“Fight because you don’t know how to die quietly. Win because you don’t know how to lose. This king’s ruled long enough-it’s time to tear his castle down.” — Nora Sakavic, The King’s Men (AFTG #3)

Hello kind reader,
I hope you’re wrapping yourself up in a cosy blanket with a warm beverage because if I can say one thing ahead of all the updates – October comes with a chill.

A Lively Bit But A Gentle One

The chill I just mentioned might be a bit more literal than I wish it was. I left September fighting a small cold and winning the battle. But not without a bit of – metaphorically – an injury. In this case, I had to reschedule spending time with my family to another weekend. Normally, I would’ve gone to my parents‘ place for my mum’s birthday. Instead, I went to their place to not only celebrate my own birthday but also my mum’s. It was much calmer which is pretty nice after the stress filled weeks prior this all.
Maybe I can take this cold I had as my body to really slamming through the emergency breaks for me to get much needed rest. Perhaps I should thank it in a way because this way, I had a much more relaxing time with my family. I got my step dad and my sister also a small gift as a very belated birthday gift for them because I couldn’t be there for their birthdays. And I wanted to be fair and get them at least something small. I watched a film with my sister too as I had promised her to. And it was not bad. Actually it was pretty solid but more to that later.

Another point I want to mark is that I had to reschedule my tattoo appointment to November but that is okay because both, my tattoo artist and I will be ready then. I am super excited to introduce you to Neil once he is resting on my left shoulder but until then is still a bit of time.

A new addition to the book shelf family is this little one. I also got one of those carts you usually see people create their TBRs with. I hope to one day fill it with my TBR too. But right now it is occupied more with candles, e-readers and a couple current reads.A Writer’s Cranny Is Never Unoccupied

If I told you that word by word, sentence by sentence, the end of the first draft of TWaTST feels more graspable as I am at the second to last chapter before I will go over it and fix a lot on the chronicle and plot hole area. But that is nothing I can fix now. I am not done telling the story to myself yet. So… Please be a bit patient with me.

Otherwise, I have started to collect shiny little trinkets for a mere idea. For something which has no form yet, which I am not ready to tell myself yet. Or at least not in the full fletched way I would usually do with others. It is there, collecting things, inspiration and that is good. Because once I get to tell the tale, I hope it will be as intriguing as it can be.

A Little Bit of Media Influencing This Month

A Cinematic Moment (Film/Series)

I binge watched the first season of Fallen, which is a newer TV adaptation of the same titled book series by Lauren Kate. A few years ago, my mum and I watched the film and the TV series is much different to the film we watched. Its entirety has a more SciFi vibe to it when what I had remembered. Still a pretty solid one.

After a bit of a sad realisation that for me, Your Lie in April is not available on my favourite streaming sides anymore, I rewatched Suzume again. This film, I like it even more than Your Name. I don’t know why precisely, just that it gives me a lot of comfort.

Otherwise, I have been spending a lot of time on YouTube, especially watching LetsPlays by Jacksepticeye and Gabsmolders.

A Musical Influence

My most recent songs stretch from Ghibli’s instrumental pieces to Yaelokre’s new songs. It is a bit of a mix and match. Some of it are songs which inspire me for this little blob of a story idea. Which I am not going to reveal now because until it has a more solid form, I don’t want to share much more about it yet.

Is There A TBR We Are Looking Forward To?

No, that is the simplest answer to it. However, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t read anything to the end of past month or now in October. Let’s venture a bit into this month’s mood.
While most of the year, I read something between (YA) horror, magical forests and whatever the heck „All For The Game“ is (Which I still have to finish and I want to do that this year) as a vibe, the mood has changed quite a lot. I look for comfort, for dabbing a bit into my own emotions again, especially something which has a healing kind of feel to it.
I guess, it is my own way of finding a bit of peace between the upcoming most stressful time of the year – Christmas Season (in a retail kind of aspect).

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao
My tear filled face might be all over my page for now, unless I posted other stuff in between. I loved „You’ve Reached Sam“ a lot but I think I like „When Haru Was Here“ even more. Simply because you can see Dustin‘ growth as a writer but also how much more this one wrenched my heart. My only regret is that I had not prepared myself for crying. Otherwise I would have had tissues at hand.

Heartstopper, vol. 5 by Alice Oseman
After dreadfully pushing this on and on and on, I finally read it. In one sitting. My tea barely lasted long enough because being back in this world was wonderful but sadly also so quickly over. It is impressive how many topics get spoken about in this amount of pages and important ones as well! I don’t say it lightly but sometimes, when I was younger and still figuring things out for myself, I wish I had Heartstopper already. But I’m glad the younger generations have it now and hopefully find comfort in it. Because I did.

Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight by Clara Blais
This is a novel by a wonderful author I had read her first book a while back and I always wanted to read more by her because she has such a way to write things which makes emotions so vibrant and graspable. I’m happy I finally get to enjoy her writing again, that my own mood brought me back to her stories. It is a few more chapters before I meet the end but I am optimistic that I get to finish it before this year ends.

Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller and Pepper Basham
Netgalley was kind to let me be an ARC-reader of the audiobook. And it was filled with joy, giving me a bit of the same warm feeling I get for Christmas – outside work. One of the things I look forward to festive seasons is the phase before that. When streets get decorated, the Christmas market is around the corner and you might be able to still grab a hot chocolate before you start your shift. Not the holidays themselves. Simply because this is the first Christmas I won’t be at my parents‘. I will be there for Silvester and New Year, however I know I won’t be a good sport when I crash home after work, only to jump to the next train to get to them. It’s too stressful and there would be too many people on the train.
So yeah, I got a bit side tracked. But the audiobook was very sweet.

Soma by Fernando Llor

A wonderful graphic novel I had requested on Netgalley and devoured in short-ish time as the tension kept me grasped and wanting for more. The story is bittersweet as friendships develop and you have to part with some of the most incredible characters. It was great but also a bit of a tear provoking one.

And so many more…

I won’t go into the details of what I have recently picked up or even finished when you get this post into your hands. It is simply because the list is long and might get longer as I try to finish another, try to find the perfect fit for my undefinable mood. I fear November might look the same, unless I feel compelled to pull something from my TBR jar. But that is something future Skylar has to decide.