Month: August 2025

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2025 [Updated 8/31/25]

August 31, 2025 — Leave a comment

I think I’m back on track, at least with my reading challenge updates! Since I posted the catch-up blog on the 6th, I have finished six more books, including another classic (The Wind in the Willows).

I am very excited because we’re creeping ever nearer to fall and there are a few books I’ve been saving, ones that I feel are best read curled up under a fuzzy blanket with a candle burning and a mug of tea in hand. I can’t wait!

The Last One at the Wedding (Jason Rekulak)

Rating: 3/5

Friends Like These (Kimberly McCreight)

Rating: 4/5

I Think I Was Murdered (Colleen Coble/Rick Acker)

Rating: 3/5

A Cornucopia of Murder (Michele Pariza Wacek)

Rating: 4/5

City of Ghosts (Stacia Kane)

Rating: 4/5

The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame)

Rating: 3/5

***

I am currently reading Sacrificial Magic (Stacia Kane) and Hour of the Pumpkin Queen (Megan Shepherd).

Progress: 50/75

The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist, Pt. 8 (Updated 8/31/25)

August 31, 2025 — Leave a comment

I made it through August and it’s blistering heat – and miserable humidity – with the help of some amazing bands/artists! Here are the songs that have been added to part eight of The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist since August 16th.

Marilyn Manson Shares Summer/Fall 2025 Dates

August 28, 2025 — Leave a comment

Marilyn Manson has extended his One Assassination Under God Tour into the fall of 2025. Support for the North American dates is Seven Hours After Violet. I couldn’t find anyone listed with Manson on the European shows. Tickets are available at marilynmanson.com, and VIP experiences are being offered for the European run.

North America

  • 8/29 – Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma 2025+
  • 9/3 – Istanbul, TR – Bonus Parkorman*
  • 9/6 – Almaty, KZ – Park Live*
  • 9/16 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues (New date!)
  • 9/18 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival 2025+
  • 9/20 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre
  • 9/22 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
  • 9/23 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre
  • 9/25 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
  • 9/27 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel
  • 9/28 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren (New date!)
  • 9/30 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
  • 10/1 – San Diego, CA – SOMA
  • 10/3 – Las Vegas, NV – Pearl Theater
  • 10/5 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival 2025+

+ Festival; Manson only

* Seven Hours After Violet not appearing

Europe

  • 10/29 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
  • 10/31 – Bournemouth, UK – Windsor Hall
  • 11/1 – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
  • 11/2 – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
  • 11/4 – Manchester, UK – O2 Apollo
  • 11/7 – London, UK – Ovo Arena Wembley
  • 11/9 – Nantes, FR – Zénith
  • 11/11 – Paris, FR – Zénith
  • 11/13 – Antwerp, BE – Lotto Arena
  • 11/14 – Dusseldorf, DE – Mitsubishi Electric Halle
  • 11/15 – Prague, CZ – Fortuna Sports Hall
  • 11/17 – Berlin, DE – Max-Schmeling-Halle
  • 11/19 – Warsaw, PL – Torwar
  • 11/20 – Leipzig, DE – Quarterback Immobilien Arena
  • 11/22 – Bern, CH – Festhalle Bern
  • 11/23 – Grenoble, FR – Le Summum
  • 11/25 – Bergamo, IT – Chorus Life Arena
  • 11/27 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Olimpic de Badalona
  • 11/28 – Madrid, ES – Palacio Vistalegre
  • 11/30 – Lisbon, PT – Sagres Campo Pequeno

Blink-182: Missionary Impossible Tour 2025

August 27, 2025 — Leave a comment

blink-182 will be hitting the road for their Missionary Impossible Tour tomorrow! With support from Alkaline Trio, this late summer/early fall twenty-date run will span from Hollywood, Florida, to Palm Desert, California, and everywhere in between. Tickets and VIP are available at blink182.com!

  • 8/28 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live*
  • 8/29 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre*
  • 9/1 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium*
  • 9/3 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek*
  • 9/4 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater*
  • 9/6 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts*
  • 9/7 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC*
  • 9/9 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion*
  • 9/11 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater*
  • 9/13 – Washington, PA – Four Chord Music Festival 2025+
  • 9/14 – Asbury Park, NJ – Sea.Hear.Now. Festival 2025+
  • 9/16 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center*
  • 9/17 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center*
  • 9/19 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest 2025+
  • 9/21 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival 2025+
  • 9/22 – Huntsville, AL – The Orion Amphitheater*
  • 9/24 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP*
  • 9/26 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*
  • 9/27 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center*
  • 10/2 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival 2025+
  • 10/4 – Palm Desert, CA – Acrisure Arena*
  • 10/5 – Palm Desert, CA – Acrisure Arena* (Added date!)

* w/Alkaline Trio

+ Festival date; blink-182 only

The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist, Pt. 8 (Updated 8/16/25)

August 16, 2025 — Leave a comment

It’s August, which means summer is coming to its end (yay), and I have turned another year older (ugh). It also means the eighth installment of The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist is here!

Don’t forget to check out parts one through seven after you dive into these recent additions!

Mudvayne: LD 50 25th Anniversary Tour

August 15, 2025 — Leave a comment

Mudvayne has announced a fall run in celebration of 25 years of L.D. 50. With them on this anniversary tour will be Static-X, who is ringing in 25 years of Wisconsin Death Trip, and Vended. Tickets are available at mudvayneofficial.com!

  • 9/11 – Dubuque, IA – Q Casino Back Waters Stage
  • 9/13 – Waukee, IA – Vibrant Music Hall
  • 9/14 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
  • 9/16 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/Eagles Club
  • 9/17 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre
  • 9/19 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival 2025*
  • 9/20 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
  • 9/21 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
  • 9/23 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
  • 9/24 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel
  • 9/26 – Las Vegas, NV – Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
  • 9/27 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
  • 9/28 – Hollywood, CA – Hollywood Palladium
  • 9/30 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
  • 10/1 – Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Resort & Casino
  • 10/3 – Pocatello, ID – Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre
  • 10/5 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival 2025*
  • 10/7 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union
  • 10/9 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
  • 10/11 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
  • 10/12 – San Antonio, TX – Boeing Center at Tech Port
  • 10/13 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
  • 10/16 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater
  • 10/18 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium
  • 10/19 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
  • 10/21 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
  • 10/22 – Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
  • 10/24 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
  • 10/25 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
  • 10/26 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

* Festival date. Mudvayne only.

Life Update: Why I’ve Been Inactive

August 7, 2025 — Leave a comment

I guess it started with the panic attack.

I had never had a panic attack, but there I was at work and suddenly, it was like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I couldn’t draw a full breath and I was jittery. I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

It wasn’t long after that I decided to put the blog on hiatus. I was constantly feeling like I couldn’t breathe when I was at work. And yes, there were a lot of things to be stressed about, but no more than usual. I thought maybe I could deal with the job stuff if I wasn’t putting pressure on myself to post here every day.

Then, it got worse. I was unhappy at work. I cried more times than I care to admit. My boss gave me a two week unpaid leave of absence, hoping the break would help. However, at this point, it was no longer just work. I was miserable, period.

I didn’t care about anything. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, and each time I tried, I couldn’t hold onto the conversation. I wanted to sleep all the time. If I hadn’t had to go back to work, I’m pretty sure I would have simply laid in bed and done nothing. That mental state made my job much harder.

I hid out at my best friends’ place, and I sought solace with a coworker who is fast becoming one of my favorite people. These respites were a blessing, but they weren’t going to solve the bigger issue.

So now I’m on a low dose of an antidepressant. It seems to be helping. I’m not as stuck in my own head as I was. I’m not really happy, either. I’m just…here. Existing.

I don’t feel that I’m ready to come back to blogging full-time. I miss writing, though. I’m still keeping up with the 2025 playlist because I owe that to all the musicians out there, and I just updated my reading challenge. (I hadn’t done that since May.)

In other news, my birthday is this week! My best friend is going to spoil me with dinner and painting and horror movies and swimming. We’re gonna get dolled up when we go out; I bought a new dress and everything!

I hope this post finds all of you well, and I hope I’ll get motivated to start blogging again soon. Maybe seeing Carbonstone in September will help with that…

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2025 [Updated 8/6/25]

August 6, 2025 — Leave a comment

So, the blog has been on a bit of a hiatus for reasons that I will explain in a separate post. The only thing I’ve kept up with over the past two months is The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist, which means, of course, that I haven’t updated my reading challenge since May. But I am rectifying that right now! There will be another post at the end of this month, just to get back on track. For now, let me fill you in on all I’ve read in June and July.

You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (Jeneva Rose)

Rating: 3/5

The Collected (K.R. Alexander)

Rating: 2.5/5

There’s No Way I’d Die First (Lisa Springer)

Rating: 3/5

Rock, Paper, Scissors (Alice Feeney)

Rating: 4/5

Summer Rental (Rektok Ross)

Rating: 3/5

Spring Harvest (Rektok Ross)

Rating: 4/5

Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)

Rating: 2/5

Clown in a Cornfield (Adam Cesare)

Rating: 2/5

Carnival Kills (Caesar Daniels)

Rating: 3/5

Red Hot Murder (Michele Pariza Wacek)

Rating: 4.5/5

They’re Watching You (Chelsea Ichaso)

Rating: 4/5

I Know What You Did Last Summer (Lois Duncan)

Rating: 2/5

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight (Kalynn Bayron)

Rating: 2.5/5

***

I am currently reading A Cornucopia of Murder (Michele Pariza Wacek) and I Think I Was Murdered (Colleen Coble).

Progress: 44/75