Dreams become decisions when you cultivate them

Title: Tony's Christmas Gift
Author: libbi
Word Count: 200
Fandom: Skins (UK)
Characters: Effy and Tony Stonem
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Tony came home late to find his sister in the kitchen. For Advent Drabbles 2023 Day 1 - Santa Cookies.

» I wrote over 4,000 words today and so much of it is crap but it's something! I'm writing again for the first time in years and even posting silly little fics. I know it's silly but I'm so happy I could cry.

Read

» The Downstairs Girl - Stacey Lee. I gave this five stars. The sass of Jo Kuan made me laugh out loud, whether she was talking as Jo or her pseudonym, "Miss Sweetie." Some of the plot points were a tad predictable, but they didn't play out exactly how I predicted, so I enjoyed them. A great young adult novel that can be appreciated by many.

» One of Us Is Lying and One of Us Is Next - Karen M. McManus. I think I picked these up from the library after watching a random booktuber video talk about them. In both novels, students at Bayview High School are blackmailed. In the first, a student dies during detention, leaving behind evidence and possible motives that the other four students were involved in his death, together or separately. The second starts with a new set of characters, save for a younger sister of a protagonist from the first book. Like other reviews, I felt the characters were better fleshed out in the first than in the second. There was a revelation at the end of the second that could have been impactful, but it fell kind of flat for me. I have another book on hold from this author, The Cousins, and I do love a twisted family drama, so I'm letting myself look forward to it.

Currently Reading

» Midnight Riot - Ben Aaronovitch. I've heard about this series a few times, but recently luthien recommended the audiobook, so I gave it a try. It's definitely an interesting premise-a London cop is assigned to, essentially, the "magical enforcement" department and falls into the magical world head-on. He becomes the apprentice of the only other officer in the unit, Thomas Nightengale (which is such a cool name). The author apparently worked on Doctor Who, and I don't know to explain it, but writing style definitely gives that vibe. The main character, Peter, is a little crass for my tastes, but I'm otherwise enjoying the story. Had I started this in print, I may have DNF-ed it, but the narrator, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, makes it very readable.

What's Next?

» I have multiple books checked out from the library and Kindle Unlimited as well as piles, both digital and physical, of books I want to read. I took the very drastic step of deleting my entire TBR shelf on Goodreads, which was quite relieving, actually. I notice I haven't read a proper non-fiction title yet this year, so I think I'm going to find one of those in my "piles" to start before next week.

» First off, self, why on earth did you making a goal to read 25 books this month? How on earth did you think you were going to manage that? I find that I'm having trouble allocating space in my day to read-that is, I used to read at night in bed, usually past when DH sleeps. But I want to get up earlier, which means actually sleeping. I could get into bed earlier and read, but that's difficult as DH likes to watch videos or play games to unwind, and unless I specifically ask him, he doesn't wear headphones. (His desk is in our room, and that won't change until we kick the roommate out.) And the problem isn't him; it's me. I'm wondering if I should try and carve out an hour earlier in the afternoon, before he gets home, and before I need to make dinner, to read quietly by myself, instead of using that time to play video games or do other things involving a screen. Perhaps, after this post (and after cleaning), I'll have a cup of tea and do just that.

Read
» The Girl Who Lived Twice - David Lagercrantz. I finally finished this audiobook, and I could blame it on the fact that I let the loan expire and had to wait for it to be available again (which is ridiculous, it's digital!), but I honestly didn't find the plot that compelling. I think the story with Lisbeth and her sister wasn't strong enough. I can see what the author was trying to do, but the execution fell flat.

Currently Reading
» The Art of Taking It Easy by Brian King. This is the "Big Read" for Overdrive in April. It's a book about coping with stress. I've liked what I read so far, especially the point about examing a stressor in the moment, "Is it threatening me?", and if it isn't, letting the stress go. Or something like that. As someone anxious all the damn time, it's a good starting point.

» Anxious People - Fredrik Backman. I didn't plan that transition, lol. I've had this book on hold at the library since... November? I read Beartown and really enjoyed it (although I'm somewhat confused as to how there is a sequel), so I thought I'd try this one. Both novels have the similar theme of focusing on a full cast of characters; in Beartown, it was the townspeople. In this one, it's everybody involved in the bank robbery/hostage situation in a small town somewhere in Sweden. He's almost tongue-in-cheek at times, but I enjoy it. Looking forward to finishing it.

» Black Sunshine - Karina Halle. This is self-described as a dark vampire romance, and yeah, so far, it really is. It's an interesting concept. Witches and vampires are mortal enemies, and the heroine finds out that her parents are actually witch hunters who stole her away from a pair of vampires they killed, making her a vampire. But she didn't know because they don't transition to full vampires until they're twenty-one. I might not finish it, though, in an "it's not you, it's me" kind of way. Not sure I'm in the mood for dark.

What's Next
» I was surprised to see that Mariana Zapata released a new book, All Rhodes Lead Here, at the beginning of this month. (I thought I was on a newsletter...) I'm cautiously optimistic? The average review score on Goodreads is higher than her last two releases, which I was DNF on one for a personally hated secret baby trope (that wasn't indicated in the summary at all!) and kind of meh for the other. There are a few other books (alright, more than a few!) on my TBR that I'm considering, but I haven't made any decisions yet.

» Alas, time to turn the sand timer over and start riding the house of dust. ♥

» No Snowflake related entry as I don't feel creative enough to think of something that fits. Perhaps Friday! I still want to go back and read all the entries for prior challenges. I may just do that in February.

Read:

I've only finished one book so far and it was an advent devotional, The Advent of Christ: Scripture Reflections to Prepare for Christmas by Edward Sri. I liked it well enough for what it's supposed to be.

Currently Reading:

You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt. This is technically a re-read for me. I didn't rate it too highly in 2018 (three stars), but I'm really enjoying reading it now. The subtitle is Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life, so I guess you could define it as a self-help book mixed with a memoir. I'm not usually a highlighter or someone jots down quotes, but I do want to go back and find some particular spots that I found myself nodding along with.

The Answer Is... by Alex Trebek. I'm listening to this book, which is mostly narrated by Ken Jennings. I'm not a fan of the format, which are short vignette-like chapters all with the titles "What Is__?". However, it does make it easier to put the book down, so to say, and pick it back up again without feeling lost. For a man so recognizable, I knew next to nothing about him, and I'm enjoying learning who he was when he wasn't the host of a TV show.

The Late Bloomers' Club by Louise Miller. I'm reading this along with the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club. It's a light and fluffy read, about a woman who inherits the estate of the local celebrated baker in their small town. It's full of small-town meddling and food. I have no strong opinion about it just yet.

HRH by Elizabeth Holmes. I'm reading this digitally, but I wish I could have a hardback copy because from what I've seen, this would be a gorgeous coffee table book. I'd say I'm neutral on the subject of the monarchy in general, but I have admired it from afar. I did get up early to watch both of the weddings and enjoyed myself immensely. I've heard some reviewers say that the book is written in a "chatty" tone, so I'll see if I agree with that or not. So far, I've only "flipped" through it to look at the photos.

I'm super excited that I may actually be able to participate and finish the snowflake_challenge this year!

My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me libbi. I'm in my late 20s, live in Delaware, married to my favorite man, and have three cats, one of whom was a pandemic foster! We also share a home with our older-nephew and his dog. I currently work as a tax preparer.

I've been involved in fandom since my early teens, back in the LJ days. I've had multiple different accounts on different sites, but these days you can find me here, libbi, or libbi. I go where the fandom tides take me, and I don't have a "main" fandom per se. The following is a list of fandoms I have written in and/or read fanfiction of, and still consider myself a fan of, with some common pairings I like if applicable:

Avatar: The Last Airbender Katara/Zuko, Criminal Minds, Dune, Enola Holmes (2020), Forever (2014), Harry Potter Draco/Hermione, Kingsman, Life with Derek Casey/Derek, MCU Darcy/Steve, The Mentalist Patrick/Theresa, Person of Interest, Narnia, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tangled (2010), The Vampire Diaries/The Originals* Damon/Elena, The Witcher (Video game & TV).

*I have yet to finish both of these series and I'm not sure if I will.

I enjoy video games and have made a goal this year to reach 75% game completion or higher in my Steam library. I play Flight Rising from time to time as well. My profile is here. Feel free to reach out in either space!

This year, I've challenged myself to read 50 books on Goodreads. I'm looking forward to Jane Harper's new release, The Survivors in February. This year, I'd like to read the Lord of the Rings for the first time. Wish me luck!

That's about all I can think to say about me. Looking forward to meeting you and participating in the rest of the month. ♥