Reading sickness?

My reading is off kilter. I can not seem to enjoy and really get into a book right now. I'm still reading them but it is feeling like a slog fest. You know when you're sick and nothing tastes right or even good? I think I may have reading sickness.

It may be due to saturation. I found a couple of series that I jumped into, the problem is they are all similar; strong female character, solving a problem, usually set after one of the World Wars. They're good books don't get me wrong but I think I should take a genre break. 

Then I moved on to a different kind of story, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. I enjoyed it for a bit then I made the mistake of reading a few reviews. I should never ever read reviews while I am reading the book. People are pointing out, the overabundance of bad foster moms in this story. Other than the two main characters all the women I've met are really pathetic people. I am hoping I can power through this element but whew, I am finding it hard to continue. 

I'm starting a new book on my Kindle too so maybe that will help my reading sickness. A little fresh food for thought. 

I did happen to come across a discussion online about audiobooks being considered reading or not. I guess you could argue that it is not technically reading since you're not converting words on a page into thoughts and understanding. But I can tell you I'm counting my audiobooks as books read during my 2014 reading challenge on Goodreads. Especially since six of the eight have been audio. I'd be in a bit of a conundrum if I threw out all the audiobooks. I was surprised to find I read 34 books last year. I am having fun tracking my book consumption. What can I say I've always been a book consumer. Now I just have so many more ways of taking them in. 

Books are good even when you're not "in love" with them.

Poor Jack

Poor Jack got stepped on this morning. I don't know who squealed louder, him or me. I do know which one of us squealed first. He had to be coaxed out from underneath the bed with Greenies. Of course Greenies are the reason he was right behind me in the first place.

Poor Jack just can not trust mom when she has shoes on. Shoes are evil, no really EVIL.

I don't have my shoes on now and I do have a Jack in the lap. Good thing Jack is not one to carry a grudge. He does have a memory though and I'm sure I will not be able to pet him goodbye if I already have my shoes on.

Everybody keep an eye out for underfoot animals, OK?

Plugging on

So after owning up to my second sleeve problem the other day, I was presented with the perfect get-it-done environment. I used a snow filled morning to bang it out. My sweater now has two sleeve caps and partial sleeves.

I just tried it on an what there is of a sweater and it seems to fit. Now if I can only keep the momentum going. Stop looking at my you seductive socks! This snow storm only goes to prove that I need another sweater ASAP.

Just the other day I resisted buying yarn for yet another sweater. I really should finish one sweater before I bring in more wool. Don't worry that "rule" does not apply to sock yarn. I did a bit of research a while back and found that I get the majority of my sock yarn at festivals. And my two local festivals are in the fall, so I am on an unofficial yarn diet till my second sleeve syndrome resolves.

I did desperately search my house this morning for a sock with a hole in it. I found a piece of sock yarn snagged on a nail in the floor. D wore his Christmas socks for the first time the other day and I was sure he'd accidentally given them a hole. But I'm still searching, as they've passed inspection. Whew!

I was thinking the other day that I should do some random sock inspections. I would like to catch and repair any weak spots before they become holes. I know of one of my pairs is not holding out the cold as well as they once did. Looks like March just might be sock inspect and repair month.

Well I am back to knitting a sleeve then on to grocery shopping. I don't want to leave you in suspense so I'll tell you we're having lasagna tonight. D requested it.

But I just want a sweater

I have another knitting confession to make. I suffer from second sleeve syndrome. I love making and wearing sweaters but I hate knitting sleeves. Most especially I hate knitting the second sleeve.

I am working on my condition but alas my new sweater is still semi-sleeveless. Maybe I should just make vests instead. After letting a my first set in sleeve scare me into not knitting on the sweater. I finally tackled it and made a pretty impressive sleeve, with nary an issue. As I got closer and closer to the cuff I stalled out again.

I told myself to go and tackle the second sleeve. I picked up the stitches and knit a round then the sweater got dropped for three or four sock projects. Even I don't know how many I have on the needles right now. Second sock syndrome? Not me. Finish a sleeve? Apparently not me either.

I just need to sit down and knit through the tough stuff that will most likely not be that tough once I get going on it. You know Hubby bought me some Reese's peanut butter cups...reward system anyone?

I do believe I am off to bite a bullet. But wait my bread should be done soon. First I bite bread and butter then a bullet?

Hub

Don't you just love to see tracks in the snow. Turns out one of our trees is being used as a hub in the front yard. 

First it was one set of tracks leading from the road to our house. Then the other routes were established between trees. 

But this tree is certainly Chicago, as it is the central hub of the yard. Welcome to Chicago squirrels, the local time is...daytime, since you don't care about time.

We hope you enjoyed your stay.

The Facts of Life

We have a water leak under the kitchen sink. There are no water shut offs to the kitchen. I called a guy who referred me to another guy. Who is here now. Yay! But the main shut off valve won't turn off the water.

Da Da Da!

So this means that I call the town water people to see when they can shut off the water from the street so we put in another valve on the "house" side of the meter, and replace the valve on the "city" side of the meter.

Turns out they can do that tomorrow. Wahoo. Plus the leak under the sink is the hot water side We just shut off the feed from the hot water heater and now I get one shut off valve under the sink.

At least I don't have frozen busted pipes.

You take the good and you take the bad, you take them both and there you have, The Facts of Life.

Amateur Detecting

I am enthralled by the Phryne Fisher series of books by Kerry Greenwood. I am on the sixth one, Blood and Circuses. Phryne is such a good interesting character. She was raised poor so when riches came her way she knew to appreciate them. The series is set in 1920s Australia. An unexplored country for my reading tastes. The books are shorter in length but never feel too short. The stories progress at a rapid clip and leave you wanting more rather than an interminable wrap up of every little detail.

I quickly found the Audible books to be my preferred reading method for this series. My library was lacking the third and fourth books. I was forced to pick between Audible and my Kindle. After listening to a sample I decided Audible was the way to go. The narrator Stephanie Daniel gives quite a performance. It is not just reading with an animated voice, which is fine, but a performance of various character's voices. She even got the Gus stamp of narration approval.

I am finding I read so much more with my audio books. I actually managed to read a book in two days at work. I've set up my Ipod on low volume and within easy reach. When a call comes in or I am very busy I just pause. Otherwise it is like knitting on a plain stretch, part of my brain is occupied listening to the story and the rest is doing its normal work thing. I enjoyed the second book of  Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series this way.

The Bess Crawford series is set in England and France during WWI. Bess is a field nurse. We get a glimpse into war torn England and France. It is so odd to read about WWI, The Great War, knowing that WWII is fast on its heels.

I guess I am in a strong female amateur detective phase. Plus there are so many good books of genre coming out. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Windspear is set in England just after The Great War too. While Maisie was a nurse in the war, she turns her attentions to being an investigator and psychologist. Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series is set in England during WWII. Maggie is a mathematician that starts off working as a secretary for Mr. Churchill.

Which also leads us to a great British television series set after WWII, Bletchley Circle. A circle of four female former code breakers investigate the serial murders of women in London. It is odd to think of a serial killer after WWII. Seems like a serial killer is such a modern day thing. But if you're a killer, you're a killer regardless of your birth year.

So I'm apparently vicariously living the life of an post world war amateur detective. See how reading can easily take you to different places and times? Who wouldn't want to pick up a book?