let’s get started…

the book goblin in it’s natural habitat

I’ve decided 2025 is long enough to wait.

I’ve come to terms. FINE.

I am not getting whisked away to a magical castle with a giant library that’s all mine. No towering bookshelves with precarious ladders to swing upon gracefully in song. No giant fireplace with a big comfy armchair to read for hours in. No princely beast to free me from provincial life and crushing capitalism.

I guess not all wishes come true. ‘Tis a shame, I could have done with a couple ball gowns and free dinner service.

But, alas, here we are. Forced to make our own dreams happen.

As it is, I have a perfectly good, if slightly messy study. It may be currently covered in scraps of wrapping paper and dog hair, but it is good all the same. A bit of a sweep, a lick of paint (not to mention a new desk, new shelving and the careful demolition of a ungainly closet) and it’ll be just as good as any giant castle library with floor to ceiling shelves packed with all the books ever printed. Right?

No. Because it’ll be BETTER

My library will be full of all my favorite stories. And ALL special editions! But because I’m not made of money, I’m going to make them the most special of special editions by making custom covers and re-binding them myself! From my favorite childhood tales to the stories I can’t shut up about today, they’ll all be in my library. Maybe some non-fiction too. If I must.

I’ll get more too. I’ll sail the seas of social media and goodreads in search of new favorite books to add to my shelves.

I’ll whisk them off unsuspecting shelves (and pay for them), make them my own and stash them in my treasure trove to hoard like the little book goblin I am. Not quite Belle in her castle, but like all good pywrits WE TAKE WHAT WE CAN, AND GIVE NOTHING BACK!

Ahem.

So, why am I telling you about it? Well, as an aforementioned book goblin it is one of my 2025 goals to ‘get out there’ and ‘be social’. Or whatever the self help books say about being a well rounded adult. I love my fiancé and pupper, but my sisters and best friend all live away which restricts my social life to my house. More specifically to my couch with a book in my hand.

I’ve been dawdling around hobby binding and filling spreadsheets with my own ratings and reviews for a while now so, I figured, why not make a whole thing of it. Put my Google Sheets to good use and share my thoughts and binding journey with whoever is interested. Maybe someone will read my ramblings and like them. Maybe they’ll write me and tell me about their favorite stories. Poof! Friends! In my thirties, egad! OR they’ll tell me about a book they’re writing! Can you imagine? Books that the world hasn’t even seen yet? Bet Belle’s fancy castle library doesn’t have that!

So heed my pledge! By the end of 2025 I’ll have at least 12 books for the pywrit library and evidence of my valiant efforts online. I’ll post reviews of my many reads (even if it doesn’t make it into the library), show my many binding faux pas’ and maybe even make a few new bookish friends. For now, I’ll settle for starting my own library and learning new skills.

Here’s to making your own dreams come true.

ttfn,

the pywrit