Reading Roundup: December 2023

Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.

Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid

Happy New Year Everyone!

Well, the last month flew by and I did not get any writing done. However, I managed to squeeze in quite a bit of reading so I’m going to go ahead and call that a win.

I couldn’t help but choose the Lemony Snicket quote above to kick off my first post of the year as one of my main hopes for 2024 is to finally wrest myself from the persistent phone addiction that has had me in a chokehold since the pandemic. Part of my strategy to achieve this includes bringing a book everywhere I go to get out of the habit of pulling out my phone whenever I need to wait even 5 minutes for something. Another change I’ll be making is no more phone in the bathroom (don’t lie, you do it too). Hopefully these small changes will lead to even more reading this year…one can only hope!

But, without further ado, let’s take a look at all the wonderful things I managed to read in December, shall we? Who knows, maybe you’ll find your next great inspiration here. I certainly took something away from each and every one of these articles, blogs and books; do let me know if you do too, it’s the reason I write these posts in the first place. Happy Reading!

Resolving 2024

Dawn. A cool, clear dawn, with strands of coral cloud parting like old wool to allow the sun to rise through them.

Morgan Llywelyn, Bard

Holy moly we only have two more weeks left to go until 2024. Is anyone else in shock? Anyone else think it’s still actually September because there is no way it’s December 17th? No? Just me? Cool, cool.

It has been a hell of a Fall and beginning of Winter for our household. I think I’m on cold number 4 since September, as are my husband and the kids. For all the amazing moments we get with young kids, the constant illness is definitely a drain on the system.

So, I’m giving myself the gift of the last two weeks of December off from work and writing commitments. Now, that doesn’t mean I can’t schedule some blog posts for the new year if I feel like it but I’m not going to stress myself out trying to post one every Sunday (or beat myself up when some weeks aren’t possible). Merry Christmas to me!

I couldn’t go out without posting my annual Resolution post though. So here it is. May it serve, if nothing else, as a reminder that resolutions are wonderful but not required. If your year turns out to look differently than you planned in a flurry of productivity at the beginning…that’s OK! I think the point is to commit to growing every year, even if we end up growing in ways which are unforeseen.

Solidarity Sunday: Nostalgia

In life you have to learn to count the good days. You have to tuck them in your pocket and carry them around with you.”

Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

I’m not sure if I’ve used this quote in an earlier blog post and apologies if I have (I’m far too lazy to go back and check) but god I love the thought of carrying the good days around with me for when I need them most.

Now, I know I’m incredibly lucky in the beautiful life I have. There are far too many people in this world suffering in truly horrific ways and I am certainly not one of them. That being said, I do have my struggles and some days I feel inexplicably down despite all my numerous blessings. And I’m learning to be OK with these lows because without them the highs would seem infinitely less so.

As part of this process of becoming comfortable with my various emotions, I’ve learned to savour the moments in my life which are undeniably happy. Having been thoroughly enjoyed, I do tend to tuck these moments away and recall then when I’m feeling sad or hopeless. They really do help me to climb out of these dark ruts and back towards the light.

But what about the title of this post, you say. Isn’t nostalgia different than a positive memory? You’re right, brilliant reader. It is. Nostalgia is defined as a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition. Usually this means a sanitized and likely inaccurate memory of a time when everything was simpler and worry-free. So not quite the same thing as a genuinely happy experience which you tuck away for future comfort.

But what about when nostalgia and pure joy collide? That, my friend, is the sweet spot. And something I experienced just this past week…read on for a tale of unbridled joy and much-needed music therapy. And a little life lesson, lovingly offered, for good measure.

Reading Roundup: November 2023

I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.

Dame Agatha Christie

This past month has been a tough one, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. We cycled through several colds in our household, the last one being a doozy and I can safely say I was racked with both misery and coughing fits. As a result of that last rough one, I even spent part of an overnight in the hospital with our youngest with the nurses checking her vitals every hour or so. Thankfully she is just fine now and it ended up being most likely a very mild (thank goodness) case of RSV but it was definitely a scary experience – including her very first (hopefully last) ride in an ambulance!

Suffice it to say, reading has not been much of a priority this month as we’ve been in survival mode but I think we’ve gotten through the worst of it (she says hesitantly not wanting to provoke any celestial last laughs). But I did read some great things even if only one of them was a book proper. And for that I am both thankful and proud. See, Mom? Getting a wee bit less hard on myself finally. What an improvement.

So, without further ado and before we all get sick again…here’s my roundup for the month.

A Knowledgeable Imagination

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Albert Einstein

Now, I’ll admit, this is where things get a little dicey in terms of this particular travelogue. It appears that at this point in the trip I abandoned my travel journal – unsurprisingly perhaps since the next and final chapter took place in the Somme and I am still processing my emotions from that part of the visit (stay tuned).

What does that mean, you ask? Well, it means my tale will continue on with the huge caveat that from here on out I am working from memory sparked by a skeletal itinerary and phone photos alone so…bear with me. From here on out, I know not what bits of my tale come from knowledge and which from imagination.

Regardless, I can say for certain that the emotions I impart will be real as I’ll be reliving them right along with you.

So…with that rather imposing disclaimer out of the way…let’s get to it, shall we?

Solidarity Sunday #17: Struggle

We live each day as if it were merely a rehearsal for the next.

Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Do you ever feel as if at the end of every day, no matter what you have gotten up to, you didn’t manage to do much at all? As if time has moved forward but you have not?

In this age of infinite productivity, it’s hard to truly relax without constantly thinking about all you should be getting done. At least that’s what I struggle with most.

When I’m feeling overwrought mentally, for whatever reason, I get stuck in this space of wanting to check things off my never-ending list to keep myself distracted and yet being unable to find the motivation to do so because, well, I’m overwrought already.

It’s like I know what I want my day to look like and how to spend it in such a way that will be most helpful for my mental health but instead I spend said day merely rehearsing in preparation for when I will really live the day I wish to…which is not helpful or productive.

So what am I trying to say? Well, I’ve been struggling lately, and I know I’m likely not alone in this. So I thought I would write about what it feels like to be in this rehearsal mode and how I’m hoping to get out of it. I hope, at the very least, this might help someone out there to feel less alone. Because in this world filled with over 8 billion other souls you are never, ever truly alone. I hope that is a comforting thought rather than a creepy one…

Reading Roundup: October 2023

“Speak to your darkest and most negative interior voices the way a hostage negotiator speaks to a violent psychopath: calmly, but firmly. Most of all, never back down. You cannot afford to back down. The life you are negotiating to save, after all, is your own.

Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic

I’ll admit, this has not been a great month for writing. In fact, it has been downright dismal. What a wonderful time, therefore, for me to come across my favourite lines from Elizabeth Gilbert’s brilliant Big Magic to remind me how unnecessary and, perhaps, even downright harmful it is to denigrate myself for having such an off month.

I mean, think about it. What do we gain from beating ourselves up so? Who wins in that battle? Certainly not the self being harassed. And not even the self doing the harassing. So…basically…no one wins. My husband often tells me that the worst part about me beating myself up is that he can’t confront the person bullying his love because, well, that person is also his love (albeit a very mean version of her reserved exclusively for self-flagellation).

So, this is me talking to that negative being who lives inside of me: shush you. That’s how hostage negotiators talk…no?

I may not have managed much writing this month but oh boy did I ever manage a bunch of reading. This is going to be a long one! So, get cozy with a nice hot drink and come on a journey with me through the very best of what I read in October.

Solidarity Sunday #16 – Perspective

Life is the most wonderful fairy tale.

Hans Christian Anderson

Now, I already know what you’re thinking when you read that quote (I know, presumptive of me, right?). You’re thinking…Wait, Erin, life is most definitely not a fairy tale. Fairy tales end at the Happily Ever After and we never see what comes after. Real life is everything that comes after with all the struggles, challenges, disappointments and suffering that comes with it.

I mean, Hans Christian Anderson’s “fairy tales” were notoriously dark so…hopefully he didn’t mean that kind of tale. But I digress.

Hang with me for a second.

Because it’s thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, but not only because it’s thanksgiving, how about we try shifting our perspective on life a little bit. Because, yes, life can be hard (and much harder for some than others often because of circumstances completely outside their control). But it can also be delightfully, deliriously beautiful. Much like a fairy tale.

Having had a rough week with a sick preschooler and a teething infant, I desperately needed this reminder right now.

So, let’s shift our thinking and see if we can’t find the fairy tale aspects of our lives, shall we?

Once Upon a Time…

Reading Roundup: September 2023

She rocked a little forward and back in her chair, her mind chasing this thought, then dashing after another.

Renée Gendron, The Ninth Star

I’ll be honest, September was not the most focused of months for me. It’s our first time really having the “back to school” experience as my eldest was returning to preschool for her 2nd and final year and it was…a transition to put it lightly. Sleep has been off, behaviour has been challenging and I’ve been just all-around exhausted.

Perhaps counter-intuitively, when I’m tired reading is usually the last thing I want to do. That does not mean that I don’t find reading relaxing – I do. However, I also need at least some mental energy in order to properly immerse myself in the worlds being painted in the authors’ words – that’s just how I have always approached reading. So, when my mental energy is low, I don’t tend to reach for a book. Does that sound strange? Maybe. But it’s just the type of reader I am and I have come to terms with this.

So, all that being said, if my reading total seems low this month…this is why! Let’s get on with it, shall we?

How do I know I’m a Writer?

A writer is a world trapped in a person

Victor Hugo

I’ve decided that one post a month is going to be dedicated to something writerly. So, with a Solidarity Sunday, Reading Roundup, Travelogue and this that would be 4 posts a month which is admirable…no? At least until the kids start school in earnest, I think this is the most I can commit to.

So, for my first dedicated writerly post (though I’ve written about the importance of writing in my life before) I decided I would answer the eternal question: how do I know I’m a writer when I’ve never been traditionally published?

Well, strap in dear reader. Because I have some thoughts.