Bookishness

Well, the Gardeners’ World programme started on Friday for 2022. So nice to have it back just as maybe the March lion is giving way to the lamb. Longer days, loads of flowers starting to bloom or promising to, a bit warmer (and slightly less windy). I planted some sunflower seeds (tall and short ones). Will see how that plays out. My neighbours planted hugely tall ones last year and they were amazing. Both cheerful and a bit mad given how big they were.

Put on Le Labo Ylang 49 this morning as 1) it feels in-between the heavy hitter cold weather perfumes and the lighter warmer weather ones and 2) because it’s on the desk (having never made it into the box last autumn). It’s actually just right for today: heavy floral but not too heavy, interesting enough to be distracting; works with our in-between weather. I think something like Serge Lutens Arabie would be too much today.

I read for a living. I also read for relaxation and just because I love reading. I don’t have anything perfume this week so we’re going to talk books.

Because what I read for work is extremely serious (especially right now) most of the stuff I read otherwise is fairly light-weight (my German teacher has suggested the book on Purdue pharma, but I just can’t get my head round the idea right now).

And I follow some series as each new book comes out.

Anyway, the recent and right now reading.

I finished the most recent instalments of two of my favourite series, forensic archeologist Dr Ruth Galloway (Elly Griffiths; crime, bones and magic) and Inspector McLean (James Oswald; Edinburgh and protective cats). The former was very good and promises interesting things for the next book; the latter I’m not sure about. It’s a bit magical realism but there wasn’t enough magic in this segment.

I finished Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal about illness, aging and end of life. It’s pretty harrowing, but it’s also beautifully written (so, compelling, not just scary). Very worthwhile though don’t read it late at night.

I paused my newest series, Longmire (Wyoming sheriff and so much more) for Being Mortal and am now back to that, though I’m reading it upside down (I started fairly far in and am now reading the first book).

And I’ll probably pause that for the next iteration in the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch which comes out in April.

If you haven’t had a look at RoL, I highly recommend. Particularly if you have visited London and loved it or are hoping to visit in the future. More magical realism but it’s central to the narrative so it’s always there (vs Inspector McLean).

Another thing I’m waiting for is the next Charlie Parker book (John Connolly) in August. Somewhere in there I’ll probably start the first Merlin book (The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart) which March commented on a ways back.

And, finally, I’m dipping in and out of Dark Age Ahead (Jane Jacobs) which was published in 2004 and is completely prescient about current times. This is urban development, planning and politics, the mistakes that have been made and how they might play out longer term (she is right much of the time which makes me wonder about who read this when it came out – probably not the people who should have). My son is studying urban planning and human development at university and I had originally thought it could be something I’d pass along to him. Not sure now given how dark it is.

So, how about you? What are you reading? What are you doing in your downtime? What would you prefer to be reading or doing in your downtime?