Category: Notes

Ever since I read Deep Work by Carl Newport, I have embarked on a journey to try out the four philosophies. After going through the rhythmic, bimodal, and monastic philosophies, it was time to experiment with the last one: the journalistic philosophy. Newport says this is probably the hardest philosophy to reach deep focus because it requires some training. What’s particular about it is the lack of a schedule. In this philosophy, you work whenever you can and try to use every moment possible. Very much like a journalist who writes at any opportunity they can. To test this type of schedule, I needed a plan. I knew I had to set some rules to guide me, or else I would do nothing. But how do you schedule something that is supposed to have no schedule at all? Well, I tried. The journalistic philosophy I encountered difficulties since day one. …

New Year, same challenge. It’s the Hardest Reading Challenge! December wasn’t as packed with reading as I was anticipating. It’s that time of year that quickly slips through the cracks, and once we realise it, it’s Christmas, then New Year, and December is over. It also doesn’t help when these holidays fall in the middle of the week. It was a very confusing time. But we are now in a new year, which means there is a lot more reading to do. The Books Towards the middle of the month, before all the mayhem started with the holidays, I did the 24-hour challenge. The hardest part was to read the 300-page book. I started with one by a Portuguese author é urgente amar (it’s urgent to love) by Pedro Chagas Freitas, and I was not enjoying it. I thought about dropping it and trying to read something else. However, I …

November seems to me like a month full of books, although I didn’t read much. It was the month I read the least so far. However, I’m planning a big reading month for December, so I’m not sad this will be a shorter post. Sometimes, we need to slow down and let things be. The Books I started so many books, and yet I finished barely anything. From Flowers for Algernon, The Voice Upstairs, The Cruise Ship Lost My Daughter and a reread of Annihilation. I can’t promise I’ll finish them all in December, but eventually I will. Of the books I did finish, one was by a local author, Nem Todas as Baleias Voam by Afonso Cruz. While this book isn’t translated into English, I’ll try to tell you what it’s about. I didn’t know much about it when I picked it up. It was recommended by a friend …

Over the past few years, there has been a boom in the gaming industry. They come out like mushrooms popping from the ground. There hasn’t been a time with so many games as we have now. They are everywhere and are more diverse than ever. I’m sure there’s a game for everyone, even for those who don’t play video games. Although there always has to be a problem. Things can’t be nice. Apparently, the world would be too boring. With the 1.6 update of Stardew Valley this summer and now the release for consoles, the game is back on everyone’s mind. This pixel art-style farming game was a tremendous success and became a genre staple. While this game isn’t an original, it’s the biggest one. Coincidentally, we are living in the farming sim wave of new games. They are coming out left and right. Everywhere you look, there’s a farming …

It finally happened. I finished my first prompt! Light the fireworks. Cut the cake. Let’s celebrate! I’m beyond excited for this accomplishment. Thank you all for your support. I couldn’t do it without you. Thank you to my mom and dad… Too soon to make an acceptance speech? The challenge isn’t over yet? Ups. Sorry, I got carried away. Still, it was a good month, and I made much progress in the challenge. The books of October For the October new release, I read Blasfamous‘s complete edition of the three-issue comic book. This is by the Italian author Mirka Andolfo, who created the Unnatural, a comic book series published by Image Comics. I haven’t finished that series yet, but there’s something in her illustrations and storytelling that I enjoy a lot. Also, her characters tend to be gorgeous curvy females, and I’m here for it. As I mentioned in the …

June marks a new year. A new reading year. Another year of reading my TBR. But before I do anything else, I need to recount my books. I want to start with a clean sheet. I’m afraid I miscount some books. Here’s the thing, I never wrote down a list of all the books. So, I’m not sure which books I counted for the TBR and which I didn’t. Not every book I own is part of this challenge. Some books I sort of inherited, and others were given because the other person didn’t want them anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m interested in reading those books. Now, with a list, there will be no more mistakes. June I was still feeling the downfall of a subscription to Everand. I like the idea of reading whatever you want at any moment, but it always takes a toll on my TBR. …

Every time I have to write an update for the Hardest Reading Challenge You’ve Ever Done, I get so excited. I would lie if I said it was so easy and that I’m not starting to question my life choices… BUT! I’m enjoying to see the progress. The books of September After the flop of A Study in Charlotte last month, I was missing a 4+ book series to read. The next one on the list was Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. Now, this is the book I was looking for. I don’t care if any part of the book is historically accurate because it was what I wanted from a mystery set in the late 1800s. I loved the characters. I loved the banter. I loved the mystery, even though there isn’t much hands-on investigation. I wanted to read this book for a long time, and I’m …

I want to keep these updates monthly and neat… And I’m doing a terrible job! I swear I’m not taking this long to read the books. Once again, I bring you another late update for the Hardest Reading Challenge You’ve Ever Done. Please don’t be confused. I know we are at the end of September, but this post is about the books I read in August. I’m already writing the next update, so it will be on time. Before I get ahead of myself, let’s travel back to the 7th of August. The books of August I started the month reading The Bachelorette Party by Sandra Block. I received an ARC to review closer to its September release date. It’s a thriller quite fast and intense, verging on horror. I already have a review here on the blog if you are interested to know more about it. Sadly, I couldn’t …

Please note: This is the 2024- 2025 edition of this challenge, not the HRCYED 2.0 for 2025-2026. Often, I spill here and there about a readathon I’m excited about. I can’t resist. I see a readathon, I see a challenge, I’m in. And the hardest, the better. Now, do I finish the readathons I started? No. So far, I’ve only had one completed readathon, but that doesn’t push me away to keep trying. When I saw on my YouTuber feed, in big bold letters, The Hardest Reading Challenge You’ll Ever Do, I knew I was in even before hitting the play button. Qwordy is a channel I’ve never seen before, but that didn’t push me away from this challenge. And to be honest, I need to spend a little more time browsing the interwebs because there are so many reading challenges and readathons for every taste that comes from small …

It has been two years. Two years since I decided to tackle my TBR and reduce it to zero. Am I closer to that number than I was when I started? I like to think that I’m crushing it! Although I’ve only managed to cut it down to about 20 books. So, 10 books read per year. At this rhythm, it will take me a decade. At best! Looking back, the project was structured to force me to read the books I already own. That has changed completely. I ended book-buying bans, went through reading slumps, and thought about ending the challenge altogether. But life continues, and I’m still determined to see this through. I imagine I’m just taking a stroll, enjoying the view, and sizing down my TBR in the meantime. February I was still feeling the high of finally being out of the reading slump, and I got …