A Page in the Wind

I finished 1Q84 about a month ago. Leading up to the end all you wanted was for it to turn out alright, for the protagonists to make it. Then it ends and they do and it is simple. After so many hundreds of pages it is simple... and you don't know whether to rejoice or regret. But it's over, and that is that.

My sister finally got me to read Shadow and Bone and the sequel Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. The first one was good but the second was better. It's a trilogy but since the second just came out it will be a while till there's more. The story made me think about the common theme of commoners being raised up because of some hidden innate power or ability. It really brings readers/people in because we all want to be told 'of everyone here you are special, you are singular, you are the only one.'

I also reread A Ring of Endless Light and Troubling a Star by Madeleine L'Engle. A ring of endless light is just so spot on. It makes you want to be in that family that discusses philosophy and poetry. It reminds you of the questioning of affections, of life, of love, of death and despair. I have read few books that really convey this depth of feeling, definitely none others with this breadth and elegance. It is a series of waves washing upon the shore, high tide and low but always beautiful. Troubling a star was my favorite of her books for a while but I think the two are equal. I love a mystery and a poem. Who wouldn't want to visit Antarctica? 

I also read a series by this woman I met at my Japanese class, The Biophilia Omnibus by Wena Poon. I really liked it. The first book was so emphatically first person POV that I felt I was missing alot of details that make it feel 3d but the rest of the books made up for it. Sci-fi and futuristic and dystopian and mythical and a female protagonist who kicks ass. Not to mention that all the literature and opera references made me super happy. 

I have felt terrible lately, so I've buried myself in books and netflix and hockey(to an extent). Next is Le Tour de France which is my favorite time of year. Reading Bukowski is a great way to commiserate. Most of the books on my currently reading list are things I have put down and haven't had the interest or energy to pick back up yet. Though I saw a really interesting movie called Upstream Color that made me think about finishing Walden. A ring of endless light has made me feel like writing a bit though and I started doing some painting a couple weeks ago when my sewing slackened off. But the last couple of days have felt the worst and I am eager to find a therapist just to do something about it.

Currently reading:
Love is a Dog From Hell by Charles Bukowski
Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Lawrence Durrell
Just One Thing by Rick Hanson
The Most Beautiful Walk in the World by John Baxter
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking