Sorry this post is so very late. And welcome to 2025. Crazy.
New Years goals are hard as a parent. Or maybe just for me, I'm not really sure. There are so many things that I'd like to do, but I am not always able to do much more than I already am. So much of my time is just spent getting by. Babies take so much time and energy. And they get it first, always. Not that I would trade Gabriel for anything. It is kind of amazing how much you can love someone. Even when I am tired and frustrated. So goal one, I want to keep trying to be a better mom. It is a continuous goal. I think I have done better over time, but I do see all my own shortcomings, especially when it comes to my own patience.
My job is absolutely draining and exhausting. It makes it hard to do anything extra. I haven't decided if I want to start looking for something else or if some of the work, spite, and the people I really like can get me through longer. I have also thought about possibly cutting my hours to see if having a little more time to myself will help. I haven't made a decision about that yet.
I set my reading goal for 75 books again this year. There were times I thought I would not make that last year, but I managed. I think I underestimate how much I am able to catch up once we reach spooky season. I also want to keep reading through more of my Owlcrate backlog, which is going pretty well so far.
I also want to keep up on my journal and (hopefully) here on my blog. I will do my best. It is obviously already behind.
And the main reason I am starting off so behind is because we moved to a new place. Which is great and we have more space and we are really liking it. But it was soooo hard for me to find time to actually move and pack and then we had to clean everything, but we also had a baby who did not want to let us (me) get anything done. Which continues to be a challenge especially for me unpacking and putting things away. Despite my commute being much longer now, I am so much happier at the new place. I will manage. Plus Gabriel has gotten sick numerous times, once with RSV. He was recently vaccinated so his case was pretty mild, but having to keep him home from daycare and not having much time to take off from work makes things challenging. Poor kiddo. I think this is just part of toddler life: regular illnesses.
I did a walking challenge with some of my girlfriends in February and that was fun. We participated in a Conqueror challenge and I am trying to continue to walk more and may do another one on my own in the near future. I am also planning a short vacation with a couple other girlfriends for June (without the baby) which I am really excited for.
Since this is so late, I will try to keep my reviews extra short, but I do want to share the books I read. Especially because a couple of them were surprisingly great.
At the End of the River Styx
by Michelle Kulwicki
Synopsis/Thoughts: Zan traded his life to the Ferryman of the river Styx to save his mother's life and was charged with working for the Ferryman for 500 years and has made it through 499. Meanwhile, Bastian is dealing with the aftermath of his mother's death and not doing it very well. He barely survived the accident that killed her and his near-death experience causes him to cross paths with Zan who is meant to bring him to the Ferryman. But as they spend more time together, they both start to change. This book was good and so bitter sweet. There were things I loved, but things that I felt dissatisfied with (and I think we are meant to, so that's OK).
4 stars out of 5 stars
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Narrators: Rebecca Lowman, Maxwell Caulfield
Re-read
5 stars out of 5 stars
Carry On by
Rainbow Rowell
Narrator: Euan Morton
Re-read
3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars
Wayward Son and Any Way the Wind Blows
by Rainbow Rowell
Narrator: Euan Morton
Synopsis/Thoughts: The stories of Simon, Baz, Penny, and Agatha continue. They visit America and confront crazy vampires. Upon returning to England with a cursed mortal in tow, the gang try to find their own paths. I enjoyed the rest of these books. They were fun reads and I am glad that some of the loose ends were wrapped up. I was surprisingly pleased with Agatha's part of the story.
3 stars out of 5 stars and 4 stars out of 5 stars
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Re-read (many times over)
5 stars out of 5 stars
Boyfriend Material by
Alexis Hall
Narrator: Joe Jameson
Re-read
5 stars out of 5 stars
Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
Synopsis/Thoughts: This was an older Owlcrate book that I decided to pick up on a whim. The story follows Renata, a magical Moria with the power to steal memories with a touch. As a member of the Whispers, a group of rebel Moria, her goal is to help bring down the king and his family and free Moria from their cruel reign. But everything changes when her unit leader (whom she loves) is captured by the evil crown prince. This book took a while for me to get in to, but it took me by surprise and I LOVED it! I can't even say why. It kept me guessing and thinking and wondering. Though there was one twist that I sort of guessed at right away. I have gone back to read the first part and can't figure out what was said that made me guess it, but something did. Anyway, I ended up enjoying it way more than I expected to and am currently reading the sequel.
4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars
The Gilded Ones
by Namina Forna
Synopsis/Thoughts: Another older Owlcrate book that I decided to finally pick up. And another one that I ended up liking more than I expected. This one also took me a little bit to get into. Deka lives in a small village in a very religious country. When girls reach a certain age, their blood is tested to make sure that it is red and not the cursed gold of impurity. When Deka's blood turns out to be gold, her death is all but assured. But a mysterious woman offers her another choice and Deka takes it. I really enjoyed this read. There were lots of strong women, which I love. But the main thing that caught me up was the loyalty. When the girls swear loyalty to one another (even when they don't much like each other), they keep that oath always. And when Deka has a love interest, his loyalty NEVER wavers, even when she expects that it should. I love that questionable loyalty or ones who leave and return were not used in this story to create drama. There is a second book, though this one can kind of stand on its own. I haven't decided if I will read the next one or not yet.
4 stars out of 5 stars
What the Woods Took
by Courtney Gould
Synopsis/Thoughts: What would you do if you were kidnapped in the night and taken away to a camp for troubled teens? Devin does her best to fight (nothing new for her), but ends up in the woods alongside two young counselors and four other troubled teenagers. They are meant to come out at the end of the program as better versions of themselves. But as they go along, their counselors disappear and the group discovers that the woods may be more dangerous than they first appear. This was the Owlcrate book for January so I was able to participate in the read-along on the Nest app (I will try to keep up with the books that are released this year). This is probably not a book that I would have picked up myself, but it was pretty good. I grew to like most of the teenagers and was invested in their journey. And I generally liked the way it ended.
3 stars out of 5 stars
Favorite book read in January and February: aside from the obvious favorite re-reads, Incendiary
Least favorite book read in January and February: What the Woods Took
I should be about on schedule to hit my reading goal of 75 books. And I managed to read the January Owlcrate book with the read-along group and read 3 backlogged Owlcrate books. Though At the End of the River Styx barely counts because it was the December 2024 book. So I think I am off to a good start.
Anyone else have good reading goals or books to share? Thanks for sticking with me! I will try not to be so late next time.
