April 2025

What I’ve been reading, watching, making, and otherwise doing for the past month!

In April, I spent most of my free time ambling around outdoors — the weather is ever-so-briefly perfect right now! — but I also spent a few happy hours puttering around in the kitchen and, of course, reading.

I also participated in the annual Houston Bookstore Crawl, a month-long event where folks just visit various indie bookshops all around town… and enter to win prizes, but let’s face it, I’m not going home empty-handed from a bookshop regardless. 10 new books just happened to follow me home (+ a candle)(+ a print from a local artist).

Also… I must confess that I am upwards of thirty book reviews behind schedule by now. Rather than stressing about it, I’ve opted to just give myself a little grace period to catch up. After all, I know the person who makes the review calendar, and that bitch is perpetually overambitious (hi, it’s me, I’m the problem, it’s me).

Books + Media | Arts + Crafts | Food + Health

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Books + Media

Finished

Books

• Audiobook – Flatland by Edwin A. Abbot, 1884
• Audiobook – Neuromancer by William Gibson, 1984
• Book – A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, 1889
• Book – If You Can’t Take The Heat by Geraldine DeRuiter, 2024
• Book – We of the Never-Never by Jeannie Gunn, 1907
• Book – The Wine of Solitude by Irène Némirovsky, 1935

In progress

Books

• Book – The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains by Pria Anand, 2025

Media

• TV series – Black Sails starring Luke Arnold, Toby Stephens, et al. 2014–2017
• TV series – The Golden Girls starring Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White 1985–1992
• Podcast — You’re Wrong About hosted by Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbes, 2018–TBD

Arts + Crafts

Nothing this month! (Surprising no one!!!)

Food + Health

Finished

Cooking

I am currently sharing more about my cooking hobby on a separate blog/newsletter — Eats + Makes

Dining + Drinks

• Dined out — Gordon Street Tavern in Alvin, Texas
• Dined out — Rodeo Goat in Houston, Texas

Fitness

• Walking, 19.25 hours (58 miles)
• The Conqueror “Star Trek: The Next Generation” series, “Data vs Lore” section — 51.25 total miles

In progress

Cooking

• Cookbook cook-thru project – Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis, 2023
• Cookbook cook-thru project – Dining In by Alison Roman, 2017
• Cookbook cook-thru project – The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji López-Alt, 2015
• Cookbook cook-thru project – Methodist Morsels by the Cookbook Committee of the First United Methodist Church of Lamesa, Texas, 1983
• Cookbook cook-thru project – Pirate’s Pantry by the Junior League of Lake Charles, Louisiana, 1976
• Cookbook cook-thru project – Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best French Recipes, […] Hot and Spicy Recipes, […] Side Dish Recipes special eds., 2018
• Magazine clippings cook-thru project

Dining + Drinks

• Wine tasting project – Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette, 2015

Fitness

• The Conqueror “Star Trek: The Next Generation” series, “The Klingon Code” section
• The Conqueror “Conquer 2025” annual challenge

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