Book Chatter

Sunday Matters, a latte on a wooden tray against greenery.

It’s been a crazy time. Work has been very busy but reading has been good. I catch you here and there, mostly on social media but I am here and doing well, just inundated with work. The work/life balance thing got completely overturned awhile back and I can’t say it’s improving. I make the best of it.

Both kids are good. Emma is thriving in NYC. It really suits her. She continues to audition and has some work here and there. Evan’s non-profit has been going well as well as his job with the City of Bellevue. He loves Seattle.

The Otter Pup is still here!! 16 years old. I have said a least a handful of times in the past six months that the time is near and every single time she proves me wrong. The other day she tried to run out the door! Running is not something she does anymore so that was a surprise! She’s also taken to hiding kibble in her cheek like a hamster to dump into her bed so she can have a late night snack without getting up.

Right Now:

Still volunteering at church. Three services back to back covering 5th-8th grade. Love those students but at the end of the day, I am exhausted. I usually enter my attendance, grab a quick bite and pass out until dinner time. I am about to head there now.

This Week:

On Monday, I have a followup brain MRI. Everything has been good but I always get a little nervous since two small tumors remain. I feel great and have been able to up my fitness quite a bit. By outward appearances and energy levels, I am good. Much better than I was before my brain surgery. Strength is back, which feels great and also foreign. Gotta chuckle. It’s been two years!

I really don’t have much else going on this week. I am trying to line up my books accordingly so that I am never at a point where I don’t know what to read. One book that is on my radar for October:

Other Worlds Than These

Of course, this prompts me to reread the other books in the series because it’s been so long since I visited The Talisman. Kind of exciting though.

Reading:

King Sorrow by Joe Hill
I Am the Ghost Here by Kim Samek
Wellness by Nathan Hill

Watching:

In typically Ti fashion, not a thing. These days curling up with a book is so much more inviting than gazing at a TV screen.

Grateful for:

My health
Still loving my ability to work remotely two days a week
The rain we’ve had. California is out of the drought. First time ever.

I just want to say that although I have not been bouncing around blogs too much, I still see and read your posts. I hope you have a fabulous week.

The Many
By Wyl Menmuir
Salt, 2016, 160pp.

The Short of It:

Mysterious. Deep. A lot to chew on.

The Rest of It:

On the surface, his move to the isolated village on the coast makes perfect sense. But the experience is an increasingly unsettling one for Timothy Bucchanan. A dead man no one will discuss. Wasted fish hauled from a contaminated sea. The dream of faceless men. Questions that lead to further questions. What truth are the villagers withholding? ~ the publisher

Grief, loss, societal and environmental collapse. It’s all here in this short book, but what a punch it packs. Tim is suffering a great loss. He heads to an isolated coastal village to begin fresh. The house he settles on, has been abandoned for years; once belonging to a man whom no one speaks of. Why is this man’s name taboo? Whenever Tim tries to find out, he’s shut down and sometimes in a violent way. Harm to his person as well as the house he just bought.

He wants very much to make a home for his wife, but he doesn’t feel comfortable bringing her there without completely understanding what he’s dealing with. He has nightmares. The fishing boat he finds work on detracts from the horrible visions in his head but once he’s back on land, he plummets once again into a very dark place.

This story that can be interpreted in many different ways. I’m sure Menmuir knew which direction he wanted to go with it, but I refrain from sharing what I believe as it could be a spoiler for anyone wanting to pick up this obscure novel.

Did I enjoy it? It’s not a book to enjoy. It took a little time to get a feel for the writing but it’s very atmospheric and welling with meaning. It was shortlisted for a Man Booker. You know the type of novels that make that list. This is that. I found it to be quietly disturbing and while reading it, it haunted my thoughts and still does.

My book club discusses it in March. It’s no longer in print, which makes it difficult to find a copy but I managed to snag the ebook from the library.

Recommend.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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