I’ve been captured recently by a cozy fantasy series called “The House Witch” and have found that Kacey Musgrave’s new album Deeper Well feels perfect for the spring / winter transition and for where I am in my life right now. I’ve also rediscovered physical books at my library again and it’s been so nice to go visit for a while and pick up any book that grabs my attention!
Good morning! On the advice of Ann Patchett, I recently read “The English Understand Wool” by Helen DeWitt paired with “Our Spoons Came from Woolworths” by Barbara Comyns. Both wholly original voices. “James” by Percival Everett is the best book I’ve read this year. Brilliant in so many ways. Now reading “Say Hello to my Little Friend” by Jennie Capó Crucet. Wild! — failed Pitbull impersonator meets Lolita, the captive Miami Seaquarium orca. I’m looking forward to hiking up a hillside near my home to look for trillium in bloom. Hope your writing is going well, Katherine (and all the writers on this thread!).
2 books have been on my mind. One I just finished “Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden” by Camille T. Dungy. And one I’m currently reading “How to Live Free in a Dangerous World” by Shayla Lawson. One set in gardens and one in different countries around the world and what those spaces can teach us from the perspectives of two Black women.
I'm reading a few books at the moment. Landlines, by Raynor Winn. She always takes her reader on such glorious journeys, both through the landscapes and through the emotions.
I'm enjoying 'Birdsong in a Time of Silence', by Steven Lovatt, reading the paper book and listening to the audiobook (which has birdsong to start each chapter). It's a wonderful book, but as with so many things about the natural world, it makes me sad to think just how much humans are harming the rest of the species we inhabit this planet with.
And a friend gifted me a copy of 'Weathering' by Ruth Allen. "How the earth's deep wisdom can help us endure life's storms'. I'm REALLY looking forward to this, I love the lessons we can learn from nature about how to live our own lives.
My library book club is reading 'In Cold Blood', by Truman Capote this month, and I do have to start reading it. Not my usual sort of reading, but that is exactly why I joined the book club, to read more widely.
I am starting to emerge from 4 months of apathy about music, a very distressing symptom of depression, and am hyperfocusing on Super Furry Animals' masterpiece 'Run! Christian Run!'. I also went to see my violin teacher in her orchestra last night, and am looking forward to returning to my own playing after not having picked it up since the depression hit in January.
I am also very excited about the seedlings that are sprouting from the wildflower seeds I threw in my garden, and am looking forward to seeing more growth, and planting some vegetable seeds in the same 'let them fall where they will' sort of approach. I'm definitely more hunter/gatherer than farmer, so I'm just going to roll with it!
I'm slowly making my way through Ruth Allen's Weathering. Also Suppose a Sentence by Brian Dillon - writing around many sentences from other writers that he has collected over the years.
Also looking forward to The Garden Against Time! Currently indulging my inner teenager with a reread of Guy Gavriel Kay fantasy novels, next up is Floating Coast: an environmental history of the Bering Strait by Bathsheba Demuth which looks fascinating. Finally got my reading mojo back after a long slump since the pandemic - the trick for me seems to be to alternate between fiction and non fiction.
I just read (disclosure: she's a good friend of mine) A.H. Kim's new book "Relative Strangers," which is a modern, Korean-American retelling of "Sense and Sensibility," inspired in particular by Ang Lee's film adaptation. It was really cozy and wonderful. Highly recommended.
Just finished Thunderhead by Miranda Darling, wow, not a long book but powerful. Listening to amazing Elissa Altman read Motherland, resonating with my own mother stuff (both as a daughter and mother). As always Taskmaster for sanity! Baby reindeer was …….. keen to hear if anyone else has seen it what they thought.
I have a few books on the go right now! Intimations by Zadie Smith, which I’m reading in hopes of improving my own essay writing skills. The Collected Schizophrenias by Esme Weijun Wang, which is another beautiful collection of essays. As well as a fantasy novel by Kim Harrison called Three Kinds of Lucky. It’s a first in a new series and I’m really enjoying the world building! Also, I am a Swiftie so I’ve been listening the The Tortured Poets Department since Thursday evening and enjoying the new album immensely! 😻
nordic noir series .. buy on amazon prime, buy CD set 4 seasons from Ebay or ?? or stream from MHV. they seem to have some good intro deals. enjoying the book Slewfoot by Brom. folk horror which is a new genre for me
I'm in a reading slump at the moment - just not enjoying any of the books I have picked up !! I just finished a re-read of I capture the Castle and nothing is quite living up to it !!
My weekly writing group doesn't read poetry, only fiction and non-fiction. They say it's because they don't know how to properly critique poetry. I love being this crazy group so I'm writing a novel. So far, I've received some positive comments on my writing. Yea! Spring is here so I've been scouting out hiking trails. I got the AllTrails App and found a one nearby. It's a flat, in and out five miles, been three times so far. I get great writing ideas while I'm out there so I bring along my trusty notebook and pen with me. (channeling Mary Oliver again).
As far as movies go, I am addicted to Asian Indian Hindi language films with strong women characters and English subtitles. When the woman is the leader in detective movies, the subordinates always call her "madam, sir." It cracks me up.
I’ve been captured recently by a cozy fantasy series called “The House Witch” and have found that Kacey Musgrave’s new album Deeper Well feels perfect for the spring / winter transition and for where I am in my life right now. I’ve also rediscovered physical books at my library again and it’s been so nice to go visit for a while and pick up any book that grabs my attention!
Good morning! On the advice of Ann Patchett, I recently read “The English Understand Wool” by Helen DeWitt paired with “Our Spoons Came from Woolworths” by Barbara Comyns. Both wholly original voices. “James” by Percival Everett is the best book I’ve read this year. Brilliant in so many ways. Now reading “Say Hello to my Little Friend” by Jennie Capó Crucet. Wild! — failed Pitbull impersonator meets Lolita, the captive Miami Seaquarium orca. I’m looking forward to hiking up a hillside near my home to look for trillium in bloom. Hope your writing is going well, Katherine (and all the writers on this thread!).
2 books have been on my mind. One I just finished “Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden” by Camille T. Dungy. And one I’m currently reading “How to Live Free in a Dangerous World” by Shayla Lawson. One set in gardens and one in different countries around the world and what those spaces can teach us from the perspectives of two Black women.
I'm reading a few books at the moment. Landlines, by Raynor Winn. She always takes her reader on such glorious journeys, both through the landscapes and through the emotions.
I'm enjoying 'Birdsong in a Time of Silence', by Steven Lovatt, reading the paper book and listening to the audiobook (which has birdsong to start each chapter). It's a wonderful book, but as with so many things about the natural world, it makes me sad to think just how much humans are harming the rest of the species we inhabit this planet with.
And a friend gifted me a copy of 'Weathering' by Ruth Allen. "How the earth's deep wisdom can help us endure life's storms'. I'm REALLY looking forward to this, I love the lessons we can learn from nature about how to live our own lives.
My library book club is reading 'In Cold Blood', by Truman Capote this month, and I do have to start reading it. Not my usual sort of reading, but that is exactly why I joined the book club, to read more widely.
I am starting to emerge from 4 months of apathy about music, a very distressing symptom of depression, and am hyperfocusing on Super Furry Animals' masterpiece 'Run! Christian Run!'. I also went to see my violin teacher in her orchestra last night, and am looking forward to returning to my own playing after not having picked it up since the depression hit in January.
I am also very excited about the seedlings that are sprouting from the wildflower seeds I threw in my garden, and am looking forward to seeing more growth, and planting some vegetable seeds in the same 'let them fall where they will' sort of approach. I'm definitely more hunter/gatherer than farmer, so I'm just going to roll with it!
I'm slowly making my way through Ruth Allen's Weathering. Also Suppose a Sentence by Brian Dillon - writing around many sentences from other writers that he has collected over the years.
Also looking forward to The Garden Against Time! Currently indulging my inner teenager with a reread of Guy Gavriel Kay fantasy novels, next up is Floating Coast: an environmental history of the Bering Strait by Bathsheba Demuth which looks fascinating. Finally got my reading mojo back after a long slump since the pandemic - the trick for me seems to be to alternate between fiction and non fiction.
Weyward by Emilia Hart - the voices of three wild weyward women. Couldn't put it down!
I just read (disclosure: she's a good friend of mine) A.H. Kim's new book "Relative Strangers," which is a modern, Korean-American retelling of "Sense and Sensibility," inspired in particular by Ang Lee's film adaptation. It was really cozy and wonderful. Highly recommended.
Reading Table for Two….Amor Towles. Just delightful
Just finished Thunderhead by Miranda Darling, wow, not a long book but powerful. Listening to amazing Elissa Altman read Motherland, resonating with my own mother stuff (both as a daughter and mother). As always Taskmaster for sanity! Baby reindeer was …….. keen to hear if anyone else has seen it what they thought.
I have a few books on the go right now! Intimations by Zadie Smith, which I’m reading in hopes of improving my own essay writing skills. The Collected Schizophrenias by Esme Weijun Wang, which is another beautiful collection of essays. As well as a fantasy novel by Kim Harrison called Three Kinds of Lucky. It’s a first in a new series and I’m really enjoying the world building! Also, I am a Swiftie so I’ve been listening the The Tortured Poets Department since Thursday evening and enjoying the new album immensely! 😻
raises hand wildly! The BRIDGE
nordic noir series .. buy on amazon prime, buy CD set 4 seasons from Ebay or ?? or stream from MHV. they seem to have some good intro deals. enjoying the book Slewfoot by Brom. folk horror which is a new genre for me
I'm in a reading slump at the moment - just not enjoying any of the books I have picked up !! I just finished a re-read of I capture the Castle and nothing is quite living up to it !!
I've recently finished The Well Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith, and Awe by Dacher Keltner
Ooh I would love to read the clay book! I just finished Weyward, which I loved.
My weekly writing group doesn't read poetry, only fiction and non-fiction. They say it's because they don't know how to properly critique poetry. I love being this crazy group so I'm writing a novel. So far, I've received some positive comments on my writing. Yea! Spring is here so I've been scouting out hiking trails. I got the AllTrails App and found a one nearby. It's a flat, in and out five miles, been three times so far. I get great writing ideas while I'm out there so I bring along my trusty notebook and pen with me. (channeling Mary Oliver again).
As far as movies go, I am addicted to Asian Indian Hindi language films with strong women characters and English subtitles. When the woman is the leader in detective movies, the subordinates always call her "madam, sir." It cracks me up.