Nerd Church - Let's Hope It's a Good One

2016 has been a global dumpster fire.

I mean, there's usually some element of dumpster fire in a year but... well, you guys were there. You saw it. 2016 was something else, yeah?




But every cloud has a silver lining - even a cloud as laden with metaphorical rain as 2016.

There were good things in 2016 - if only on a personal level.

Yours truly had some good personal stuff: this blog, coming out, having less bad depression days than I have in years.

All of these things mean that - for me at least - 2016 wasn't a complete waste of space.

But let's not kid ourselves - the world is sh**ty right now.

But the ones who win, my nerdlets, are the ones who never give up.

Love and truth and hope can win - it's going to be a hard job, which is why we need to all take a little piece of it for ourselves, spreading the work around.

My nerdlets - there is hope. There are amazing people in this world. There is beauty and love. Hold onto that.

2017 is going to be a fight against hatred and bigotry, but it's a fight that people who love and care and want the world to be a better place can win. One tiny piece at a time.





I love you all. And I and so many people out there are going to do our best to whoop 2017's butt into shape.

It won't be as cr*ppy as 2016. We won't let it be.




Take care of each other, and go be your beautiful, amazing, selves.

Nerd Church will be back on 8th January 2017

Like this post? Try these:

• Nerd Church - We Are Strong
• Nerd Church - You're The Only You We've Got
• Nerd Church - Sing It For the World

Friday Fics Fix - A Not-So Jolly Christmas with Draco and Harry

One of the main issues many people had with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was the complete lack of explanation of life between the last chapter and the epilogue.

Basically, the big question mark is how exactly the Wizarding World got stuck in and started to reinvent itself - to come to terms with a life after the Battle of Hogwarts.

This week's fic imagines a sort-of 'what if' scenario.

What if, due to the lack of general education most of the students had in that last year, they returned the next year to catch up with their missed studies?

What if Harry Potter returned to Hogwarts... and so did Draco Malfoy?

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Because there was so much opportunity to explore what happened to Draco. How did he cope with... well, everything?

And this fic explores that.

And it turns out he didn't cope all that well - which is probably reasonable!

A few warnings: much swearings, much the dark and angsty stuff, and some obsessive behaviour that is NOT HEALTHY in either relationships or friendships.

There's also what can only be described as some sort of Magical Fight Club. #JustSaying

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This is the first in a series, and is based around Christmas (woo! Christmas! Lol.)

The implication is that, in future instalments of the series, Draco and Harry (often known in combination as Drarry (#IKnowRight?)) will have something romantical going on, but in this fic, we just have the beginnings of a frenemies bromance a la Magneto and Professor X.

There's also a few typos in there, but it's generally worth it.

This week's fic then, is:

Dark Days of Christmas by Belle_Lestrange101

Enjoy, and have an awesome Christmas my nerdlets!

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Friday Fix Fics will return on 6th January 2017

Like this post? Try these:

• Friday Fics Fix - Tis The Season
• Friday Fics Fix - Deck The Halls

Comics Wrap-Up - Said the Spider to the Fly

Film Trailers

I loved the Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer! Looks like soooo much fun!

He's such a dork (and the dorkiness is awesome!)

I'm totally looking into getting one of those unlimited card-thingies for my local cinema, because even though they seem like a large amount of money as outlay, the price of cinema tickets just keeps going up - and I can't afford an average of £10.00 per trip.

Other Stuff

Over on Book Riot's Comics section, M Lynx Qualey talked about Ms Shabash - a Bangladeshi super-heroine.

Sounds pretty cool - a Bangladeshi hero who fights the CEO of a whitening cream company!

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And because this is the last Comics Wrap-Up before Christmas, here's a random gif of Tom Hiddleston to wish you all the best:

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Comics Wrap-Up will be back on 5th January 2017!

Like this post? Try these:

• Comics Wrap-Up - Setting Fire To The Sky
• Comics Wrap-Up - LEGO Time!

Blog Update - FYI, My Nerdlets, This Is What's Happening

Just to let you guys know, I'll be cutting down a little on the amount I post per week (not a lot, promise!)

Blog admin and commenting back on other people's blogs is taking up more of my time, and I'm busy with work - I'm self-employed, so I need to focus on work when I, y'know, actually have it.





That said, I'm still going to be posting a lot and faffing about on social media plenty, it's just that I'll be posting 4-5 times per week instead of 7 (and I think you can live with that, yeah?)

I'll also be reducing my blogging over Christmas - but I'll still pop in every now and then, promise ;)





This is more of a re-organising than a reducing, I'm hoping to give myself more time while improving the quality of the content I post - and that way, everyone wins.

I hope you continue to support Diary of a Reading Addict (DORA) and that you're as excited as I am to see what 2017 brings :)

Honestly, this year (while being a dumpster fire politically,) has been one of amazing growth on DORA, and I'm so thankful to all of you!

I also hope you understand that I have a habit of pushing myself too far - to the extent of actual exhaustion, and a hugely negative affect on my depression - and this is a way of me stopping myself, slowing down, and putting my health first, before I get to that stage.






I love you guys, and I'll still be in your faces probably more than you want me to be - but I need to calm things down a bit! ;)









Go out and be awesome guys! I'll still be here when you get back ;)

The Happiness Tag

(Flashing Images warning: The gifs used in this post flash quite a lot and may cause problems for those with photosensitive medical conditions such as epilepsy and migraines.)


The lovely Emily @ The Paperback Princess tagged me for the happiness tag back in August, and now I've gotten around to actually doing the post (woo!) ;)

5 Things that Make you Happy 



Books - I'm stealing this one off Emily, because I totally agree. BOOOOOOKKKKSSS!!!!!!! ;)



Kitties! - My kitties are little furbabies with much the love and I love them all the way to the moon and back on account of cuteness and fluffiness and little noses, pawses, and whiskerses ;)

Fur-baby!

The Bestie - I have the bestest bestie :)

My family - yes I have some relatives who are better loved from a distance, but my parents in particular are the best.



Reality TV - I know, it's bad. But that's what makes it so good. Honestly, Judge Judy has probably indirectly saved my life more than once. You can laugh at that or dismiss it if you want to, but it's true.






5 Songs that Make you Happy 

My musical tastes tend towards the emo punk-rock side of life. As a teen, I was a small nerd who loved My Chem and Green Day - luckily, there were quite a few of us.

Every Snowflake's Different (Just Like You) by My Chemical Romance - I AM A UNIQUE SNOWFLAKE DAMMIT!!!!!

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Girls/Girls/Boys by Panic! At the Disco - AND LOVE IS NOT A CHOOOIIICCCCEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Miss Murder by AFI - OK, so it's not exactly a cheery song... but dude, I love the shouting-up-to-the-heavens-ness of AFI, and it always makes me smile.

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I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy - Because f**k the haters!

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The Bird and the Worm by The Used - because it's awesome-sauce.

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Cheery, no? ;)

5 Bloggers that Make you Happy 

ONLY 5?!?! Argh, if I don't mention you, I still love you - promise!!!!! I do!!!!

Emily @ The Paperback Princess - because she's amazing and I wish I was that talented as a teenager.

Ely @ Tea & Titles - because we have the same sort of sense of bizarre humour and obsession with Wales, and because she's so passionate about disability representation.

Naz @ Read Diverse Books - for being a constant inspiration, a pain in the TBR, and a force for good in the world.

Olivia-Savannah @ Olivia's Catastrophe - for being fun, entertaining, and someone who's gonna go a long way :)

Sierra @ The Nerdgirl Review - for being fun, bubbly, and awesome.




Not tagging anyone for this - do it if you want to! ;)




Like this post? Try these:

• The Greek Mythology Tag
• The Liebster Award
• Nerd Church - You're The Only You We've Got

5 Diverse Poets For You to Check Out on YouTube

You know that poetry is for everyone, right? Well slam and performance poetry is a great example of that.

And there are hundreds and thousands of poetry slam and performance videos on YouTube - they are so addictive, I'm surprised I ever get anything else done!

So I figured I'd share just a handful of my favourite diverse slam, spoken-word, and performance poets from YouTube (because my faves happen to diverse in this instance! Woo!)

Oh, and pretty much all of these have swear-words. Poets swear worse than sailors.

Winona Linn

Meskwaki poet Winona Linn is witty, clever, and passionate; her performances are amazing.

Check out: Knock-Off Native (below,) Currency, and Grey Owl.

Crystal Valentine

Stylish, bold, and unapologetically political, Crystal Valentine's poetry explores being a Black woman in today's America.

Check out: Black Privilege (below,) And the News Reporter Says Jesus Is White and Questions For Fox News Regarding the Race Card.

Dia Davina

A queer and genderqueer feminist, Dia Davina is awesome. They are funny and honest and just amazing.

Check out: Emergency Room (below,) Boy In My Closet and U-Haul

Elizabeth Acevedo

Afro-Dominicana poet Elizabeth Acevedo writes on race, feminism, and their intersection. She rocks.

Check out: Hair,  Afro-Latina, and An Open Letter to the Protesters Outside the Planned Parenthood

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Benjamin Zephaniah

One of the best modern British poets there is, I will never miss the chance to recommend the wonderful Jamaican-British Benjamin Zephaniah.

Never afraid to speak on politics and race, or to combine poetry with music, Zephaniah is a definite favourite of mine.

Check out: Having a Word (below,) Responsible, and Us an Dem

So check some of these wonderful poets out, and enjoy!

Like this post? Try these:

• The Poetry of Biffy Clyro
• What is Poetry?

Last updated: 9th October 2019

Nerd Church - You're the Only You We've Got

(Flashing Images Warning: some of the gifs in this post flash a bit faster than the gifs I normally use, and this may affect people with photosensitive medical conditions such as epilepsy and migraines.)



Hello dearest nerdlets! There's something I want you to do - take care of yourselves.

Self-care is not just something for those with mental health problems, any more than the gym is only something for those with physical health problems.

We all have mental health my nerdlets, even if you never have a problem with it.

And this time of year can be financially, emotionally, and physically stressful.

If you celebrate Christmas or any other December-based holiday, then there's loads of stuff to do, things to buy, and relatives to make nice with.

If you act as either a part-time or full-time carer, this goes double for you.

We end up picking up the seasonal social responsibilities of our loved ones as well as ourselves - helping out with the shopping, the decorating, the gift-wrapping, and the card-writing.

For anybody acting as a carer right now: you're awesome. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

So my nerdlets, here's just a couple of tips for how to take care of yourself over the festive period.

(Obviously everyone is different - these tips can theoretically apply to anyone, but do what works for you.)

• You-time is important. Take as much of it as you can. You're the only you there is - and we need you to be ok.

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• Perfection is an ideal, not a reality. It's ok for you to go with 'that'll do,' rather than 'that is perfect.'

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• You're human. There's a limit to how much you can do without exhausting yourself. Delegate or say no.

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• You need fuel in the tank. Regular meals are important. Regular sleep is important. Stay hydrated. If there's no fuel in the tank than you can't get this show on the road.

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• Put basic effort into your appearance. I don't mean be vain. I don't mean beat yourself up about how you look. I literally mean do things like brush your teeth and your hair; wash your face. Shower or bath regularly. It's good hygiene if nothing else.

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• Make an emergency self-care plan. This can be something physical like (just as an example) a box where you keep scented candles, chocolate, spa-style skin treatments, and your favourite DVD. Or it can be something you tell yourself, like 'I'm ok, I'm doing fine.' Or something you do to unwind - read, watch reality TV, make a cup of tea or coffee (although, be careful if your mood is easily affected by caffeine.)

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• Don't be so hard on yourself. This is a vital one. We're our own harshest critics. So give yourself a break.

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• Log off. Look, technology is great - but humans designed it, we weren't designed for it. Have a time in the day when you're not looking at a screen, and limit how much scrolling through social media feeds you do.

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• Limit the booze. Look, I'm no prude. Unless you have a legal reason or medical reason not to (and yes, that includes medications that shouldn't be mixed with alcohol,) then go ahead and have a drink. But remember, it's a depressant - you drink too much, even over a relatively spaced-out period of time, and you're gonna feel pretty sh**ty. And binge-drinking is not good for you, end of.

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So look after yourself guys!

Next week is the last Nerd Church before Christmas.

Like this post? (Of course you did!) Try these:

• Nerd Church - The Importance of Chillaxation
• Nerd Church - Celebrate the Small Stuff
• Colour Me Happy