday morning for planning; Wednesday afternoon for editing my Folklore February video; Thursday morning to upload Folklore February video, and Thursday afternoon for another big adventure.
Have one big adventure and one little adventure? YES, two of each. My two big adventures were attending dinner and the play, Sound of Music, with my friend Sue on Friday night AND on Thursday afternoon, hanging out with my friend Michelle (lunch/coffee/conversation) before going to improv class. For my little adventures, on Sunday, my mother-in-law took my hubby, Andrew, and me to lunch at Walk-on’s in Hammond to celebrate my hubby’s b-day with cake at her house afterwards AND on Wednesday night, I attended the Middle Grade March livestream (one hour).
Take one night for you? Yes, actually two nights. On Sunday night, I performed at the Level 3 Improv Showcase at the The Actor’s Apothecary in New Orleans. On Thursday night, I attended my weekly improv class (Level 4).
Sue and Kat with Kamryn (Maria) after Sound of Music play
Kat performing with Kimberly and Brunson; Allan-Paul, Tabitha, and Brian on the sidelines
Emily and Maria performing; Lindsay, Tricia, Omar, and Ashley on the sidelines
Anubis Improv Level 3 Graduates
Anubis Improv Level 3 Graduates
Only one more rule to go, dear reader! Rule #9 is all about effortful fun before effortless fun. This rule also focuses on wasting less time. As always, I am up for the challenge of trying a new rule along with maintaining the other ones. It will be interesting to see which rules stick once I complete the Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge. Happiness!
“Tasksexpandto fill the available space.When we give them less time, they take less time.” ~ Laura Vanderkam
Note: Photo at the top is by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com.
The rule focused on for Week 7 of the Tranquility by Tuesday challenge was take one night for you. The purpose of this rule is to take some time off from family and work commitments each week to explore doing something that is worthwhile and fun. Think of it as a date night (or day) with yourself. This rule is a habit I developed many years ago (while teaching 2nd grade at HGCS) after reading Take Time for Your Life by Cheryl Richardson. I was burnt out; I felt like all I did with my time was work and take care of everyone else except me. Richardson suggested in her book to make some time each week for yourself, and that is exactly what I started doing at that point in my life. The activities I have chosen over the years have changed based on the opportunities that were available at the time; however, making time strictly for yourself is important and makes life more enjoyable. Additionally, the chosen activity does not have to take a huge amount of time; however, ideally it would be nice to do the activity on a regular day/night to have that time to look forward to each week.
Before the week started, I pondered the planning questions for Rule #7 that Laura sent us on Friday, 03 March and made a plan for the week.
Do you have any recurring fun-for-you commitments outside of work and family? (Examples might include a book club, choir rehearsals, or a weekly golf game.) YES! I attend an improv class on Thursday night from 6:00-8:00 p.m. I also run the Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club with my friend Kelsi, and we meet with our members on a Tuesday night once per month. I also buddy read books with my sister Rachel, and we generally meet one night per week to discuss the chapter(s) that were assigned for the week.
If you don’t already have a weekly fun-for-you commitment, what would you do with one night off (or an equivalent amount of weekend time) per week? n/a
If you are not currently taking a night just for you, what would you need to do to make this happen? If you are currently doing this, how have you created the space? I treat my one night for me as an appointment and put it on my calendar.
What might prevent you from taking one night off? At this point in my life, I really do not have anything that will prevent me from attending my improv class or book club meetings. Occasionally, another commitment with my family may come up at the same time as my activity. For example, my husband got a free night stay at a hotel, so we went to Orange Beach and left on a Thursday which meant I missed my weekly improv class. Spending time with my hubby is equally important, so I do not mind those type of conflicts.My sister and I adjust our schedules if either one of us have a confict. As for my book club, we either reschedule, or I miss that month’s meeting.
How can you address these challenges? Thankfully, I have a thoughtful and supportive spouse and helpful children who will step up if something should crop up that is not a family commitment or an emergency type situation.
RESULTS
As I have already mentioned, this rule was easy to implement. For this week, I did have an unexpected big adventure replace one of the nights that I take for myself. I also did fairly well with the other 6 rules. Giving myself a bedtime is still my weekly challenge. I do not see this changing until I can get a bit more organized overall.
REFLECTION
Did you take a few hours off from work and family responsibilities this week? What did you do with this time? YES! I met with my sister to discuss Chapter 7 of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck on Sunday evening at 7 p.m.
If you didn’t take one night (or another block of time) just for you during the past week, do you have an idea for what you might do with a night off in upcoming weeks? n/a
What effects did you see from taking a few hours for your interests? Positive effects galore! Meeting with my sister weekly strengthens our relationship. After we discuss the assigned chapter, we usually talk about other stuff like our upcoming trip to Sicily.
What challenges did you face while trying to take some time for your interests? I would not say this was really a challenge, but more of a choice to not take time for my weekly interest. I chose not to attend my Thursday night improv class because I wanted to attend the opening of Andrew’s Juried Student Exhibition at SLU. He had two photography projects selected for this exhibition.I am so proud of him and wanted to be at the opening to show support for him and for a few other students I know who had exhibits on display as well.
How did you address these challenges? n/a
Did you modify this strategy? If so, how? I replaced one of my nights for me with a big adventure.My night was still meaningful, fun, and something I wanted to do with my designated night.
How likely are you to continue taking one night for you? VERY likely because it is important to me
Did you observe a bedtime this past week? Not really, but better than last week; I went to sleep two nights by 10:30 p.m. or earlier; both of those nights I read before going to sleep. One night, I climbed into bed at 10:40 p.m. I worked on content, and then had to wait for my software to update; otherwise, I would have made it to bed on time. There were three nights that I made it to bed at 11:15 p.m., 11:05 p.m. and 11:20 p.m.; All three nights, I spent some time completing chores, taking my shower, and then went to sleep. The latest night was 11:50 p.m.; I was editing my vlog before turning in for the night. Even though I did not consistently observe my bedtime, I did NO scrolling before going to sleep any night during this week. I am wondering if I should adjust my bedtime.
Plan on Friday? Not on Friday, but on Sunday morning.
Move by 3 p.m.? Yes, three times; On all three days, I walked outside in my backyard.
Do your chosen activity three times per week? I read Choose Joy (3-minute devotions) 4 mornings. I got outside for at least 23 minutes, 3 times this week, for the #Outside23in23 Challenge.
Create a back up slot? Yes, I had two back-up slots on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. I used Wednesday for a little adventure and Thursday morning to film an extra video.
Have one big adventure and one little adventure? YES, two of them each. My two big adventures were attending Kaitlyn and Marc’s wedding on Saturday night AND on Thursday night, attending Andrew’s Juried Student Exhibition at SLU’s Art Gallery; then, attending dinner with friends afterwards. For my little adventures, I got a pedicure on Saturday morning, AND on Wednesday night, Barry made it to Hammond, so we went to have a quick dinner at Chipotle (my first time eating at this restaurant).
Mr. and Mrs. Marc and Kaitlyn Mathies
Barry, Jr., Kat, and Andrew at the wedding
Cyanotype
Allegory of Art History (photographs)
Helen, Kerry, Shelly, and Kat at Shack’s after Andrew’s Exhibition
With completing Rule #7, I finished Part 2 of Tranquility by Tuesday, dear reader. Rules 4-7 are meant to “make good things happen.” I will continue striving to implement all of these rules plus the first three. I am also looking forward to the third part of the book as well as the final two rules which are focusing on wasting less time. I am ALL for using my time wisely. Happiness!
“Committing to fun means the fun happens.” ~ Laura Vanderkam
"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors. Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny." ~Gandhi
Run/Walk Schedule
Week #1: Walk 30 minutes a day, at least three times a week.
Week #2: Continue week-one workout but pick up the pace, pump your arms. Break a sweat!
Week #3: Walk 10 minutes. Run 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes (repeat this 3-minute session 5 times). Walk 10 minutes.
Week #4: Walk 10 minutes. Run 2 minutes. Walk 1 minute (repeat this 3-minute session 5 times). Walk 10 minutes.
The Kat Files 