The Springfield Chronicle: July 2025 Edition
- lillianspringfield
- Dec 26, 2025
- 4 min read
Backlist editions of my bimonthly newsletter are posted here. To stay further up to date, you can subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the site’s main page
Summer loving
I know it’s cliché, but can you believe we’re already nearing the end of July? Honestly, where has the summer gone? This entire year has been careening by, and here is a non-exhaustive list of things I have not done yet:
Seen a movie at the drive-in (yes, we still have one of those around here, and it’s the literal best)
Gone camping
Golfed more than once a month
Pulled the jungle of weeds from my garden or, frankly, planted anything at all which should have been on my spring list
Seen ninety percent of the friends I had hoped to connect with once things got “less busy” (spoiler alert: this concept is a myth)
But on a positive note, we have been fortunate enough to be relatively free of smoke and wildfires in our area- a welcome break that I hope I have not now jinxed. I have been steadily puttering away at Heard This and Thought of You, my upcoming ‘90s YA release which I am incredibly eager to share with everyone. Also, I sometimes ride my bike to work now. So, in conclusion, lots of good summer things too!
Your new favourite soundtrack
Though the setting is slightly before my time, my new novel is heavily inspired by my own experiences in middle school and high school band (I played alto saxophone, if anyone is wondering, with a brief foray into clarinet and four years of vocal jazz choir). Each of the main characters is a mosaic that includes little pieces of my teenage self, and it has been so nostalgic paying homage to these past versions of me.
I think the beauty of reading young adult literature as a grown-up (not that I always feel like one) is the perspective you get to bring to the table. So many trials of adolescence feel uniquely momentous and earth shattering. It’s comforting to read about these Goliath problems and find them smaller in the rear view mirror. To me, it is a reminder that whatever feels too big or heavy right now will also seem lesser in retrospect.
The book’s era gave me the opportunity to dive headfirst into some spectacular music. While there are plenty of references to early ‘90s grunge and pop, Adam’s musical taste in particular is also shaped by his ‘80s comfort listens and his dad’s ‘70s rock influence. Each chapter header of Heard This and Thought of You is a song title, and I have compiled a playlist of all of them for your listening pleasure, which you can find here:
I want to give you stuff!
Throughout this month, I have been running my Christmas in July contest across all social media platforms. August 1st, I will be announcing one lucky winner who will receive a nifty little prize basket including two copies of Peak Chemistry, two copies of the sequel when it drops this winter, Crystal Peaks themed stickers, bookmarks, and a shirt, a handwritten note from myself, AND a few other wintery goodies I’m throwing in for the heck of it. The contest is open to all Canadian residents and there’s still time to enter! Visit one of my many social pages, find a relevant contest post, then like, follow, and tag a friend in the comments.
And on that note...
You can now find me all over the internet! In the interest of further screaming into the void (see also: "marketing"), I have joined instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and occasionally update my website. All relevant links can be found below so you can follow me wherever you hang out on the web. I’m like a sugar-fueled, hyperfixated child who wants to spend every waking moment describing her favourite dinosaur facts to you- except my dinosaurs are books.
Summer recommendations
I pre-ordered Brigitte Knightley’s The Irresistible Urge to Fall for your Enemy back in February and it finally came and now lives in the penthouse suite of my brain. This is Knightley’s debut novel, but fans of her work may be familiar of a particularly prolific Harry Potter fan-fiction entitled Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love (DMATMOOBIL). This original romantasy hits just as hard as the fanfic- stellar world building, hysterical banter, and all the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension you could ask for. |
While I haven’t had a lot of time for movies or series these past months, I will say I am sincerely looking forward to one day sitting down and bingeing season four of The Bear. I recently tried a copycat recipe for Sydney’s omelet from season three and going forward I will never not make eggs this way.
In addition to the ‘90s rock revival I’ve been knees deep in lately, I’ve also been revisiting a lot of the pop-punk I listened to in my high school days. Through this, I stumbled across The Paradox, an Atlanta based band formed as recently as 2024 that’s gone viral online for their classic sound that’s as true to the genre as Blink-182 or Greenday. They’ve only released four tracks, but I’ve got all of them on repeat.
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