Category: Weekly Updates

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: July 11-17, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

Everything’s been coming into perspective as far as college goes (AAAAAAAAAA) this week, so there have been Feelings aplenty…but I picked out my choices for classes and I’m picking them officially tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll be able to get the ones I want. (There was a whole comics class??? need that) I’ve been able to hike a little bit more this week as well, so that’s always nice to get outside when it’s warm. And not getting mosquito bites this week from said hiking was a relief.

I read a whole bunch last week and my momentum slowed down a little this week. The first two books I read were good, but the last two I’ve read have been underwhelming. I got a big batch of promising looking books at the library yesterday, and I know I say that every single week, but one of them happens to be the only book I’ve managed to find with SPD rep (Not If I Can Help It), so I’m hoping that’s good.

I’m halfway through Camp NaNoWriMo now! It took me an embarrassingly long time to find the stats section of the website, so it turned out I’d gotten behind on my word count; I found it eventually, and I’ve been able to get back on my feet and get back on track.

Other than that, I’ve been drawing, playing guitar, rewatching Raising Arizona (insert John Goodman screaming here) and watching Thor: Love and Thunder (always fun), and continuing to listen to an excess of Peter Gabriel. (I listened to all of So while cleaning the bathroom yesterday…of course I ended up getting choked up listening to “Don’t Give Up” while scrubbing the sink down 💀)

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Mean Little Deaf Queer: A Memoir – Terry Galloway (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The King and the Corpse – Heinrich Zimmer, edited by Joseph Campbell (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Circus Infinite – Khan Wong (⭐️⭐️.5)

The Space Between Worlds – Micaiah Johnson (⭐️⭐️.5)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Not If I Can Help It – Carolyn Mackler

The Final Strife – Saara El-Arifi

Follow Your Arrow – Jessica Verdi

Fortune Favors the Dead – Stephen Spotswood

Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling – Lucy Frank

Today’s song:

my favorite song on So – lots of sweet memories of my parents playing this in the car when I was little

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: June 27 – July 3, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! Hope this week has treated you well.

Whew, it’s definitely been an eventful week—good and bad. On the bright side, I went shopping for a bunch of stuff for my dorm room, and I had a lot of fun!! I also went to jury duty for the first time (nerve-wracking, to say the least), and I went on a hike on Friday…and we got charged at by a moose calf. Welcome to Colorado. (Don’t worry—it swerved into the woods as soon as it saw us lol)

As far as reading went, I’ve had tons of fun reading in the hammock, and most of what I’ve read has been decent, at least, save for one unfortunate DNF (as much as I enjoyed Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth was way more convoluted than necessary and just ended up being a chore to read). I got some more great books at the library, and they all look promising. And Camp NaNoWriMo started later this week, so I’ve been chugging along through my newest WIP!

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing, getting caught in the rain, listening to a bit too much Peter Gabriel, and watching the last two episodes of Stranger Things (NO SPOILERS PLEASE I’M WATCHING THE LAST EPISODE TONIGHT)

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea – Axie Oh (⭐️⭐️.5)

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin – Kip Wilson (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25)

Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster – Andrea Mosqueda (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Atlas Six (The Atlas, #1) – Olivie Blake (⭐️⭐️⭐️.25)

Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #2) – Tamsyn Muir (DNF – ⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Bluebird – Ciel Pierlot

The Ghosts We Keep – Mason Deaver

Alone in Space: A Collection – Tillie Walden

Among Thieves – M.J. Kuhn

Today’s song:

good GOD I’m obsessed with this song

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: June 20-26, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! Hope this week has treated you well.

First off, I have to acknowledge how infuriated I am with the Supreme Court of the United States. Abortion is healthcare and a human right, and the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a disgustingly insensitive decision that will have disastrous consequences. I’m grateful to live in a state where abortions are protected (THANKS GOVERNOR POLIS!!), but my heart breaks for all the women and trans folks who don’t have access to safe abortions—my heart goes out to you all. If you’re as sad, scared, and angry as I am, consider donating to one of the following organizations:

And if you’re old enough, register to vote! Friday was astronomically sucky for me, but I’m glad I chose to register to vote that day. In the meantime, support the women and trans folks in your life, and don’t stop fighting.

Most of my week leading up to the past few days has been alright, though. I’ve had a lot more time to read now that it’s summertime, and most of what I’ve read this week has been good. It’s been warming up, so I’ve been able to go out in my hammock and read too—one of my favorite parts of summer and the warm weather. I’ve steadily been preparing for Camp NaNoWriMo; my outline for my current WIP is pretty much finished, and I’m excited to get into it!

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing, playing guitar, volunteering at the library, watching the new season of The Umbrella Academy (loving this season so much!! they’re handling Viktor/Elliot Page’s transition so gracefully and respectfully 😭💗), and being angrier than usual at the supreme court.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens – Tanya Boteju (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

All That’s Left in the World – Erik J. Brown (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Kaleidoscope Song – Fox Benwell (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali – Sabina Khan (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Lakelore – Anna-Marie McLemore (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Here’s to Us (What If It’s Us, #2) – Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (⭐️⭐️⭐️.25)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea – Axie Oh

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin – Kip Wilson

Today’s song:

Friday may have astronomically sucked, but if there’s one good thing that came out of it (besides being able to register to vote), it’s that we finally have new soccer mommy in our hands

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: June 13-19, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, happy Juneteenth, and happy Father’s Day, bibliophiles! I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without my dad, so thank you for everything you’ve done to support me 💗

This week has mostly just been coming down from vacation, but it’s still been a bit busy, what with all the College Stuff™️ that I’ve been having to go through. Luckily, I’ve still had some time to read, write, and all that.

I’ve had a mixed bunch for reading this week; all of the comics I borrowed from my brother were great to amazing, and I had one good book then one highly frustrating one that I really should’ve DNF’d. I did get a bunch of (queer) books from the library while volunteering for my library’s summer reading program, so hopefully they’ll be a good bunch. As far as writing, I’m working on something new that I think I’ll start for Camp NaNoWriMo this July (just graduated from the young writer’s program 🥲), and I’m nearly finished with the outline…

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing, watching the first few episodes of Our Flag Means Death, playing guitar, and listening to entirely too much T. Rex, Spoon, and Horsegirl.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Fantastic Four, Volume 4 – Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder (anthology) – Saundra Mitchell et. al. (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery – Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

A Lesson in Vengeance – Victoria Lee (⭐️.5)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens – Tanya Boteju

All That’s Left in the World – Erik J. Brown

Kaleidoscope Song – Fox Benwell

Today’s song:

I’m about 3/4 of the way through this album and it’s ✨lovely✨

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: May 23-29, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles!

My sense of time has been w a y off this week; I’m still recovering from all the chaos and festivities from graduation last week, so this week has all been coming down from all that. The weather’s warmed up after that big snowstorm we had on the day of graduation, and I’ve been trying to get some stuff done for college and get some more reading done.

I haven’t been able to read or write much this month, so I’ve been trying to remedy the reading part, at least. I’ve had more time to read this week, and it’s been a hit or miss batch this week, but I found some great ones (one of which was a graduation present from my parents—thank you! 💗) I have some Fantastic Four comics that I want to read next week (from my dad and my brother, after realizing that I hadn’t read any while we were discussing the new Doctor Strange), so that’ll be fun.

As far as writing goes, I haven’t written much lately—more outlining, but I’m not sure if I should go on editing the WIP, fine-tuning its sequel, or just starting something new. I’m leaning towards the latter, but I’m not sure what I’ll write…we’ll see.

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing when I can, playing guitar, seeing Spoon live (amazing, as they always are), listening to the new Wilco, and watching Everything Everywhere All At Once (tears were shed).

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

A Magic Steeped in Poison (The Book of Tea, #1) – Judy I. Lin (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak (Unstoppable, #2) – Charlie Jane Anders (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

The Chosen and the Beautiful – Nghi Vo (⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Art Matters – Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

“Wait, it’s all Fantastic Four?”

“Always has been.”

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four, vol. 1 – Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Fantastic Four, vol. 1 – Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham

Fantastic Four, vol. 2 – Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham

Fantastic Four, vol. 3 – Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham

Fantastic Four, vol. 4 – Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham

Today’s song:

one of my absolute favorites from this album—and a serendipitous play while we were driving home after seeing Everything Everywhere All At Once

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: May 16-22, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! Hope this week has treated you well.

It’s certainly been an eventful week on my end! It doesn’t quite feel like summer (especially since we got that Freezing Snow Even Though It’s The Middle of May™️) since it’s been so busy, but it’s been very momentous on my end—I officially graduated from high school! It was freezing cold and snowing the whole time (we were at an outdoor venue), but it was a great morning.

I haven’t had a whole lot of time to read because I’ve been so tired for the past few days, but I got through my library books, and I’m currently going through the books I bought last week. Haven’t written much at all either—maybe I’ll have to get on that next week after everything dies down…

Other than that, I’ve been getting into all kinds of festivities for graduation, listening to Bachelor and Soccer Mommy, reorganizing my bookshelf (it hit critical mass so I had to put a few books away in boxes lol), and looking forward to summer.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Loveless – Alice Oseman (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

A River of Stars – Vanessa Hua (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Fire Becomes Her – Rosiee Thor (⭐️⭐️⭐️.25)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

A Magic Steeped in Poison – Judy I. Lin

Dreams Bigger than Heartbreak (Unstoppable, #2) – Charlie Jane Anders

Today’s song:

listened to this album while I was organizing my bookshelves—good stuff!

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: May 9-15, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

This week’s been surreal, to say the least. It was my last week of high school; there wasn’t much to do all week up until Friday, but it’s so strange that Friday was the last time I’ll ever have to wake up at 6 AM to go to school. (Not that I’m complaining about the “waking up at 6 AM” part.) We had a goodbye ceremony for us seniors, and tears were certainly shed. High school wasn’t perfect, but there are certainly things I’ll miss. (The fact that there was active construction going on at the school all year? Not one of them.) I actually graduate next week, so…

Reading-wise, I was able to read more than last week, but it was a hit-or-miss kind of batch. I picked up some more promising books at the library yesterday, and I stopped by the bookstore and picked up some books as well, so hopefully next week will be a little better!

Other than that, I’ve been drawing, petting Ringo, listening to the new Smile album (AAAAAAH), and trying to wrap my head around the fact that I finished high school. It’s weird. But I’m seeing the new Doctor Strange this evening—been looking forward to it all week long!! (No spoilers!!)

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

The Psychology of Time Travel – Kate Mascarenhas (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Light from Uncommon Stars – Ryka Aoki (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Gallant – V.E. Schwab (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Saving Montgomery Sole – Mariko Tamaki (⭐️⭐️)

Song of the Crimson Flower (Rise of the Empress, #2.5) – Julie C. Dao (⭐️⭐️.5)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

A River of Stars – Vanessa Hua

Loveless – Alice Oseman

Fire Becomes Her – Rosiee Thor

A Magic Steeped in Poison – Judy I. Lin

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: May 2-8, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles, and happy Mother’s Day for those celebrating! I don’t know where I’d be without my amazing mom—thank you for supporting me through thick and thin, always. 💗

This week’s been a bit exhausting; I had all three of my AP exams this week, two of which were on the same day. (@ the comparative gov multiple choice: WHAT) It was rough, but I feel alright about them in general. And this means that I’m all done with AP tests! Good riddance.

As a result, I haven’t had as productive of a week in most other departments. I got through most of my library books, but two of them ended up being duds. (Shoutout to The Final Revival of Opal & Nev for pulling me out of the momentary slump.) I picked up more at the library, and they all seem fairly promising.

Other than that, I’ve been drawing, watching Heartstopper all the way through (anybody else sobbing at the coming out scene 🙋‍♀️), watching The Power of the Dog (WHOA), going out to brunch for Mother’s Day, and trying (and failing) to get Ringo to stop biting my feet. Ringo’s a good boy, though.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Beyond the Ruby Veil – Mara Fitzgerald (⭐️⭐️)

Forget This Ever Happened – Cassandra Rose Clark (DNF – ⭐️)

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev – Dawnie Walton (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

The Psychology of Time Travel – Kate Mascarenhas

Light from Uncommon Stars – Ryka Aoki

Song of the Crimson Flower – Julie C. Dao

Gallant – V.E. Schwab

Saving Montgomery Sole – Mariko Tamaki

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: April 25 – May 1, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

This week’s been a bit of a slog; I have all three of my ap tests next week (insert infinite string of the 😐 emoji), so I’ve been studying for most of the week. Not ideal. But I’ve had a little time to read and blog, so it’s been nice.

I’ve had a string of good reads, though! Last week’s library haul was great, and although I couldn’t go to the library this week (studying 😐), I was able to pick up some books for this coming week, and they all seem promising! I went to the comic shop on Friday, so I got a big haul from there as well. I haven’t really done much writing this week, so there’s nothing much to say one that front.

Other than that, I’ve just been petting Ringo, getting everything done before the end of the school year, trying to keep track of all the new music coming out soon (WILCO DOUBLE ALBUM I REPEAT WILCO DOUBLE ALBUM), and going to senior prom!! The latter was a lot of fun—such a fantastic night!

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Heartstopper, vol. 4 – Alice Oseman (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

One for All – Lillie Lainoff (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Warrior of the Wild – Tricia Levenseller (⭐️⭐️⭐️.25)

The Weight of Our Sky – Hanna Alkaf (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev – Dawnie Walton

Beyond the Ruby Veil – Mara Fitzgerald

The Psychology of Time Travel – Kate Mascarenhas

Forget This Ever Happened – Cassandra Rose Clarke

Today’s song:

I keep flip-flopping on how I feel on this song—I’d like it more without the autotune, either way. super catchy though, and the video’s cute!

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: April 18-24, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles!

It’s been another fairly low-key week on my end; we had the day off on Friday, so I’m getting way too used to shorter school weeks. After last week, I’ve been on a streak of great books! So many unique books in particular—I can’t decide which one I’ll review next week! I’m nearly finished with the whole Heartstopper series too—I’ve got vol. 4 ready on my Kindle, along with my other library books!

Writing-wise, I’ve been attempting to outline for book 2 of my sci-fi WIP, and…it’s been…it’s going? It’s going. I have a clear picture of the beginning and the ending, but the middle is still hazy, so I’m trying to figure out what goes in between. Making playlists always helps get my sense of direction going, and it’s certainly helping now, at least.

Other than that, I’ve been listening to the new Spiritualized (AAAAAH), drawing a little, and playing some guitar. I also saw Snail Mail for a third time on Sunday night (great!) and Ben Folds with the Colorado Symphony last night (amazing!!), so there’s been a lot of concerts this month!! I’m tired now, but it was worth it.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Heartstopper, vol. 3 – Alice Oseman (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Library at Mount Char – Scott Hawkins (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Extasia – Claire Legrand (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

The Chandler Legacies – Abdi Nazemian (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Heartstopper, vol. 4 – Alice Oseman

One for All – Lillie Lainoff

Warrior of the Wild – Tricia Levenseller

The Weight of Our Sky – Hanna Alkaf

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!