People, I am bored.
There's way more to it than that, of course, but boredom is a very bad thing for me. Boredom added to, well - this - is extra doubly bad. My work hours have been reduced to a tiny amount. Netflix perusal is often a frustration. There is only so much yoga or running or avoiding running or yoga one can do. The garden is under snow. The seeds have been ordered. Cakes have been baked and delivered. Monthly cooking sessions are scheduled with Ronald McDonald House. Honestly, at this point, nothing holds much meaning for me. Thinking of more things to do or something new to learn - it's just not happening.
I stare at the bookshelves and feel immensely - bored. I have a stack of non-fiction from the library, but I am already so far down I can't convince myself to care enough to open one up. That is serious apathy. I'm thinking maybe fiction would help. I've read through my step-son's suggestions at least once. So - lay 'em on me: I need some good fiction suggestions.
Um. Keep in mind I am not a fan of sudden, unexpected death with resultant "transformation" endings. If you love a book that has that element, at least let me know it's in there.
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And, an odd obscure fact for today, Friday the 13th: both friday (named for freya, a correlate of the goddess Venus) and the number 13 (for the 13 lunar months in a year) were once considered sacred and holy. As with so many formerly sacred things, they were eventually deemed evil or unlucky. Apparently, back in the day, friday the 13th was considered especially lucky, and you were meant to celebrate venus by making love all day. Over here, boredom and sadness overtook me and I napped most of the day. Not exactly a venus celebration, but least I was in bed.
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A bit hard ... I'm drawn to books that include death. I love Tim Winton's "Cloud Street". Tim's writing is like poetry. ... but yes ... death is there. and drowning death at that. so not a great recommendation at all.
ReplyDeleteDrat! You had me until drowning.
DeleteI don't mind death, I guess it's more the transformation part that makes me fling books. I will check him out though, and see if there is a non-drowning something.
i like Twain's "A Pen Warmed Up In Hell." for dark humor there's Edward Gorey and Ambrose Bierce's "Devil's Dictionary." i am a book-a-holic so my list would be very very long. if you want options, i could give you 1000's. i wish you peace.
ReplyDeletegood ones! Even just the title of the twain one is great. I shall see if the library has them.
DeleteI'm not a fiction reader, so can't recommend anything along that line, but if you haven't already read these, I think you might enjoy them. David Carroll's autobiography, "Self-Portrait with Turtles". Just about anything by the biologist, Bernd Heinrich, but particularly "A Year in the Maine Woods" and "The Trees in My Forest" but also "Mind of the Raven" and "One Man's Owl". There is also Diane Ackerman - I very much enjoyed "The Moon by Whale Light". Another by her that you might enjoy is "Dawn Light: Dancing With Cranes and other ways to start the day". When I am feeling bored with winter, longing to be out in nature again, or just plain sad, these are the kinds of books that help me to feel better.
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually a fiction reader either, that's why I'm stumped. I will check out what you've mentioned. These are the kinds of books I normally read - just feeling bored with the stack of things I own and haven't yet read, and not having the energy to go to the library and search. I have a pile of thomas merton books from the library, but I'm not feeling it.
Deletei'll make a strange recommendation- i find a lot of escape/joy in watching these korean dramas with subtitles. they're kind of addictive, and the comedies are actually very clever/funny. Maybe it's because of the subtitles too, but they really allow me to escape for just a bit- and they're quite popular now- so they're on hulu if you go under genre- korean drama- i can recommend a couple of really funny ones: my lovely sam soon, the woman who still wants to get married, coffee house. there are some cultural things to get used to that might seem strange at first, but the writing and characters are really great and you're sad when it ends because you come to love them so much. anyway- of course, take it or leave it. :)
ReplyDeleteoh I am so going to check those out. Thank you.
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