Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl
2025 is the year of the reading rut for me. I just can’t seem to read book after book like I have in previous years. Maybe I’ve become set in my ways and will only read favorite authors? Despite the reading rut, what I have read this year has been very enjoyable, including this recommendation from fellow staff member, Justin. Dungeon Crawler Carl is a hilarious science fiction, dystopian romp with an unlikely hero and his talking cat, Princess Donut. Upside…it’s a series. Downside…it’s popular, so I’m still stuck on the hold list for book two.
Music: Taylor Swift
It took me a while to admit it out loud, but I am a Swiftie. I’ve listened to her music since her country days and early pop transition, but she lost my interest with Reputation. I got back into her music during the pandemic when she released sister albums Folklore and Evermore in 2020. Her latest album Life of a Showgirl is a return to her pop roots, and I honestly cannot stop listening to it…especially Opalite.
Activity: Training Kyle Boofs
I am 100% a crazy dog lady. We have two aging chihuahua mixes, Willie and Merry, and recently added a new boy to our pack. King Kyle Boofs is my new best friend. He’s a 2.5 year old mini bernedoodle and is 46 pounds of love. He has a sweet, cool-cucumber personality. Last month, I embarked on the first steps toward training and certifying Kyle as a therapy dog.
Series: The Morning Show
If you log into my Apple TV, you will probably see Ted Lasso pop up first. I am known to watch random episodes of Ted Lasso when I need a pick-me-up. However, right behind that will be The Morning Show. Situational dramas about news stations will always be one of my favorite genres. My husband and I binged the entire The Newsroom series last winter. The Morning Show has the same energy as The Newsroom, but with two powerhouse actresses in Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Season four is out right now. I binged the first six episodes during the rainy weekend in October, and then I was sad to discover I had to wait for the next four episodes since they are released one a week like traditional TV. We are so spoiled by streaming with the ability to binge full seasons at once.
Hobby: Genealogy
Researching local and family history is easily my favorite hobby of all time. I’ve spent hours upon hours constructing my family tree and crediting sources. I feel like a detective connecting all the dots between my relatives and finding interesting stories and family dynamics on all branches of my family tree. Doing my own genealogy research has a fun benefit in that it usually tends to help with local Derby and Rose Hill history, since several members of my paternal side were founding members of both communities. Of course, I would be lying if uncovering a family secret or a skeleton in an ancestor’s closet isn’t one of my favorite activities.