Lyra's thoughts

20s | my thoughts and reads

[lyra-azalea]

2025 reading stats

Author's nationality (this is a flawed metric, but I find it useful in my attempts to diversify reading)

Books that stood out to me

Thoughts

This year I ended up reading less than I hoped to, especially since October and November passed without me finishing a single book during those two months. Still I decided to share stats here, because it's fun to look back on my reading and reflections.

My reading was quite heavily influenced by my very slow paced attempt at the reading around the world challenge. Most of the books contributed to broadening my reading horizons, which led to both some of the best reads and some disappointing books. I had the unfortunate realization that romance is still not for me, since my worst read of the year was in that genre. I picked up more non-fiction books than before, peeking into topics that have interested me for a while.

For the next year I'm still interested in continuing my exploration of authors form countries that I'm not familiar with. Yet at the same time I've had an urge to dive into the works of a bunch of European authors, so I have a feeling that the map is going to be less colourful. But maybe not, who knows. Also there are quite a few non-fiction books that I've been wanting to pick up. Ultimately, as usual, I'll let my interests guide my reading.

[lyra-azalea]

Make politics boring again

[lyra-azalea]

Oh, to sit down in an empty house, lie down on a mattress or the cool tiles as in the opaque hours of a lengthy siesta, and lose herself at a wide-open window in contemplating the silence of the motionless blue sky, to forget, stop living, barely even shiver as in the drowsiness of a slow morning.

Assia Djebar, Children of the New World: A Novel of the Algerian War. Translated by Marjolijn de Jager

[lyra-azalea]

Recently I've noticed that I'm struggling to keep my attention on one task for more than 5 minutes. I constantly find myself opening one of the countless brainrot social media feeds and mindlessly scrolling even at moments when I've set out to focus on a task that I actually want to do. I feel like my attention span wasn't that bad before, now I'm struggling to finish a relatively easy to read 200 page book.

[lyra-azalea]

I might have found a solution. Installed a new e-reader app with a scrolling function. Forcing my unhealthy habits to work for me. It's not helping my addiction to devices, but at least I'm reading books and not mindlessly scrolling past posts full of rage bait.

[lyra-azalea]

Recently I've noticed that I'm struggling to keep my attention on one task for more than 5 minutes. I constantly find myself opening one of the countless brainrot social media feeds and mindlessly scrolling even at moments when I've set out to focus on a task that I actually want to do. I feel like my attention span wasn't that bad before, now I'm struggling to finish a relatively easy to read 200 page book.

[lyra-azalea]

It's been a while since I've genuinely loathed every single character in a book, while also hating everything else about it.

25% into the novel and it's difficult to find any redeeming qualities. Maybe other than looking forward to some of the characters inevitably facing horrible deaths. I'm mostly put off by the grotesque misogyny. I feel conflicted if I should push trough it and trust the reviews about how amazing this masterpiece is supposed to be or just trust my instincts that it's outside my realm on interest and therefore my reading experience is not going to get any better. It put me in a reading slump of unimaginable proportions.

The book is The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa.

There was one funny instance. The prophet was preaching:

And a few moments later:

[utwo]

Greenland Polar Iceberg Travel

© K. Tsarev 

[lyra-azalea]

After watching a random celebrity “What’s in my bag?” video, I got curious (or maybe just nosy, lol) and started asking everyone the same question. So, what’s in your bag? Or, if you’re not the type to carry one, what’s in your pockets?

That's an interesting idea and I can relate to your curiosity. I remember looking through Sergey Stroitelev's project that went viral a while back, where he arranged and photographed items that were in women's bags. I was surprised by some of the things depicted in the photos and how much they revealed about a persons life.

I carry a bag, but unfortunately it doesn't have any exciting items. Typically I use a black fake leather bag that resembles a tote and has a white round safety reflector hanging from its straps. These are the permanent residents of the bag: my wallet, keys, pens, hand cream, first aid plasters, emergency menstrual products, old wired earbuds and either a reusable plastic bag or a canvas tote. There's some clutter like receipts and loose change. Depending on the weather an umbrella may find its home in there as well.

[lyra-azalea]

I have a problem. I love calatheas, but calatheas hate being in my care. Every single one I own is suffering with new leaves coming out deformed. In my stupidity I may have gotten another one that I saw at the grocery store. The Calathea Makoyana may have been screaming in despair when I picked it up from the shelf.

And now I can't believe that I'm actually trying to make distilled water for them in this desperate attempt to figure out how to take care of them.

[lyra-azalea]

The endless summer thunderstorms and extremely high humidity is actively destroying me.

But at least my Stromanthe is the happiest she's ever been.

[lyra-azalea]

As an incredibly unathletic and inflexible person I'm finding joy in movement for the first time since childhood.

I'm actually motivated to build some strength and improve my flexibility. I have a desire to be able to contort my body in ways it's currently unable to.

[lyra-azalea]

Last Words from Montmartre by Qiu Miaojin is a semi-autobiographical novel that the author had written shortly before ending her life.

At one point Zoë was introduced as a future version of the narrator, someone that she wanted to reincarnate herself into, but by the end of the book our narrator is writing letters addressed to this name.

I don't have words for feelings this has evoked in me. Narrator is writing to herself in agony, yet each word is full of tender love, care and self-compassion. I'm surprised by how life-affirming some of the passages are and how despite that the narrator still arrives at the heartbreaking conclusion.

[lyra-azalea]

I just started reading Germinal and I'm surprised how effective Zola is in making me furious for these characters, especially considering that I like none of them.

[random-brushstrokes]

Eugene von Blaas - The curious one (1897)

[lazyydaisyyy]

There is something reassuring about the sky. It is not like books or plant pots. It is not like jars of olives or boxes of cookies. There is nothing to be done about it. It can be relied upon. It never changes. I cannot influence it and I cannot spoil it.

Solvej Balle, On the Calculation of Volume, Book 1

[random-brushstrokes]

Rudolf Ribarz - Small Apple Tree (ca. 1875)

[lyra-azalea]

It's scarier than ever to imagine what kind of a future is all of this leading to. This feeling of hopelessness is suffocating.