I’m really going to have to start dating these instead of numbering them! We’ll try that in 2017. For now, though, I thought I’d whip up a notes just to gauge where I am nearing the end of the year.
While December hasn’t been the best reading month, it hasn’t been terrible, either. I finished Osama (finally!), and am pretty close to wrapping up The Soul of an Octopus, too. I also blasted through Being Mortal in about two days, which I cannot recommend enough. It’s always a bit depressing reading about dying, but it’s a surprisingly empowering book about end-of-life treatment and the choices one can make to ease that process both for oneself and for one’s family. The hubby has had so many of these kinds of conversations, and so often people don’t realize how invasive and physically damaging emergency resuscitation is, particularly for older bodies (CPR, for example, breaks ribs), and even still, knowing when to make the Do-Not-Resucitate decision is a hard choice. But Being Mortal is seriously one of those books I feel everyone should read at some point. It’s so important to think ahead about these things (and it’s not all just medical treatment–assisted living is discussed, too, and how to help the elderly frail and disabled continue to live as independently as possible). It’s an important read.
But on to lighter things! Currently, the docket stands at:
Notes:
Cricket (December 2016) – Yeah, I haven’t made any progress on this one. I think I took it off the bookshelf once about mid-December, but just didn’t get started.
The Strand (Issue ?) – I did finish one or two stories in this so far, but haven’t picked it up again for a while. Will need to just focus on it eventually…
The Soul of an Octopus – I think I’m about 90% finished with this one. I’ve only got about 38 minutes left to the end, and I’ll probably finish that tonight/tomorrow. I have really enjoyed this book. There are times I wish it’d get a little more into the science behind cephalopods, but it’s been an enlightening read and very fun. It’s a sweet book, and it’s got me excited to head to the Boston Aquarium sooner rather than later!
The Year’s Best 2014 – Haven’t made any progress on this recently, but will dive back into it soon. It’s a great collection, and I still think about several of the stories I’ve read in there on a semi-regular basis. (Just the other day I was thinking back on “The Creature Recants”.)
Style – 
Selected Stories of O. Henry – Still no progress on this, but it’s just going to have to take some focus. I know once I concentrate on it, I’m going to enjoy the heck out of it, but I need to get into the right frame of mind.
The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony – A friend loaned this to me recently, and although I’ve only read the opening, I’ve really enjoyed it so far. So I’m looking forward to this one! I’ve been looking for a good mythology book to walk me through some of the core stories, so this should be perfect.
Die Empty – Doubling down on the morbid-titled books, this one’s by the same author as The Accidental Creative, and all about prioritizing and productivity in creative work. It’s interesting so far, but I’ve only just scratched the surface. I really enjoyed TAC so I’m hoping this is a good follow-up.
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And that’s it for today! I’ll be doing a 2017 Goals post sometime soon, and I’m hoping to be a bit more regular here over the next year (wishful thinking? We’ll see!). Until then, Happy New Year’s everybody! :)
Maggie Slater 