I decided to clean up the house and a frame I was polishing broke and the glass went through my finger and now I can only type with one hand because it keeps opening up and this feels like a sign that cleaning is dangerous and that instead I should be reading. And that is a very good coincidence because I wanted to tell you about new books you should check out this month.
This month if you’re part of the Fantastic Strangelings Book Club we’re sending you A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig. An atmospheric dark fairy tale with Scottish folklore roots that’s perfect to read as Autumn creeps in. “The Town of Mistaken has a secret…and it’s up to one woman to uncover the truth, confront her past, and save the man she loves.” An eerie but romantic exploration of freedom vs security. Vibes = M Night Shyamalan’s The Village mixed with Hunger Games.
And if you’re in Nightmares from Nowhere we’re sending you Slashed Beauties by A. Rushby. A gothic feminist body horror revolving around three Anatomical Venuses – ultra realistic wax figures of women used by atonomists – that come to life at might to murder the men who have wronged them.
Need more books to get you through the month? Here are some of my favorite new releases:
The Book of I by David Greig: This small Scottish tome is so very good and weird. Vikings, beekeepers and monks in the year 825 CE.
In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur by Karen Walrond – A brilliant and inspiring book that I’ll actually be talking to Karen about at Nowhere!
Honeyeater by Kathleen Jennings – A richly imagined dark fantasy that explores the beautiful destruction o a town reclaimed by the natural world.
How the Hell Did I Not Know That?: My Midlife Year from Couch to Curiosity by Lucie Frost – You may know Lucie from her fabulous instagram, but her book takes knowledge even further. She’ll be here with Wendi Aarons at Nowhere too!
Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo – This book is so sad, but also very good so read at your own risk. Amish, English, football, pro wrestling, lots going on here to get sucked into.
What are you most excited to read next?
Of COURSE you should be reading, not cleaning. I slammed my finger in y car door a week or so ago. It’s gotten me LOTS of reading vs. doing-something-boring time!
Cleaning is hazardous to your health. I’ve always known it.
Apropos of almost nothing, I was watching an episode of My Life is Murder and Lucy Lawless took a kiwi, twisted it in half, and took a bite. So you are not strange. She’s from New Zealand so she should know how to eat a kiwi, right?
I’m reading this history book about AC/DC. Full of interesting pics and stories. Love this stuff.
I’m back to writing ideas and bits, here’s one I might work into a story one day…
“After the rehearsal dinner, the wedding party came down with a rehearsal gastrointestinal infection, resulting in the ceremony being delayed a few hours.”
…it’s a work in progress.
I am currently reading Symbiont, the second book in Mira Grant’s Parasitology trilogy. Remember the crazy lady (me) at one of your readings who asked during the Q&A “If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?” You said tapeworm. Grant’s trilogy is about tapeworms that take over human bodies, so there’s that.
Hi, everyone,
I must admit that I’ve been using the dictation key on my mac and on Word. Basically it works like a gem. A few “to”/”too” type of errors but very few. A lot less typing, though. It does work, the Apple one, I’m assuming on emails as well.
You can also give commands like, “new paragraph” or “period”, “semicolon” etc.
Just a thought. Sometimes I’m too impatient for it.
Former bartender/bar manager: For cuts (made by glass, no less), masking tape does a suprisingly good job of keeping the cut sealed and letting you get on with your day. It even stayed on when I was washing glasses in a three compartment sink (water, water and more water). If it’s too tight/loose, you can just re-wrap (using the same tape) until it feels good. It will last a while.
But, take a break and read. You deserve it.
I’d rather read than clean any day of the week.
I hope you heal soon!
I just decided to reread Shogun, and also Charlotte’s Web again. You’re never too old to read a good children’s book.
One really special book that suits us strangelings is a children’s book called Randall Jarrell and decorations by Maurice Sendak
The Animal Family: A Newbery Honor Award Winner
I know that housework is dangerous! I am of the philosophy that as soon as you hurt yourself STOP CLEANING!
Cleaning is a dangerous occupation. So is reading, but … differently. Reading is the better choice. Always read.
House cleaning IS dangerous. I tore the ACL in my knee dusting. Don’t do it!!! The dust just keeps coming back anyway.
Housework is not for sissies, that’s for sure. Reading The Frozen River (Ariel Lawhon) as I anticipate the arrival of One of Us (Dan Chaon) on the 23rd!
Hey Jenny, I wanted to invite you and your readers to a book loving community:
freedom & literacy is book discussion board, aimed at actual real-life adults. there’s no algorithm. no pressure. just a good old-fashioned forum to talk about books, and other stuff.
i literally just want to shout about books w/people.
freeliteracy.jcink.net
I really appreciate the thought that even what feels unfinished or imperfect can carry meaning—just like people. Keep growing. Keep expressing.
Congratulations on your injured finger helping you make a wise decision! Hope it heals quickly. This book is a great choice for this month!
Absolutely agree—reading wins every time! Cleaning is risky business, but books? They heal more than just paper cuts. Hope your finger mends quickly and you enjoy these new reads!
Reading is self-care, cleaning is… well, necessary. Your priorities are spot-on! Hope you discover something magical in those pages while the dust waits its turn.
Have a look at OutRightCRM, a futuristic application that gives the opportunity to scale up your organization’s productivity. The CRM offers automated and customized functionality to consolidate and operate all your departments’ services from a single place.
Know More:-
https://www.outrightcrm.com/
It sounds simple, but one moment of carelessness and you’ll become dinner for the forest creatures. The game offers fast-paced gameplay, vibrant animation effects, and humorous, slightly satirical sound effects, making each “failure” both funny and instantly motivating you to play again.