Happy New Year! And welcome to 2026!

It's a new year, but it's the same ol' newsletter. Today, we're wrapping up some of the stuff I've been writing, reading, and enjoying in the past month. So, let's get into it!

What I'm Writing

So, past Vivian wanted to take a break. Past Vivian was super excited to be able to take off for the holidays. Past Vivian somehow convinced herself that I would still be able to stay on top of Incidental Mythology postings without any problem. Past Vivian was wrong.

So I've been spending the last two weeks scrambling to suddenly fill the space, but luckily haven't missed a deadline - yet.

I ended December with some writings on Christmas ghosts, which was fun. And the ghost things are going to be coming up again sometime soon (maybe next week?) when I do something about the haunting of Taylor Swift. So stay tuned for that.

What I'm Reading

If you watched my recent vlog on my 2026 personal curriculum, you'll know I'm spending my time reading Gothic literature. I'm almost done with my first book in the slew: The Castle of Otranto. It's... interesting. Definitely an older text, but still kinda interesting. I think it'll be more interesting when put in relation to other texts.

I haven't had much time for nonfiction reading as of right now, with my mad scramble on one front for Incidental Mythology, and for Taylor Swift on the other front being more focused on actually sorting through the details of my survey. But that probably won't last for long.

What I'm Enjoying

One of the benefits of having taken the time off without actually having finished things, is I had a lot of time to actually just enjoy some pop culture stuff. Probably most notable during my time has been Wake Up Dead Man, the new installment of Benoit Blanc.

When I say I loved this movie... I loved this movie. I still think the original Knives Out is so top tier, but this came pretty close as a second. Its just so fun, so interesting, so well done. I loved it. Loved it.

Rian Johnson has a way with the detective that I think many have tried before and not really done. I think he really understands the genre, fully gets it. I think a lot of people think a detective story is a mystery with a detective, but a good detective story is far more detailed, thought out, and considered. The role the detective holds has to be a very specific type of role, and Benoit Blanc really fits it. It's not about him, and yet he has to be so specifically there at the same time.

And that's it for this week! I'll be back later on with a recap of the content. In the meantime, check out all the places I'm at, and be nice to one another. I'll see you soon!