How in the hell are we already through the first quarter of 2025? I’m still processing the end of last year with all the crazy milestones, but time keeps marching on I guess.
We took our annual trek to warmer climates in mid-March and it was a wonderful escape from the cold and dreary New England winter (the photo is from St. Thomas).
I also kept up with my new knitting podcast and even found some of my reading mojo that’s been missing since I got deep into my degree in 2023-2024, so YAY!
Books and Bookish Things
I have not only found my reading mojo, but I have finally caught up on a backlog of galleys that I never should have accepted. I made a decision in mid-February to look at what galleys I was trailing and yay or nay them. I ended up keeping 5 of 9 and added three more throughout the first quarter of 2025. I then proceeded to read ALL of them and have even kept up with my reviews on the schedule I set up for myself. The final few reviews of this list will be posted in early April, as I read a ton on our vacation in mid-March.
My sister went to Italy late last year and finally mailed me this beautiful copy of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights to add to my collection.
Below is what I’ve read since my last recap, * denotes an ARC.
Books Read
- Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix – Gabe Cole Novoa
- The Nightmare Before Kissmass (Royals & Romance #1) – Sara Raasch*
- Yours, Eventually – Nura Maznavi*
- Go Luck Yourself (Royals & Romance #2) – Sara Raasch*
- The Spellshop – Sarah Beth Durst*
- The Fabric We Make – Joe Wilcox*
- Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1) – Tirzah Price
- The Lost Story – Meg Shaffer*
- Two for Trust – Elle Brownlee
- The Rules of Royalty – Cale Dietrich*
- The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King – Harry Trevaldwyn*
I’m most of the way through Henry Tilney’s Diary by Amanda Grange, a book I decided to read as part of my 250th Jane Austen celebration. I decided randomly after accepting Yours, Eventually that I would re-read the six originals and a new-to-me adaptation of each in this celebratory year. Below is what I’ve decided to read:
Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday Year Reads
The Originals |
The Adaptations |
Northanger Abbey |
Henry Tilney’s Diary
|
Sense and Sensibility |
Sense and Sensibility
|
Pride and Prejudice |
Most Ardently
|
Mansfield Park |
Manslaughter Park
|
Emma |
James Fairfax
|
Persuasion |
Yours, Eventually
|
Craft Corner
As I said above I’m still sticking to my knitting YouTube channel, losing my knit (same as my insta handle) and I’m having a lot of fun doing it. I’ve gotten a couple of shout outs from some of the really big knitting channels and it’s been a lot of fun being a part of that community and finding my own little niche in the fiber-verse. If you’re interested my Jan, Feb, and Mar videos are below:
What’s Next?
I’m enjoying reading and will slowly find my way back to this as I’m really working to decrease the number of TBR and books on my physical bookshelves. I’ll probably go back to my random title generator soon, but not too soon with 9 more books to go in my self-set Jane Austen celebratory reading. I’m also squeezing in other random Austen novels this year (looking at you both Grange and Price and your series). With some travel coming up in May and late June, I should get some reading time in.
What are you reading? How’ve you been?