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thenerdygirl) wrote2022-03-16 12:40 pm
thenerdygirl) wrote2022-03-16 12:40 pm
Catching up
There’s so much to catch up on my Reading Page and that’s exciting, so many new folks to get to know. I have a little catching up to do as I was away from my computer the weekend. I was engrossed in a couple of library eBooks I wanted to finish before my loans expired. It was a grey, wet, and windy weekend here, the perfect weather for curling up on a couch and reading which is pretty much all I did, aside from a bit of cleaning. I had been feeling wiped out last Friday, enough that I was a little worried I might be sick but luckily by the next day I was fine and there were no other symptoms.
I figure it must have just been the poor sleep I was getting and my anxiety being a bit high last week. A combination of too much twitter, tax season, and my coffee consumption increasing due to being back in the office. When I was working from home I was a tea drinker but at work we have a coffee shop on the main floor of the library so the temptation to walk up to stretch my legs has been too great.
Some of our staff still get their knickers in a knot over the coffee shop which I find funny. I mean, I get it as it is annoying that some students leave their coffee cups in the bookstacks but to be honest they were doing that before the shop opened. People will always sneak food into the library so we might as well have a dedicated eating space. Plus, it’s one of the better coffee spots on campus that also carries local brands & Fairtrade.
Aside from that, the rest of the week so far has been mostly consumed by working and trying to work on my daily habits for drawing & exercise. So far the former is going better though an injury to my right leg is hampering the latter.
We have a staff & faculty art show coming up in April so I’m trying to get a collage piece and maybe an acrylic painting done in time to add to the show.
Book talk
So the books that I finished this weekend were:
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz Chast
A graphic novel about the author’s elderly parents and her experience of taking care of them before they died. The author is a regular New Yorker contributor so her comic style may seem familiar if you’re a reader of the New Yorker. Stories like this are hard so it’s difficult to recommend. I personally find comfort in reading other people’s experiences with loss because it makes me feel less alone in my own experiences. If you feel the same, you might want to check it out. It was very relatable.
Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala
The second instalment of my new favourite cosy mystery series. Like every cosy mystery series it has a running theme based on the heroine’s job/passion. For the main character Lila Macapagal, the running theme is her family restaurant and her own passion for incorporating Filipino food traditions into her baking. I like it largely because I find the characters endearing and the discussion on Filipino food interesting. The mystery does tend to take a backseat at times, which I didn’t mind but if you’re more into the mystery than the cosy you might want to skip this one.
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
This was my first time reading a book by C.J. Cooke and I had no expectations going into this one. Honestly, I just saw that it was a recent addition to my public library and thought the cover & blurb were interesting. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep reading as I didn’t think I was in the mood for a gothic thriller but I got sucked in after a few chapters. It goes back and forth between 1998 to 2021 with POVs from mother Liv and daughters Sapphire & Luna. I don’t want to spoil it but I saw one review saying it was like an adult version of Fear Street which felt apt.
Sidebar, if anyone is looking for more friends on Goodreads or Storygraph feel free to add me over there and I'll add you back.
I figure it must have just been the poor sleep I was getting and my anxiety being a bit high last week. A combination of too much twitter, tax season, and my coffee consumption increasing due to being back in the office. When I was working from home I was a tea drinker but at work we have a coffee shop on the main floor of the library so the temptation to walk up to stretch my legs has been too great.
Some of our staff still get their knickers in a knot over the coffee shop which I find funny. I mean, I get it as it is annoying that some students leave their coffee cups in the bookstacks but to be honest they were doing that before the shop opened. People will always sneak food into the library so we might as well have a dedicated eating space. Plus, it’s one of the better coffee spots on campus that also carries local brands & Fairtrade.
Aside from that, the rest of the week so far has been mostly consumed by working and trying to work on my daily habits for drawing & exercise. So far the former is going better though an injury to my right leg is hampering the latter.
We have a staff & faculty art show coming up in April so I’m trying to get a collage piece and maybe an acrylic painting done in time to add to the show.
Book talk
So the books that I finished this weekend were:
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz Chast
A graphic novel about the author’s elderly parents and her experience of taking care of them before they died. The author is a regular New Yorker contributor so her comic style may seem familiar if you’re a reader of the New Yorker. Stories like this are hard so it’s difficult to recommend. I personally find comfort in reading other people’s experiences with loss because it makes me feel less alone in my own experiences. If you feel the same, you might want to check it out. It was very relatable.
Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala
The second instalment of my new favourite cosy mystery series. Like every cosy mystery series it has a running theme based on the heroine’s job/passion. For the main character Lila Macapagal, the running theme is her family restaurant and her own passion for incorporating Filipino food traditions into her baking. I like it largely because I find the characters endearing and the discussion on Filipino food interesting. The mystery does tend to take a backseat at times, which I didn’t mind but if you’re more into the mystery than the cosy you might want to skip this one.
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
This was my first time reading a book by C.J. Cooke and I had no expectations going into this one. Honestly, I just saw that it was a recent addition to my public library and thought the cover & blurb were interesting. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep reading as I didn’t think I was in the mood for a gothic thriller but I got sucked in after a few chapters. It goes back and forth between 1998 to 2021 with POVs from mother Liv and daughters Sapphire & Luna. I don’t want to spoil it but I saw one review saying it was like an adult version of Fear Street which felt apt.
Sidebar, if anyone is looking for more friends on Goodreads or Storygraph feel free to add me over there and I'll add you back.