January Wrap-Up

2021 started off pretty hectic, both in my personal life and the world at large. As I predicted in my 2020 Reflections / 2021 Resolutions post, I didn’t get a whole lot of reading and writing done this month. But hey: I was busy doing a bunch of adulting and paperwork, I was struggling through my last few weeks of pregnancy, I was recovering from a C-section, and – oh yeah – I was taking care of my newborn baby. So I think it’s fair to give myself a bit of leeway.

So, without further ado, here’s the small but wonderful selection of things I’ve enjoyed and created this month!

What I’ve Enjoyed

Books
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Aaaah, this was so good! I’d been seeing this book all over Twitter for a while, so I was stoked to finally actually get my hands on it. And it didn’t disappoint! Yadriel, Julian, and Maritza are a delight, and Yadriel and Julian had amazing chemistry together. Also, a trans protagonist, queer romance, and Latinx culture all made for a fresh read amongst the standard fare of contemporary fantasy and paranormal romance.

The World of Critical Role by Liz Marsham and Critical Role
Yet more nerdy indulgence – you didn’t think I’d completely leave it behind in December, did you? ;D This was a Christmas gift from my husband, and I’ve loved reading through it and getting more insight into the history of this amazing show and its incredible cast.

Articles
Portraits of Matriarchy: Where Grandmothers Are Still in Charge
An interesting look into a very different society from the one I grew up in, as well as the ways in which colonization and Westernization have impacted the traditions and values of the Mosuo. It’s also an easy read, full of gorgeous photos and insightful captions.

How Modern Mathematics Emerged from a Lost Islamic Library
I’m not much of a mathematician, but this article is still full of things I love: libraries, history, and dismantling Eurocentric ideas about history.

What I’ve Created

Articles
How Many Times Can You Defy Death in D&D?
Working on this was pure, nerdy self-indulgence, and it’s given me some ideas for fun character builds (though certainly nothing as extreme as the end result I came up with here). I definitely want to tackle more pieces like this!

Other
Is it too cheesy to say my favourite thing I created this month is my son? Too bad: It's true 😋


So that was January. Quite the way to start out the year – here’s hoping the rest of 2021 is less intense, but has just as much awesome reading material to offer. :D

How did you kick off the year?