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WIP Wednesday: New Goals

I get way too much use outta this GIF…

I was watching this YouTube video and a lot of the complaints in it I am totally feeling: Underpaid, underappreciated, overworked… And with no end in sight. I’m sure my bestie will scold me for overworking myself, but I am upping my daily word goal from 2k to 5k. Doesn’t matter that I usually don’t make 2k, I’m doing it. I am just so sick and tired of struggling. I shouldn’t have to turn the heat off in certain rooms of the house to save money. I’m also concerned about where the government is going and if my insurance will even cover my son’s surgery anymore. I mean, they probably will, but who knows these days!? Everything is so uncertain…

I’ll still be working on the blog and needlework, but writing will be the priority. Let’s get to the numbers, as they say on Dead Meat:

  • Smut: 13,540
  • Short smut: 882
  • Dewey: 15,588

These are my starting points for the day, and I’ll try to make a habit of tallying up my words at the end of the day. I’d like to put the total words added in each WIP post to hold myself accountable. I will also give myself grace if I need to spend a day or two editing. Maybe with a higher output overall, I’ll have more stories to publish and pick up some members on my Patreon. I have a book I’ve been using for outlines to write faster. I was also talking with my bestie about some new ideas I’ve had, and I can’t get to those until I finish what I’ve got. And I gotta say, she’s my hypewoman but will absolutely tell me if one of my ideas is shit. That’s why she’s my bestie.

I guess see ya’ll in a week to see how this goes.

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Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate: Making Friends and Not Scaring People” by Tomohito Oda

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a Komi-themed guide to opening up and making new friends.

This is really cute, and while it is absolutely idealistic, it’s very digestible. It’s a fun way to learn a bit and relive some classic moments from the manga series. If you are a huge fan, this may be a worthwhile addition to your collection or maybe a gift to a young fan who’s a bit shy. I think these types of books are fun! I wonder if Food Wars will come out with an official cookbook (one lazy search brought up some independently published ones). 4.7 out of 5 since it’s a fun little extra book for fans.

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Lenni Reviews: “Dogs and Punching Bags” by Kaori Ozaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Nichiko returns from a complicated life in the city to her small hometown to see her dying father and meets Chimaki, a strange yet chipper guy who is obsessed with saving and/or helping to make up for a tragic mistake in his past.

This is just beautiful. It’s funny, sad, poignant, and amazing to experience. It’s sad and melancholic in the beginning, but it’s a story about finding a place where you can be your best self and be happy despite a sad past. This would be a perfect 5 out of 5 for me if not for my admittedly personal opinion that cheaters fucking suck and don’t deserve a happy ending without seeing some kind of justice. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Love on the Horizon” Vol. 1, by Machi Yamashita

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Nagi Hitagawa is in love with Yu Yamasaki. Not only are they in the same folk song club at school, they are also neighbors. Nagi doesn’t think Yu would be interested in him because Yu is so popular, but when Yu gets drunk enough that Nagi helps him get home, Nagi ends up trapped in Yu’s drunken embrace, making his unrequited feelings grow stronger.

This is a cute story about how these two get together. It’s low angst, the smut is implied, not graphic, and is overall refreshing. It’s sweet and to the point. If you’re in the market for a swoony, romantic, first-love story, this is perfect, especially if you’re not comfortable with super graphic sex. It’s also beautiful to look at. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day” Vol 1, by Nachi Aono

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

At an orphanage, the children are trained as magical soldiers for the military. Sheena Totsuki recently lost her roommate, a casualty of the war, and one night she runs into a strange girl named Mimi, a very powerful soldier who now rooms with her.

Prepare for children getting hurt. BADLY. If you can’t handle that, this is not the comic for you. It is also weird… They have this thing where kissing transfers mana to heal, and this means adults kissing young children. Nope, not on the forehead or something. The nurse is a fucking creep. Mimi is 10 years old.

Since we’re still introducing the world and characters, we don’t know much about what’s going on. Only that these child soldiers are undergoing dangerous training to put their lives on the line fighting monsters. I sincerely hope the kissing thing is phased out or relegated to two characters of the same damn age because, what the fuck. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Dra-Q” Vol. 1, by Chiyo

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is suggested for mature readers due to gore.

Amelie Kurosaki is a high school girl hiding the fact that she is a vampire who must follow strict rules in order to continue living among humans. When attacks on humans seem vampiric, it puts Amelie’s secret at risk.

This volume doesn’t waste any time getting started. Main character, love interest, family drama, and rival love interest all plunked down in under 200 pages. It’s gory and has some dark humor, but the pace doesn’t let you sit with what’s happening for very long. You know the rules Amelie is given are presented to be inevitably broken, but I didn’t think all of them would be broken in the first volume. The plot is fun, the blood and gore are top-notch, but I almost felt dizzy by the end of it. 3 out of 5.

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Today’s Workout: Welcome to January

Yeah, the January workout posts. Guilty as charged. But, as I did this, I could tell that I hadn’t lost much strength from not working out for a while. This was challenging but not impossible. Not every day should or can be a cardio day, no matter how much I enjoy running while I’m doing it.

I’ve been having fun with random meals and doing my best to try and have something light for breakfast. I usually don’t eat breakfast at all. And of course, I made a big ass pork shoulder for New Year’s that will be in a few more meals. I’m upping my veggies and protein most of the time since I’m still working on my goal for all ten fingernails to be completely attached. It’s just the ring fingers that need to grow out now. That’s so freaky… That’s why I want to wean off the Saxenda at some point.

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Lenni Reviews: “23:45” by Ohana

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Iku has been in Tokyo for 2 months and is content with his otaku lifestyle. The most excitement he is forced to deal with is his ability to see ghosts. One in particular, Mimori, follows him home. As they grow closer, Iku knows Mimori will have to eventually move on.

This was cute. It’s a little slow, and I didn’t feel like I got to know these people as deeply as I’d like to, but this felt like a nice setup for a climax later. Iku is smitten pretty quickly, and when you think it’s going to be bittersweet, things get very… Convenient is a good word for it. Not bad, but nothing really new here. It’s not smutty as sex is implied, not graphic. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance” Vol. 2, by Shinnosuke Kanazawa

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Aki and Kanade’s friendship is growing, unaware that they are coworkers. They run into Roku, an old friend of Aki’s who also leads a bit of a double life as a punk but a clean-cut teacher when he’s “off.” He gets a bit jealous of Aki’s new friend.

Most of this volume is just Aki and Kanade hanging out together, but Kanade is still hiding that not only is he a guy, but that he works with Aki. The secret is gonna have to come out at some point. While Aki can be brusque at work, I hope that doesn’t mean she’ll be cruel to Kanade. It’s nice to see them getting to be good friends and for Aki to loosen up a bit. I just like seeing them chilling. It’s so sweet. 3.9 out of 5.

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2026 Goals

Ah, it’s that time of year again, where I reflect on what a trash fire this year was and think I can have better next year. Let’s keep this shit simple:

  1. Lose 20 pounds and lower or stop Saxenda
  2. Stashbusting yarn
  3. Read more of the physical ARCs in my house
  4. Finish Dewey and Emma

I am hesitant to stay on the weight loss drugs much longer. The research on these in the long term isn’t much and I worry about it. I was weak and did buy some yarn this year; mostly either on clearance or for a specific project I’m working on. I have this queen-sized blanket I’ve been crocheting for YEARS and I needed more yarn for that. I still have so many books at home that I’d like to read and donate. I also had an inspiration for the book I want to write that will follow Emma and I refuse to start it until I finish what I have. I’ll be posting more reviews as well so, be ready for that.

I’m sure I’ll think of other things I’d like to do in 2026 but these are the ones I’m going to focus on. There’s no sense in having a CVS receipt of goals only to end up abandoning a chunk of them. My Patreon has the first chapters of my two current WIPs for free and if I get some patrons, I’ll start posting more there again. No screaming into the void, I’ll only post if there’s an audience.

My books over at Smashwords are still on sale here, and a huge thank you so SO much if you’ve purchased and given my work a chance. It means a lot to me! 

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