The One-Book Month
February was... quieter. Not in life - absolutely not in life - but in reading.
I finished one book.
And instead of pretending that didn't happen, or dressing it up as something hyper-productive, I want to be honest about it - because this year I'm trying to let my reading life reflect my actual life.
📊 By the Numbers
Books read: 1
Pages read: 1,184
Average rating: 5 stars
That's it. That's the stats.
🌧️ What February Actually Looked Like
February was a month of:
Mental health wobbling in ways I didn't fully anticipate
University deadlines looming and then arriving all at once
Settling into a new job (which is good, but still takes energy)
Keeping up with tennis, because of course I am
And somewhere in the middle of that… a reading slump
Not the dramatic, “I hate books now” kind. Just the soft, heavy kind where picking up a book feels like one more task instead of an escape.
And I've learned enough about myself to know that when that happens, it's usually not about the book.
It's about bandwidth.
📖 The Book
The one book I finished in February was Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid - 368 pages of sharp tension, aching intimacy, and characters who completely took up residence in my brain.
But here's the thing: while I only finished one book, I didn't only read one book.
I read 1,184 pages in total this month. I started things. I dipped in and out of stories. I got halfway through books and then set them down because my brain needed something different.
February wasn't a no-reading month. It was a no-finishing month.
And that feels like an important distinction.
Heated Rivalry just happened to be the one that carried me all the way to the end - the one that held my attention when my focus felt fractured. There's something fitting about a romance built on long-term tension being the story I could commit to in a month where everything else felt unsettled.
🧠 Reading Slumps & Soft Expectations
I'm trying not to measure my reading in productivity terms.
Eight books in January doesn't make me “better” than one book in February. It just means January had more space.
This year - especially with university and work balancing each other out - I want my bookstagram and blog to reflect reality, not output. Some months will be chaotic stacks and genre deep dives. Some months will be one dog-eared paperback and a lot of late nights staring at ceilings.
Both count.
🌱 Looking Ahead
If February was about surviving and stabilising, maybe March can be about rediscovering joy.
No pressure. No strict TBR. Just following whatever mood feels gentle and manageable.
If you also had a slow month - you're not alone. And if you devoured twelve books, I'm cheering for you too.
Reading seasons shift. We're allowed to shift with them.
February was... quieter. Not in life - absolutely not in life - but in reading.
I finished one book.
And instead of pretending that didn't happen, or dressing it up as something hyper-productive, I want to be honest about it - because this year I'm trying to let my reading life reflect my actual life.
📊 By the Numbers
Books read: 1
Pages read: 1,184
Average rating: 5 stars
That's it. That's the stats.
🌧️ What February Actually Looked Like
February was a month of:
Mental health wobbling in ways I didn't fully anticipate
University deadlines looming and then arriving all at once
Settling into a new job (which is good, but still takes energy)
Keeping up with tennis, because of course I am
And somewhere in the middle of that… a reading slump
Not the dramatic, “I hate books now” kind. Just the soft, heavy kind where picking up a book feels like one more task instead of an escape.
And I've learned enough about myself to know that when that happens, it's usually not about the book.
It's about bandwidth.
📖 The Book
The one book I finished in February was Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid - 368 pages of sharp tension, aching intimacy, and characters who completely took up residence in my brain.
But here's the thing: while I only finished one book, I didn't only read one book.
I read 1,184 pages in total this month. I started things. I dipped in and out of stories. I got halfway through books and then set them down because my brain needed something different.
February wasn't a no-reading month. It was a no-finishing month.
And that feels like an important distinction.
Heated Rivalry just happened to be the one that carried me all the way to the end - the one that held my attention when my focus felt fractured. There's something fitting about a romance built on long-term tension being the story I could commit to in a month where everything else felt unsettled.
🧠 Reading Slumps & Soft Expectations
I'm trying not to measure my reading in productivity terms.
Eight books in January doesn't make me “better” than one book in February. It just means January had more space.
This year - especially with university and work balancing each other out - I want my bookstagram and blog to reflect reality, not output. Some months will be chaotic stacks and genre deep dives. Some months will be one dog-eared paperback and a lot of late nights staring at ceilings.
Both count.
🌱 Looking Ahead
If February was about surviving and stabilising, maybe March can be about rediscovering joy.
No pressure. No strict TBR. Just following whatever mood feels gentle and manageable.
If you also had a slow month - you're not alone. And if you devoured twelve books, I'm cheering for you too.
Reading seasons shift. We're allowed to shift with them.
Tags:
working on a new book. today I rewrote my opening. it's better now, I think? still not saying exactly what I want it to, but it's better.
Tags:
FTH
More info can be found at![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomtrumpshate
Because this is the first time I've signed up for the FTH auction, I've kept it in my wheelhouse.
SGA John/Rodney (try not to be shocked)
And now I can post my auction link
Tuesday, March 3rd, 8am ET: auction bidding opens
Saturday, March 7th, 8pm ET: auction bidding closes
More info can be found at
fandomtrumpshateBecause this is the first time I've signed up for the FTH auction, I've kept it in my wheelhouse.
SGA John/Rodney (try not to be shocked)
And now I can post my auction link
Tags:
(![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
goddess47 Feb. 26th, 2026 08:54 pm)
goddess47 Feb. 26th, 2026 08:54 pm)This was Adulting day. I feel both accomplished and slightly annoyed.
I used to eat adulting with a spoon, but since I've retired I try to keep it away with a big stick.
On a completely different topic, I am looking forward to seeing the movie Project Hail Mary. I must have read the book three times since it came out, and the trailers look awesome.
I used to eat adulting with a spoon, but since I've retired I try to keep it away with a big stick.
On a completely different topic, I am looking forward to seeing the movie Project Hail Mary. I must have read the book three times since it came out, and the trailers look awesome.
I am curious what people think about this (and will explain why I am asking this under the cut but please answer the poll before looking)
Okay, so recently I was doing a survey and it asked "Who was the primary drummer for The Beatles?" and while I am not a Beatles fan, via osmosis I knew that there were four of them (George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr) and that Ringo was the drummer but then scrolled down only to find it offered the following three choices: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Pete Best.
I had never heard of Pete Best but knew the other options were incorrect so clicked him and was told I got the answer correct. After googling I learned Pete Best was the first 'official' drummer for The Beatles ('official' in the sense that it seems like they'd played with random drummers here and there but he was the first to actually join the band and *was* a Beatle from 1960-mid 1962 when they fired him and hired Ringo just before recording the record that catapulted them to fame and remained with them until the band broke up).
All the dictionaries I looked at gave multiple definitions for "primary." Amongst the definitions were always something to the effect of 'first in order of events/sequence' as well as 'most important or well known' although where those two were placed in the list of definitions wasn't always the same.
So, technically, Pete Best was the primary drummer for The Beatles using the 'first in order' definition but probably not if using the 'most important' since I think most people would consider Ringo Starr the better known Beatles drummer.
So that leads to poll #2:
and then poll #3
I was honestly a bit thrown by their use of 'primary' in the poll. While, of course, it *can* mean first in a question like that I interpreted that they were asking for most well known instead and was curious about what others thought of this.
Anyway, thoughts?
Poll #34281 Primary
This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 17
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 17
In your opinion, when something is listed as "the primary" of something, it is....
View Answers
the most important or well known
15 (88.2%)
the first (timeline-wise)
2 (11.8%)
something else
0 (0.0%)
Okay, so recently I was doing a survey and it asked "Who was the primary drummer for The Beatles?" and while I am not a Beatles fan, via osmosis I knew that there were four of them (George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr) and that Ringo was the drummer but then scrolled down only to find it offered the following three choices: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Pete Best.
I had never heard of Pete Best but knew the other options were incorrect so clicked him and was told I got the answer correct. After googling I learned Pete Best was the first 'official' drummer for The Beatles ('official' in the sense that it seems like they'd played with random drummers here and there but he was the first to actually join the band and *was* a Beatle from 1960-mid 1962 when they fired him and hired Ringo just before recording the record that catapulted them to fame and remained with them until the band broke up).
All the dictionaries I looked at gave multiple definitions for "primary." Amongst the definitions were always something to the effect of 'first in order of events/sequence' as well as 'most important or well known' although where those two were placed in the list of definitions wasn't always the same.
So, technically, Pete Best was the primary drummer for The Beatles using the 'first in order' definition but probably not if using the 'most important' since I think most people would consider Ringo Starr the better known Beatles drummer.
So that leads to poll #2:
Poll #34282 Primary, take two
This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11
Who would you consider the primary drummer for The Beatles? (either by previous knowledge or as their history is described above)
and then poll #3
Poll #34283 Primary, take 3
This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11
How did your response to #2 compare to #1?
View Answers
Most important or well known + Pete Best
0 (0.0%)
Most important or well known + Ringo Starr
10 (90.9%)
Most important or well known + Don't Know/Unsure
1 (9.1%)
First (timeline-wise) + Pete Best
0 (0.0%)
First (timeline-wise) + Ringo Starr
0 (0.0%)
First (timeline-wise) + Don't Know/Unsure
0 (0.0%)
Something else + Pete Best
0 (0.0%)
Something else + Ringo Starr
0 (0.0%)
Something else + Don't Know/Unsure
0 (0.0%)
I was honestly a bit thrown by their use of 'primary' in the poll. While, of course, it *can* mean first in a question like that I interpreted that they were asking for most well known instead and was curious about what others thought of this.
Anyway, thoughts?
Tags:
I just spent 10 minutes looking for a screw.
It was a tiny thing and the only one I had that fit an electric outlet plate. Yes. That kind of screw.
I had it taped to the plastic outlet plate. Taped to it so I wouldn't lose it.
While rummaging in my toolbox for pliers for...(that's another story), I came across the bare, naked, screwless plate. I did eventually find the screw, and this time plate and screw are in a ziplock bag.
Huh. I wonder if that has anything to do with the explicit- definitely got screwed - fic I just posted? Balance in the universe and all that.
As long as no minor is reading over your shoulder, you can read it here.
It was a tiny thing and the only one I had that fit an electric outlet plate. Yes. That kind of screw.
I had it taped to the plastic outlet plate. Taped to it so I wouldn't lose it.
While rummaging in my toolbox for pliers for...(that's another story), I came across the bare, naked, screwless plate. I did eventually find the screw, and this time plate and screw are in a ziplock bag.
Huh. I wonder if that has anything to do with the explicit- definitely got screwed - fic I just posted? Balance in the universe and all that.
As long as no minor is reading over your shoulder, you can read it here.
In exchanges news, Candy Hearts exchange had reveals- I wrote an angsty triple drabble for S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV):
- To Banishing Memories Summary: It wasn't a bedside vigil, it was more that Bai Yutang just couldn't make himself leave.
hurtcomfortex also announced it would not be running this year :( but will be back in 2027 :)
Since the beginning of the year I got it in my head to teach myself nalbinding (an incredibly ancient technique, while now thought of mostly as a Viking era thing it actually predates the Vikings by thousands of years, with textile fragments made using the technique found at the Nahal Hemar Cave (modern Israel) dating back to 6500BCE and from 4200BCE in Tybrind Vig (modern Denmark) but there's lots of evidence from many places more "recently" like socks from 4th C CE Egypt and hats and shawls from Peru from 300BCE to 300 CE) and post-Birthday Bash really threw myself into figuring it out. There are SO many different stitches and techniques and very little standardization and there's very, very little out there about it (i.e. NO patterns basically whatsoever). After watching approximately eleventy billion videos and trying to muddle my way though some articles and books I have sort of figured out a few different styles/stitches but who knows if I'll manage to actually make anything. It's been fun (and frustrating but whatever) to attempt though!
And, as always,recthething recs (tumblr art for Bridgerton, Doctor Who, Merlin and Under the Skin):
Bridgerton
- Sophie at the ball (gorgeous)
Doctor Who
- Sillies (cute doodle of Ten and Thirteen interacting)
Merlin
- Happy Valentine's Day!! (adorable modern!au doodle)
- I once read a fanfic with a modern AU where Arthur is a restorer. Now I think about it all the time (I haven't read that fic - it's in Russian and incomplete - but I really like this art for it)
Under the Skin (TV)
- Cuddle (adorable Du Cheng hugging Shen Yi and settling in Shen Yi's lap)
- uno reverse of the cuddle (so gentle and sweet of the two in reversed positions)
If, like me, languages interest you, I thought these two Old English/Middle English/Modern English story telling techniques were a fascinating way to show the way English has changed through time. How far back in time can you understand English? (posted story) and From Old English to Modern American English in One Monologue (video).
- To Banishing Memories Summary: It wasn't a bedside vigil, it was more that Bai Yutang just couldn't make himself leave.
hurtcomfortex also announced it would not be running this year :( but will be back in 2027 :)Since the beginning of the year I got it in my head to teach myself nalbinding (an incredibly ancient technique, while now thought of mostly as a Viking era thing it actually predates the Vikings by thousands of years, with textile fragments made using the technique found at the Nahal Hemar Cave (modern Israel) dating back to 6500BCE and from 4200BCE in Tybrind Vig (modern Denmark) but there's lots of evidence from many places more "recently" like socks from 4th C CE Egypt and hats and shawls from Peru from 300BCE to 300 CE) and post-Birthday Bash really threw myself into figuring it out. There are SO many different stitches and techniques and very little standardization and there's very, very little out there about it (i.e. NO patterns basically whatsoever). After watching approximately eleventy billion videos and trying to muddle my way though some articles and books I have sort of figured out a few different styles/stitches but who knows if I'll manage to actually make anything. It's been fun (and frustrating but whatever) to attempt though!
And, as always,
recthething recs (tumblr art for Bridgerton, Doctor Who, Merlin and Under the Skin):Bridgerton
- Sophie at the ball (gorgeous)
Doctor Who
- Sillies (cute doodle of Ten and Thirteen interacting)
Merlin
- Happy Valentine's Day!! (adorable modern!au doodle)
- I once read a fanfic with a modern AU where Arthur is a restorer. Now I think about it all the time (I haven't read that fic - it's in Russian and incomplete - but I really like this art for it)
Under the Skin (TV)
- Cuddle (adorable Du Cheng hugging Shen Yi and settling in Shen Yi's lap)
- uno reverse of the cuddle (so gentle and sweet of the two in reversed positions)
If, like me, languages interest you, I thought these two Old English/Middle English/Modern English story telling techniques were a fascinating way to show the way English has changed through time. How far back in time can you understand English? (posted story) and From Old English to Modern American English in One Monologue (video).
Over the last few days, I had fangirls come to visit! wyndwalker stayed with me, and goddess47 popped over every day to encourage us to stay out of trouble or possibly to create trouble. I get those two confused.
Much popcorn was eaten and much figure skating was watched (along with other Olympic sports. Double Luge anyone?
We had some great fandom conversations over cake and coffee. These are the kind of conversations my family members couldn't care less about, but are bread and butter to me.
We held each other up over the shock ofspikedluv's passing, along with other fandom peeps lost through the years.
We wrote, read fanfic, ate a lot and when asked what quirky thing I'd watched lately...(I'm always watching stuff off the beaten path) I could recommend Jules.
wyndwalker stayed with me, and goddess47 popped over every day to encourage us to stay out of trouble or possibly to create trouble. I get those two confused.Much popcorn was eaten and much figure skating was watched (along with other Olympic sports. Double Luge anyone?
We had some great fandom conversations over cake and coffee. These are the kind of conversations my family members couldn't care less about, but are bread and butter to me.
We held each other up over the shock of
spikedluv's passing, along with other fandom peeps lost through the years. We wrote, read fanfic, ate a lot and when asked what quirky thing I'd watched lately...(I'm always watching stuff off the beaten path) I could recommend Jules.
.