READING! (and, Eating and Thinking…)
Oh boy. I just finished an amazing book: If I describe it as a mashup of Harry Potter, Jane Austen and War and Peace, would that sound really weird? Well, it is a weird book! But I feel like even using those three comparisons leaves out a certain element of this book. The story takes place in England in the early 1800s. England has a rich history of magic, but hardly anyone practices it anymore… except for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. The story revolves around the two men- their friendship, their rivalry, and a deeper undercurrent of ancient magic at work. This book is a time commitment (but so worth it) with multiple elements of the story that all come together in the end. The writing is incredible- so much humor that I really loved. The parts where magic is happening are mesmerizing- “Invisible doors seemed to be opening all around him; winds blew on him from far away, bringing scents of woods, moors and bogs. Images flew unbidden into his mind. The houses around him were no longer empty. He could see inside them as if the walls had been removed. Each room contained- not a person exactly- a Being, and Ancient Spirit…Then a new, different sensation took him: it was a sensation not unlike falling, and yet he remained standing. It was as if his mind had fallen down.” It’s one of those books that are hard to follow up. I mean- NOW what am I going to read? To solve this problem temporarily, I’m reading an Agatha Christie, Murder on the Links. This is a good “transitional” book because I don’t expect too much from it. I mean- I know I’ll enjoy it (providing I don’t remember the ending- I initially read it as a teenager) but I’m not expecting it to be anything other than a fun mystery. I’m also almost done with this book: Nothing absolutely earth-shattering here. A lot of it I’ve read or heard before in various forms, but it’s always good to have a reminder. There were a few chapters that are worth a deeper dive, and I’ll do a separate post on those. Eating-wise… I made black bean soup from Nora Cooks. It was delicious- but when I served it to my daughter she said “Wow, this looks really unappetizing.” Yeah, it did kind of look like throw up, I guess. (I didn’t say those words out loud, OBVIOUSLY.) But she ate it, so I consider it a major win. Moving forward food-wise, my husband has TWO WEEKS OFF for spring break! That’s what happens when you teach at a private school. He does have some playing gigs coming up, but he said on the nights he’s home, he’ll cook. WOW! This will be the best two weeks ever. Moving forward life-wise… this is my birthday week! My birthday is Friday, and guess how old I’ll be? FIFTY NINE. WHAT. That’s almost… sixty??????? No, I can’t be that old? Can I? I feel like I’m thirty (okay, maybe forty.) Sixty sounds so old, but I don’t FEEL old?! What is going on here? I’m definitely pondering some Deep Thoughts, and oh yes, you’ll get to hear all about them. Any suggestions for what I should read next? Do you like birthdays? – I do! Top photo by Valentin Antonini on Unsplash