Sunday 23 January 2022

Another

 Well another day bites the dust.   They no sooner come than they go.   Nothing much planned for today but T and S called this morning on their brisk walk through to town - just a good walk for a day like this - very little sun, a sharp wind and cold.   They called on their way down, left their car here and promised to call in for coffee on the return journey.   And they were back surprisingly quickly - what it is to be young!! (well a good ten years younger than me).   After eating my lunch I thought I would wrap up well and walk myself but after sticking my nose out of the door decided against it.  So a lazy day really - my son called late in the afternoon and I offloaded a pile of books on him - books he thinks I should read but which are too 'deep' for me these days.   Do you still read deep. what I would call heavy, books or are you - like me - past taking on the heavy stuff?

One more week and January is behind us for another year.   How quickly time flies by and how, this time of the year, we all hanker for the beginnings of Spring.  A friend's daffodils, popped through my letter box yesterday, are opening in my kitchen today.   By morning they will all be out.   See you then.


27 comments:

flis said...

I thought of you today when I was walking with my dogs-"I must tell Pat"I said to myself on hearing a woodpecker tap tap tapping-I didn't see it though-perhaps another day x

Susan said...

It has been very cold. That said, this afternoon it is just at the freezing mark and 32 degrees F. A real warm-up! Soon it will be milder and we will all rejoice. Your daffodils must be very cheerful in full bloom.

Melinda from Ontario said...

As much as I enjoy waking up each morning and beginning a new day, I am growing weary of the bla days of January. I need a little spring in my life...bring on the daffodils and the birds building their nests.
I've never enjoyed books that were too deep. But oh do I love an engrossing plot line. Good books are helping me fill the time on these loooong winter days.

JayCee said...

Good friends popping in for coffee and a chat. Nothing better.

thelma said...

Another pleasant Sunday comes and goes. That is always the problem with flowers in winter the heat of the house makes them open too quickly, and then they are gone. Daffodils are appearing everywhere in boxes, a £1 a bunch, green stalks, flowerhead still sheathed and then the bright yellow.

Hilary said...

I agree ...as I get older if the reading is too heavy, I'm on to something else.

Tom Stephenson said...

Books are like relationships between young people. If you have to work too hard on a relationship in your youth, give it up. Sooner or later you will find a book which you can settle down with and read over an over again, getting something new out of it each time. Now I sound like Patience Strong.

Heather said...

I'm afraid I am a 'lightish' reader and have probably never been a reader of heavy books, but I do enjoy a really well written story.
I shall not look forward to Spring for another month at least for fear of tempting providence - I don't trust February!

Rachel Phillips said...

I don't see the book thing as age related. It is more of a choice thing and we know what to choose for ourselves.

The Weaver of Grass said...

flis -. I have neither seen nor heard one this year yet. Lucky you with that woodpecker

the veg artist said...

I think reading seems heavy or not depending on whether we are interested in the topic/story. If I have to think 'why', then I propably won't read it.
And I heard a woodpecker a few days ago too - I'd just come out of the shower at about 7.45am, the bathroom window was open, and it was hammering away for ages. First one this year.

Chris said...

Definitely don't read "heavy books" whether they are heavy in content or in weight!

sparklingmerlot said...

I often find deep in light reading. I guess it depends on your frame of mind as you read. Years ago for book club we read Eat Pray Love. It struck a chord with me but the others hated it. I think if I read it now I would also find it irritating. If I have to think to much about what I'm reading I tend to give up. A book should absorb and even challenge but never make you aware that you are reading - my theory anyway. I wish we had daffodils but it's the height of summer. I shall settle for my roses.

Anonymous said...

Recently I was intrigued by obituaries of Joan Dideon, a much respected American journalist and author, who died in December aged 87. Her life and work has been fascinating and her books hard to get here.
The library is trying hard for me but the first story they obtained is 'Salvador'(1983)and it is indeed heavy in every respect - I have been thrown in the deepest end of-the civil war in El Salvador with gruesome, facts, figures and political reports and US embassy communications. I am finding it too difficult and definitely not the book to begin this fascinating search into her life. I'll keep my fingers crossed others arrive soon.- Pam, Aust.

Joanne Noragon said...

I won't miss January. It takes so long to recover from a broken leg.

Hilde said...

I usually have several books which I read depending on the time of day and my state of mind - "heavy" or non-fiction in the morning or after my nap, "light" ones in the evening and in bed. There were times when I thought I had to finish every book I had started reading, but now I ask myself after about fifty pages if I really want to read it.

Librarian said...

Like flis, I have heard my first woodpecker of the year - last weekend near the Black Forest (where else!).
Most of my reading is meant to entertain me, to tell me a good story and/or to pass the time while waiting for or sitting on trains. But I greatly enjoy a good work of non-fiction. It is as welcome as substantial, savoury food after having been nibbling on sweets for too long.

Jennyff said...

I will always have a pile of books I should read, I got through a few during our Italian lock down when the easy readers ran out. Perhaps its too late for self improvement and I shall stick to what I really enjoy.

Sue said...

Time is whizzing by, already we are in the third week of January ... how did that happen!!

No, I've not read a 'heavy book' for a while, I'm lacking concentration and at the moment I like anything that I can pick up and put down again after a few minutes. Recipe books are good for that, and I get a few ideas while I'm browsing.

The Weaver of Grass said...

We seem to be a fairly varied lot when it comes to reading don't we? I suppose a good example of 'it takes all sorts'

The Feminine Energy said...

No, I don't read "deep" anymore. Just "light" for me!! ~Andrea xoxoxo

Ellen D. said...

I usually read mysteries but just lately I have read two other books that really caught my interest and kept me up reading past my usual bedtime - "V2" by Robert Harris and "Keeper of Lost Things" by Ruth Hogan.
I don't force myself to finish a book anymore as I used to do. Time is too short and there are too many books to read!
Glad you enjoyed your day!

Fifitr said...

I am inclined to reading detective fiction and thrillers for the most part, but occasionally kick myself into rereading an old favourite 'heavyweight' or trying someone new. I do frequently go back to Stearne, Richardson and other 18th century writers whose prose is so beautifully constructed, and some of the more challenging late 20th century authors like Pynchon and Vonnegut, but rarely read anything contemporary that's much of a challenge - McEwan or Pat Barker would be about as deep as I go among the more recent writers.

Like annonymous I have several works by Joan Didion on order at the library but so far they have not been able to produce any so I am currently reading my way through the British Library Crime series of reprints in the hope of finding some forgotten author of great quality from the 30s or 40s. Not much luck so far though!

Country Cottage said...

I tend to read a variety of books depending on my mood but the one genre that I have never gotten into is romance novels. At the moment I am reading Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Well at least I am not the only one who has gone 'light' for the most part - thats a relief.

Granny Sue said...

I'm afraid I don't want to read serious, heavy books any more either. I am about halfway through The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash and just put it down. Just too much hardship, horrible things happening to the characters, and I could see it heading to a hopeless ending. I don't need any of those things in a fiction title...real life these days has enough of that.

Amanda said...

As things have gotten crazier, I've been wanting lighter reading. Reality is grim enough! One of my favorite memories of our last European trip was stepping outside of our B&B in Dublin at dusk and there was a blackbird singing. Such a lovely song. Enjoyed that so much. In the States we have the northern mockingbird as a night-time singer. Some are annoyed as they can sing all night, but I have always loved them for it.