Prayer request - my coworker Kate's partner tested positive for Covid on Monday. They both have health issues, so if you could pray Pen has a mild case and Kate doesn't catch it again (she had it in 2020 and dealt with prevalent long Covid symptoms), I'd really appreciate it. So far Kate's 2-for-2 on negative tests...hopefully it stays that way!
I just looked back and saw the last time I posted was Part 2 of 2021's Reading List on January 3rd. I think this may be the longest hiatus I've taken from posting, though I did not scroll back to verify. 😳
Unsurprisingly the last twelve months have been difficult.
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of dad passing away. It's still very weird, though slowly becoming less so. Everything feels...heavy right now, if that makes sense. Sloggy is another word that comes to mind. We've got a few more firsts to navigate, so I'm sure it's just going to be tough for a while. We're fortunate to have a lot of people praying for us, and I know that makes a difference.
Life's just...kind of a lot right now. I dream about dad ocassionally, a bit more so the last month, which makes sense. They're rarely set pre-dementia, which makes me a little sad. It would be nice if my brain chose inspiration from the far larger chunk of our lives together. Recently a different kind of loss has added some weight to my mental backpack* and I feel I haven't been handling it super well. I try to remind myself all I can do is my best. Getting out of my own head would certainly help.
In more upbeat news, I've been filling 2022 with books (20), plays (13), concerts (2), travel, TV shows (I recently finished This Is Us and Legion), movies and random friend get-togethers (tagline: books, bonfires and booze). Last night I went with the Misses Kottwitz to a wine and tapas event and the group's got Brew at the Zoo coming up in July, so that'll be fun. 😊 🍺
Speaking of books...
My friend Katie (author of Once Upon a Pyne) put together a rating system that she uses on Goodreads. I asked her permission to steal it and have implemented it below.
Here is her (and now my) criteria:
⭐: the worst piece of garbage I’ve ever read ⭐⭐: overall bleh book, but some redeeming qualities
⭐⭐⭐: liked it, but wouldn’t read again
⭐⭐⭐⭐: liked it more and would read again
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: amazing and definitely should read again
I've decided to add a + designation, which is basically a half star.
- A Woman in White by Wilkie Collins ⭐⭐+
So...I remember enjoying AWIW the first time I read it years ago and I'm not sure what I was thinking. It has some interesting moments, but the amazing lack of agency in most of its characters gets frustrating, as did the repeated moments of "oh, but I'm only a woman, I can't be smart/interesting/good company/look out for my own interests." There are a couple moments where women show some backbone, but not enough to save the story in my opinion. - A little orange book of obsessions by Blake Crouch ⭐⭐⭐
Signed limited edition of short stories. Great Christmas present. 💓 - Skin Game by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files novel, #15) by Jim Butcher ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dresden's snarky as always and learning to play the Winter Court game as the Winter Knight. Mab is a tricksy B, so nothing new. Naturally the story includes terrifying characters - both old and new - and plenty of "aaaaaaah!" moments. - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Whew! After rereading A Woman in White and liking it WAY less than before, I was worried I'd feel the same way with this book. Thankfully it wasn't the case. It was as wonderfully witty, beautiful, horrible, sad and thought-provoking as I remembered. I appreciated the time it took to set up characters before things took a left turn and provided real consequences.** - Brief Cases (Short Story Collection, Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
- Jury Duty ⭐⭐⭐
- Day One - Gotta love Butters. :) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Zoo Day ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Job Placement (microfiction) ⭐⭐⭐
- Monsters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Everything the Light Touches (microfiction) ⭐⭐⭐
- Christmas Eve (microfiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Good People (microfiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald ⭐⭐⭐+
I'm not sure how I missed reading this as a kid. I liked a lot of the themes and can see how it influenced other authors, but other than reading it to my kids someday, I don't think I'd read it again. - Peace Talks by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files novel, #16) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Originally meant to be one book, Peace Talks was split into two, making this the set up for Battle Ground. As always, Butcher layers the escalation of villains and situations brilliantly, increasing the stakes as all the major players and big scaries gather in hopes of brokering peace. You know things are bad when Mab isn't the scariest person in the room. 😳 - Battle Ground by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files novel, #17) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finally caught up on all the published Dresden Files. I can't say much without spoilers, but there were several WTF moment and I legit got teary eyed in two spots. Definitely a good second act to Peace Ground. Now Butcher just needs to write faster and release the next book! - Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis ⭐⭐⭐+
I've read several of Lewis' books (in addition to the Chronicles of Narnia, which I plan to reread shortly) and this felt very different from all of them. A retelling of Greek mythology's Cupid and Psyche, this is a story about many forms of love, mainly through the eyes of Orual. While I don't know that I'd read it again, I found it very interesting and would definitely recommend reading it. I liked this summary of the themes and would suggest reading it after the book. - The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Book #1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
The simplicity of this story is part of what I love about it, as well as how it beautifully showcases the ramifications of unintended consequences (because choices matter). The creation of Narnia is also one of my favorite moments in the series. - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Book #2) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The quintessential book of the series! I've heard good reasons for starting with this over the Magician's Nephew when first reading the series, since you're meeting the main characters who will return in other books, but personally I prefer reading this one second. - Prince Caspian by CS Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Book #4) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another piece of the Narnia puzzle and introduction to great characters, as well as spending more time with Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. - Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Book #5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Adventure on the high seas! And a (temporary) dragon! 🐉 - The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Book #3) ⭐⭐⭐+
Read this one out of order...oops. I have mixed feelings about this book. If it didn't exist, it wouldn't take away from the series...but it's also different perspective on the Narnia world, so... - Silver Chair by CS Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Book #6) ⭐⭐⭐+
I was sad I didn't enjoy this one as much as I'd remembered. I'm not even sure why, but it just didn't capture my imagination like most of the other books in the series. - The Last Battle by CS Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Book #7) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The series is full of allegories, but this might have had the most - death, faith and end of days at the forefront. It's beautiful, sad and a satisfying culmination of the other stories. Previously my favorite of the series, I think Magician's Nephew actually edged it out this read-through, though it came in close second. - Brideshead Revisisted by Evelyn Waugh ⭐⭐⭐
While beautifully written, I can't say I was a fan overall. When I finished I was truly baffled that it was on the favorites list of several people whose opinion I greatly respect and, even after a well attended and involved book club meeting, I still find it somewhat surprising. Someone said it takes a reread to really appreciate all the symbolism and subtext, which very well may be...but I don't know if/when I'll be willing to invest the time to give it a second shot. - A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins ⭐⭐⭐
I'm a big fan of PH and am pretty sure I've read all of her other books. This one had some interesting twists, but was just a bit too convoluted to be really enjoyable. I wouldn't discourage someone from reading it, but I also wouldn't recommend it. - The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell ⭐⭐⭐
I follow James Breakwell on Instagram, where he provides constant amusement sharing tweets and comics about his wife and daughters, one of whom is nicknamed Waffle. The best comparison I can come up with for this story is a combo of Ender's Game, The Hunger Games and iRobot...in space. - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I reread this in 2020, at which time I upgraded from my well-worn paperback to a first edition hardback from 1938. 😊 Definitely one of my top 20 favorite books, I was glad it made our book club's reading list. Written in the first person, one of the more intriguing aspects is you never learn the protagonist's first name. There were more times when I wanted to say "oh honey!" than I remembered, but it's still so good. I highly recommend watching Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940) and avoiding Netflix's 2020 monstrosity. In case you want to read my rant about it, you can check it out here.
My favorite contemporary author is Blake Crouch and I'm excitedly awaiting for his latest novel - Upgrade. I pre-ordered it through his local bookstore - Maria's Bookshop in Durango - since he signs and adds an inscription upon request. I struggled with what to ask him to write and decided to be super cheesy and ask that he quote himself:
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious."
- Blake Crouch (Dark Matter)
What book(s) are you most looking forward to reading next?
* I like to compare struggling with depression to carrying a backpack. On good days, it's there but you don't really notice it, like wearing an empty backpack. It exists, but doesn't interfere with your daily life. The varying degrees are like adding a brick to the backpack. One brick...eh, you know it's there but it doesn't stop you from doing things. Add a couple more and it's a struggle to get out of bed in the morning. A couple more and reading feels like it takes too much effort. Add a couple more and mere existence feels overwhelming...
** I appreciate consequences in stories and don't like last minute redemptions (in fiction). I've had ongoing discussions about what frustrates me re: The Count of Monte Cristo and Mr. Frog in The Wind in the Willows. Dammit, Mr. Frog! 😆🐸
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