Daylight Saving Time is fast approaching, dear reader, and I am thrilled to finally get my new year in high gear. Stepping into 2025 felt overwhelming but oddly familiar to stepping into 2024. I was playing catch-up from the previous year while having a vague idea of my plans for this year. I had adjusted my mindset last year and started my 2024 on the Lunar New Year. So, that plan was put into place again this year, but the Lunar New Year has come and gone with barely any progress. Why? I am still stuck in catch-up mode because of a few tasks I cannot let go. With that being said, I am seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel, and I have a project in place that I think will make 2025 my best year, yet.
PHOENIX is my word for 2025. My friend Kelsi actually came up with my word. On a car ride together in November, I shared with her that I was thinking about my one-word theme for the new year and what I was leaning towards, and she offered the Phoenix (a mythological creature that is reborn from its ashes) as a suggestion. After wearing out RESET in 2024 and desperately wanting my season of sorrow to end, I needed a strong word to get back on course. My plans for this year focus on self-care, organization, reading, creative pursuits, and fun.
In addition to my one-word theme, I created a 25 for 2025 list with my aims for the new year. Almost all of the items on my list are new; however, I did carry over six items from last year that I did not complete but really want to accomplish this year. Take a look at what I have planned for myself for 2025.
Kat’s 25 for 2025 List
1. Contact SPA 728 for health assessment information.
2. Strength train 2-3 times per week.
3. Walk at least 30 minutes daily, preferably outside.
4. Reduce reflux meds to 20 mg.
5. Keep a JOY journal.
6. Create a Book of Life.
7. Clear the clutter in my scrapbook room.
8. Clear the clutter in my bedroom closet.
9. Buy a comfortable chair for my home office.
10. Organize home library.
11. Keep track of spending on books.
12. Start a new booktube project. (Saturday Morning Momentum: Thrive in 2025)
13. Organize videos on Kat’s Novel Adventures (create playlists).
14. Read 25 Books that have been on my shelves for 5 years or more.
15. Read The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King.
16. Read Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix.
17. Write 25 blog posts on The Kat Files.
18. Scrapbook 25 times in 2025.
19. Attend TAC Scrapbook Event in June with Donna and Heather.
20. Volunteer at the Friends of the Library store during the summer.
21. Visit the New Orleans Vampire Café in New Orleans.
22. Visit the English Tea Room in Covington.
23. Visit the Hammond Farmers & Artisans Market at least 5 times.
24. Attend The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at The Columbia Theatre in March.
25. Put a deposit down on running The Open Book in Scotland.
I made a bingo board with my aims! Several members in the Happier in Hollywood Facebook group shared their bingo boards at the beginning of the year, so I decided to do one as well. Fun project!
Other Fun Plans for 2025:
Participate in Gretchen Rubin’s #Read25in25. The challenge is to spend 25 minutes reading daily in 2025. This challenge is the third element of Rubin’s Design Your Year: 2025 with the one-word theme and list of aims being the other two elements. According to Gretchen Rubin, “Research shows that reading is good for us: it benefits mental health, sharpens the brain, makes us more empathetic, helps us learn, and increases our tolerance for uncertainty. And most importantly, it’s fun!” Reading at least 25 minutes every day will be an easy daily challenge for me because I LOVE reading. It is my favorite activity, and I already read every day much more than 25 minutes; therefore, I have designated my daily 25-minute reading time for this challenge to read nonfiction.
Join the 2025 Reading Challenge on Goodreads. My goal is to read 100 books this year. Follow me on Goodreads (Katherine Loyacano).
Host three readathons on my YouTube channel: Nevermore, Folklore February, and Zombiethon.
Interact with members of the Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club on Facebook.
Participate in Booktube Book Clubs (FOMO, MGM, Cozy Cottage, and Book Wyrm).
Keep a TA-DA list for 2025. This list is for goals or activities that I accomplished throughout the year but were not included on my original list. These accomplishments should be celebrated, too.
Additionally, I will continue creating videos for my Youtube channel, Kat’s Novel Adventures. I passed my two-year anniversary of releasing my first video on 28 October 2024. As of the writing of this post, I have 1.19K subscribers and 270 videos for public viewing. My channel was monetized in May 2024, and I received my first check in January of this year. Happiness Boost! My channel growth is a slow-going process, dear reader, and I am fine with it. I love my small community of friends; they bring me so much joy. I have included a video about Designing My Year: 2025 below if you are interested in hearing more about my plans for 2025. Please consider subscribing to my channel, giving me a like, and leaving a comment.
As you can see, dear reader, I have planned another year of adventures for 2025. All of these aims and activities give me hope of getting my life back on track. I am excited about tackling my aims while also exploring other opportunities that might crop up this year. Happiness!
“Wake up, wild one! You are the phoenix, the firebird, the one who rises from the ashes of the past.” ~ A. A. Malee
2024 started off in the same fashion 2023 ended with my mom in the hospital with dementia and a broken hip. I decided to give myself grace and begin my new year on the first day of the Lunar New Year. I admit it was a bit weird not starting a brand new year on 01 January, but considering the circumstamces, it felt like the right decision for me.
2024 turned out to be a continuation of my Season of Sorrow. My mother died in August and my mother-in-law followed her to heaven three months later.
As you can see, dear reader, by the date I am publishing this post and the lack of posts published in 2024, life had other plans for me. That is not to say I did not work on my aims or find pockets of joy amidst the upheaval. I am steadily trying to catch up on life, but it has been a sloth-slow process. Today is the day to share how I did with my 24 for 2024 list! I chose RESET as my word for 2024, and boy did I wear it out. It seemed like I was resetting every other week. With that being said, I did accomplish a few aims on my 24 for 2024 List. I completed nine items, started four items, and attempted one on my list.
Kat’s 24 for 2024 List
Time-track at least once per quarter (March, June, September, December). YES ✔
Join The 5AM Club by getting up at 5AM each morning (The 5AM Club). YES ✔
Implement the 20/20/20 Formula (The 5AM Club). NO (used it more for Focus Work)
Implement the Pre-Sleep Ritual (The 5AM Club). NO
Quit Coffee. STARTED (Gave up afternoon coffee on 06/19)
Strength train two times per week. NO
Walk at least 30 minutes daily, preferably outside. NO
Get a massage. NO
Clear the clutter in my scrapbook room. NO
Buy a book cart. YES ✔
Buy two bookcases for living room. YES ✔
Organize home library. STARTED
Keep track of spending on books. NO
Get library cards (Tangipahoa, Livingston, and Baton Rouge parishes). YES ✔
Start a new booktube project. YES ✔
Read 24 Books that I did not get to in 2022/2023. STARTED (read 11/24; started 1, but put to the side)
Have a Year of Christie (Agatha Christie) 2.0. STARTED (read 3/6)
Buddy Read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt with Alex @ Frankfiction. YES ✔
Read The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and The Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. YES ✔
Read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. NO
Read On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. YES ✔
Write about my adventures in Sicily on my blog. ATTEMPTED
Organize photos and video clips from my Sicily trip. NO
Scrapbook 24 times in 2024. NO
Other Fun Plans for 2024:
I participated in Gretchen Rubin’s #Write24in24 Challenge. Loved this challenge! I did not use it the way I originally planned, but I did write (mainly book reviews) 25 minutes or more each day.
I joined the Goodreads Challenge again and set my goal to read 100 books in 2024. I reached my Goodreads goal back in November and ended the year having read 111 books.
I participated in Booktube Book Clubs (FOMO, MGM, Cozy Cottage, The Book Wyrm Club).
The Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club is still on hiatus; however, I have some ideas that I’d like to implement in 2025. I’m not quite ready to give up on it, yet.
I participated in Frugal February and saved some money. Gold star for me!
I collaborated with Kelsi in 2024. I was a one of her co-hosts for Old School April and one of her Monster Squad members for Halloween-A-Thon. We buddy read The Store by Bentley Little in August for the GarbAugust readathon and had a live Movie Chat about the movies we watched during the spooky season.
As for my Birthday Message Project 2.0, it fell by the wayside with everything that happened in the second half of the year which is when I wanted to complete the project. I just did not have the motivation or the energy. So, it might be something I try again in 2025, but it will not be on my 25 for 2025 List. Also, I did not keep up with a TA-DA List for 2024; however, I do plan to reflect on the year, write the list, and post on my blog like I have in the past.
Considering 2024 was another rollercoaster of a year where I continued living in a season of sorrow, I think I did okay with my 24 for 2024 list. I am grateful for my Youtube channel community. I passed my two-year anniversary of releasing my first video on 28 October 2024. My weekly Wednesday sprints that I host on my channel have been a continued source of joy for me. My community is super supportive and really helped me through the last year and a half. And, speaking of my channel, I have included a video about my Happier Trifecta Review below if you are interested in hearing more about my accomplishments and some of the books I read in 2024. Please consider subscribing to my channel, giving me a like and a share, and leaving a comment.
Currently, I am playing catch up with content both on my channel and here on my blog. I already designed my year for 2025, and I cannot wait to share with you my one-word theme, my 25 for 2025 List, and Gretchen Rubin’s yearly challenge. I really am hoping you will see more of me in 2025. How did you do with your goals in 2024, dear reader? Happiness!
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” ~ T.S. Eliot
The Lunar New Year is fast approaching, dear reader, and I am thrilled to finally start my new year. Stepping into 2024 without a plan felt odd, but I adjusted my mindset as the month of January unfolded, and I am NOW ready to get the ball rolling on accomplishing my aims for this year.
RESET is my word for 2024. After the dreadful demise of 2023, I have been desperate to hit the reset button. My plans for this year are to replace some bad habits with some good ones, clean up the clutter in my environment, and boost my sense of creativity and play by cultivating an existing interest. That last plan, regarding creativity and play, is the result of taking Gretchen Rubin’s Habits for Happiness Quiz.
In addition to my one-word theme, I created a 24 for 2024 list with my aims for the new year. Almost all of the items on my list are new; however, I did carry over three items from last year that I did not complete but really want to accomplish this year. Pretty much all of my aims fall into one of my three plans which have to do with habits, clutter-clearing, and creativity/play. Take a look at what I have planned for myself for 2024.
Kat’s 24 for 2024 List
1. Time-track at least once per quarter (March, June, September, December).
2. Join The 5AM Club by getting up at 5AM each morning (The 5AM Club).
3. Implement the 20/20/20 Formula (The 5AM Club).
4. Implement the Pre-Sleep Ritual (The 5AM Club).
5. Quit Coffee.
6. Strength train two times per week.
7. Walk at least 30 minutes daily, preferably outside.
8. Get a massage.
9. Clear the clutter in my scrapbook room.
10. Buy a book cart.
11. Buy two bookcases for living room.
12. Organize home library.
13. Keep track of spending on books.
14. Get library cards (Tangipahoa, Livingston, and Baton Rouge parishes).
15. Start a new booktube project.
16. Read 24 Books that I did not get to in 2022/2023.
17. Have a Year of Christie (Agatha Christie) 2.0.
18. Buddy Read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt with Alex @ Frankfiction.
19. Read The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and The Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.
20. Read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
21. Read On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King.
22. Write about my adventures in Sicily on my blog.
23. Organize photos and video clips from my Sicily trip.
24. Scrapbook 24 times in 2024.
Other Fun Plans for 2024:
I am participating in Gretchen Rubin’s #Write24in24. The options are to spend 2-4 minutes or 24 minutes writing daily in 2024. This challenge is the third element of Rubin’s Happier Trifeca with the one-word theme and list of aims being the other two elements. According to Gretchen Rubin, “If you write consistently, you’ll be astonished by how much you can accomplish in 2024. We often underestimate what we can do if we work consistently.” Writing at least 24 minutes every day will be a fun daily challenge for me because I LOVE writing. My writing time will be devoted to blog posts, book reviews on Goodreads, scrapbook journaling, lists (to-do & ta-da), correspondence with family and friends (cards), notes for videos, and morning pages (The Artist’s Way). These are just a few of the writing activities I have planned for 2024; however, other possibilities might be added to my list throughout the year.
On Goodreads, I joined the 2024 Reading Challenge, and my goal is to read 100 books this year. Follow me on Goodreads (Katherine Loyacano).
I want to revamp the Chills, Thrills, and Kills Book Club.
I will participate in Booktube Book Clubs (FOMO, MGM, Cozy Cottage).
I will continue doing Collabs with Kelsi. Our collabs can be viewed on her YouTube channel, Slime and Slashers – A Nostalgia & Horror Channel. Please consider subscribing to Kelsi’s channel in 2024.
I will participate in Frugal February again. This is a NO spend month.
I will be doing a Birthday Message Project 2.0 in 2024.
I plan to keep a TA-DA list for 2024. This list is for goals or activities that I accomplished throughout the year but were not included on my original list. These accomplishments should be celebrated, too.
Additionally, I will continue creating videos for my Youtube channel, Kat’s Novel Adventures. I passed my one-year anniversary of releasing my first video on 28 October 2023. As of the writing of this post, I have 769 subscribers and 152 videos for public viewing. My little channel is growing slowly, and I am hoping I will reach and surpass 1,000 subscribers in 2024. That channel milestone would be a HUGE happiness boost! I have included a video about my Happier Trifecta below if you are interested in hearing more about my plans for 2024. Please consider subscribing to my channel, giving me a like, and leaving a comment.
As you can see, dear reader, I have planned a year of good habit-forming, organizing, reading, writing, and scrapbooking adventures for 2024. All of these aims and activities will give me an opportunity to RESET my life and get back on track. Well, that is my plan anyway. Happiness!
“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset. Every sunrise begins with new eyes.” ~ Richie Norton
June was an amazing reading month for me. Despite everything I was involved in throughout the month of June, I managed to read a total of nine books. Four of those books were read for Kelsi’s Killer Corn Readathon which I wrote about in a separate post. Three books were for book clubs, one was for my Year of Christie project, and one was just for fun. Many of these books counted for the Summer Book Bingo Readathon that I am participating in for the very first time, and I earned my first bingo. Exciting!
COZY COTTAGE BOOK CLUB
A Princess of Wind and Wave by Melanie Cellier is a young adult, fairy tale retelling of The Little Mermaid. Isla is a mermaid princess, who feels stifled by her father’s strict rules. She longs to leave the underwater kingdom to live on the surface where her people once lived, especially after a chance encounter with a boy she once saved from drowning. Her desire to leave Merrita becomes a reality when her home is threatened by a dangerous opposition.
Even though A Princess of Wind and Wave started off a bit slow, it turned out to be an enjoyable read. Michelle Cellier does a fine job with creating likable characters and a formidable foe. There are twists and turns as well as some unexpected surprises. It is the sixth book in the Beyond the Four Kingdoms series; however, it worked well as a stand-alone for the Cozy Cottage Book Club. I enjoyed it enough that I want to read the other books in the series. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
MIDDLE GRADE MARCH BOOK CLUB
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson is a middle-grade historical fiction novel with an intriguing mystery at the center of it. Candace is staying at her late grandmother’s house for the summer with her mother and discovers a letter addressed to her grandmother while exploring the attic. The letter holds the clues to
an unsolved mystery leading to a substantial hidden treasure. With the help of her new friend Brandon, they decide to solve the mystery which could help the town of Lambert and clear her grandmother’s name.
The Parker Inheritance is fast-paced, moves through dual timelines from multiple characters’ perspectives, and tackles tough topics relating to history and social justic issues. The novel is well-written with well-developed characters. I enjoyed the terrific friendship between Candace and Brandon, the references to middle-grade books, and the mystery. This novel is not only thought-provoking and heart-felt, but it is also clever and entertaining. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FOMO BOOK CLUB
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave was the May/June book club selection for the FOMO Book Club. It is a compelling historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of the mystifying dance plague that seized the city of Strasbourg in the early 16th century. At the heart of the novel, pregnant Lisbet lives a quiet life on the outskirts of the city with her husband and mother-in-law where she takes care of bees on a modest piece of land. Living conditions are hard for many of the people and the church makes unreasonable demands upon them. When
Lisbet’s sister-in-law Agnethe returns after a long absence, life becomes more complicated and secrets are revealed, leading to heartache and dire consequences.
The Dance Tree is a beautifully written novel, and Hargrave does a wonderful job of taking a grim period in history and intertwining it with a story of forbidden love, loss, and the struggles women had to face in so many aspects of their lives. Despite its melancholy tone, it is a story of strong female connections, abiding love, and women exerting a level of control for themselves and finding self-worth in the midst of horrible circumstances. This was not an easy read; however, Hargrave does end the novel on a hopeful note which lifted the heaviness I felt throughout much of the novel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
YEAR OF CHRISTIE
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie is the exciting debut of Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian private detective extraordinaire. Detective Poirot is invited to Styles, an Essex country manor to assist in solving the mysterious death of Emily Inglethorpe. Even though the evidence points to her new
husband, there are plenty of other members of the household who could benefit from Mrs. Inglethorpe’s demise.
I loved the introduction of Hercule Poirot, and his intelligent assessment of Emily Inglethorpe’s crime scene. He is patient, good-humored, and dresses impeccably. I enjoyed his friendly banter with Mr. Hastings, who is the narrator of this mystery and tries his hand at amateur sleuthing. This novel has plenty of sudden twists and turns with a surprise ending that I did not see coming. Unfortunately, I was unable to guess the murderer. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
One of the squares for Summer Book Bingo is to read a book outside of your comfort zone. Well, in my case that would be romance. I have become friends with the British romance author, Emma Bennet. When I asked her which of her novels I should read first, she suggested her cozy contemporary romance, Her Perfect Hero. What an excellent choice!
Bronte, a romance writer, lives with her cat Mr. Darcy in a comfy cottage in a charming village outside of London. After a bad break-up, she is determined to
find her “perfect” hero like the ones she writes about in her books. Bronte finds herself in a dilemma when the handsome Ryan Murphy moves into the cottage next door, and she is rescued by the dashing Sebastian Fairfax. Both have appealing qualities, but who will prove to be “her perfect hero?”
Her Perfect Hero is the perfect summer read! It is a well-written, lighthearted romance with an awesome setting, interesting characters (including a clever cat), humorous scenes, and witty dialogue. I enjoyed that it was a sweet romance that left out the steaminess which is more my speed, especially since I rarely pick up this genre. At times, I felt like I was reading a romantic comedy. I will definitely be checking out more of Emma Bennet’s work in the future. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you want to hear more about my thoughts on this book or the other books I read in June, please check out my June wrap up video.
I am so late with this post that July literally ends tomorrow. My personal life has been a bit out of sorts lately, so my reading during July and creating content has been put on the back burner. It seems like I will be carrying over some books I am currently reading plus some books on my July TBR over to my August TBR, and that will just have to be okay. It is definitely not the end of the world, dear reader. Hee Hee! Instead of lamenting on the books that I did not get to in July, I will celebrate the ones that I did read. Hopefully, my July wrap up post will be more timely. To see my current book reviews or books I have read in the past, follow me on Goodreads at Katherine Loyacano. Happiness!
“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” ~ Joyce Carol Oates
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
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
"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 