1yolklor
🌇 Hey I'm Lor! I'm a Chicago area school employee, online game enthusiast, and toy collector. I'm starting the year with a new job, a new apartment, and a thirst for vengeance!!!!!! I made it to 28 reads in 2025... but I'm not going to give up!
New job has freer Summer hours than I did last year, so I'm hoping to pack in some library days.
Previous thread: here!
💫 Here are my Top 8 from 2025!
1. matrix - groff - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5
2. indigo - jenkins ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5
3. soldier sailor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5
4. the raven boys (series) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5
5. a rip through time ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5
6. everyone on this train is a suspect ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5
7. small game - braverman ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5
8. death valley - broder ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5
__________________________________________
🚀75 BOOK CHALLENGE: 4/75☄️
write more reviews: 3/20 (doubling last year's 10)
read more worldly (non-USA centric) nonfic: 0/3
read more art/theatre history: 1/3 (Shakespeare point!)
read more plays: 1/3 (i'm counting The Addams Family!)
finish ongoing series: 0/3
read more graphic novels: 0/3
-------
CURRENTLY READING:
All About Love - hooks - 40%, kindle
The Devils - Abercrombie - 70%, kindle
assassin's quest - 55%, physical tbr
on pause:
2yolklor
reserved for monthly roundups!
✨
january:
elena knows - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5! great start.
i know why the caged bird sings ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ wow.
gogmagog ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5!
february:
Shakespeare: The World as Stage - going to leave unrated, was great for what it was.
march:
not looking good guys.
april:
please don't be mad.
DNF GRAVEYARD:
katabasis - 25% dropped.
the awakening - roberts
✨
january: elena knows - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5! great start.
i know why the caged bird sings ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ wow.
gogmagog ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5!
february:Shakespeare: The World as Stage - going to leave unrated, was great for what it was.
march:not looking good guys.
april:please don't be mad.
DNF GRAVEYARD:
katabasis - 25% dropped.
the awakening - roberts
5norabelle414
Happy New Year, Lor!
6PaulCranswick
New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.
Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026, Lor.
That is a striking topper.
8yolklor
Happy "I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore" Day to those who celebrate, lol.
More relevantly (to me), happy "Invisible Pain" Day to my friends with chronic illness. My partner suffers from spina bifida, and as much as you would hope people have become more empathetic to invisible illness in recent times, the workforce has not caught up. It took a long and hard fight with administrators to allow for him to use his cane at work, where he stands all day.
Also correlates to the book I'm enjoying right now, Elena Knows , whose protagonist suffers from Parkinson's disease. I've never known anyone with the illness, so this reading experience has taught me a lot about the big and small struggles people with mobility issues face daily. It's a stunning read, and I'm very invested in the mystery. Hoping to finish today during my substitute teaching hours.
More relevantly (to me), happy "Invisible Pain" Day to my friends with chronic illness. My partner suffers from spina bifida, and as much as you would hope people have become more empathetic to invisible illness in recent times, the workforce has not caught up. It took a long and hard fight with administrators to allow for him to use his cane at work, where he stands all day.
Also correlates to the book I'm enjoying right now, Elena Knows , whose protagonist suffers from Parkinson's disease. I've never known anyone with the illness, so this reading experience has taught me a lot about the big and small struggles people with mobility issues face daily. It's a stunning read, and I'm very invested in the mystery. Hoping to finish today during my substitute teaching hours.
11curioussquared
Happy 2026, Lor! I have you starred. You have great goals for this year :) And a 5-star read to start off!
12yolklor
>10 PaulCranswick: Thank you! Hope your weekend was restful with fits of fun.
>11 curioussquared: Thanks Natalie! Hoping it's a symbol of what's to come. 🤞 I started Tiny Bookshop per your recommendations and have been streaming it for bookish friends. We love to argue over whose recommendation will perform the best, lol.
>11 curioussquared: Thanks Natalie! Hoping it's a symbol of what's to come. 🤞 I started Tiny Bookshop per your recommendations and have been streaming it for bookish friends. We love to argue over whose recommendation will perform the best, lol.
13yolklor
Happy "Make Your Dream Come True" Day and "Poetry At Work" Day. Both fitting for what I've picked up, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I'd always been entranced by Angelou's words when I came across them, but had never sat down to read her work. Very glad I started with her beloved memoir, since it'll be a great background for when I read her poetry.
Hope everyone's having a good start to the week. I've been too busy between running musical rehearsals and subbing in classrooms to do anything for myself but read when I can. Sucks to work from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. I need a beer and a whole lasagna by the end of this week.
Hope everyone's having a good start to the week. I've been too busy between running musical rehearsals and subbing in classrooms to do anything for myself but read when I can. Sucks to work from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. I need a beer and a whole lasagna by the end of this week.
15curioussquared
>14 yolklor: I loved this one when I read it, too. I'm probably due for a reread.
16yolklor
Posted this in the Tea group already but I might as well drop it here. I already formatted the images, so why not. Here's my tea-drinking opinion.
When in need of a mug, it's usually this one from Target a while back or my trusty Life Is Good clunker. Both with nice sturdy sides and handle. I'm not big on thin, straight up and down "souvenir" style mugs for whatever reason. (Speaking of souvenir mugs-- I used to have one of those incline railway mugs that are slanted diagonally. Someone stole it from my art school cubby... curse you!!!)
But I received this 12oz Owala as a gift for Secret Santa this year and it's been attached to my hand. Great size, good sipping spout, has a seal lock, and keeps things hot but not too hot. I'll usually have 2-3 cups a day in this thing at work.
When in need of a mug, it's usually this one from Target a while back or my trusty Life Is Good clunker. Both with nice sturdy sides and handle. I'm not big on thin, straight up and down "souvenir" style mugs for whatever reason. (Speaking of souvenir mugs-- I used to have one of those incline railway mugs that are slanted diagonally. Someone stole it from my art school cubby... curse you!!!)
But I received this 12oz Owala as a gift for Secret Santa this year and it's been attached to my hand. Great size, good sipping spout, has a seal lock, and keeps things hot but not too hot. I'll usually have 2-3 cups a day in this thing at work.
17PaulCranswick
>14 yolklor: Long time since I read that one, but it has remained on my shelves for a reread one fine day.
18yolklor
Musical practice continues to eat away at my life. Every day I wonder if I'm actually cut out for teaching, or if it's just the first year jitters trying to sway me. We're struggling with two of our leads who we've been begging for a month to get their grades up. Had to put in place a "fix them or get recast" mandate, but it's more like turn in your assignments or the show is cancelled. Home life has been tumultuous as well. And it's been in the negatives out here for weeks! Can't catch a break!
In happier news, I'm glad I ignored the score and reviews for Gogmagog, because it's right up my alley. I'm taking my sweet time. I'm sure I'll reuse this for the review, but it feels like someone mashed together an action-packed solar-punk DnD campaign with the imagination and gross, cheery humor of Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Truly a fun read, and I can't ever predict where it'll go next.
In happier news, I'm glad I ignored the score and reviews for Gogmagog, because it's right up my alley. I'm taking my sweet time. I'm sure I'll reuse this for the review, but it feels like someone mashed together an action-packed solar-punk DnD campaign with the imagination and gross, cheery humor of Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Truly a fun read, and I can't ever predict where it'll go next.
19yolklor
Life goes on! I'm 75% through Gogmagog now.
This week is my mother's birthday, so on Sunday I treated her to a special high tea for two. I was so impressed by the amount and quality of the food! We had a nice pot of brambleberry and much enjoyed the little sandwiches and cakes. Standout for me was a fluffy pistachio almond cream slice.
It was a much needed break from the bustle of both of our lives. She's about to leave on a month long camper journey down to New Orleans with my dad for his retirement. I'm praying they have fun and don't get too sick of each other, lol.
While we were out I replenished my diamond painting tools, which means I'll have something to do with my hands for audiobook time! I picked up my first Nora Roberts, The Awakening - Roberts, since I love a worlds-collide magic story and have been dying to know what all the Roberts hype is about. I'm liking her characters so far! If there ends up being a queer Irish romance sideplot I will be so thrilled, haha.
This week is my mother's birthday, so on Sunday I treated her to a special high tea for two. I was so impressed by the amount and quality of the food! We had a nice pot of brambleberry and much enjoyed the little sandwiches and cakes. Standout for me was a fluffy pistachio almond cream slice.
It was a much needed break from the bustle of both of our lives. She's about to leave on a month long camper journey down to New Orleans with my dad for his retirement. I'm praying they have fun and don't get too sick of each other, lol.
While we were out I replenished my diamond painting tools, which means I'll have something to do with my hands for audiobook time! I picked up my first Nora Roberts, The Awakening - Roberts, since I love a worlds-collide magic story and have been dying to know what all the Roberts hype is about. I'm liking her characters so far! If there ends up being a queer Irish romance sideplot I will be so thrilled, haha.
20curioussquared
>19 yolklor: Yummmm. I love a high tea. I've never actually read any Nora Roberts, but I quote "I have personally explained the process to you, Debra" so often that I should probably pick up some of her books. Such a queen. https://www.reddit.com/r/dontyouknowwhoiam/comments/k7g5f0/i_have_personally_exp...
21yolklor
>20 curioussquared: POWER MOVE!! I'll admit that I knew little more than that she A) is a redhead baddie, B) renovated a little hotel inspired by her "Inn BoonsBoro" books, and C) apparently is an LGBT+ ally, and in 2022 donated $50k to a library defunded for having a selection of queer books. I should give her more credit!!
22yolklor
Finished up! Found myself rushing through the ending because things got messy, but the overall ride was very fun and unpredictable.
23norabelle414
>21 yolklor: Boonsboro is not too far from here and I know several people who like the inn for weekend getaways. Those who have read a lot of her work say the more recent stuff is better (more progressive, notably) than her backlist.
24yolklor
Finished my first nonfic of the year and part of my personal challenge to read more arts history books. I picked up Bryson's Shakespeare: The World as Stage after watching Hamnet and feeling in a Shakesy mood. It was witty and jam-packed with facts. I appreciate that he was very careful in separating what we know for certain about the man vs. speculations made from what he left behind.
Here's some of my favorite things I learned for posterity:
- We know Billy was no pauper because in his portrait, he wears black and subtle jewelry. Dye was stylish and expensive!
- "Although he left nearly a million words of text, we have just fourteen words in his own hand—his name signed six times and the words “by me” on his will. Not a single note or letter or page of manuscript survives."
- His writing on controversial topics changed with the culture he was depicting. "...Shakespeare condemned suicide in plays like Hamlet, where it would conflict with sixteenth-century Christian dogma, but treated it as ennobling in his Roman and Egyptian plays, where it was appropriate (and safe) to suggest as much."
- Part of the entertainment of theatre was the gore. They used real sheep and pig organs for shock value!
- Elizabethan playwrights pioneered the art of comic relief. Before that, stories were primarily comedy only or drama only. " In classical drama only three performers were permitted to speak in a given scene, and no character was allowed to talk to himself or the audience—so there were no soliloquies and no asides." Shakespeare pioneered the fourth-wall break!
- "Among the words first found in Shakespeare are abstemious, antipathy, critical, frugal, dwindle, extract, horrid, vast, hereditary, critical, excellent, eventful, barefaced, assassination, lonely, leapfrog, indistinguishable, well-read, zany, and countless others (including countless)."
- For my Hamnet folks: "In August 1596 his son, Hamnet, aged eleven, died in Stratford of causes unknown. We have no idea how Shakespeare bore this loss, but if ever there was a moment when we can glimpse Shakespeare the man in his plays, surely it is in these lines, written for King John probably in that year: Grief fills the room up of my absent child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form."
- Most of the First Folios of "complete" Shakespeare works were bought up by Henry Clay Folger, who was president of Standard Oil (and, more distantly, a member of the Folgers coffee family) when they were relatively cheap. Now they live in a building close to the Capitol in D.C.
- Shakespeare's birthplace was almost literally lifted off the ground to be paraded by P.T. Barnum's circus-- luckily, this was stopped by a fundraising effort in Britain to save the location.
Here's some of my favorite things I learned for posterity:
- We know Billy was no pauper because in his portrait, he wears black and subtle jewelry. Dye was stylish and expensive!
- "Although he left nearly a million words of text, we have just fourteen words in his own hand—his name signed six times and the words “by me” on his will. Not a single note or letter or page of manuscript survives."
- His writing on controversial topics changed with the culture he was depicting. "...Shakespeare condemned suicide in plays like Hamlet, where it would conflict with sixteenth-century Christian dogma, but treated it as ennobling in his Roman and Egyptian plays, where it was appropriate (and safe) to suggest as much."
- Part of the entertainment of theatre was the gore. They used real sheep and pig organs for shock value!
- Elizabethan playwrights pioneered the art of comic relief. Before that, stories were primarily comedy only or drama only. " In classical drama only three performers were permitted to speak in a given scene, and no character was allowed to talk to himself or the audience—so there were no soliloquies and no asides." Shakespeare pioneered the fourth-wall break!
- "Among the words first found in Shakespeare are abstemious, antipathy, critical, frugal, dwindle, extract, horrid, vast, hereditary, critical, excellent, eventful, barefaced, assassination, lonely, leapfrog, indistinguishable, well-read, zany, and countless others (including countless)."
- For my Hamnet folks: "In August 1596 his son, Hamnet, aged eleven, died in Stratford of causes unknown. We have no idea how Shakespeare bore this loss, but if ever there was a moment when we can glimpse Shakespeare the man in his plays, surely it is in these lines, written for King John probably in that year: Grief fills the room up of my absent child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form."
- Most of the First Folios of "complete" Shakespeare works were bought up by Henry Clay Folger, who was president of Standard Oil (and, more distantly, a member of the Folgers coffee family) when they were relatively cheap. Now they live in a building close to the Capitol in D.C.
- Shakespeare's birthplace was almost literally lifted off the ground to be paraded by P.T. Barnum's circus-- luckily, this was stopped by a fundraising effort in Britain to save the location.
25ReneeMarie
>24 yolklor: Fascinating, thanks! Some of my favorite classes in college were the ones for which we read plays (a couple of classes of Shakespeare's works, plus a "Renaissance except for Shakespeare" class). My favorite Shakespeare play, however, I never had to read for a class. I've known and loved it since I was a child: As You Like It.
26yolklor
>25 ReneeMarie: I'm happy to share! I haven't read As You Like It, but I am a fan of the bard's comedies. We put on Twelfth Night in high school and I remember it very fondly. Our Malvolio and Feste were quite a hoot. I think I played Valentine? Hard to remember.
27PaulCranswick
>24 yolklor: I have always enjoyed Bryson's writing - he is informative and charming and funny at the same time - can be cruel occasionally too in his travel books but that usually adds to the fun for the reader!
28yolklor
i was being a real stinker in february and didn't get much reading done at all. combination of musical tech week taking up all of my evening time + a fresh breakup that's thrown my home life into turmoil (my fault, i initiated it.) just haven't had the heart to do anything. musical will be wrapped up by march 17, so i'll have my free time back. hoping to attend some local poetry and record listening events to branch back out and find my people since i can't rely on hanging out with my ex and making both of us miserable. sucks all around.
29norabelle414
Sorry about your breakup! I don't think it's really fair to call it your fault; these things happen! I hope you find some nice people to hang out with.
30curioussquared
Sorry to hear about your breakup :( Always sucks, even when you initiate it, and especially when it breaks up the friend group, too. I hope you find your people soon!
31yolklor
>29 norabelle414: Thank you, that's very kind. Upside is I'll be free to do whatever I want on my free days without working around someone else's schedule/energy levels. Lots of folks have reached out, it helps more than they know!
32yolklor
>30 curioussquared: Yep. Almost 4 years together, and he even moved out here to be with me. I feel super awful about it, and the apartment is so small we can't avoid each other. I'm hoping time heals and we can be amicable roommates, but that's expecting a lot from him. Not fun at all, but it wasn't working for me and I didn't have it in me to keep acting. That's just life, I suppose. Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it!
33yolklor
currently in the queue to get tickets to the Gorillaz tour in october. will update if i manage to score some close ones. extracurricular coaching money is coming in clutch.
34yolklor
No book updates unfortunately (tends to happen when you only have 2 hours to eat dinner and shower every day for weeks-- musical is brutal) but we did get our tickets! I loved The Mountain as an album, one of those songlists where you know every single one will sound great live.
Opening night for our musical tonight, The Addams Family. Love the kiddos but I can't wait to be finished and have time to myself again. Got lots to look forward to in March, like a birthday trip and horseback riding and poetry/book groups to try out.
Opening night for our musical tonight, The Addams Family. Love the kiddos but I can't wait to be finished and have time to myself again. Got lots to look forward to in March, like a birthday trip and horseback riding and poetry/book groups to try out.
35yolklor
Musical weekend was a huge success! Everything went super smooth, the kids had a lot of fun and have been reveling in the compliments. Tonight I'll be attending my first in-person book club. A coffee shop near me hosts a silent reading club and it sounds like the perfect place to meet new friends.
I've been slowly picking up speed in The Devils - Abercrombie, which I believe I grabbed after BooksandLala put it on my radar. I'd been a little interested in Abercrombie before, but I'm not huge into grimdark. This feels a lot more up my alley-- it's got that silly and grimey D&D Movie type feel. It's a chunk, though. Took until 10% to feel interested enough to commit.
I've been slowly picking up speed in The Devils - Abercrombie, which I believe I grabbed after BooksandLala put it on my radar. I'd been a little interested in Abercrombie before, but I'm not huge into grimdark. This feels a lot more up my alley-- it's got that silly and grimey D&D Movie type feel. It's a chunk, though. Took until 10% to feel interested enough to commit.
36curioussquared
Glad to hear the musical went well! I hope silent book club goes well. I was attending one semi-regularly and really enjoying it; I should get back to it.
37yolklor
>36 curioussquared: Thank you! It did. : ) I was too shy to approach anyone about their reads, but I got a big hunk of Assassin's Quest reading done. Right now I'm at the part where Fitz is reunited with his folk in the mountains and they set off to save Verity. I missed my sweet Fool so much, he's such a delight.
38yolklor
The day after book club I attended a poetry open mic at a local record store. Phenomenal vibes, everyone was so open-hearted and eager to share. They welcome original and sourced material, which encourages me to write + read more poetry! I just needed a push. If anyone has favorites to recommend, let me know!
The poetry collective offered a "secret mission" to work on before next month's meeting, so I have a prompt to write for... (they want us to write about a song/album/artist that changed our lives-- exciting!)
The poetry collective offered a "secret mission" to work on before next month's meeting, so I have a prompt to write for... (they want us to write about a song/album/artist that changed our lives-- exciting!)
39curioussquared
>37 yolklor: Yay Robin Hobb! I love the Fool❤️ I really enjoyed my Farseer and Tawny Man rereads. Now working on reading the Rain Wilds Chronicles for the first time before reading the Fitz and the Fool trilogy for the first time!
40PaulCranswick
>32 yolklor: There is much to praise in being honest enough to front up the issue, Lor. Being roommates after a 4 year relationship will be tough though. The problems of course will arise when you each get into other relationships.
Take care of yourself.
Take care of yourself.
41yolklor
Doing pretty well. Went on a Spring break vacation over the weekend to see college friends. Partied hard, made lots of memories, and came home with lots of thoughtful gifts. Hoping the nice weather holds up. I'm still puttering away at The Devils - Abercrombie but I just don't have a lot of motivation recently.
42yolklor
Wanted to share some of the character art from The Devils since I thought it was a lovely touch. As much as I enjoy imagining, I have even more fun when the characters are presented for me to play dolls with in my head, LOL.
By artist Joel Daniel Phillips:
Baptiste (swaggering experienced adventurer), Balthazar (pitiful guy yet powerful magician), Baron Rikard (lovably suave vampire), Alex (street urchin-turned future empress)
By artist Joel Daniel Phillips:
Baptiste (swaggering experienced adventurer), Balthazar (pitiful guy yet powerful magician), Baron Rikard (lovably suave vampire), Alex (street urchin-turned future empress)
43yolklor
Happy Pride! Have I been reading at all these past few months? Barely, I'm ashamed to admit. I thought Summer would be time to hunker down since I work 4 day weeks, but I've been having too much fun out on the town. These threads turn out to be more like a diary, truly. Happy to report to my March 2nd post self that we have found our people, and are having a marvelous year.
- Been enjoying the farmers market each Saturday. Just a 2 block walk from home. Current favorite treat is the Buddhist temple's homemade cardamom cookies.
- I've been keeping up on going to open mics! Two per month, one is poetry focused and the other is mostly local musicians held at a quaint basement speakeasy. My friend did an impressive banjo performance last week. I'm so fortunate to live in a very artsy town with lots to do.
- Been attending events for lesbians/WLW, too. We have a strong local community that does craft nights, and even a clothing swap later this month. So hyped. This weekend will also be my first pride attendance... ever??? It's another step in my goal for this year to become braver and overcome social anxiety. My entire life I've had a fear of going places alone, and I've made so much good progress in the past few months.
- Here's something juicy: I have been going out on dates. I've been seeing this person for a couple months now, and I'm trying not to get my hopes too high but I'm a romantic at heart. First date was an antique mall and a hike through the bog, so I was already won over. They work at a library so we've been bonding over books! We're both major Locked Tomb fans (par for the course for lesbians).
- This week has been insane so far. Sunday we went thrifting, then drove out to the city to watch a local band play at a neat goth bar. Got picked up and spun around and invited to a goth beach party, very fun. Bog Friend and their crew are going to teach me how to mosh, lol. Last night we all saw a movie together but didn't want the fun to end and rode out to a karaoke bar. Nothing like belting until 3:00 a.m. then waking up for work at 8:00. Not to brag, but I think my stunning rendition of Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy might've wooed some hearts. It's ok to have a little Tuesday treat every now and then.
I hope you're doing well, whatever you're doing and whatever you're reading!
- Been enjoying the farmers market each Saturday. Just a 2 block walk from home. Current favorite treat is the Buddhist temple's homemade cardamom cookies.
- I've been keeping up on going to open mics! Two per month, one is poetry focused and the other is mostly local musicians held at a quaint basement speakeasy. My friend did an impressive banjo performance last week. I'm so fortunate to live in a very artsy town with lots to do.
- Been attending events for lesbians/WLW, too. We have a strong local community that does craft nights, and even a clothing swap later this month. So hyped. This weekend will also be my first pride attendance... ever??? It's another step in my goal for this year to become braver and overcome social anxiety. My entire life I've had a fear of going places alone, and I've made so much good progress in the past few months.
- Here's something juicy: I have been going out on dates. I've been seeing this person for a couple months now, and I'm trying not to get my hopes too high but I'm a romantic at heart. First date was an antique mall and a hike through the bog, so I was already won over. They work at a library so we've been bonding over books! We're both major Locked Tomb fans (par for the course for lesbians).
- This week has been insane so far. Sunday we went thrifting, then drove out to the city to watch a local band play at a neat goth bar. Got picked up and spun around and invited to a goth beach party, very fun. Bog Friend and their crew are going to teach me how to mosh, lol. Last night we all saw a movie together but didn't want the fun to end and rode out to a karaoke bar. Nothing like belting until 3:00 a.m. then waking up for work at 8:00. Not to brag, but I think my stunning rendition of Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy might've wooed some hearts. It's ok to have a little Tuesday treat every now and then.
I hope you're doing well, whatever you're doing and whatever you're reading!
