The Ninja Reader

Despite not blogging consistently for over a year (at least) I feel almost obliged to talk to you guys about what I've been up to lately and why I haven't been around. Though, really, I talk about it on the Lantern as well, so this is going to be an abbreviated version:

I'm doing a postgraduate course and preparing for a PhD. I recently submitted my dissertation proposal and waiting to see if the university will give me funding to do it. If successful, I'll be looking at online bullying among adults, and ways of managing it through bystander involvement. (Regardless of all the drama we've seen in the book blogosphere, the rest of the world doesn't seem to have caught up, despite some studies being done on children. Personally, picking a study path is a no-brainer for me, so hopefully the committee will be convinced as well.)

I'm training for a half marathon, and fundraising for charily. I had a major scare in summer, when my depression pushed me into doing some seriously whack stuff with my training (like running 8K in the blistering noon heat) and I sought help from a local charity. They were really helpful, and now that I'm trying to be more mindful about physical exercise, I wanted to give something back to them. You can check out my fundraising page for more deets, or read a wordpress blog I made to document my experiences for fundraising tips and ideas.

I'm recovering from said depression. There's a lot of stuff there that I can't even being to put into words (if you want me to tell you about therapy options and what works best, I'm always available through DM), but the bottom line is: That bitch hijacked my brain, turned it against me, ruined my relationship with cake, ruined who-knows-how-many of my real relationships, destroyed my love of blogging, and pushed my body until it nearly fucking broke. I will be DAMNED if I let her have another second of my life. 

So the plan is this: I'm gonna do more stuff for charity, try to be more involved in the community, and kick some serious ass academically. I already have one interview, so guys, keep your fingers and toes crossed for me! (And if you can support my fundraising efforts in any way, be it through reblogs and likes on social media, or if you have a spare quid, that would be amazing.)

Anywho, there's a lot of stuff, but those are the three main points. Cheers, everyone, here's to some awesome reads coming to us this year.