I've decided on a quick (probably rather mysterious) note to any of you who may have been wondering why I haven't posted in the last ten days or so. For a combination of reasons, I find myself so mentally fatigued at the moment that I cannot summon the energy to write even the shortest of book reviews. I don't know when, or even if, I'll resume doing so. No one thing is responsible for the way I feel right now; it's more of a perfect storm kind of thing.
In the meantime, I plan to "scribble" a note or two when I have a thought to share with you guys. I don't want to disappear, and I won't. The notes will be partially for my own record keeping / journalizing, but I hope you find them interesting enough to comment on every now and then.
Booker Prize Update:
I've read eight of the thirteen Booker Prize nominees now, and I've decided that I like this year's list, taken as a whole, better than last year's. This is how I personally rank the eight I've read so far:
*The Safekeep - Yael Van Der Wouden - 5.00 stars
My Friends - Hisham Matar - 4.75 stars
*James - Percival Everett - 4.50 stars
Wild Houses - Colin Barrett - 3.75 stars
Headshot - Rita Bulwinkel - 3.50 stars
Wandering Stars - Tommy Orange - 2.75 stars
This Strange Eventful History - Claire Messoud - 2.50 stars
*Orbital - Samantha Harvey - 2.00 stars
* on shortlist
This leaves me with five of the thirteen nominees still to be read - and three of those five are on the shortlist. Next up is likely to be Held by Anne Michaels since I have a copy of that one on hand.
Although, I'm not doing formal reviews of my reading right now, I will be happy to discuss the books via comments here on the blog. Please do holler at me.
Hi Sam, I hope you feel better soon and I know what you mean about not having the energy for reviews. I feel that way too and I would like to try short reviews but they are just as hard to write.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see My Friends made it to number 2 on your list. Hisham Matar did a very good job in letting us know Khaled, his thoughts and feelings.
Thanks, Kathy. I'm happy that you understand, and I appreciate your support, but I'm sorry to see you are feeling something so similar. And you are right...short reviews are not all that easy to produce. Sort of like how short stories are as difficult to get right as whole novels, I've always thought.
DeleteHope you feel better! Don't push yourself to write until you are in the mood again. Try some television mysteries as a change - I am enjoying Moonflower Murders on PBS and a new series based on L.R. Wright's books which just started on Fox. Except for sports, I don't watch much TV but the Patriots are struggling, the Red Sox have concluded their season, and college basketball has not begun, so it is nice to have a distraction.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions, Constance. I don't think much would come from a push right now even if I tried to do it. I've been streaming more television lately, and that's definitely helped - especially the stuff from Acorn and The France Channel. Seems easier for me to escape into those worlds than when I watch an American or Canadian produced show for some reason. My sports teams have all been kind of mediocre in recent years, and I've focused more on the college level than the pros. But now that the colleges are running professional leagues of their own, even that is kind of depressing.
DeleteOh dear. This sounds like how my head has been feeling for months. I still try. Do hope we continue to hear from you, even if it's short book notes instead of lengthy reviews. I'm glad that you're still enjoying reading.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that you're feeling that way, too, Jeane. Honestly, I think I've seen that in a lot of "us" lately because it's not an easy thing for a blogger to hide forever. I don't want to disappear, and I'll figure out a new approach soon, I hope.
DeleteThose could have been my words, Sam. Mental and emotional for me. Just exhausted. And I find even the good things tire me out. I sometimes struggle to find my old self. So glad you will still post. Try to take good care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteNan, I hear you. The strange thing is that it was not one major catastrophe to grieve over that did this...just a whole bunch of stuff that started happening all at once. Seems as if a new problem pops up every time I solve an old one. I think my tipping point was losing a couple of lifetime friends very close together. But that's not really the answer either. You take care of yourself, too. I hope that 2025 gives both of you guys a reason for a positive refresh. Maybe this all started with Covid?
DeleteI am so very sorry about your friends.
DeleteFor me covid was a pretty good time. We spent a lot of time with our daughter and soninlaw and granddaughter. No one was busy. And we saw friends in different ways. Sitting farther apart on the porch.
I don't think this tiredness is only because we are older. My mother died when I was 25, and I lacked energy and strength for a long time.
You are right about one thing after another. "Now what" has been said in this house quite often.
Losing two friends so suddenly and so close together was quite a shock, Nan, and kind of a wake-up call. It really was kind of the last straw.
DeleteCovid was awful for us as a family. My father died in 2020 and none of us were allowed to be with him at his deathbed or to attend the funeral; our 50th wedding celebration had to be cancelled and never did get rescheduled; my granddaughter had her senior year at Texas A&M and her graduation pretty much ruined; and that's the year I lost several friends to Covid within about four months. I did enjoy some of the downtime and how much simpler life was in so many ways, but that year was such a blow overall that I don't think I've ever really gotten over all the emotional trauma we went through.
You're right. The tiredness is not just age; it's as much an attitude tiredness as it is anything else. That "now what" feeling is compounded by the difficulty in getting repairs done that resulted from the hurricane of early July...still trying to get some of that taken care of, knowing that's just preparing for the next round of storms that blast through here. It's a constant battle.
I keep coming by to see if you have written, and haven't known where to write to you so figured I'd do it in the comments of this so poignant a post and your own comments. It is so sad that your father died during that time. I have read of many people who couldn't be with someone who was dying because of the virus. I don't think you are alone in you not being over that time. I just hope you can begin feeling better. I'm sure I am not the only one worried about you. Thinking about you.
DeleteNan, my blog email address is bookchaseblog@gmail.com Would love to hear from you, and appreciate the concern. Just not up to much public commenting these days although I miss everyone. Sam
DeleteGlad to know you're still alive, but sorry that you're feeling so mentally fatigued. Life can be so exhausting sometimes. Especially when one hard thing follows another without giving you any time to catch your breath or recharge your emotional batteries. Sometimes you just need a break from it all. At least you're still enjoying reading. Wishing you all the best this week!
ReplyDeleteReading has always been an escape for me as much as anything else. Thank goodness it still works that way even as I find myself with less and less patience for books that don't speak to me pretty quickly. Thanks for the good wishes. All things pass with time - one way or the other, I suppose - and I'm hoping this feeling follows suit.
DeleteI'm sorry things have been tough lately and completely understand the need to give up writing reviews. Glad to know you'll still pop in here though...it's always interesting to see what you've been reading. Headshot should be available for me in the next week or two, but it looks like at least a couple of months for Held. Take care, Sam.
ReplyDeleteThanks, JoAnn. I knew I was in trouble when I started to dread finishing a book because writing a review felt like working on a job I really didn't want anymore. I do hope that feeling passes, but I figure it's more important now to cut back and enjoy reading for the simple pleasure of it. I'll be curious to hear what you have to say about Headshot. Held is another short one, and I probably won't start reading it until the very end of the week. Don't know what to expect from that one yet.
DeleteI was away with my daughter in Cornwall last week but had a feeling when I got back that you'd not been around. Really sorry to hear that things are so tough at the moment, Sam. I can identify with the 'one thing after another' thing, you wonder if it will ever stop. Sending much love and good thoughts... I hope you'll still continue to check in here, even if only briefly, as I'm sure I'm not the only one who will miss you greatly. Take care of yourself, Sam.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoyed the trip to Cornwall, Cath. What beautiful country that is; I still remember my visit there pretty vividly. I feel kind of silly about the way I feel, especially when talking with someone whose suffered the loss that you recently suffered. I do hope you are doing well these days, and that you are taking care of yourself. I'll be posting still, I'm sure, mainly to keep up with all of you. Not sure yet what form that will ultimately take since full book reviews has become such a large part of Book Chase over the last several years.
DeleteSorry you're not feeling well. We can all get zapped at times -- so it's good to take a break of sorts. Pros & cons on book reviews are good. We get the idea. I think I have some crazy allergies or a cold right now -- so can relate on feeling off. All we can do is rest up and try to take of ourselves -- even if it's mentally. I'm not sure if Held will be strong - i hear the structure is different -- but I'll wait to hear what you think.
ReplyDeleteI'm still zapped for sure, and honestly, I'm starting to worry about it. Just can't shake the down feeling I have about everything. This is the first day I've posted or much checked in here in a month, and I never saw that coming. I really, really, disliked Held, btw. But then, I didn't like Orbital and it won the prize this year. Shows how much I know.
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