Another year gone by...
I love writing here, even if it's only once a year. Because nobody knows this exists--or at least, they don't anymore. After all, it's been a decade since anyone I know has been religiously posting here on LJ. 2021, gone in just a flash. It's like the last 2 years didn't really happen; everytime I think of "last year", I think of 2019. Because really, did anyone do anything or go anywhere in 2020 or early 2021?
Today, I have no deep thoughts to share. I just wanted to put some thoughts into words, because it seems like I never get the chance to do that anymore. You know, life and all that. Who even has time for journals these days?
I just wanted to give myself a pat on the back for picking up reading voraciously again since the end of 2019. Somehow, I made a random resolution to start reading regularly again then, and miraculously have stuck to it for two whole years! I've read hundreds of books since then (I think I actually did a quick count of how many books I read in 2020 and it was close to 100). Given most of them were light, easy reads, it wasn't that hard. I'd mostly been sticking to light reads because I find that I just don't have the energy left over each day to plunge into heavy, depressing reads that make me want to bawl my eyes out/pull my hair off/get mindfucked.
So I've ended up reading mostly light romances, oddly! They always have HEAs, which equals easy reads. That's not to say that they are in any way inferior to heavy reads, quite the opposite at times.
My favourite book of 2021, though? Andy Weir's "Project Hail Mary". What a seriously delightful read, even though it's a really long book. I really enjoyed "The Martian", but I think "Project Hail Mary" is even better! So many literal LOL moments, genuinely likeable characters, and Rocky is just the BEST alien ever invented. He's like ET, only smarter, more advanced, and funnier! If you haven't read it, go read it. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately re-read it after finishing the novel. No kidding. I really did that.
And with that.... here's to yet another year gone by. No resolutions for next year, except to maybe keep reading? Incidentally, I just downloaded an e-copy of Sweet Valley - The Wakefield Legacy: The Untold Story, which was one of my favourite SV books growing up... yeah, really, I was a HUGE SV fan. I think I probably read every single SV Twins, High, Jr High and Senior year multiple times... and all those other specials as well. In fact, I often think that my ability to write well stems from the fact that I read at least a few SV books a week growing up. It's funny because now when I go back and read them, the writing is soo..... basic. The books aren't riddled with grammatical errors or anything, but more of anachronisms, cringe-worthy characters, cliches, and just... very basic writing. Although it's not surprising given that most of the books were written by ghostwriters. Presumably they weren't paid very well. But shoutout to them anyway for making my younger self fall in love with reading!
I've just read the first few chapters of said downloaded SV book and already I'm noticing so many technical errors (because yeah, I've been reading a SHIT LOAD of regency romance so I'm 1839927x more knowledgeable about British peerage, their titles, etc these days) like how adults of the opposite sex who weren't related would NEVER address each other with their first names... and how little errors like peers can't be disinherited or how titles work (the wife of the Earl of Wakefield, for example, would be "Lady Wakefield", not "Lady Sarah" as in the book. And the first son wouldn't have been called "James", he would've been "Viscount *something, the lesser title of his dad*". And Theo wouldn't have been "Theo", he would've been "Lord Theodore" and would've been addressed by his brother's untitled fiancee as "My Lord").
So proud of myself for knowing facts that I'll NEVER use. Unless of course, I decide to write a book about the British aristocracy someday. Who knows?
Bring on 2022!