Welcome to my little corner of the internet.
Had the most amazing day catching up with an old friend I hadn’t seen in 19 years! Time flew by as we reminisced about the old days, shared laughs, and made new memories. It’s incredible how some friendships can just pick up right where they left off, no matter how much time has passed. Feeling grateful for the beautiful day we had together, and looking forward to many more! #OldFriends #Reunited #Grateful
The Quiet Joy of Reading Fantasy Without the Pressure to Review
There’s a particular kind of joy in picking up a fantasy novel—the lure of other worlds, epic quests, and characters who live large. Fantasy books promise adventure, imagination, and a window into worlds both familiar and strange. And yet, as much as I love them, I rarely feel the urge to review the fantasy books I read. Why? Because it feels like everyone has already written about them, and there’s a quiet satisfaction in simply enjoying them without feeling the need to add my voice to the chorus.
Finding Freedom in a Crowded Genre
When you scroll through social media or Goodreads, it’s easy to find countless reviews of the latest fantasy bestsellers, classic epics, and everything in between. Fantasy fans are among the most vocal readers, and they often dive deep into every detail, discussing plot points, lore, magic systems, and character arcs in ways that feel exhaustive. It’s wonderful to have this rich, thriving community, but it can also feel like everything that could be said has already been covered. Sometimes, this makes the thought of reviewing a fantasy book feel redundant, even unnecessary.
The Pressure of “Saying Something New”
There’s an unspoken expectation that reviews should offer fresh insight or a unique perspective. When it comes to fantasy, a genre so well-loved and deeply dissected, finding that original angle can feel daunting. What could I say about Tolkien or SJM that hasn’t been said a thousand times over? I sometimes wonder if my thoughts on a certain plot twist or world-building element would add anything to the conversation. And in that uncertainty, I often choose to stay silent and let my reading experience remain personal.
Reading for Pleasure, Not for Performance
With other genres, I might feel a stronger pull to share my reactions—perhaps to introduce an underrated book to new readers or to offer a different perspective. But with fantasy, it’s freeing to simply read without any intention of sharing my thoughts publicly. I can immerse myself in sprawling, unfamiliar worlds and get lost in the narrative without worrying about translating my experience into a coherent, insightful review. This mindset lets me savor the journey as a private adventure rather than a performance.
The Private Magic of Fantasy
Fantasy, in its essence, is about escapism. It allows us to step away from our own world and live vicariously in another. For me, part of that magic is keeping some of it to myself. I don’t need to share my thoughts on every world or character; sometimes, I just want to enjoy the story for what it is—a brief escape, a quiet joy. Not reviewing these books has become a way of protecting that magic, of keeping it just for me.
Letting Fantasy Be Personal
So while I might not review every fantasy novel I read, I’m okay with that. Reading fantasy doesn’t need to come with the pressure to review, rate, or analyze. It’s enough to be swept away, to lose myself in a world of dragons, heroes, and enchanted lands without feeling obligated to say something new about them. And that, in itself, is worth cherishing.
This morning we had a great time at the @laitypumpkinpatch! So much to see, in addition to reasonably priced pumpkins!
Our little one was especially excited to see Mater and Lightning McQueen and their Cars friends.
Thank you @dtduperron for a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner. The food was fantastic and the table looked gorgeous.
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.
Thank you @marchhappiness2020 for a fun evening checking out some amazing pumpkin carvings!
If you are in the Metro Vancouver area, you should definitely check out @pumpkinsafterdarkburnaby. The displays are fantastic and the kids had a great time picking out favourite characters and hearing some iconic music. It is a pretty easy, path and the whole visit for us lasted about an hour, including time for the kids to do a monster maze, and for us to grab coffee from one of the food trucks on site.
I don’t keep it a secret that I struggle with my mental health. I am open about the half a dozen pills that I take every day to keep my self sane. But sometimes even regular medication is not enough to keep the darkness away. Some days, even still, my bipolar disorder wins out – either making me hypomanic, where I try to do all the things, and don’t sleep; or sinking me into a deep depression where even taking a shower or brushing my teeth feels like a gargantuan task.
Today is World Mental Health Day, and so you will see all sorts of posts asking you to reach out and share how you are feeling. Telling you that if you would just let people know, things would be better. That’s all true, and there really are people who would help you if they knew what was going on, but you and I both know that sometimes the reaching out is the hardest part. We don’t want to burden people with our depression, or our anxiety, or any other level of feeling that makes us feel insane or crazy.
But I am here to tell you that depression and anxiety and bipolar and any number of other mental health disorders thrive in a vacuum. They take hold and the more shame you feel about them, the more they feed on your mind. So please, please, please consider sharing how you are feeling. I KNOW it’s hard, but sometimes the best things are on the other side of hard.
BC is in an election cycle, which is always exciting to me. Ever since I learned that I could work the election, I have been lucky enough to work in my electoral district at a local voting place. This year, I will be a supervisory voting officer, and so I took the time after my training today to vote in the District Electoral Office after my training session.
Advanced voting runs from tomorrow (Oct 10) to the 16th, with one day off for Thanksgiving on Monday, so if you are wanting to get your vote on before October 19th, that is a great option.
Remember – your vote is your voice.
Today was a complete wash. I had the day off and spent it sleeping and resting my sore knee. No fun activities to be had, no errands or housework accomplished. So now it is time to get ready for bed and I have decided to continue my couch potato-ing with a new book.
So Cleopatra and Frankenstein by @cocomellors has got me right in the feels. ❤️
Tonight I had the utmost pleasure of seeing one of my favourite country artists with one of my favourite people! I was so excited that @bradpaisley was coming to the @pne_playland that I just had to go, and luckily my beloved @mousykat90 was up for a concert! (I feel especially lucky because she works night shifts, so she missed sleep to spend time with me ❤️)
If you ever have the opportunity to see Brad Paisley in concert, I highly recommend it. His songs are some of my favourites and he has an awesome sense of humour.
The last Tuesday of the month is both my least favourite day and the day that I am the most grateful for.
Thanks to my brother’s diagnosis, I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis after years of being told that I had fibromyalgia. The treatment for the chronic pain of AS is a biologic injection and I hate needles. (And don’t mention the fact that I have tattoos – I hate those needles, too.)
I spend the whole day anxiously anticipating the needle and wishing that I wasn’t going to have to be injected.
So why is it the day I am the most grateful for as well? I am incredibly thankful that I have a medication that works, because I have seen what happens when this is not the case. I am also grateful that my medication is 100% covered by my province and my work coverage, because each injection costs more than $1000. Without this medication, I would go back to regular flares and significant back and joint pain. I would go back to days of sleeping instead of being able to work. I would go back to feeling like a not present mom.
So yes – I hate the last Tuesday of the month, but I also am so grateful for it.
Kali J Desautels 