It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

This is a long-running, hosted weekly post. It was originally hosted by J Kaye and then Sheila at Book Journey. Now it’s hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.


Read last week:

A Deadly Education – Naomi Novik (audio)


Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo


Siege and Storm – Leigh Bardugo


Currently reading:

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton


Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies – Tara Schuster (nonfiction)


Next up:

This Close to Okay – Leesa Cross-Smith


A Touch of Darkness – Scarlett St. Clair


The Bone Season – Samantha Shannon (reread)

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

This is a long-running, hosted weekly post. It was originally hosted by J Kaye and then Sheila at Book Journey. When I’ve had book blogs in the past, I participated with each of them hosting. Now it’s hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, and this will be my first time participating with her.


Read last week:

Dark Harmony – Laura Thalassa


What I am reading now:

A Deadly Education – Naomi Novik (audio) – really loving this, audio is reminding me of Hermione if she was a bit more badass


Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo


Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies – Tara Schuster (nonfiction)


Next up:

Siege and Storm – Leigh Bardugo


The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton


Last week’s posts:
Introduction
Word of the Year

What are you reading this week?

Word of the Year

I think we all can agree that in 2020 life basically laughed at our expectations. Perhaps this year we are a little more apprehensive and skeptical about our plans. The year might be over, but the pandemic and consequences are far from over. However, I don’t think that means you can’t look forward to the next year or that you should completely give up on a vision for the year. This is where a word of the year comes into the picture. 

You may already be familiar with the concept of a “word of the year”. I know that in a few different groups, this is a popular resolution alternative. The idea is that you pick one word for the next year that represents your hopes or goals for the upcoming year. Then you focus on that one word to focus your year or set your intentions. Those who are into SMART goals might disagree with this approach because it doesn’t fit that format for goals for the year. You could still do resolutions with the word of the year. I am choosing not to. That isn’t to say I won’t have goals, I’m just not making grand life goals for the whole year. I will be focusing more on each month. What is it I want to accomplish this month. 

I kind of did this last year, but I basically picked a word and then never thought about it again. My word last year was “confidence” which I can’t say was particularly useful or motivating. If you are familiar with the Cultivate What Matters’ PowerSheets, that is essentially what I used to come to a word. This year, I feel a little more prepared to embrace my word of the year because I didn’t just come up with it in the last week or so when most people were thinking of resolutions. 

Consistency

This word came to me way back in October. I was close to finishing a buddy read for Atomic Habits by James Clear, and it came to me in one of those weird moments of clarity. One of the things I have struggled with for building better habits is inconsistency. The book talks about first building a habit of showing up. 

Like many people, I throw myself headfirst into whatever project or subject currently holds my interest. Some that I have had over the years include TBR jar, painting, crocheting/knitting, waking up early, meal prepping for a week, meal planning, creative planning, Instagram photo challenges, any number of 30 day challenges, daily reading, bullet journaling, regular journaling, even blogging, meditating for anxiety, and the ever present “get healthy”. I can tell you that none of these have ever successfully stuck. 

I had the thought while reading Clear’s book that essentially habits boil down to being consistent. Being consistent is actually the habit I need to build. The habit of showing up. This is true even outside of health goals. I want to be more consistent in my reading, writing, learning, and other habits in general. I’d like to be consistently grateful, consistently authentic, consistently thoughtful. 

Do you already have a word of the year? Have you done one before? Will you do one this year?

Introduction

Hello! 

I’m Cassandra. I never really know what to write in about me sections on websites or how to introduce myself. So instead of a traditional about me, I’m going to give you a list of 21 things about me for 2021. 

  1. I’m in my early 30s.
  2. I have a Master of Science in Information which is an ALA (American Library Association) accredited degree for librarians. 
  3. I moved back to Missouri in 2019 after five years in Florida. 
  4. I am currently working as a receptionist. 
  5. I discovered my love for walking outside during the pandemic. 
  6. I take a lot of nature photos, especially sunset ones. 
  7. I am currently becoming a runner. Despite being slow and probably looking as though I’m going to pass out, I’m enjoying it. 
  8. I was a heavy reader in school, but in college I stopped. My mom introduced me to Twilight in 2009. I read the first book entirely in one day. I read the rest of the series over the next couple days, then immediately reread the first book. While I don’t feel the same way about the series now as I did then, it still holds a special place in my heart because it got me back into reading as an adult.
  9. I like both coffee and tea, but I don’t drink either on a regular basis. 
  10. I am currently on a weight loss / better health journey.
  11. I listen to a wide variety of music, but the lyrics are really what matters the most to me most of the time. 
  12. I truly enjoy talking to others, but I am very socially awkward. I get anxious, and then I freeze up and my mind blanks. I am usually very quiet around people I don’t know even when I’d love for them to talk to me. 
  13. I have panic attacks. Fewer lately, but at certain times in my life they can be very overwhelming. 
  14. I have a fear of medical things and dying. I think this is mostly because I feel I haven’t really lived my life in a way I am content with. 
  15. I live in a tiny micro-studio apartment, and I love it. 
  16. I enjoy getting to know people by doing rapid fire questions. 
  17. I collect quotes and poems. I have multiple Pinterest boards of them. 
  18. Most of what I read is fantasy, romance, or poetry with some self-help books. I dislike classics or books with long descriptions about places or characters. 
  19. I don’t visualize characters well at all. I can see settings, but the characters are just non-distinct blobs. It’s like an essence that I just instinctively know is the character. I also usually am the main character. I rarely visualize anything for the main character because it’s me. 
  20. I would like to write a book someday. 
  21. I used to always love winter, but now that I enjoy walking outside, I don’t like the shorter days. 

I know blogs are supposed to do better if you find your niche and stick to it. I’m not going to do that, so you’ll get a mix of lots of topics from my life. I’m sure it will mostly feature books, but I won’t limit it at this point in time. Welcome to a little bit of my world. I hope you’ll stick around.