From That Artsy Reader Girl: “Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is: Favorite Secondary/Minor Characters. I am a character-driven reader and tend to get attached to many characters, but I’ve tried super hard to narrow it down to these ten!”
I’ve come up with seven entries for this week. Yes, some of these characters are unlikeable, but they sure make the books impactful and entertaining.
Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet. I have ALWAYS loved Mercutio. And I ESPECIALLY love the portrayal of Mercutio in Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet adaptation. Young hearts run free!
Miss Havisham from Great Expectations. Absurd. Petty. Forever in a wedding dress. Couture meets attic. Best.
Captain Hook from Peter Pan. He’s giving Pirate Persona. Drama. Victorianeramaxxing.
Okay, but seriously, hear me out. I know the guy gets a bad rep, but I mean, he adds all the flavour to the Peter Pan novel, doesn’t he? And his story is really fascinating in the retelling by Christina Henry called Lost Boy. Love.
Sailor Pluto from Sailor Moon She controls time. What more do we want.
Artemis and Luna from Sailor Moon We are simply not worthy.
I’ve always had a green thumb, but now that we have our own home, I am a lawn fanatic as well. Things I would have never been interested in before now fascinate me so much! Aeration, grass seed, weed killer, weed whacking. Like, who am I?
I used to take care of a garden when I was an undergraduate student. My parents invested in a home that I resided in during that time. My mother is an impressive gardener, truly. Her landscaping is inspired by Butchart Gardens, so while obviously not as extensive, her garden has always been a little piece of heaven to retreat to during the summer months. I’ve learned so much from her. Below is an image of Butchart Gardens for your reference. Such a beautiful source of inspiration!
Thankfully, our current garden is quite small but we are just getting started. We have a home that was built in 2017, and the landscaping is fresh, clean, and modern. Although I have lots of plans to spruce it up, I am going to be starting with baby steps. That means, doing a thorough pressure washing of our walkways and home exterior, revitalizing the lawn, setting up the garden beds, washing and staining our deck. All of those exciting preparation steps.
On another note, I’ve been making lots of banana/berry smoothies lately. And my partner discovered something amazing. If you just add frozen bananas to a bowl, add some almond butter (or peanut butter, if preferred), and just eat those two together, they are a delicious, cold Spring snack! It’s been a go-to all week. Especially since, for some reason, I have lost my appetite. So having these meals that are still fun and easy to put together has been a great help.
Happy Spring, everyone!
Reading/Watching Update
Currently Reading
Title: Alérgica A Pessoas (PT Edition) Author: Sara Andersen Publisher: Desrotina Release Date: September 18th, 2025
Title: Vincent (PT Edition) Author: Barbara Stok Publisher: Iguana Release Date: February 1, 2026
Finished Reading
I finished quite a few short books this week! I will post my reviews closer to publication date, but for now just know that I typically enjoyed them all very much and they should all be on your list if you enjoy comics and illustrated cat books.
ENG I loved this book so much! This book was about a cat who is looking for a tree that he’s been told will give him an overflowing sense of peace. Along the way, he makes many friends and gives them advice on how to lead a more tranquil life, though it’s not always easy to put this into practice.
PT Adorei este livro! É sobre um gato que está à procura de um árvore para se sentir mais em paz. Descobre vários amigos e dá-lhes conselhos para vivirem uma vida mais tranquila, embora isso não seja fácil. Simplesmente adorei <3
Title: I’m Still Here Author: A Cat’s Purpose Forever Release Date: September 8, 2026 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (Thank you for this ARC! Review to come)
Title: Mobu’s Diary: Earning Your Paté Author: Kathy Lam Release Date: September 22, 2026 Publisher: Andrew McMeels Publishing (Thank you for this ARC!)
Title: Milk & Mocha Author: Melani Sie Release Date: June 23rd, 2026 Publisher: Andrew McMeels Publishing (Thank you for this ARC!)
Title: A Gray Cat Wanders: New Poems About our Animal Friends Author: Karla Kuskin, Leonard Marcus (Compiler), Marcellus Hall (Illustrator) Publisher: Wordsong (Thank you for this ARC!) Release Date: August 4th, 2026
New to my shelf
Title: Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known Author: Scott Simon, Liana Finck (Illustrator) Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (Thank you to LibroFM for this ALC!) Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Title: Notes on Love: Poems and Photography Author: F.S. Yousaf Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (Thank you for the ARC!) Release Date: June 2nd, 2026
Title: Hallowed Bones Author: Lucy Smoke Publisher: SMP (Thank you for this ARC!) Release Date: October 6th, 2026
Just Watched
No films this week! However, we are finally going to watch Project Hail Mary this weekend. I’m so excited!
Currently Watching
Title: The Testaments Thoughts:Still enjoying this series! Though, the further we go in the more disturbing it gets. This is typical of The Handmaid’s Tale. Difficult to watch, but so important. Not very many people I know watch The Testaments, so if you are please let me know below!
Title: From Thoughts:Another disturbing show! Sometimes I question if there will be any pay off and so far, there’s like some answers but it’s not as rewarding as I would like it to be haha. It’s so depressing. But, I really love Harold Perrineau – he adds dashes of humour and is such a great actor. And I really love Jade as a character. Again, I don’t know many people watching this series so if you are, let me know!
Title: Big Mistakes Thoughts:It has its funny moments! But honestly … I preferred Schitt’s Creek. Only a couple more episodes left until Season 1 is complete! It’s very, very silly. But come on, it’s Dan Levy, so of course I’m watching it.
This week we chose May 2026 releases but with one twist – all of the book covers have flowers on the cover! Or, in the case of Matt Haig’s new novel, leaves! I just had to include his in this list! I hope you enjoy.
Title: Before I Knew I Loved You Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi Publisher: Picador Release Date: May 21st, 2026
Title: The Daisy Chain Flower Shop (Dream Harbour #6) Author: Laurie Gilmore Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc. Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Title: Where Happy Begins Author: Maxine Morrey Publisher: Boldwood Books Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Title: You Can’t Hurry Second Chances Author: Michelle Simpson Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc. Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Title: The Library of Flowers Author: L.C. Chu Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc. Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Title: The House of Now and Then Author: Edward Underhill Publisher: Picador Release Date: May 21st, 2026
Title: That Which Feeds Us Author: Edward Underhill Publisher: Picador Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Title: The Calamity Club Author: Edward Underhill Publisher: Picador Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Title: The Midnight Train Author: Matt Haig Publisher: Viking Release Date: May 26th, 2026
This week has actually been fairly productive! I am working extra hard on my Portuguese immersion studies and having so much conversation time in PT. It’s my heritage language, I am Canadian-Portuguese, and one day my partner and I would like to move to Portugal, so now is the time for me to improve it. When will we move? I honestly don’t know, it may be more like a retirement thing or summer home in the future, but it’s where my heart wants us to end up. It’s a goal of mine!
Since I left the blog, we purchased a house and moved in. It’s such a pleasure to be outside getting our garden ready! Currently, there isn’t much going since we are just tidying up and doing some outdoor spring cleaning. I live in Alberta and it was snowing just a couple of weeks ago so there is much to work on! So, I’ve raked up lots of leaves, and having been tidying up old foliage. I cannot wait to start planting, stain our deck and our fence, and do some pressure washing!
Thank you to everyone who share condolences regarding the passing of our cat Olivia on her anniversary post, as well as for her recently passed best friend Melanie, our 12 year old goldfish. It meant a great deal to me.
Reading/Watching Update
I am currently immersing myself in books in European Portuguese.
Currently Reading
Title: Alérgica A Pessoas Author: Sara Andersen Publisher: Desrotina Release Date: September 18th, 2025
Title: Bodies and Battlements Author: Elizabeth Penney Published on: May 27th, 2025 Published by: Minotaur Books
Title:Dungeons and Danger Author: Elizabeth Penney Release Date: May 26th, 2026 Published by: Minotaur Books
Just Watched
Title: The Drama (2026) Star Rating: 2.5 stars Review: I wasn’t a huge fan of the acting in the film, but I do think it was a creative movie with a hook that kept you intrigued the whole time.
Title: Michael (2026) Star Rating: 4 stars Review: Growing up, I was a huge fan of MJ’s music, but also The Jackson Five. Before I listened to his music, I remember watching a film called “Now and Then” and they played a couple of hits from the Jackson 5. I didn’t even know he was a part of the group until much later! I went to see the film twice – regular and then IMAX. Highlights for me were Jaafar’s performance – he really became Michael. As well as stellar performances from Colman Domingo, Juliano Krue Valdi (little Mike), and Nia Long.
Currently Watching
Title: The Testaments Thoughts:This show is so intense! It’s a continuation/spinoff of The Handmaid’s Tale. My coworkers think I have no chill for watching this show. This may be true, it’s stressful and can be very triggering at times. But I also think it’s important to watch if you can because it’s so powerful. THT really changed my world perspective and I’m very grateful for that.
Title: From Thoughts:Another show with no chill! From is now in it’s 4th season and is a show by the people behind Lost. Honestly, it’s bleak, depressing, but interesting enough! And we’re in it now, so we just have to finish it!
Title: Big Mistakes Thoughts:I’m feeling pretty on the fence about this one!
From The Artsy Reader Girl — “Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is Authors You Wish Were Still Writing Today, and was submitted by Rebecca @ Top100Books. These could be authors who have passed away, are retired, or are taking a hiatus from writing. You could also spin this and share authors who have switched to a genre you’re not interested in. I’m kind of doing a little of everything today!”
I have cut the list to focus on these five authors for today. I am just getting back into blogging, please see my last blog post for an update.
Ugh, I love the Narnia books so much. They are a favourite from my childhood, especially “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” I read them all of the time!
James Baldwin
Yet another author I wish was still here. However, his books and thoughts are still remarkably relevant today. He is a gift and a treasure.
Madeline Miller
Author of “The Song of Achilles” and “Circe.” I miss her writing so much! But looks like we won’t have to wait too long. She has a new short story coming out soon – Mestra, coming out on September 26th, 2026, about the daughter of the King of Thessaly.
Naoko Takeuchi
She is the one — Sailor Moon! I have desperately wanted new manga from the author of my favourite series for decades! She is literally everything.
Charles Dickens
My favourite author. I would love to know what he would think of today’s times. To try and make sense of the world, and what is happening.
QOTD: Do any of these authors also make your list?
I’ve taken a long break from the blog but am hoping to get back into it. I took about a year and a half or so off because a lot has happened.
It has been one year since Olivia passed away, on May 4th 2025. She was about 16.5 years old when she had a health scare and we realized we needed to take some time to help her as much as possible in her later years. At that time, I couldn’t really read and didn’t have much to contribute, she was my greatest focus. And I’m happy I did that because she very much needed the help and I was able to spend many, many amazing days with her showering her with love and care.
I don’t want to be too sad here, I know that many people have lost loved ones and it’s a difficult topic. But in all honesty, it still hurts very much. We were in each other’s lives for so many years that even a year later, I feel like a part of myself is missing. She was like an extension of myself, but she was just pure love and joy. She was the closest thing you could ever have to an angel on earth. And I’m so grateful for the time that I had with her.
In Olivia’s absence, we are not ready to have another cat. That will come in time. But we work with rescues and are fostering cats, one at a time, and that has been going very well.
We also lost our dear fish, Melanie, who was 12 years of age. She passed away on April 21st. She was Olivia’s best friend in the whole world. So, it makes me happy to think they are together again, fish and cat, best friend’s forever.
Here are some of my favourite videos featuring Olivia <3 She truly was an amazing cat and I know everyone loved her so much.
Reading/Watching Update
I am currently immersing myself in books in European Portuguese.
Currently Reading
Title: Alérgica A Pessoas Author: Sara Andersen Publisher: Desrotina Release Date: September 18th, 2025
Brief post today! I have been less busy on my blog lately since I’ve dealt with some pretty tough migraines over the last week and a half. I’m feeling quite a lot better today, though. I hardly get them anymore, but when they come, they come in pretty aggressively. Meanwhile, it’s given me some time to rest. And I’ve been comforted with a bit of ice cream – there’s a great cashew, plant-based cashew chocolate fudge brownie I find hard to resist from a local vendor! Apologies. I have been on a bit of a pause in replying to comments since my migraines. I hope to get back on track soon.
Olivia Update 🐾
Olivia has been doing great! She’s helped make these migraines go by a lot smoother. I’m always amazed by how loving and caring she is. She’s such an amazing cat.
Title: Great Expectations Author:Charles Dickens Published: December 1st, 1860 (Initial), audiobook published 10-18-2011 Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Title: The Finders Keepers Library Author:Annie Rains Published on: April 16th, 2024 Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing) Thoughts: I just received a digital review copy of Annie Rains’ latest novel and I’m so thankful I did! I loved her book The Good Luck Café; you can read the reviewhere. The Finders Keepers Library involves a cat and gardening – instantly, I’m in love with the concept!
Title: The Paradise Project Author:Christina Lauren Publisher: Simon and Schuster CA Release Date: I’m thankful to have received this ARC! I loved The Unhoneymooners so much that I knew I needed to pick up another Christina Lauren!
Title: Love & Saffron Author:Kim Fay Published: March 5th, 2024 Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Thoughts: This was recommended to me. I love a short novel, food, and letters in books, so I hope to enjoy this one. It sounds really sweet!
Title: Great Expectations Author:Charles Dickens Published: December 1st, 1860 (Initial), audiobook published 10-18-2011 Published by: Blackstone Publishing Thoughts: I am 34% of the way done. I’m reading a little bit of this book each night. It’s my favourite book and I’m still savouring it!
Title: The Warmth of Other Suns Author:Isabel Wilkerson Published: September 7th, 2010 Published by: Random House Thoughts: I intend to finish reading this book during the weekend. It’s excellent but a bit heavy, and I have been alternating between my readings during the week.
Title: The Wildings Author:Nilanjana Roy Published: August 17th, 2012 Published by: Aleph Book Company Thoughts: I read this for our Catathon Readathon, and I liked it! It’s a cute adventure book with a lot of substance. Recommended for cat lovers.
Thank you to the publishers for review copies of The Finders Keepers Library, The Paradise Project, Listen for the Lie, The Ghost Cat, and Et Cetera. All opinions are my own.
QOTD: Which cover from the books above stands out most to you?
This weekend has been quite busy! Olivia and I have been running the Catathon Readathon on our bookstagram with our cohosts @abigailscupoftea, @christin_rene_, and @mels_reads_. We had reading sprints, and seeing everyone’s books and cats was so adorable! I’m already looking forward to our next one 😸
Olivia Update 🐾
Olivia has had a super fantastic weekend so far. We’ve spent quality time together reading
Title: The Wildings Author:Nilanjana Roy Published: August 17th, 2012 Published by: Aleph Book Company
Title: Great Expectations Author:Charles Dickens Published: December 1st, 1860 (Initial), audiobook published 10-18-2011 Published by: Blackstone Publishing
