solenne

The Friday five

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:34:20 GMT

My friday five!

1. Do you enjoy reading?

Yes, very much. Although, I often feel very ill-prepared to talk about it.

2. What is the first book you remember reading?

One of Sarah Kay books as a child. I remember being so proud of reading the whole book in a day, but it was mostly just illustrations. Still think the art style is so cozy. After that I remember A Series of Unfortunate Events.

3. Who is your favourite author?

Currently, probably Tamsyn Muir.

4. What is your favourite book?

I guess Emma, The Secret History, or any book in TLT (The Unwanted Guest or Harrow). I honestly can't choose.

5. What is the last book you read and the first you'll read next?

The last thing I read is Shakespeare's sonnets and the Taming of the Shrew. Currently reading A Storm of Swords. Will probably be doing that for a while lol.

Watch me edit this a thousand times cus of spelling mistakes.

Solenne

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Dancing, Reading and Studying

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 22:35:27 GMT

Well I had a pretty busy week since I last posted.

On Wednesday I had nearly 8 hours of classes without a break (the last time that will happen since I'm graduating soon). The professor let us leave a bit early and we went out for some strawberry beer for our friend's birthday. We just happened to stumble upon the hardest pub quiz ever. The questions were so hard that we often times didn't even understand what was being asked. We were to busy drinking and laughing though.

The next day I had no class, so I went out with friends and we played some really heated uno. Then I had to rush back to go to the aforementioned friend's birthday party. We drank some really good wine and ate some phenomenal pizza.. Then I rushed back home to pack cus I had a bus for home in the morning.

Friday I went out with friends in my home town. This was my third day going out with people and I was running out of steam. I swear I usually don't socialise or go out this much. To my surprise this didn't mean I was too tired to party on Sunday. It was time for our graduation party (or 'finished attending classes' party i guess, we haven't had our exams yet). The hassle of getting ready and waiting in makeup the whole day really tires me. I always start feeling out of place when I need to doll up (professionally) and attend things like this. I cried for my high school prom cus I thought I looked ugly in full glam makeup. Now I had similar problems with the hair. I thought It made me look 40 years older. Suddenly I started doubting my dress, which I do kinda regret wearing. When we arrived we also didn't particularly like the vibes. But then the music started. My feet still hurt two days later, my throat is sore, I had a whale of a time. Barely had time to eat cus I was dancing so much. There was carpet so we quickly discarded our shoes to be able to dance more comfortably. I have a nice picture of our discarded heels on a pile. Hated the pictures that they officially took of us, but a friend brought a little camera and absolutely saved the night with her pics. I will definitely be putting those in my photo album. My parents were nice enough to help our trio get back home. They went out to dinner with my brother while I was at the celebration. They had that life changing pizza I mentioned.

It took the whole Monday to recover. I missed lunch in the cafeteria, limped out of my room for dinner. I did start a new book though! Finally continuing the Game of Thrones. Started A Storm of Swords. Enjoying it so far, but I needed to dig through my pics to find my handmade family tree guide. I am sure I forgot a lot of things cus it's been two years since I read the last book, but I am not having any problems so far. Been thinking of starting the show. I have watched parts of it before. Not the first season though. I was too young when it originally aired. So I am a weird mix of spoiled and unspoiled. I am currently ignoring the tomorrows exams, and blissfully reading. Told my friend it was very nice and relaxing to be reading something not for uni and not Shakespeare, and she said only I would find GOT relaxing. I think anything that can get me immersed can be very relaxing. Just read the chapter where Jon meets Mance Ryder and I feel like this will be a character I enjoy.

Enough from me. All partied out.

Solenne

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Breakfast with Dad

Mon, 25 May 2026 15:26:14 GMT

Oh wow, three days in a row. She's on a roll!

My dad had some business in the city, so he came to visit me at my dormitory yesterday. Brought me the souvenirs he and mom bought for me in Italy, and the tres leches my uncle sent me. I got a bookmark with the statue of Juliette (holographic hand appears when you move it). I then told him to meet me early in the moring today so I could take him to some fantastic breakfast. He's very pleased! Mom called me to tell me it's all he's been talking about. I am very proud of myself, especially cus that was some really good breakfast. We also walked to the park by the river, and then I took him to my uni building to gawk at the architecture a bit.

We ate so much for breakfast that I was too full for any lunch, but I did get some (overpriced) tiramisu with friends. It's so hot outside I'm glad I'm finally in the dorm room. My roommate got some serious sunburn. Apparently around 31C already. That summer heat is creeping in.

There you go! A small update from me.

Solenne

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Weekend studying and friends

Sun, 24 May 2026 08:49:32 GMT

Realised it's less daunting to post shorter posts, and shorter posts are easier to make If you post more often and don't have recount the whole last month lol.

Anyway, had a great day yesterday. Played the sims a bit, read a bit. and then went to study with friends. We usually complain how we talk more than we study, but I always study more easily when with them. We also ate so much junk food. Half the kitchen table was taken over buy snack bowls and pastries, there was barely any space left for our books. My friends had to listen to me talk about Shakespeare again lol. But I just wanted to share his love woes from his sonnets (like girl get up, sonnet 42).

Getting back to the dormitory was a journey. We waited for the bus for so long, and the he dumped all the passengers in the middle of nowhere after like one stop. I was sweating. Anyway, made back safely.

Alsoo! Almost forgot. Managed to turn off AI overview on google, and can now look up word etymology and meaning without their bs! Woooh!

I don't think there's any need to make this any longer, though I could (I have proven very capable of that lol).

Solenne

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Budapest, crisis and hobby recap

Fri, 22 May 2026 21:39:11 GMT

I'm back once again! Time passes so quickly, when you want it to slow down.

I've been meaning to write a post about the amazing time I had in Budapest, because I know the longer I put off posting the less effort and detail I'll put into it. This has been a pattern with my diary as well. There are so many things I've never written down, simply because I was waiting for the right mood to it.

Anyway, Budapest was great! ( Read more... ) Anyway, I guess I wanna mention that I've finally been successfully brainwashed, and have started Buffy the vampire slayer. Wooo! Trying to finish Korra as well. Trying to finish anything from he list of series I never finished actually. Went and saw a great adaptation of the Twelfth Night in theatre. Tried many fruity cocktails, ate very good food. Saw my friends, we laughed, we cried.

Truly feeling the full range of human emotions!

Solenne

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Disappointed

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:04:25 GMT

Posting from phone, so apologies for inevitable mistakes.

I wanted to make a proper post about all the nice things I did this week, but it's something else that made me log in and write. Apparently a fic I really liked and was sad about it being privated was actually made with ai. I am not completely sure whether that is what I read. Some say that the author is rewriting and posting a non-ai version anonymously. I still have the link saved and it does say it's by anonymous so maybe it was the rewritten version I was reading and they just privated it again for a different reason. As evidence people mention the fic having more than 300k words and chapters coming out every day, and I have it writen down (don't aks, i keep lists) that the fic had 100k when I read it. Also some mention plot lines which I don't remember at all. Safe to say that they were exposed even before I started reading?

This really surprised me cus it was the writing style specifically that drew me in.

This is all over place, but my eyes hurt from looking at the screen and I had just wanted to do a quick update.

Bye
Solenne

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School

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:25:49 GMT

A quick post today, but I'm in the mood for sharing good news!

Finished my practical part of the practicum (i still have to write a report on it), and I think it mostly went well. The teacher supervising us told us she'd grade us well anyway, cus we are not doing this for a license and this is our first time teaching in a school. Middle schoolers were so energetic I felt like I had run a marathon after that class. But it is over, and as reward for my friend and me went and booked a small trip to Budapest!

Also, on monday my friends and I absolutely embarrassed ourselves on a lotr quiz and got the last place lol. We had so much fun though, and so we've decided to go again a be better prepared.

Bye for now!

Solenne

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She's back and tired

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:48:50 GMT

I am back! Kinda embarrassing that I was gone for so long, cus I'm trying not to abandon hobbies and things I enjoy, but I've never been so busy in my life.

My last post was just before the semester started and since then I've barely had time to breathe. Classes, starting my practicum, peer teaching and eating at any good sounding restaurant that my friend and I find when we get a five minute break (Some great and expensive Italian, definitely not for student's stipend, but worth it). Just got back from teaching tonight. Or actually not teaching, because my students got stuck in traffic and called to cancel the class. Will also be finishing my practicum next week, which means I need to teach a middle school class. Kinda scared, but they are mostly intrigued by seeing someone so young in their classroom, so I hope they be a bit better behaved.

I've been so tired. Out like a candle the moment I hit the bed. When I don't immediately fall asleep I obsessively consume content I couldn't during the day. I've watched The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms with my dad and liked it, but it took a week of being pretty chill about the series to get obsessed with it for some reason. What can I say I enjoy a good dancing scene, and some good music. Big fan of series or game soundtracks, and I've been listening to some akotsk songs on repeat, and will be adding them to my witcher and ck playlist. I am in some medievalish mood.
Will you heed my call to war? and A Dance with the Laughing Storm are my favourites. Aen Seidhe from witcher 3 is getting some use too. When in a more modern mood i revert back to Swamped by Lacuna Coil.

I've barely been reading books for myself. Shakespeare's been taking up all of my time. Love the guy, but I need some variety. Watching the Pitt, trying to catch up so I can watch the latest episodes when they come out.

Enough for now. Hope I'll have time to be more active here.

Solenne

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small update

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 22:50:49 GMT

I'll be back to writing the moment I have some things to do, but for now I can say I enjoyed this small break I had. Going back to my dorm tomorrow. Visited friends and family, went to cinema, celebrated women's day with fam. Bought my mom the perfume she likes, dad treated us to a lunch and some gifts as well. I got three books! Hamnet, Captain Corelli's mandolin and He who drowned the world. Can't wait to start on those, but I have to focus on Shakespeare for now.

Anyway, we later visited my grandma and aunt and brought them their gifts. I am quite tired after running around the whole day, but I already have plans with friends tomorrow. I just now realised it is fittingly exactly on women's day.

Tired and need to pack, so see ya.

Solenne

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City walk and Shakespeare

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:24:03 GMT

Speaking of the class I held, I went and bought some books before heading to work(?). A bunch of Shakespeare (the pretty wordsworth editions of The Tempest and The Merchant of Venice).

Then I took a bit of a walk, since I had a lot of time before class starts, and it's been a while since I walked somewhere. My hometown is quite small so I walk everywhere despite having a license. This is my main gripe when it comes living in this big city. Sometimes the chaos and the speed at which I seem to live while I'm here makes me forget how beautiful it can be. I rarely walk here cus everything is so far away, but I also forget to do it even when it is close. Anyway, all that to say I am glad I get the opportunity to be and study here in this (sometimes) beautiful city, and here is a pic from my walk.

Solenne

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Update

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 19:56:38 GMT

Just held my first class today. Did it with another girl from uni and it was mostly introductions, but I feel so much better now. I was so nervous, and it turned out completely fine. We are around the same age so I think we connected nicely with the students, and we got most of them talking and sharing interests.

Starting a new experience is always a bit daunting, but this is something I really want to try. I need to do something outside of my comfort zone If I want to achieve certain things.

But I am also grateful I can finally rest. I had a free day yesterday, but I as so nervous I couldn't truly focus on most of my hobbies. However, I did manage to start a new book, Legends and lattes. This is my first cozy fantasy and I really like it so far. I also managed to finish a book this morning, while trying to keep myself from overthinking. I might write a short rant review.

Enough from me.

Solenne

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Dragon Age fic rec

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:58:42 GMT

here is the dragon age fic rec

Dead Pasts and Dread Futures by youworeblue on AO3
it's not a recent fic so a lot of people may already know it, but I'm giving it some appreciation here anyway.

( Read more... )

I thought up what I would say while I was in bed, so apologies for bad writing. I couldn't remember all the things I wanted to say or how I wanted to say them.

Enough from me

Solenne

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So tired

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 21:14:02 GMT

So I passed all my exams and got the highest mark today in the exam that correlates with what I actually want to do after uni. The day was sunny, everybody was out having fun in the nice weather, I scoured some bookstores with a friend as a treat for passing our exams. The day then got a bit worse, still had some fun, but also got reminded of the reality that not everyone is as supportive as your close friend group.

Just got back to the dorm room, feeling deflated and so exhausted cus I've been awake for too long (the exam was early and I have the need to be there even earlier). Despite keeping a diary for years, I am still amazed by how much better I feel after writing down the things that bother me, even If only vaguely.

Anyway, I will probably play the sims till sleep, or watch something (maybe the Pitt), or maybe finish or start a new book. Hate that I'm writing this while feeling down, I actually wanted to write a post right after the exam and even add the picture of the sunny parks I passed, and maybe even add long flowery descriptions about how these days are worth living for. Now I feel silly cu my mood has plummeted. But If I want to feel good I'll have to do something about it, so I'll go enjoy myself.

Also I've been thinking of recommending a dragon age fic I've been reading. Wanted to wait and finish it first, but it's 600k words, and it will be some time till I finish, but it's been amazing so far and I doubt that will change as it goes on. Feeling a little shy, cus I rarely recommend fics to others. Anyway, I might read some of that tonight as well.

Hope some of you are also enjoying some nice weather or reading something nice.

Solenne

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Movies and studying

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 19:57:34 GMT

Seems like free time is not good for my activity as I am active only once I need to study lol.

I am spending my free time at home, so I've been eating, sleeping, watching movies and seeing friends and family. I haven't really read my books much (though I've read a lot fanfiction now that I think about it).

Anyway, let's quickly go through what I watched.

All Knives Out movies
I've watched the first one before, but now I had to watch all three with family (my father puts on a movie and you get no choice If you want to watch or not). We went in reverse order for some reason. So Wake up Dead Man was first. I think this one might be my favourite, but all in all these movies are fun, but not spectacular. Maybe I'm just too used to my Poirot and Midsomer Murders. Anyway, Josh O'Connor carries the movie for me and once again reminds me that I need to watch La Chimera. On the other hand, these are the type of movies that are more fun once you watch them with others, so it was fun. (what an eloquent review, like I've never expressed an opinion before)

Avatar: The Way of Water
What can I say, I am partially watching this for horny reasons, but I enjoyed the movie as a whole as well. Tbh, I was mostly enjoying the part when they move and need to adapt to new environment as a family. The teen shenanigans, fitting in, learning a different way of life. My bread and jam. Whatever is happening on the grand scale is interesting to me in the way it impacts individuals. There were some questionable hairstyles though.

I did also once again watch the Grand Budapest Hotel. I was telling my mother about it, and since I've been through hell (the exam period) she offered to watch it since I like it so much. She liked it very much, while my father, who joined us halfway, proceeded to sit silently and sigh loudly from time to time.

I also watched a modern classic of my country's cinematography, but I am not the most comfortable disclosing where I live so early lol sorry.

Once again nothing special or deep from me lol.

Solenne

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Budapest and Avatar

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 13:23:54 GMT

I slept and now I can write again. Wanted to talk about movies I watched after my deserved rest. Although, I am so tired even watching movies takes up so much energy.

Grand Budapest Hotel rewatch
I needed to watch something I love as treat. I wanted to watch something new, but my brain refused to comprehend any new information. Honestly I could just watch this movie without sound, or just listen to it without watching. It simply brings me comfort. This is so far the only Wes A. I've watched, but I am planning on watching others now they they added them all on netflix. Absolutely love the scene when Gustav calls al the other hotel concierges, and each one has their own bell boy. Actually started the Royal Tenenbaums, but I didn't have the strength to concentrate.

Avatar (rewatch?)
So I've watched the movie before, but it's been more than a decade and I'm pretty sure I didn't know how to read subtitles back then lol. It's maybe hypocritical to say I had no energy and focus, and then I watched this almost 3 hours long movie, but what can I say. I initially rolled my eyes when I saw new Avatar movies coming out. I thought Oh wow they are really gonna do a movie for every element. But I am also human, so I am very drawn by the things I saw about Varang's character. I am not going to lie I've already consumed some fanfiction, which is what put me in the mood to watch the movie. Thought I'd start at the beginning. Favourite part of the movie? Sigourney Weaver and Neytiri. Also the nostalgia that hit me when the ending song played. I remember being in love with this movie as a child, but I honestly don't believe I could have understood that much at the time. Anyway, I see this becoming my new obsession in the near future.

I have to go. Taking my mother to a concert today, and I want to wait for her at the station.

Solenne

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short update again

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:09:21 GMT

went out with coworkers(????) from the professional training for drinks. bonded over fanfiction and tlt with some peopel from uni who are also doing the training. overshared and followed each other on socials (private ones which are the important ones)

very happy, might regret tomorrow

Solenne

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So I didn't fail?

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:38:59 GMT

Small update😳

That terrible exam I mentioned and thought I was failing for sure? I just got a 9?

Solenne

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more exams

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:02:57 GMT

Let's see how long this posting high will last!

Couldn't sleep last night and everyone I've talked to seemed to have the same problem. To be fair, all of those people and I had to study for the same exam that was today, so maybe that is the reason lol. So yeah, the terrible exam pt.2 is done and I did slightly better than the previous one. I wanted to do a friending meme cus someone recommended, but I have some professional training tonight (and tomorrow), and an exam tomorrow, which I said I wouldn't go to but I guess I love stressing myself out so I changed my mind.

I swear the 13th will be my day of rest, and I'll spend it by browsing and writing on dreamwidth. I've become a little obsessed and I am barely checking any other social media, which I think is good actually.

Solenne

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Recent and current interests

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:57:04 GMT

So I said I'd post something about my actual interests, and the sooner the better (I don't want to chicken out).

Thought I'd just do a little recap of things I've been reading, watching or things I just liked in general.

Books:
Second reread of Gideon the Ninth
Whenever I'm in some kind of emotional crisis I come back to this series. While I like the series as a whole, the first book has something that I truly adore, and that is a murder mystery and a big cast of suspects. I will probably be rereading Harrow soon, so I might give some more thoughts on that then, as I really love being inside of Harrow's mind.

Ballad of Snakes and Songbirds and Coriolanus
Recently decided I'd read the whole of Hunger Games for the first time and got obsessed pretty quickly. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the original three though. While I appreciate the look at how people from Capitol looked at games in the beginning, and how much marketing they needed to actually make them watch, I just hated being inside of Coriolanus's head. The interesting thing is that I needed to read Shakespeare's Coriolanus for my course (I swear I didn't even plan this), and I enjoyed looking for inspo taken from it and used for the Hunger Games. Still have mixed feelings about BOSAS.

Had to read other works of Shakespeare's, but I don't have the strength to write about it as I had the exam and colloquia on it a few days ago.

Tales from the Gas Station
I'm currently reading the fourth book in the series, and surprisingly enjoying myself. I struggled a bit with the third book as it was too long without a proper reason (in my opinion). The second part of that book kind of won me back over, but I dreaded seeing how they would wrap everything up, because they set up so many things in the previous books, and also I forgot a lot of things and dreaded the thought of having to reread everything. The fourth book is pretty good, maybe exactly because I've taken the chill approach of not caring much about solving the mysteries, but just enjoying the crazy vibes. Maybe I'll give my final thoughts soon.

Ballad of Sword and Wine (what is it with all these ballads lol)
Someone recommended this and promised me political intrigue, and I was not disappointed. I've yet to finish (exams are taking up a lot of my time), but I've been devouring this book. Sure the romance and the banter are pretty good (in my humble opinion), but the schemes and coups are actually written with so much detail and not just put there to be the background for a romace.

Games:
Yuuyami Doori Tankentai
I haven't actually played it (boooo), but I recommend watching a video on it anyway. There are shorter videos, but I still recommend the four hour long one by Dungeon Chill. He takes time talking about the language and small hues of meaning because he knows Japanese. Oh, I should mention this is horror lol. I am usually a chicken when it comes to horror, but I can't look away. Especially here. The games is so atmospheric, so well written and beautifully animated. It is often very slice of life as they take their afterschool walks, think about crushes, identity and other things that are hard to deal with in teen years. I don't think I can say anything that will truly get it across how good this game is, and how nostalgic I felt in the end.

I wanted to add movies I've recently watched to this list, but let's take small steps lol. Either way I don't know how I would put down my thoughts on the Two for the Road (1967)

This is it for now, although maybe not the best representation of my tastes.

Solenne

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Plans for journal

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:56:14 GMT

Here I am again. So I've been thinking about what I want this journal to be. I don't want to use it as a diary completely, mostly because I've actually been keeping a physical diary for years now. I definitely want to talk more about fandom related stuff, but it will probably take some time as I've never done that online. Still I will probably post some personal everyday stuff and vents.

On that note, the exam I was worrying so much about was nearly as terrible as I thought it would be, and everyone agrees that we'll all fail, but at least I ate some delicious food with friends afterwards. There are some good news. I got different exam results back and I got a 10!! Wooooh! I was so worried about exams yesterday, but this morning I kind of came to terms with the fact that I have to fail sometimes. Sounds like a conclusion I should have come to much earlier (and I have!), but dealing with failure sure makes you forget all the wise advice you give other people lol.

Anyway, I hope the next time I post it's actually about some interests of mine.

Solenne

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Hello

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 21:36:40 GMT

I have no idea what I am doing. It's probably quite obvious I've never used a site like this. I discovered it today while falling down a rabbit hole of old internet drama, and I perhaps missed the old design and internet culture I never got to experience. I thought I'd probably just quietly follow what's happening, as I am not a big poster even on social media I've used all my life (with the exception of a private profile where I bore my friends with videos of what books I've read etc.), however, I'm in a terrible mood due to tomorrow's exam, so I thought I might vent. Don't really want to recount what's bothering me. It's mostly burn out, tight exam schedule, lack of time to study and take regular breaks....and the fact that I really have no hope for tomorrow's exam and it will be probably my first time failing an exam! Yay! I sound so stupid, but this is surprisingly bothering me.

This is a terrible first post. It probably should have been an introduction and not just a vent, but hey!
I don't know how to format (obviously), so I guess tips would be appreciated. (Can't wait to see how terrible this will look once I press post lol)

Someone also gave advice to not be afraid to interact with people on here, as this is kind of the point of the site, so I guess hit me up, and I'll respond If figure out how to.

Solenne

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