Blog Entry: The End of 2025

And so 2025 is closing on us all. It was certainly a year, you cannot deny that. But, it wasn't all bad! I want to take a minute to reflect on the things I loved this year and want to share with you all. After all, it is my goal with this blog to currate things that bring me joy in hopes of bringing someone else joy from them too

Books

In 2025 I read 83 books! That is over 7x as many as I read last year. I didn't realize I had read so many books this year, it all happened so fast. But I loved reading so much more, it felt amazing! I have been making a serious effort to scroll the internet less and give myself more things I enjoy. Now I scroll the catalogue of my local library (thanks to Libby) and Wikipedia - which has an AMAZING app by the way. Here are my three favorite things I've read this year and think you should check out too.

LEGENDBORN (Book #1) - I read the first three books of this cycle, with the fourth set to come out in 2026. I had originally picked up the first book at the library but became so enthralled by around page 100 that I said actually I need this on my shelves. I frantically ran to the store to buy all three of the currently available books, it was just that good. This was a fun and refreshing take on Arthurian legend as well as facing the way we approach stories and their legacies. It confronts issues in academia and keepers of knowledge, which I found so intriguing the whole way through. Plus it has character writing that is simply to die for.

BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL - Okay, this might be recency bias as I just finished it this weekend. But this self-described story about "toxic lesbian vampires" was the exact brand of lesbian and vampire fiction I am constantly searching for. It was unforgiving, gut-wrenching, and so fun to read.

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO - I had no idea what to expect when I start this after my wife finished it, all I knew was the horrible musical that poorly approaches the story of it. Yet, once I got a good 200 pages into this beheamoth I realized it was perhaps the greatest adventure story ever written. I know this is long-since known as it is a classic. And yet, it kept throwing me for a loop. Some of the best character development I have ever read. It's a classic for a reason.

Video Games

This year, like many other years, I participated in the Independent Games Festival award judging. It is a great opportunity to play some amazing games and help indie devs get noticed! Recently, I started playing Pokemon White Version on my 3DS and loving it. But other than that, here are my three favorite games I've played this year.

TINY BOOKSHOP - Another one where my bias will be showing however, in my defense I fell in love with this game before things escalated. It's a game about reccommending books to others, what's not to love? I also got the chance to contribute to the game as part of their Book Council where I contributed Japanese entries. You can see me in the credits :)

TALL TRAILS - You are a little guy, wearing a giant shoe, trying to find your purpose in a world where everyone else knows their purpose. It is one part adorable adventure and one part fun little guys hanging out. I can't reccommend it more!

IS THIS SEAT TAKEN? - For maybe my entire life I have been begging the universe for a video game of logic puzzles. And it seems like that has finally been answered with this fantastic game. You are finding the perfect seat for some guys made out of shapes, following the rules of logic as you go. It is so adorable and fun!

Everything Else!

QUILTING - I picked up quilting this year to see if it was something I would like. Turns out... I love it! The fabric stores are so fun to look through, the patterns are adorable, and I just like making a pretty and soft object.

LINUX - 2025 was the year I realized Windows sucks as much ass as humanly possible. So I started to look for better options and landed on installing Linux. Guess what? My computer runs better than I ever thought possible.

THE SOPRANOS - This year we finally watched the Sopranos for the first time. I had no idea it would be as good as everyone said it would, but holy shit I keep thinking about it! I love the character writing of that show and the dark depths it explores. I will definitely be rewatching it for years to come.