Daily Journal: October 12, 2025

It took a while for me to get back to sharing my progress in this crazy journey of mine, but here I am, eager to get back on track with my reading.

I think the first order of business on this return is to give you a quick update of how my numbers are going and what I’m currently working on.

As you may already know, spooky season is my favorite time of the year, and so far, I have read some amazing eerie and disturbing stories.

In the case of the creature of the Black Lagoon and Dear Creature, the stories follow a reptilian type creature that haunts the waterways, but in two totally different approaches, to be completely honest, I was pleasantly surprised by Jonathan Case’s Dear Creature, not only is it beautifully illustrated, but it also has a more whimsical approach to the creature, sometimes really funny, sometimes really heart wrenching, but in all an amazing tale of trying to belong and find happiness.

On the other hand, the Creature from the Black Lagoon transported me to back when I was 12 and starting to get into those classic creature-features that were already ingrained as the basis of all the genre of monsters.

Another volume I started working on was A Very DC Halloween, seeing the classic characters from the DC universe embroiled in supernatural scenarios is always fun, and just teasing on the cover a Swamp Thing story, well that will get me to open it up every time.

On the book front, I just re-started my spooky season tradition of reading Frankenstein, beautifully illustrated by William O’Connor, as always this behemoth of a book never fails to amaze me, and with the impending release of Guillermo del Toro adaptation, this was the perfect timing to get immersed in it’s captivating story

The two other books that hopefully will be finished by the end of spooky season

The first is a compilation of vampire called Vampirismo, containing some classic authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Dumas, H.G.Wells, Robert E.Howard and the main reason for buying this particular collection was to finally read the seminal story by John Polidori, The Vampyre. Considered the first romantic vampire story and created on the same faithful night where the brilliant Mary Shelley gave birth to her famous Prometheus.

The second is the folk-horror novel The Reddening by author Adam L.G. Nevill , as the description of the book goes, I’m getting into a world of ancient rituals , prehistoric vengeful gods and mythical red creatures. Sounds like the perfect book to cozy up for the colder weather.

On the number side of things , I’ll just make a quick update, the full rundown of my totals and date of the next achievements will be posted on the next numbers post, which as tradition dictates, will be done on the magic Monday of each week.

So far on this year, the eighteen of reading, my total is 13,971 pages. I started a bit slow but right now my pace has improved drastically. The goal for the year is 70,265 pages, clarifying that I measure from my birthday , which is in June, so the year starts one day after and finishes on the exact date of my birthday.

The two next impending goals are reaching 15,000 pages for the year, projected for October 21, and the next big milestone on the whole project , reaching 600,000 pages, that according to my average and pacing it should be achieved on the last day of 2025, of course I’ll try to bring down that date.

Now more than ever each day gained and each page read is worth gold,my conviction to arrive to those coveted objective has not changed. In around 6 years, I’ll be celebrating with a trip to culminate this amazing adventure, the journey has been spectacular, not let’s thread those final footsteps to my emerald prize .

For now, I’m off to read

Azriel

Daily Journal: January 12,2025

The third day in a row that once again, I get past my daily reading goal, I’m pretty sure that this type results will become the norm for the rest of the the journey of this year of reading. The current number for today is 203, and I know that one more short reading session before the night is done is in order to try and start the 5-day gold reading streak and the chasing of those mysterious prizes

Not sure that my eyes will agree with the idea, but I’ll give it a go anyway. For this task I’ll recruit the help of the apprentice Witch Coco from to the extremely cute manga Witch Hat Atelier.

Until today, and I can’t recall why, I finally got around reading the first Volume of the series, which has been on my lend list from Kindle for around six months, and to be honest, I was missing some great artwork and story.

I think it was probably a hangover of reading manga during last year’s final stretch so profusely, that I purposely avoid them. But I think that’s way overdue to start some pending series, actually, this is Exactly that kind of light quick reading that will get me back on track with my goals.

Later on the week, now that I mention goals, I’ll write the first Numbers post in a while, there, I will have the whole run down of how things are progressing.

The good news is that the first streak I’m chasing, the 10-day reading streak of at least 179 pages is already on its way. My hope was to start the 4 week streak, but I fell short. But things are finally starting to be more consistent, it only a matter of time to get back on track.

For now

Off to read

Azriel

The Road that shouldn’t be abandoned

Almost half a year ago, as I have done on several occasions, I abandoned the idea of sharing my progress thru my journey of trying to read 1,000,000 million pages by my 50th birthday.

Has the due date gets neared, I find myself in the crossroads of continuing to do it without any kind of outlet, or, as I did for several years, capture particular moments on this digital journal for anyone that wants to share my experience can do so.

Well, my dear readers, I’m glad to inform you that I choose the latter.

I will be returning to much of the sections, that you can see on my About page. Also, returning to some of the previous formats of entries, like my daily journal, the numbers report for each week, and so much more fun ways that I unfold this journey.

For the current year, number 18 of the journey, my plan is to at least reach the next milestone, 600,000 total pages. With 149 days left in the reading year, it’s quite the challenge, but really doable.

For the next year, I plan to jump in totally into the massive Sci-Fi saga set in the Warhammer universe. I’m of course talking about the massive story of The Horus Heresy, expanding over 64 volumes of pure outer space deceit. I’m really excited to jump into such an expansive universe.

To get you back on the loop here are some quick numbers:

Pages to reach 600,000: 36,016 pages

Total pages for (Y-18): 19,512 pages

Days left until my 50th birthday: 2,340 days

Much work ahead of me, but it’s good to be back

Off to read

Azriel

One Hell of a Ride

After 11 years, 8 months, and 22 days of writing on this blog about my journey to read 1,000,000 pages before I turn 50 years old, the day has come to close this chapter of the journey and begin a new one.

My current total 549,641 pages and I have 6 years, 10 months, and 11 days to read the rest of the pages left on the goal.

The path onward is going to be a private and analog one.

I´m deeply grateful for everyone who followed my journey for the past 11 years, and I can assure you, that the goal will be conquered.

Happy readings to all, I bid you adieu, for now

Azriel D

592 days

Behind this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea… and ideas are bulletproof.

Alan Moore, V for Vendetta

621 days

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Ozymandias

Percy Bysshe Shelley

627 days

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”

Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

635 days

“How many things are we upon the brink of discovering if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries”

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

648 days

About the last 3 weeks

To say that the last 3 weeks of reading had been shitty would be the biggest understatement of the current year of reading.

And no, I’m not being dramatic. The combined total of the month October is 321 pages, being October 12, the best day of reading with a total of 90 pages. Underwhelming, to say the least.

To salvage this month and the bare minimum total to feel at least comfortable with the trajectory of the year will be to reach a total of 5,518 pages.

It’s not a small task, but one that I’ll better get right into it.

Off to read.

azriel

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