Looking back at the second quarter of 2025
With the end of the 2nd quarter we’re now halfway through the year. Regardless of what we think about how fast or slow it’s gone by, it does provide a nice opportunity to take a look back at what we’ve done so far and to make any adjustments we might want to before the year ends. We have time to reflect a bit and then to refocus or to shift focus or to continue on our current path.
But first, please spend a little time with me looking back at the 2nd quarter. Below is a list of the posts I published as well as books I read, movies I watched and music I’ve been listening to. I’m hopeful you’ll find something of interest in the mix.
Photography
It’s felt like a decent quarter for photography. I think I managed to create a range of different photographs of various subjects. And I worked to write posts in various categories instead of sticking too much to a single category. I’ll work to continue that going forward, though the hot and humid months of summer do sometimes result in a slowdown as I just don’t feel as excited to get out and about in that weather. Thank goodness for air-conditioning in cars, though. Perhaps I’ll do more photographing from the road. 😃
Below are the posts I published this quarter. Please take a look back at any you missed or would like to see again.
Architecture
White Chapel Methodist Church – Fort Valley, Virginia
Views of the Abandoned Fairview Church of God in Woodstock, Virginia
Inverted Worlds
Mostly Photos
Spring Roadtrip Along Franklin Pike, West Virginia
On the Trillium Trail – April 2025
Reviews
Daring to Look: Dorothea Lange’s Photographs & Reports from the Field by Anne Whiston Spirn
Trip Report
Fisher’s Hill Battlefield – Ramseur’s Hill
An Early Spring Drive Through Fort Valley, Virginia
Variations on a Theme
Reading
As has been the case for some time now, the majority of my book consumption was in the form of audiobooks which I sometimes listen to while driving, doing housework, and before falling asleep in the evening. But I also read some in paper form, one of which was from the library, the manga No Longer Human. One theme I noticed this quarter was listening to audio versions of books I’d read in paper when much younger, so long ago it was almost like reading them again for the first time. I had a general feel for each book but had forgotten most of the storyline. This was the case with Neverwhere and the Dragonriders of Pern books. I’d like to continue rereading favorites from my youth, while still finding both newer books and classics I’ve yet to read to add to the mix.
The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).
Here’s the full list of books read in the 2nd quarter of 2025: Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow (2020), Diavola by Jennifer Thorne (2024), No Longer Human by Junji Ito (2017), The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong (2024), For Your Eyes Only by Ian Fleming (1960), Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (1996), Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (1968), Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey (1971), Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie (1937), The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey (1978), The Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber (1968), Three O’Clock in the Morning by Gianrico Carofiglio (2017).
And of those, my favorites were:
The Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber
This is the 5th book of tales featuring Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, the classic fantasy duo. The previous books had all been short story anthologies. This is the first full length novel and it was great getting a longer storyline featuring two of my favorite characters. Granted, for the middle part of the book the pair had been in different parts of the world on their own adventures before coming back together again for the grand finale where they must try to save their city of Lankhmar.
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
These three books make up the first Dragonriders of Pern trilogy which I absolutely loved as a kid. Granted, this wasn’t exactly the fantasy dragons of other series I was used to, but instead the story of human settlers to a planet called Pern and how over the generations the settlers lost some of their history and slowly began rediscovering it. There are dragons, of course, but these are creatures of the planet the settlers called dragons because of their similarity to the mythic beasts of fantasy and mythological lore. I should note that I didn’t enjoy The White Dragon quite as much on a reread as it felt far more YA than the first two. But it very much appealed to the younger me, and it still has that special nostalgic power held by favorite books of our youth.
Another book I first read when younger, though not as young as when I started reading Pern. This might have been my first exposure to Gaiman’s fiction and I very much enjoyed it. I loved the reread as it was an audiobook narrated by the author, and he has the perfect voice for telling his stories. It tells of Richard Mayhew who, through an act of goodwill and charity, finds himself in London Below, a world under the streets of modern day London, and full of strange, interesting, and dangerous characters.
No Longer Human by Junji Ito, Osamu Dazai
I should provide some warnings first off, this can be a somewhat graphic book, both visually and in subject matter. It’s based on the novel of the same name by the Japanese author Osamu Dazai. Here, Junji Ito has adapted it to manga form, similar to comic books in other cultures. It’s a bit of a sad story showcasing the life of the main character and all the problems he lives through, many, if not most times, the results of his own actions and inability to control himself. As time goes on it just spirals deeper and darker. A difficult but well told and well drawn story.
Movies, Shows & Anime
Favorite, or notable, films I watched this quarter.
I’ve not watched much in the way of movies or series this quarter. That’s not to say I haven’t watched any video-related content, just that most of it was probably YouTube, and unfortunately most of that was likely wasting time randomly clicking this or that, kind of like channel surfing, trying to relax but really just zoning out.
The newest movie I watched was The Watchers (2024), and I mostly enjoyed it though it hasn’t really stuck with me. But I thoroughly enjoyed my rewatch of a childhood favorite, The Sandlot (1993), about a group of kids and their experiences bonding over baseball.
Music
I’ve narrowed in on three songs I’ve enjoyed this quarter. One of them I’ve been aware of for a while now (The Islander) but have yet to feature here. The other two I only discovered this quarter. I tried to pick a range of styles so that if you don’t enjoy one you might enjoy the next, though I completely understand if none appeal to you. Give them a try, though, if you’re not already familiar with them, and let me know what you think.
Tommy Johansson - The Winner Takes It All (ABBA cover)
I first learned of Tommy Johansson when I stumbled upon his band, Majestica. Later he became a guitarist for the group Sabaton, another fantastic band. Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of the covers he posts most weeks on YouTube. In each cover he sings all the parts and plays all the instruments: guitar (electric and acoustic), keyboard, bass guitar, drums. Given he’s from Sweden I figured sharing one of his covers of ABBA would be appropriate. He gives the covers a metal feel while, in my opinion, staying true to the source. I love what he does both vocally and with the guitar riff at the very end of the song.
Nightwish - The Islander Live @ Tampere
I love Marko Hietala’s voice in this song, and this specific performance is incredible. He used to be Nightwish’s bass player, but here he shows he can also sing and play guitar. Troy Donockley shines in this performance playing the low whistle. And Floor, usually the lead singer, takes the role of backing vocalist and perfectly melds with Marko while allowing him to shine. Far more of a folk sound than typical of Nightwish, and perhaps that’s why it stands out so much to me. And if you’re wondering what Marko says during the short pause at the beginning of the song… I have no idea, but I know he’s speaking Finnish.
BABYMETAL - from me to u featuring Poppy
I’m not usually the biggest fan of screaming vocals, but I really (REALLY) like this song and how it goes back and forth between melodic and harsh, very similar to RATATATA, the collaboration between BABYMETAL and Electric Callboy that I featured this time last year. They’ve been doing really well with these collaborations lately. This one is a very catchy tune and I purchased the single so I can keep playing it on repeat. Great high energy workout song.
Life
As with last quarter, this one felt busier than I’d like. Looking back I realize it likely wasn’t as busy as it felt, I just let it get to me. I’m working to do better with that. What about you? How do you keep from feeling overloaded even when you know it’s really not that bad in the grand scheme of things?
Thankfully, also as with last quarter, there’s been lots of time doing things I enjoy, from going on short excursions with my father, practicing photography, reading some great books and just enjoying a simple cup of freshly ground coffee using beans from a local roaster. Increasingly it’s the simpler things I most look forward to and enjoy.
And speaking of doing things I enjoy, my father and I took a vacation up to New Hampshire in the latter half of June. In addition to my father’s 60th high school reunion and visiting relatives in both New Hampshire and Maine, we had time to explore much of the area and I took advantage of that to create a few photos here and there. The landscapes up there are absolutely beautiful with mountains all around. And some of the towns and buildings within them are very old, dating back in some cases to the 1600s. Some of the towns appear to be dying off and in disrepair while others have found a way to rejuvenate themselves with thriving main streets.
Another joy of mine has been grinding and brewing coffee. I’ve recently purchased a Hario V60 single cup brewer and have enjoyed experimenting with ratios, water temperature, grind sizes, and pouring techniques. While visiting a farmers market in New Hampshire I sampled a medium/dark roast sourced from Tanzania and roasted locally by Porcupine Coffee Roasting out of Bath, NH. I enjoyed it enough to purchase a bag, as well as one of a lighter roast sourced from Brazil which I’m thoroughly enjoying. And when we returned to Virginia we stopped by Central Coffee Roasters in Sperryville where I picked up a bag of Sulawesi Toraja, Guatemalan Antigua Los Volcanes, and the bean they said was currently their most interesting roast, Indian Monsooned Malabar. I can’t wait to try each of them.
I hope you had a great 2nd quarter of the year. And even more so I hope you have an equally great 3rd quarter. Spend a little time looking at where you are and thinking about where you want to be at the end of the year and try to identify some small things you can do to help get you there. I’ll be doing the same.
Thanks so much for all your continued support!
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