Hello again, dear friends! Long time no see in these here parts of the internet! How have y'all been? I figured I'd drop back in to share some of my recent favorites from the end of 2024 and the start of 2025.

I read Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang at the end of this past December 2024, and although that was now four whole months ago I am still thinking about how much I love this book!

Blood Over Bright Haven is an Adult dark academia fantasy novel which heavily focuses on themes of sexism and racism and how academia can exacerbate those things. It's about a woman, Sciona Freynan, who's the first female mage to be accepted to research at the most prestigious university in her society. But when she enters the university, she finds herself facing many sexist adversaries, who, as a cruel joke, give her a janitor of a different, oppressed race (named Thomil) as a lab assistant. Sciona isn't willing to let this cruelty stop her, though, and she decides to take whatever assistance she can get from Thomil and use it to her advantage. However, she and Thomil eventually discover that a dark and dangerous secret is holding Sciona's society together and must decide how to confront this evil.

This standalone novel ripped my heart to shreds in the best way possible. It's a rarity for me to enjoy tragic stories, but this one got me hook, line, and sinker and it's a story that I will remember for a looooooong time.

My latest literary obsession has been my current read, the new YA dystopian novel Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid. I read Reid's debut novel The Wolf and the Woodsman and didn't enjoy it much, but absolutely adored her YA dark academia fantasy A Study in Drowning, so I was interested in seeing how she'd write YA dystopian. Turns out she writes dystopian astonishingly well and I think she could honestly bring YA dystopian back from the dead. Part of why I think Reid writes dystopian so well is how based in our current reality she has clearly made Fable for the End of the World. The story and world are very much based in capitalistic oppression of the masses and the resultant climate degradation that can occur. And let me just say: as a reader who has lived in poverty at the hands of capitalism for the majority of my life, I have almost never seen poverty in literature illustrated with such clarity, nuance, and accuracy and it made me feel so seen! I honestly can't wait to see how Fable for the End of the World plays out, even though I sense that heartbreak is ahead. Definitely give this thought-provoking book a chance!

Of course, as a big fan of Jenny Han's To All The Boys... universe both on page and on screen, I've been watching XO, Kitty Season 2 on Netflix since it released this past January. I love this series so much, especially as I've always wanted to see more of Kitty since I first read To All The Boys I've Loved Before back in 2015 (I can't believe it was 10 years ago now)! Kitty has always been such a vibrant character, and I love the way that XO, Kitty has fleshed her out and allowed her to grow. Plus, I love all of Kitty's friends at KISS too, all of them are equally as colorful and fun! I love that Season 2 shows Kitty really growing into her bisexuality, it's so lovely to watch. Of course, naturally, she still makes some mistakes, but she is just a teenager after all. I also love the K-Pop storyline, it's so much fun and such a great way to up the drama of the series. All in all, XO, Kitty is a great series full of teeange hilarity and hijinks that'll have you hooked from the go!!

I've also been slowly making my way through Netflix's animated series Blue Eye Samurai and OMG I have been enjoying it so much! The series is about a mixed race (Japanese/White) samurai, Mizu, who is seeking vengeance on the last white men in historic Japan because one of them is Mizu's father and thus made Mizu the "abomination" that society views them as. Blue Eye Samurai is an interesting look at historic Japanese culture and how it viewed being multiracial which is infused with plenty of action and adventure (and even a hint of romance) to keep viewers gripped! Also, the animation is astonishinigly beautiful (and that's coming from Yours Truly, who doesn't typically find many animated series that I enjoy)! I'm still at the beginning of this series, but in all honesty I'm excited to see where it goes! If you've yet to check out Blue Eye Samurai, definitely fix that ASAP!!!

Lately I've been really loving Doechii, but then again who hasn't?! I love her latest album and I'm so proud of her Grammy win and excited to hear what's coming up from her!!! Her jazzy flow mixed with her 90s hiphop throwback kinda vibe of sound is AMAZING and has me GAGGED everytime I listen!! I also adore her NPR Tiny Desk performance, which you should definitely watch if you haven't already!

I discovered Egyptian/Italian singer Lella Fadda through her COLORS performance of her single "Tarat Tarat Tat," which I immediately fell in love with! Naturally, I knew I had to hear more from Lella, so I rushed to listen to her latest album, Magnun, which I also fell in love with. Lella's music is kinda a mix of Arabic hyperpop and Arabic rap, which you'd think would be difficult to mix together, but Lella seems to do so with ease. Whether or not you're a fan of modern Arabic music or not, I'm begging y'all to give Lella Fadda a listen!!!

I discovered Avie Sheck's collabs with his mom via Instagram reels, and I am so glad I did! The reel I saw was a clip of him (a pop musician) and his mom (who trained in classical Indian singing) covering Radiohead's "Creep" and merging it with classical Indian singing, and it was gorgeous! Like, just inject that shit right into my veins levels of beautiful music!!! If you've yet to have heard that cover and his cover of Coldplay's Yellow (which also features his mom), I implore you to listen to them ASAP!

I also found trans musician August Riley Greenwood's song "When I Die (Ol' Carolina)" through Instagram reels (I guess my algorithm isn't as cursed as other people's...yet), and instantly fell in love with it. It's a folk/bluegrass song about the trans experience in the American south, and it's so heartfelt and moving. You can tell August put their heart and soul into writing, singing, and performing the song. I encourage you all to go listen to it.

There's this Substack I follow where the writer puts together a weekly list of articles and essays from around the web that they find interesting. It was through one of these weekly lists that I found Aeon, which is an online magazine that focuses on articles and essays about the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. *cue me discovering a new hyperfixation* There are so many fascinating pieces on Aeon, and I encourage you to just check it out and read through anything and everything that piques your interest!

Lately I've been enjoying the videos from YouTuber and sewist Sydney Graham. Her videos are a mixture of vlogs and sewing tutorials, with a few beginner crochet videos thrown in there too, and they're all always so cozy! Lately I've been wanting to invest more in learning textile arts and crafts such as sewing, knitting, crochet, and hand embroidery, so finding Sydney's channel was a godsend! I love sitting down with my crochet and working on it while listening to and watching her videos. Her pleasant chatter makes me feel like I'm working with a friend. If you're a crafty girly, I highly recommend watching her content!

I've also been really enjoying and finding comfort in Bonnie's channel Bonnie Barton lately. Her vlogs are so cozy and aesthetic and motivate me to make my life a bit more cozy. I also love that she gives great examples of taking part in cozy, non computer-based and non phone-based activities in each of her videos. I've been looking to get less screentime lately, so this is perfect for my needs!

Well hello again, people of the internet! 'Tis I, your friendly neighborhood Lila, returning from yet another trip around the sun and prepping for a new wild adventure! How y’all doing? Hopefully you are all safe, healthy, and happy and if not, hopefully brighter days head your way soon!

We have gathered here today, dearly beloved people, to do something quite fun, that is: to gab about my personal favorite things of 2023! I'll be honest with y'all: 2023 was "meh" for Yours Truly, BUT (!!!) it was brightened in part by some fun thingamabobs a-plenty that I gathered up right now to share with you!! So, today I want to tell you all about them!! Let's get right to it!!!

The first book in an epic fantasy series for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal and Elizabeth Lim, set in an Arabian-inspired land. Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, seventeen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother whose betrayal is now their greatest threat.

In the hidden desert city of Qalia, secret spice magic awakens affinities in those who drink the misra tea. With an affinity for iron, seventeen-year-old Imani wields a dagger like no other warrior, garnering her the reputation as the next greatest Shield for battling the dangerous djinn, ghouls, and other monsters that lurk in the sands beyond city limits.

Her reputation has been overshadowed, however, by her brother who tarnished the family name after he was discovered stealing their nation's coveted spice - a tell-tale sign of magical obsession. He disappeared soon after, believed to have died beyond the Forbidden Wastes, and leaving Imani reeling with both betrayal and grief.

But when Imani uncovers evidence her brother may be alive and spreading their nation's magic beyond the desert, she strikes a deal with the Council to find him and bring him back to Qalia before he can reveal the city's location. Accompanied by Qayn, a roguish but handsome djinni, and Taha, a powerful beastseer whose magical talents are matched only by his arrogance, they set out on their mission.

Imani will soon discover there are many secrets that lie beyond the Forbidden Wastes - and in her own heart - but will she find her brother before his betrayals endanger the fate of all of Qalia?

In this epic and action-packed fantasy, one young heroine navigates the treacherous road between protecting the ones you love and staying loyal to the place you call home.

Spice Road was my second read of this year (first pleasure read of the year, considering my first read of the year was a required college text), and lemme tell ya: it set the standard so high it's unbelieveable!! Now, y'all probably know I'm part Lebanese, so this Arab-inspired YA fantasy written by a Lebanese author was high up on my "Most Anticipated Books of 2023" list the moment I heard about it, and THANK. GOD. those high expectations were not only met but exceeded! Spice Road isn't just an action packed Arabian fantasy adventure, though. It tackled themes of racism, colonization, empire, classism, and being a bystander to these things, and it managed to do so with an extraordinary amount of grace (without coming off as preachy). If you're in the market for a new YA fantasy adventure, then I implore you to check out Spice Road!

A while back I discovered and fell absolutely in love with this post-apocalyptic fantasy audiodrama called Birds of Empire! The series follows members of four different post-apocalyptic "tribes" and the political machanations that each character is drawn into. The production of the show, the storytelling, and the voice acting are all absolutely EXCELLENT! It's truly an addicting audiodrama!! If you're a fan of audiodrama podcasts and/or audiobooks, or if you'd like to dip your toes into the format, definitely give Birds of Empire a listen!

Okay, I'm not even kidding when I tell you that just thinking about this TV series brings a giddy grin to my face!! I read Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before and the sequel waaaaay back in 2015 and even then I just knew I wanted to know Kitty's eventual story—and that feeling got even stronger after I watched all three of Netflix's film adaptations of Han's trilogy. So you can imagine my excitement when Netflix announced they and Han would be behind a spin-off series all about the adventures of the youngest Song-Covey sister!!

XO, Kitty follows Kitty Song-Covey as she jets off to Korea in search of love. When Kitty discovers her long distance crush, Dae, attends KISS, the exact same Korean boarding school which her mom attended, Kitty just knows she only one choice: she HAS to attend KISS too! But life and love in South Korea aren't quite as simple as Kitty imagined. Between navigating her different cultures, popular girls, rocky friendships, and, of course, LOTS of angsty romance, Kitty has her work cut out for her when it comes to finding happiness at KISS.

Now, lissen. Ya girl ain't usually a planner girly. As a matter of fact, ya girl has a genuinely severe diagnosed case of ADHD. In other words, I usually have a lot of difficultly with executive function skills including planning, time management, and organization. Like, it's...really bad...Anyhoo, all this to say I have struggled for my entire life to find a planner and/or planning system that works for me and that I'm able to stick to. Until this past half a year, that is, because in July of 2023, I purchased a Hobonichi Weeks planner. There are two things I love about this planner:

1. first off, it's condensed enough that it forces me to prioritize tasks because there's only room to write the essenetial BUT if necessary, I can write more on the blank pages next to the weekly spread and/or in the back of the planner.
2. second off, it's decorate-able!!! And who doesn't love to decorate? (don't answer that)

Now, you might be wondering what the Hobonichi Weeks has that bullet journaling doesn't, and for me the answer to that is: preordained structure See, one of the biggest problems for me when it comes to bullet journaling is that it's created by you and based on your internal sense of structure...which, as a certified ADHD Girly™, I do not have. So, if you give me a blank notebook and tell me to create my own planning system from scratch, I start to panic. But the great thing about Hobonichi Weeks is that it's organized for me but I can still decorate it myself and make it my own! *cue tears of joy overflowing*

Are you a Girl™? Do you like to rage (possibly against the machine)?? If so, and you haven't yet listened to SOUR and GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo then I have one question for you...What is it like to live under a rock??? Lol, I'm joking, obvioiusly, but for real, if you are a girly (of any age, really) and you want to rage of about the unfairness of how the world treats women—especially when it comes to romance— then Rodrigo's music is for you!

So, I'm an extroverted girly in her 20s who often feels a little lonely and lost (because, ya know, life as a girly in her 20s is chaotic to say the least) and I've struggled to find a lot of content creators who I fully identify with because many content creators are comfy introverts. But this year I discovered the YouTube channel Katherout and felt so seen! Katherine (the creator of Katherout) is an extroverted creator who also often feels a little lonely and lost and makes videos surrounding advice about that phenomenon. Watching Katherine's videos have made me feel so much less alone!!

So, dear friends, that's all I got for ya today! 2023 may not have been "my year," but hey, it also wasn't a bad year either, and the above gems provided some bright spots! I hope you enjoyed and maybe found something new to check out! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some adventures calling my name! Until next time and stay colorful, friends!

Ahem!

*attempts to sneak into the room as quietly and covertly as possible*

*immediately fails at previously mentioned attempt by way of accidentally bumping into a desk, knocking over a chair, and bonking head on the whiteboard*

*awkwardly waves at silent, staring masses of people in front of self before hurrying up to the lectern*

So, hi, guyyyyyyyyys! 👋

I've been gone for...a while...and, honestly, even that feels life an understatement! Tbh 2021 was a shitshow of a year and my physical and mental health both took a nosedive and crash landed in the sewer. Of course, just in time, my overdramatic, bitchy archnemesis, aka Mental Health Meltdown, made an unfortunate and most unwelcome reappearance right around the holidays, meaning even the last few days of 2021 were spent...in a "less than fun" manner, to put it lightly...

But have no fear, I'm still here, friends! Fortunately right at the beginning of 2022 I was able to start the process of getting what I need in regards to both my physical and mental health and I'm steady on the mend now! (Thank GOD for the wonders of "Better Living Through Chemistry™," as my mom calls what is otherwise known as "perscribed medications" lol!)

Fortunately, during my aforementioned prolongued hiatus from hell I did manage to find some new favorites to help me make it through, so I figured I'd share them with y'all!

Have you seen this show? Y'all, it's absolutely to die for! 😉 Only Murders in the Building is a murder mystery dramedy about three true crime obsessed neighbors and unlikely friends who team up to start a true crime podcast about solving what they believe was a murder that occurred in their NYC apartment building. And it's FABULOUS! I've always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes-ish murder mysteries, so it's like this show was tailor made for me! Plus, the ddition of comedic elements makes it extra fun. I am begging y'all to give this show a try if you have yet to see it!

I'm part Lebanese, so I grew up listening to Arabic music, and my love of it has stayed with me throughout my life. So, naturally, when I discovered Dana Salah via TikTok I became obsessed! In particular, her song "Weino" always gets me ready to hop on the dance floor.

If you're looking for some weird and wacky real life historical inspiration for your latest creative writing project, then Noble Blood is for you, my friend! Dedicated to digging into the wonderfully strange stories of history's most notorious nobles, this podcast is in turns informative and hilarious.

One thing I'm sure you'll soon find out about me is that I love a good fantasy story, whether it's a book series, movie, show, or podcast! And The Wheel of Time series adaptation DEFINITELY falls into the category of "a good fantasy story!" Granted, I have yet to read the beloved source material, but I've fallen head-over-heels for the show!

The Alexandrian Society is a secret society of magical academicians, the best in the world. Their members are caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity. And those who earn a place among their number will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams. Each decade, the world’s six most uniquely talented magicians are selected for initiation – and here are the chosen few...

- Libby Rhodes and Nicolás Ferrer de Varona: inseparable enemies, cosmologists who can control matter with their minds.
- Reina Mori: a naturalist who can speak the language of life itself.
- Parisa Kamali: a mind reader whose powers of seduction are unmatched.
- Tristan Caine: the son of a crime kingpin who can see the secrets of the universe.
- Callum Nova: an insanely rich pretty boy who could bring about the end of the world. He need only ask.

When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they must spend one year together to qualify for initiation. During this time, they will be permitted access to the Society’s archives and judged on their contributions to arcane areas of knowledge. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. If they can prove themselves to be the best, they will survive. Most of them.

Okay, technically I'm still reading this book, but I'm over halfway (67% to be exact) through it and asdfghjkl I love it so freaking much!!! If you somehow haven't hear of The Atlas Six, it's a book about a group of twenty-somethings with magical powers who are competeing to join a powerful secret society. And aaaah it's the best! I love the characters, and the plot is pretty intriguing. You absolutely have the check it out if you haven't yet!

This is quite a surprise to me as I did not start out at all interested in listening to Doja Cat's music. Nevertheless, she (and her music) persisted, and slowly but surely grew on me. In addition to being undeniably fun music, I love how the subtle theme of female empowerment runs through a lot of Doja's music. So I admit it: ...I was wrong.

We all know it's true: dating in your twenties in this modern world absolutely sucks, especially as a woman! That being said, the unique sense of sisterhood you get out of comiserating about this issue with other twenty-something women and dismantling any and all of your internalized misogyny together is like no other! I think that's why I enjoy Maddie Dragsbaek's channel so damn much! Maddie's videos are about all things relationship, sex, dating, and self love and I just can't get enough.

Well, dear friends, that's all I have for you today. I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe found something new to love! Until next time...

Well, dear friends, it would appear that we are well into summer and I am running late. Again. *sigh*

So, what am I running late in regards to? Well, that would be to posting my Spring 2021 favorites. Since I got my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine back in late April of this year, this past spring was essentially my last season in strict quarantine (and thank god for that!). So, naturally, I figured I'd share my favorite things that got me through that last little lead up to freedom! Now, I'm not gonna dilly-dally any longer, seeing as I'm already late—let's jump right in!

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.

I've been having a really wonky reading year so far in that almost all of the books I've read have either been average or (unfortunately) below average. So you can imagine my surprise when I found myself genuinely enjoying The Gilded Ones! Like, this book is so good, y'all!! It's got feminism, friendship, magic, intrigue, and there's even an adorable animal sidekick thrown in the mix! What more could you ask for?!

I've been a long-time big fan of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology (and of her wider Grishaverse series as well), so when I heard Netflix was adapting those two interlocking series as a single show, I was absolutely ecstatic! Of course, I did have my worries, but it turns out there was no need for them because I couldn't have asked for a better adaptation! The show is so true to Bardugo's original works, and where it diverges from the source material, it still manages to ring true to the characters. What can I say, it did not disappoint as an adaptation! The one gripe I do have is how Alina's racial heritage was treated in the show. That being said, I'm considering doing a whole post on that topic, so I'll save my full thoughts for later. Overall I loved the show and I'm absolutely ecstatic that it's getting a second season!

As a 1994 "Zillennial" (a.k.a. a "Cusper" a.k.a. a "Confused Cusp Kid"), I'm not so far removed from Gen Z that I'm in the grumbling "Ugh! Kids these days!" phase of aging yet (folks, I think it's safe to say: the kids are alright). I love so much of Gen Z's generational "culture," and, of course, that includes the music! So, it's only natural that I've fallen completely in love with Olivia Rodrigo's recently released debut album, SOUR! First off, as a fellow singer, I have to say that Rodrigo's voice is absolutely AMAZING!! I think it's something these days when you can hear that the artist is using little to no autotune, so listening to SOUR really was a special treat. Furthermore, beyond her singing, it's truly impressive how good Rodrigo's songwriting is, especially considering she's only 18! I love the emotion she packs into each song, from anger to sadness to forgiviness. Anyhoo, long story short, I've been playing SOUR on repeat and it's pretty damn clear to me that Rodrigo is definitely one to watch!

As someone who's also a book blogger, it's probably unsurprising that I love the little niche of YouTube that has come to be known as "booktube." Thus, it is probably also unsurprising that one of my latest favorites is a booktube channel I recently discovered called uncarley. The thing is, I feel like Carley's content is really accessible to people outside of the bookish community as well, which is so awesome! First off, she's fucking hilarious (which is unsurprising as apparently she's a trained professional comedian). Second off, she's just incredibly relatable and comes off as really down to earth. And, last but not least, her content is just plain fun! I also love that she talks so openly about being a young woman with ADHD (cause, lord knows, unfortunately us girlies with ADHD definitely don't get enough real life representation!). All in all, Carley's channel is sure to leave you bursting from laughter and with a few good book recommendations too!

Well, that's all for today, friends! I hope you enjoyed reading and maybe found something new to pique your interest. I know now that the weather is nice here in the DC area and I'm fully vaccinated, I'm sure I'll be finding plenty more new favorites to report back to y'all about soon enough. Anyhoo, I'm off to finish a great book I've been making my way through lately, so until next time, dear friends...