Must Read Faster

Lazy Day Readathon (Updates)

2026-04-17T07:00:00.006-05:00

Today I'm declaring this my Lazy Day Readathon! It's a no stress, no fuss kind of shindig but I am going to aim for 15 hours and see how well I do! I'm gonna wake up at 8am (I work til midnight previous night) and get my things done then sit my ass down and start reading.

It's not a pressurized event, as I still have my caregiving duties to attend to but I have nothing else on deck planned up. Gonna leave my TBR open ended and mood read a bit. I have one review book that I want to get into though, so that's the only one that is set in stone.

I don't think I'll do many updates, just my thoughts as I go along. I'll end the readathon at Midnight and do all the fun things like pages read, books started/finished, time read, etc. then.

Update 9am (slept in a lil bit)

Book:

This is a review book, I started reading it yesterday but didn't get too far in. Starting with page 8. Coffee and water just to start the day.

Finished! It was a great read! Look for my review soon!

Book:

DNF on God of Malice. Wasn't feeling it.

Started on

Happy April 1st!

2026-04-01T08:50:00.003-05:00

So it's the 1st of April and a Wednesday, so that means new goals AND a day off! The Lady has already had her weekly nurse visit, so I have nothing really to do other than some rando daily chores! So I am going to be reading. I was contemplating a read-a-thon but decided to keep it just casual.

The TBR as of now:

Project Hail Mary
Wuthering Heights
The Wind Through the Keyhole
Wolves of the Calla

Now I have tons of other choices on my kindle/tablet so this is just a tentative stack. I also have a review book that I am going to read Wired for Magic by Janet Roberts. So look for that later in the month.

I'm gonna be realistic and say my goal for the whole month is 2 books.

So let the fun begin!

March Goals

2026-03-01T17:20:00.000-06:00

It's a new month so I am going to try to do things a bit differently. I'm just gonna make one big monthly post and then update as I go along, so no more weekly reading posts, etc. When I finish a book I'll post about it. When I hit one of my goals I'll post about it. That sort of thing.

The last few days of February were a bit of a nightmare. My sweet German Shepherd tripped me (I'm going to assume accidentally) and caused me to fall, hard. I smacked my elbow, landed hard on my hip and banged my head pretty badly. I had a concussion, or have..I'm about 2 days post fall now. So I wasn't exactly in the mood to do much reading or really anything. I'm doing fine now, still very tired but that's apparently normal after a head injury. So I didn't hit my goal for last month.

I'm still needing to finish Wizard and Glass.

So I'm adding that to my goal for March. The other goals are as such:

Read 3 books
Work out in some form at least 3 times a week (at least 20-30 minutes a day)
Track food daily
Get outside as many times as I can weekly
Start saving money each check and NOT touching it!
Work on my other hobbies (embroidery and maybe planting more seeds once the weather starts to settle)
Start to organize my bedroom
Get into a self care routine

My TBR as of now looks like:

Wizard and Glass (I'll count this as one of the 3 books)
The Wind Through the Keyhole (SK)
Wuthering Heights
Horus Rising
11/22/63

There may be a few more sprinkled or added in but for now that will do.

I'm probably going to sign up for a few blog tour stops, but I think I'll hold off on reviews for now.

What are your goals this month? What are you reading?

Mercy's Peril by Virginia Barlow (Blog Tour/Review)

2026-02-27T01:30:00.018-06:00

Mercy’s secrets run deep, and her presence stirs a past Connor cannot outrun.

Title: Mercy's Peril

Author: Virginia Barlow

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Pages: 348

Genre: Historical Western Romance

Format: Paperback, Kindle

When Mercy Jackson slips into Calhan Shipping under cover of darkness, she expects to steal a secret and disappear. What she doesn’t expect is Connor Calhan, a man as dangerous as he is relentless. Mercy has one mission: to expose a killer, protect her family, and vanish before anyone uncovers her true identity. But the deeper she digs, the more tangled the lies become, and the more drawn she is to the man who stands in her way. Connor is determined to unmask The Phantom, a traitor hiding in plain sight. But Mercy’s arrival threatens everything. Her secrets run deep, and her presence stirs a past Connor cannot outrun.

Mercy’s Peril is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

If you like:

Historical Romance

Civil War Drama

︎ Enemies to Lovers

Happily Ever After

You’ll love this book!

Excerpt:

Richmond, Virginia, 1857

Tonight, I gave birth to a fragile miracle, a daughter. She arrived feet first, and Dr. Perry urged me to surrender to death, but Mammy, through her courage and faith, turned the child. For two long hours, I clung to life while Mammy fought beside me, and when it was over, my daughter’s tiny fingers curled around mine, bringing tears of gratitude.

Percival sent a cruel message condemning me for my failure to produce a son and vowed to take my gilded chest as punishment. He demanded I name her Rue, for regret. But I will not let his darkness define her. I call her Mercy, for she is my salvation, a light in this house of shadows, and a reminder that grace can bloom even in sorrow. She will grow strong and pure, a light undimmed by her father’s shadow. –Grace Bennett

– Excerpted from Mercy’s Peril by Virginia Marlow, Marrow Publishing, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

My Review:

I am not usually a reader of historical romance, but something about this one grabbed my attention. I dived right in without any assumptions about the story or the genre. The first chapter pulled me in and kept me very interested to see what would happen.

The characters were interesting, the plot was well developed and it all came together in the best way ever. I enjoyed every page. I am definitely interested in reading the other books.

I had a good time and I think you will too!

About the Author

Virginia Barlow has been a dreamer her whole life. She loves reading, traveling, and roses. She will dive headfirst into any romance she can get her hands on in any genre. Although her first love is Regency Romance and always will be. Something about the era calls to her soul like a siren’s song rising from the depths.

She writes richly layered historical romance infused with intrigue, drawing readers into worlds of aristocratic scandal, hidden bargains, dangerous desire, and women who refuse to remain pawns in other people’s games. Her heroines are intelligent, resilient, and quietly defiant; her heroes carry honor, guilt, and a capacity for devotion that cuts deep. Beneath the silk gowns and rigid rules of society, Virginia’s stories explore freedom, longing, and the cost of choosing one’s own heart.

Known for her sensual yet elegant prose, Virginia favors emotional tension over excess, intimate moments over spectacle, and romance that simmers before it ignites. Her work often weaves together family secrets, shadowed power brokers, and high-stakes love, where a single kiss can be as dangerous as a duel.

The most important thing in Virginia’s life is her family, and spending time with them. When she is not bouncing a grandbaby in her arms or handing out popsicles, she is writing and dreaming up her next story. Virginia has published sixteen romance novels with another two on the way and has half a dozen more circling inside her head, eager to make their debut.

Her latest book, Mercy’s Peril, is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Visit her website at www.virginia-barlow.com.

Connect with her on these social networks:

This Week's Reading Plans

2026-02-23T03:00:00.001-06:00

I'm going to be pushing to finish this month off strong! Work shifts have changed so there's that, the Lady is needing extra care and I'm going to attempt to get back on track with my work outs and diet, so I'm gonna be a busy lady!

On deck for the rest of February are as such:

*if I don't finish by Sunday

Yes, I've jumped on the bandwagon for WH. I am not interested in the movie but I am interested in the story.

And I might jump into:

We shall see. So what is it that you are reading? What's on you TBR? Gimmie gimmie the yummy recs!

2026 Winter's Respite Readathon (with Updates)

2026-02-21T08:41:00.001-06:00

So I did sign up for this. I won't be able to do the whole 24 hours but I will get as much in as possible. I'm kinda sorta combining this with my Friday readathon, rolling it over to the weekend.

Starting off with

Just like yesterday. I'll keep pushing through until my book A.D.D. kicks in and I swap to something else. I have a few stacked up for if and when that happens. My plan is to get most of my non-work tasks done, then read until I have to work or do something for the Lady. I may even just roll these two over til Sunday night? I really wanna finish Wizard and Glass so I can start a new week with a fresh book.

Starting Page: 306

Casual Friday Readathon (Updates)

2026-02-20T05:00:00.005-06:00

I have the whole day off from work, no appointments, nothing that needs doing so I'm taking full advantage of it! I still do have to do my normal stuff for the Lady but otherwise, it's readathon day!

I'm setting my alarm for 7am, going to get the coffee started and all the morning stuffs done then at 8am I'm gonna plop down and start reading!

Got some snacks and drinks and caffeine. I have a stack of books that I can choose from.

I'll start with

Let's goooo!

First Update: 8am-11am

Wizard and Glass

Starting Page: 160
Ending Page: 247

Total Pages: 87

Notes: Made breakfast, did some things for the Lady and took the doggo outside. Spent some time reading on the porch and did some dishes.

Gonna take a lil breaky and then back to reading.

Second Update: 12pm- 6:30pm

Wizard and Glass

Starting Page: 247
Ending Page: 282

Total Pages: 35

Notes: Took a nap, made some dinner for the Lady and myself. Took a bath and will admit that I got sucked into the tiktok hole. I'm not giving up on the thon, I think I'll stay up pretty late tonight reading so I should get another update in before I crash later.

So I am rolling my Readathon over to the weekend. I still have work but I'm going to take every single chance I have to read more!

The First To Die by Suzanne Trauth (Blog Tour/Review)

2026-02-16T01:30:00.017-06:00

THE FIRST TO DIE

by Suzanne Trauth

February 9 - March 6, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Connie Tucker, a free-spirited beach bartender, has been estranged from her family in New Jersey ever since her actress mother, Simone, disappeared one night during a violent storm at the theatre where she was rehearsing. Uncontrollable and in a rage at the loss of her parent, fifteen-year-old Connie is exiled to California, due to her delinquent behavior, to live with an aunt she doesn’t know. Now, fifteen years later, Simone’s murdered remains are discovered at a construction site and Connie returns to the east coast for the funeral—she owes it to her mother. The cold case unit will take over now and solve the crime. But then she discovers a message her mother left behind. It feels like a dispatch from the grave. Connie must face her tortured past, the guilt of concealing a devastating secret, and the part she played in her mother's disappearance. Unearthing buried family history and childhood demons, she confronts the agonizing reality that she doesn’t know where she belongs, where to call home. Who to trust. When a second suspicious death occurs, Connie races to unravel the events of the night Simone disappeared. Her mother was the first to die…but not the last.

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Suspense
Published by: Between the Lines Publishing
Publication Date: November 18, 2025
Number of Pages: 334 (Pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-965059-65-4
Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Between the Lines Publishing

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Now

“They found Mom. You need to come home.”

Her older sister Gaby wasn’t one to waste words.

Connie should have been relieved, comforted, something. Unfortunately, it was fifteen years too late for that. And anguish she had buried deep in her body, and mind, erupted with a vengeance.

She cooled her heels in San Diego until the last possible moment to return for the funeral. The less time spent there, the better. New Jersey triggered chilling images tethered to that night. To the last time she saw her mother.

The plane thumped to earth, delivering Connie Tucker to the past with a bounce. Everything about this state was a rude wake-up call. She couldn’t wait to board the return flight to California. At fifteen, she left New Jersey in a rage, thrown out of the only home she’d known, dumped thousands of miles away on a relative she’d never met. Nerves twitching, her insides were a stew of anxiety and bitterness, wondering how people here would react to seeing her. Connie shook her head to tamp down the unruly thoughts and scold herself. They were the ones who should be nervous.

Down the parkway in the rental car, exit onto Lenox, right onto Mercer, left onto Third Street. Past Antonio’s Pizza where she and Gaby bought slices on their way home from school because who knew what their mother would cook for dinner. Past the playground attached to St. Gabriel’s. At the corner of Mercer and Third, a few patrons ambled in and out of a bodega. The street was mostly empty. Her heart bounced in her chest.

42 Third Street. She lowered the car window, her breathing shallow at the sight of the ancient Lincoln in the driveway. The blue paint polished and gleaming. “Buy American” was her father’s motto when Connie was a kid. The same automobile she and her best friend Brigid had “borrowed” until Gaby blew the whistle on her. Grounding was followed by exile two months later. She swallowed raging emotions—love, hate, sadness. If Connie closed her eyes, her parents magically materialized on the porch swing, creaking steadily back and forth on warm summer nights. Sometimes Uncle Charlie sat on the steps and the three of them drank beer, Charlie telling stories and her father laughing. But that was before.

Connie stepped out of the car and surveyed the neighborhood. Much had changed and much had remained the same. Down the block, Porter’s Bar and Grill still boasted the neon signs out front advertising beer, wine, and food. After his stint on the police force, and her mother’s disappearance, her father found employment at the bar—back then a hangout for current and former cops, a nerve center for law enforcement chatter. Old Man Porter was fond of her father, of the whole Tucker family.

Despite the sun shining in a brilliant blue sky, the area was tinged with gray. Sunny in San Diego and sunny in Hallison, New Jersey were two different animals. But even worn out as it was, her Jersey home beckoned, a magnet luring Connie into a tangle of sensations and history. Part of her, she hated to admit, yearned to be here again, but before nostalgia could overwhelm her, she stiffened her resolve: do her duty to her mother and then back to the other coast.

The day was already sweltering, humid air like a wet sheet clinging to Connie, her bangs plastered to her forehead, her shirt dotted with damp patches. Urban smells permeated the neighborhood—exhaust, heat shimmering off the pavement, cooking odors. Third Street radiated a kind of shabby warmth despite reopening sharp wounds. As she climbed the steps to her family’s front door, a voice boomed behind her.

“Connie Tucker!”

She whirled to her left. “Rosa!” she sputtered. Rosa Delano. Standing on her front porch. Daughter of the next-door neighbor, Mrs. Delano, whose front yard featured neat flower beds and trimmed bushes. The woman who’d been a kind of second mother after Connie’s first one disappeared.

“Yeah, that’s me.” A cigarette dangled from between bloodless lips, graying hair a tangle of frizz, her expression sullen.

She’d aged. And not well.

Rosa smirked. “Came home ’cause they found your old lady, huh? Si-mone.” Hands stuffed in jeans pockets, she extended the second syllable to mock the dead woman. “Bunch a bones by now, I guess.”

Connie’s stomach lurched, her fingers forming a fist. Attack mode. Breathe, she told herself. Stay in control. She’d forgotten how mean Rosa could be. In and out of the Delano house when Connie was growing up. Sometimes gone for months, once even for a whole year. Neighborhood gossip churned out tales of Rosa’s arrests for petty, and not-so-petty, crimes, their father warning Gaby and Connie to stay clear of her. That was easy to do since she was away for much of their pre-teen years.

“Wonder who buried her? Si-mone.”

Connie refused to take the bait. The hell with her. “Tell your mother I’ll stop by later.”

“Fat chance. You keep away from her.” Rosa opened her screen door. “Guess you figured Si-mone was still alive all these years, huh?”

The question split the air like the crack of a whip, jerking Connie’s head backwards. “How dare you talk about my—”

Rosa laughed in triumph. “Ha! Listen to you. ‘How dare you?’ Always did act like you were better than everybody else. Always had to have your own way.” She slouched into the Delano house and let the screen door slap shut behind her.

Heart hammering, Connie was left to wonder probably for the thousandth time how sweet, generous Mrs. Delano could live with someone as nasty as Rosa. According to Connie’s mother, she was already a troublemaker when her parents were killed in a car crash and she was adopted by Mrs. Delano at thirteen. Connie was only two or three when Rosa rolled in next door like a storm front that never budged. Now, twenty-seven years later, her words hung around Connie in the ether, burning through a tangle of jumbled ideas and leaving the charred truth—Connie had figured her mother was alive somewhere.

Needing a minute, she stepped back from the front door and confronted the Tucker residence, which exhibited contrasts identical to most of the other homes on the street: window frames in need of scraping and painting, and her mother’s favorite old-fashioned glider—and slightly rusty matching metal chairs—crowding the porch, hinting at benign neglect. Yet, two flower baskets hung from hooks on the porch pillars with cascading red, yellow, and blue blooms. Someone tended to those plants. Gaby, no doubt.

Connie steeled herself, donning emotional armor. Knocking brought no response, neither did pressing the bell, broken years ago and apparently never repaired. She’d kept a key to the house—from spite—and jiggled the lock a fraction, the way she’d done as a teenager breaking the curfew her father had tried to establish.

The door swung open.

With the windows shut tight, primal odors hung in the air like church incense. Lingering smells of baking, fresh laundry, furniture polish. Connie pulled a carry-on suitcase into the house. “I’m here.” Where were her sister and father? The car was in the driveway. She’d texted her arrival time and expected someone to be in the house to meet her. Instead, she was greeted by silence. Perfect.

A chair in the hallway held a stack of mail. Circumventing the living room to her right, Connie moved straight ahead to the kitchen. A used coffee mug and bowl sat in the sink. Otherwise, the room was orderly, a table in the breakfast nook had placemats, The Star-Ledger, and a vase of flowers. The sweet scents of lilacs and roses filled the air.

Back to the hallway she stopped in the arched entrance to the living room. Taking it all in. A new couch and the worn leather of the old recliner, her father’s favorite piece of furniture, and a flat screen television. The coffee table was the same. Also, the rug she and Gaby had danced on with their mother to ABBA all those afternoons. Their beautiful French mother.

A rush of memories confronting her on all sides, blocking progress, keeping her captive, nowhere to go but back into that night.

***

Author Bio:

Suzanne Trauth is a novelist and playwright. Her novels include The First to Die, What Remains of Love (a first-place winner in Women's Fiction, Firebird Book Awards; a finalist in General Fiction, American Book Festival; and a finalist for the Hemingway Prize) and the Dodie O’Dell mystery series–Show Time, Time Out, Running Out of Time, Just in Time, No More Time and Killing Time. Ms. Trauth has co-authored Sonia Moore and American Acting Training and co-edited Katrina on Stage: Five Plays. She is a former member of the theatre faculty at a university and is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the Dramatists Guild, and the League of Professional Theatre Women.

Catch Up With Suzanne Trauth:

www.SuzanneTrauth.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads, @suzannetrauth
BookBub, @trauths1
Instagram, @suzannetrauth
Facebook, @suzanne.trauth.2025
Facebook, @SuzanneTrauth (Author)

REVIEW:

Jeez Louise! This one was a nail biter! You know how people say that a book was so good that they lost track of time? HELLO the call is coming from inside the house! Yup, it was that good. I started reading and literally could not stop. I wasn't expecting to be pulled right in but that's what happened to me.

The writing was excellent, the pacing was very nicely done. The characters (and there are so many) were all well developed and all felt important to the story. There were twisty turns that kept you on edge and swiping to the next page. The mystery aspect was very well done. I love a good mystery but lately I've been steering away from the genre, this book pulled me right back in and loving every second of it.

A great read for fans of the genre, I highly recommend!

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

Click here to view the Tour Schedule

Leap Into the Suspense for a Chance to Win

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Suzanne Trauth. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Can't see the giveaway? Click Here!

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

Winter's Respite Readathon (Month Long)

2026-02-01T13:41:00.005-06:00

I've joined! Will update periodically through the month!

Book Series Review-The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

2026-01-30T01:30:00.001-06:00

I am rolling through the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I am currently on the 4th book (just started) and am loving it! I will do a combined review of the books that I've finished so far. This *may* contain spoilers but I'll try to avoid them as much as possible.

First impressions were a bit iffy. You basically get thrown into a world that makes no real sense when you crack open The Gunslinger. You're on a depressing journey with this guy that's looking for someone or something. He's Roland of Gilead. A Gunslinger, but you don't know exactly what that means. The story is disjointed and chaotic but something about it tickles your brain and keeps you reading.

Roland eventually meets up with Jake, a boy who isn't from Roland's world or time line. Speaking of timelines...you aren't quite sure about that with Roland's world. When is it? Where is it? There's things that show you that they have technology, or had technology, but everything is crumbling and decrapitated. Roland's world has "moved on." This is a phrase that's said often, but explained very little.

Roland is on a quest to catch up to The Man in Black, for some reason. It's vague. It's intriguing. It kept me reading and engaged. Things happen along the way. Action and adventure. Good stuff!

The first line of the book sums it up perfectly. "The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

That's pretty much the story.

The 2nd book in the series gets even more funkier with the timelines and the characters (sometimes one character has multiple personalities!) and is an even wilder ride that the first book! The writing is tighter, you get more character development. Roland gets fleshed out more. There's time travel-ish, with characters from the 60's, 70's and 80's. And then whatever time Roland is from. It can be a tad confusing before everything is pulled together but when it does it's glorious! We're introduced to Odetta/Detta and Eddie. His new companions. More time travel shenanigans happen. Some personality shifting happens. And a lot of weirdness happens. The 2nd book was much better than the first, with better more cohesive story threads and fleshed out characters.

Definitely a good start to a LOONG series.

So the 3rd book takes the funky fun even further. The trio (Roland, Eddie and the newly Susannah..formerly Odetta/Detta) are on their journey to find the Dark Tower. On the way, they have to rescue and reunite with Jake...remember from the first book? Well he is pulled back into Mid-world and right smack into danger. So the gang has to get him out of said danger so all of them can get back to the tower plan.

Again with the time travel-ish, and again with the shifting of realities. It should be getting old by now but it's not. King's writing continues to get better with each of these books. You can tell he's getting more and more comfortable with the characters and with the weirdness (I mean duh, it's Stephen King..right?) And you as the reader are also getting used to all the random crap that's being thrown your way.

Oh oh oh and this book is where you are introduced to the bestest character ever!

My dude Oy the billy bumbler.

Like for reals, once this handsome fella stepped on the scene, it became the Oy show.

Roland who?

Also there's a talking insane train named Blaine. It's wild man, and I am on this ride til the end.

I'll post another series review when I get through the next few!

Have you read this series? What do you think?

Quickie Book Review- A History Of Women In America

2026-01-27T01:30:00.002-06:00

I am a bit of a history buff. I'm no expert, don't claim to be, but I am very much a nerd about learning. This book caught my interest when I saw it at the used book store. The pictures on the cover drew me in. I wanted to know about those ladies and how their lives might have looked.

The way this book was written made these women come to life. History can be a bit dry, but this was not a book that left you needing hydration. It's engaging, lively, and very well pieced together. The pictures and illustrations are well picked and brought some of the ladies highlighted to "life."

It's a very easily readable and well written book that will inform and in some instances thoroughly entertain you. (Some of these ladies led quite "colorful" lives!)

Highly recommend this one!

Reading Plans

2026-01-26T01:00:00.011-06:00

I finished my first book of 2026! I am really liking the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. So I'm moving into the 4th book, Wizard and Glass. I'm also going to try to dive into the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward, so I'm going to read the first book in that main series.

So these are what I'm going to try to get into this week. Wizard and Glass is freaking huge so I won't be done with it, but I do hope to at least get through half!

What are you reading this week?

Casual Readathon

2026-01-15T11:01:00.003-06:00

This is a casual lil shindig for me! Starting now (Thurs. 15th, @ 11am) and ending Saturday (not yet decided when yet) *maybe even rolling over to Sunday, I dunno* I will be reading any chance I get. Any time I can sit my ass on the sofa, reading. Anytime I have a free moment, reading. No pressure, no goals..though it would be lovely to finish a book..just reading.

I have work, house chores, taking care of the Lady but in the in between times I have plenty of chances to read.

This is also impromptu.

First up:

I'm starting from page: 176

I'll keep ya posted, probably daily, maybe more frequent. We shall see!

Weekly Reads

2026-01-12T01:30:00.001-06:00

This week I hope to wrap up The Waste Lands and start on the 4th book, Wizard and Glass, and finish Pride and Prejudice.

I'm looking forward to marking The Waste Lands as my first read of 2026. I might make Wednesday a readathon as I have that whole day off. The Lady has a nurse visit so I'll have to take a break for that and of course the typical daily chores that I do, but otherwise I'm thinking about a social media/tv/youtube black out so I can focus on reading as much as I can cram into one day.

That'll be fun. I have a lot of catching up to do.

What are you reading or planning on reading this week?

Check In

2026-01-11T11:06:00.001-06:00

So how have you all been? Me, I've been all over the place mentally. Lately, I've been wanting to do the things but not finding the energy to actually do them. Starting on things and then putting them down. It's not been fun. I don't like to get political or whatever, but the state of the world lately has really pressed down hard on me mentally. I've kind of checked out and tuned out without any real progress on my goals. Reading, studying and working out hasn't really seemed important in the grand scheme of things, but I know that's not good for my mental health at all. I can only change the things that I can change and I have to remember that.

So I'm trying to "force" myself out of the slump. Out of the fog that I've found myself in and try to get back to focusing on my goals and what I would like to achieve this year.

So for the next few weeks I'm going to get back on a work out routine, focus on improving my diet and meal prepping, reading (and writing reviews again..still have several to do!), and studying. I want to take the exam to get my certifications, so I'm going to brush up on my studies and hopefully do the exam mid to late this year. I also want to become decently knowledgeable in Latin (started studying last year and kind of puttered out, so picking that back up).

I want to aim for 30 books read this year.

I want to become more fit and lose about 25 pounds.

So how are y'all doing? Are you hitting your goals so far? How many books have you read by now?

Most importantly..HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

Weekend Plans

2026-01-02T09:44:00.003-06:00

So because of a change in my work schedule I have this afternoon, tomorrow during the day and Sunday during the day.

So that means I have plenty of time to read! I want to finish The Wastelands (book 3 in the Dark Tower series) and get some in on the rest of my TBR.

I am extremely motivated! Also, reviews will start to show up here very very soon. I've got a little bank of reviews that need to be posted.

So what are your plans for the weekend?

Happy New Year!

2026-01-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

Let's cross our crossables and hope that 2026 is a good one! Happy New Year everyone!

Weekly Reading Plans

2025-12-29T01:00:00.001-06:00

I feel like I'm on a roll now! I've made it to book 3 in the Dark Tower series! So I'm going to try to keep this train rolling!

This week I'm going to be enjoying:

That's the one that I think I'll finish this week but I have 2 more that I'm going to have on the menu as well:

and

We shall see what all gets done but I am excited about this reading streak!

What are you going to be reading?

2025 Yuletide Spirit 24 in 48 Readathon -Updated

2025-12-26T17:55:00.006-06:00

Okay peoples! I'm going to be joining this lil challenge/thon thing this weekend! I DO have work and I AM sick but I will do my best! This here ole readathon is a laid back kind of deal. You aim to read 24 hours in a 48 hour timeframe. I'll have my timer on my phone and do my best to squeeze in as much reading as I can in between work and whatever the weekend flings my way. (Probably naps and coughing!)

I'll do a few lil updates during the weekend to update on my progress. I am hoping to finish up The Drawing of The Three by Stephen King.

So first up:

Starting on page: 110

Join in the fun if you want!

UPDATE:

I finished The Drawing of the Three. I didn't read for 24 hours but I did manage to hit 17 hours total read so I count that as a win!

Merry Christmas!

2025-12-24T15:59:00.000-06:00

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas! I hope you get all the books on your wishlist and all the goodies that you deserve!

I'm having a chill one. I work tomorrow night but until then I'm going to read, relax, and enjoy!

December Doohickies Day 20

2025-12-20T09:04:00.004-06:00

So some sort of bug has gotten me. I'm not feeling the greatest at the moment. Still have to work and of course take care of the Lady but that's pretty much where my energy has been spent. I did read a little bit yesterday but not enough to be remarkable.

I don't know if it's the flu or some other bug. My symptoms are all over the place, but I'm doing my best to kick it.

Today I have my usual Saturday work load and my usual chores ( I tend to plan chores light on Saturday). So I will try to read around my shifts and stuff.

Still reading The Drawing of The Three, Mistborn and the Borgias.

December Doohickies Day 18

2025-12-18T08:19:00.001-06:00

I went awol for a bit but that was because I was locked the EFF in! I finished up The Gunslinger, got started on The Drawing of The Three (book 2) and wrote out some notes for my upcoming reviews. I am going to start posting those in January.

I also set a very basic schedule for myself for today (test run day) and as of now it's worked! I have been such a lazy ass..not moving much except when I needed to, eating too much, and just being a blob. So I decided that enough was enough and I need to stick with a schedule as best as I can! I've already hit the treadmill, did some stretches and have done my morning chores!

So now I am going to relax with some coffee and read a bit.

My goals for today reading wise:

TDoTT : 50 pages
Mistborn: 20 minutes reading (i don't know how to calculate pages with an ebook)
The Borgias: 25 pages (it's a history so that always goes slow)

I do have to work later and I will have to do some things for the Lady today, but I am going to push through and get all the gettin' done!

I am also going to focus on eating good food that's healthy and filling. Drinking more water and logging my foods into my app. Not exactly cutting out anything in particular but definitely focusing on actual food instead of junk. I am ashamed at how many honeybuns I ate yesterday! (I mean not really cuz they are delicious but it was far too many in one day!)

So how about you? What are you doing to wrap up the year?

December Doohickies Day 16th

2025-12-16T07:23:00.003-06:00

Is it just me or is this month zipping by so so fast? I think even 2025 is sick of its crap!

So I didn't post yesterday, but I did get a good bit of reading done. I was just really really tired so I did the bare bare minimum.

Today I have lots of extra hours at work, but I should be able to squeeze some more reading in. I think I am on track to finish up The Gunslinger by Wednesday! I'm thinking once that one is done then I'll slide into the 2nd book in the series.

The other two books have kinda fallen to the wayside, the Gunslinger is a disjointed mess but for some reason I'm intrigued and pulled in. We shall see if the next book continues like that or not.

How's the weather there where you are? It's freezing here but supposedly it'll warm up just a little bit. We shall see!

December Doohickies Day 14th

2025-12-14T11:49:00.002-06:00

I hope you have had yourself a great weekend so far! I'm finishing up some chores and then sitting down to read more. I've gotten started on The Gunslinger, which as of now is a bit confusing..but I've seen that this is common when starting the Dark Tower series. You either have to push through or skip to the 2nd book because there's a recap at the start. I'm thinking in order to get all the back story and world building familiarized, that I'll just push through.

I'm also going to try to get more read in Mistborn.

The Gunslinger isn't that long of a book, so I am hoping to have it finished before or by Wednesday. I'm starting to really feel like my goal of 5 books by the end of the month is going to be very possible!

What have you been reading this weekend?

December Doohickies Day 13

2025-12-13T08:40:00.002-06:00

I did a LOT of reading yesterday! I mean a LOT a LOT. I finished A History Of Women in America. I started on The Gunslinger (Dark Tower 1) and a little bit of Mistborn.

I will be doing a mini review of A History Of Women In America, probably Monday. It isn't exactly the kind of book that you give a star rating to. It's history. But I got engrossed in it and just couldn't put it down. I think I went to bed at 11pm last night.

So my plans for today are pretty simple, Saturdays are my heavy work days (I have a job outside of taking care of the Lady). So I will be reading and doing things in between shifts. So I don't predict that much reading going on, but I will squeeze in as much as I can.

I know I have Mistborn and The Gunslinger on deck, but I'm trying to decide which non-fiction book to read as well. I'm thinking it's gonna be The Borgias by Michael Mallett.

Along with reading Stephen King in 2026, I think I'm going to try to read at least 2 non-fiction books (mostly history since I'm a nerd for it) a month.

So what are your weekend plans? Are you ready for Christmas? Do you feel the Christmas spirit?