I know a lot of blogs and posts this time are going to be about achievements and that just sounds to tasking, for your or my mental health. I've already done my quarter and year review in my journal. What I want to talk about is what I'm excited about.
Some of you might know that I'm a Pinterest junkie and of course I've made my 2025 board and 2025 experiences board there.
Recently I did a YouTube Live where we made 2025 vision boards. You can watch it here. On there we talked about our word of the year and using it to help make your vision boards.
My word of the year is:
Compassionate
This is something that I want to give myself and have for others, even strangers.
Let's Get On With It...
Monty Python Holy Grail reference*
Some great monthly planner themes I haven't tried
Microadventures all year
Reading around the world tbr
Learning how to practice seasonal and slow living
Learn to play Zombie on the guitar
A solo trip
Finally dealing with my trauma responses
Starting our Van Life nest egg
Creating a capsule wardrobe
Downsizing
Dealing with End of Life and Medical paperwork to protect myself and Jenn
Entering my new era
Finding new readers
K-dramas coming up https://www.fastcompany.com/91235947/why-2025-will-be-year-of-the-k-drama
BL dramas to coming up https://bltai.com/thailand/look-yyds-entertainment-unveils-2025-2026-bl-lineup/ https://bltai.com/thailand/look-thai-based-streaming-platform-unveils-its-2025-original-lineup/ https://bltai.com/thailand/live-update-must-watch-bl-gl-titles-in-gmmtv2025-riding-the-wave/
More authortube and live events for you all on my YouTube channel and social media.
many mugs of tea of course
Bring you all Burning Desires the First Fire series Box set
Bring you a new P.I.R. urban fantasy mystery serial named Amber and Ashes that I'll be co-writing with D. C. Sadie
Learning how to take better care of my succulents
Publish the first P.I.R. novel Obsidian Vendetta before June
Having an author booth at my local Pride event in June
Having a Book themed birthday party
The art I'm going to create
Making a book light and a hanging cloud light
I think ending this list at 25 in 2025 is fitting, don't you?
What are you looking forward to?
I'd love to hear if we can squee about it together in anime school girl style.
Demons & Disaster by the team of Rachel D. Adams and McClellan at StoryOrgin
Devon Gambrell-Clark Video on Introvert Networking https://youtu.be/ZLe0SBe54-Y
Magic and Mischief for Readers & Writers of Fantasy Genres Facebook Group
A new P.I.R. serial is coming in January posting on Fridays.
Of Saints and Shadows
Book Review: Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park
Sang Young Park’s Love in the Big City is a visceral, unapologetically raw portrayal of queer life in contemporary Seoul. This novel doesn’t just tell a story; it cracks open a world that is at once deeply personal and profoundly universal. As someone who first encountered this narrative through the Korean show based on the book, I was amazed by how both the novel and its adaptation captured the same intensity and authenticity, each in their own distinct ways.
At its core, Love in the Big City is a story about loneliness, love, and survival. Park’s protagonist—a young, queer man grappling with the complexities of his identity, family, friendships, and HIV diagnosis—leaps off the page with his messy, vibrant humanity. His experiences are deeply Korean, and yet they echo the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide: navigating love in a society that marginalizes them, finding fleeting moments of joy amidst rejection, and battling the stigma that surrounds their very existence.
What struck me most as a Western reader was how the novel offered a window into the unique cultural and systemic challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in South Korea. The stigma surrounding HIV, in particular, is laid bare in unflinching detail. Park writes about this with a frankness that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, exposing the pain of rejection while also highlighting the strength it takes to live unapologetically.
Despite its heavy themes, the novel doesn’t wallow in despair. Park’s writing is sharp, often darkly humorous, and always deeply human. The friendships, particularly the relationship between the protagonist and his roommate Jaehee, are a testament to the found families that sustain us when the world feels unkind. Their bond is messy, dysfunctional, and yet profoundly loving—a reminder that connection, even imperfect, is what keeps us moving forward.
For me, this novel is a mirror and a bridge. It reflects the struggles I’ve seen in my own community while also opening my eyes to the lived experiences of my rainbow brothers, sisters, and others in a different cultural context. It’s real, it’s dirty, and it’s beautiful—a book that lingers long after the last page.
Whether you’re drawn to LGBTQ+ stories, intrigued by Korean culture, or simply seeking a deeply human narrative, Love in the Big City is an essential read.
Fourever You
Our Youth
See Your Love
The Heart Killers
When the Phone Rings
Your Sky
Caged Again
Between Us (rewatch)
ThamePo Heart that Skips a Beat
Bloodhounds
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