Last weekend, before heading in for my eye test (and for my wife to get a corneal abrasion checked, so things were already going downhill), I thought to myself, “I feel like I need new books. It feels like that sort of week.”
Reader, I don’t know if I should worry that I cursed us, or just be glad that I stocked up on some extra joy beforehand, because my wife broke an ankle on Sunday and our elderly rabbit has been refusing to eat properly. Since Lisa isn’t supposed to put any weight on that ankle, and we live in a first-floor (that’s second-floor in American) flat which had until yesterday a hole in the floor stretching almost the length of the hallway, it’s been fun and games. There’s also a bunch of associated drama where basically no one in the NHS wants to handle treating the broken ankle, so we’re not going to be seeing the fracture clinic until mid-March at the earliest. (Luckily, A&E did put on a cast.) It’s all a bit much.
So… let’s talk about books, instead!
Acquired this week
I got a couple of finished copies of books I had to review (hello, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales), which I won’t showcase again, but also a bunch of totally new-to-me books. As ever, it’s a bit of a random mix… First up, the non-fiction!
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks and A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects were both on buy-one-get-one-free, and I must confess to loving that kind of history, usually. So I grabbed those somewhat on a whim. I’d wanted The Book Forger for a while, and as for The Cleopatras, I can never really resist Egyptian history. Also, the author is from Cardiff University, and has a very Welsh name, which amused me.
I did also get a couple of new fiction books, one of which (Sorcery and Small Magics) I’d been eyeing for quite a while. Breath of the Dragon I’d come across more recently, and it also looks really good.
So that’s my haul!
Posts from this week
There have been fewer posts than usual because I just haven’t had the mental capacity, but I did get a few reviews up, so let’s do a roundup as usual!
- Fantasy novella: The Orb of Cairado, by Katherine Addison (4/5 stars)
- Crime short stories: Lessons in Crime, ed. Martin Edwards (4/5 stars)
- Non-fiction: The Immune Mind, by Dr Monty Lyman (4/5 stars)
- Non-fiction: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, by Amanda Montell (3/5 stars)
- Comic: Immortal Red Sonja, vol 1, by Dan Abnett et al (3/5 stars)
What I’m reading
It’s been a week rather low on reading, given the fact that I’m now doing double the chores, etc, etc. So there’s just one book I read that I plan to review, when I get chance.
I’m hoping to get some more reading time this weekend, and find a way to wind down a bit. I’m just getting started on Katherine Addison’s The Tomb of Dragons, and I’d love to spend more time with that. Wish me luck!
Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, and the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz, as usual!
So sorry to hear about yer wife’s ankle. Yikes! Also sad to hear that the bunny is not feeling at its best. I hope the books bring some comfort or distraction. Does yer wife read a lot too? The delay to the doctor is a lot. Ugh. Don’t forget to take care of yourself too!
x The Captain
Lisa doesn’t read as much as me, but they do read quite a bit — and if they get into a series I’m partway through reading, I usually can’t keep up, haha.
At least A&E put a cast on etc, and gave us crutches and some medication. I wish things were all connecting up better, though!
Good luck with getting medical care… a fracture sounds quite troublesome.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Yes, and there’s a fragment of bone loose, so it’s very annoying that the fracture clinic want to wait until it’s been healing for four weeks to take a look themselves. At least A&E put on a cast and gave some medication to start with. I’m very shocked at how laissez-faire this all is, though.
Oh no…what a week with your wife, I hope the both of you are getting on well so far
Thank you! We’re managing more or less.
That definitely sounds like a week that could use some good distraction. Sending healing thoughts in the direction of your wife — that sounds like a lot to deal with.
Thank you! It’s been a long week, ugh.
Sorry to hear about your week – hope it gets better. A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks was an interesting read, but more history and less shipwrecks than I was hoping for, given his fiction.
Thank you. And interesting, I don’t know about any other books by the author, I’m just always attacted by “A History of X in Y [Things]” books, haha.
The two new fictions sound interesting! Hope you and your wife are on the mend soon! Here’s hoping all your struggles are out of the way for a while 🙂
Thank you — here’s hoping…
How can they possibly justify delaying treatment for a broken bone, that seems ridiculous!, Maybe your GP can suggest an alternative? And I’m sorry your bunny isn’t well.
I hope the books provide some much needed stress relief.
Wishing you a better week!
I guess they’re happy that the A&E did an x-ray and put a cast on, and figure that’s all that needs to be done for now. It seems weird though because there’s a shard of bone that was enough to concern the doctor in A&E; you’d think they’d want to check the healing.
And thank you. I’ve found more time to read this weekend, at least, which is always soothing!
I hope your wife and the bunny feel better soon! I’m curious about The Book Forger. I need to look that one up.
Thank you! And yes, I’m very curious about it, too!
It sounds to me like a broken bone is something that should be seen to right away. I hope Lisa is able to get in earlier than expected. Children recover quickly from broken bones, but we adults have a slower rate of healing.
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks and A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects both sound like books I’d like to read. I’m off to see if I can find these around here and get on a waiting list.
At least we’ve been to A&E, so there’s been an initial x-ray and a cast put on, but… yikes, you know?
Good luck! Gotta love libraries, I’ve been putting so many books on my holds list lately…
Looking forward to Tomb of Dragons a LOT! I hope E’s ankle heals okay!
I’m now over half-way into it and I’m not yet sure what I make of certain aspects of it, but I’m trying to trust and wait for the end!
Ugh! That is a lot! I hope Lisa isn’t suffering too much and that your bunny starts eating again. Okay, The History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is calling to me. Take care!
Thank you! Here’s hoping. Have a good week!
Sorry you had a tough week. I hope things improve this week. Happy reading!
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Thank you! So far, at least, things haven’t got worse, so that’s a start.
I am so sorry to hear about your wife’s broken ankle. Honestly I thought the health system was better where you are, sucks here getting approvals for anything. I sure hope she’s not in too much pain. And your poor rabbit! What a week. I feel like I should send you a book or something to bring joy!
I’m surprised I haven’t done more stress-relief bookshopping, to be honest — but then things have been pretty expensive. Not the healthcare (fortunately that is free) but the transport, buying convenience food because I’m doing everything right now (and can’t cook to begin with, let alone when I’m so busy), renting a knee scooter for a bit more mobility, etc etc.
To be honest, the speed of healthcare here really depends on which “trust” you’re in. The trust we’re under seems to be awful, while my mother (just 20 minutes down the motorway!) had a really good experience with a fracture clinic in December, got seen a bunch of times really quickly, etc. It’s driving me nuts.
Oh no! What a week. I hope that your wife gets seen earlier, that your rabbit gets better, and that you get some reading time!
I do like the sound of the 100 objects book!
Thank you! I’ve managed to make more reading time today, fortunately.