Category: books

Booker Off

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I do this to myself regularly. I buy and attempt to read another or more Booker nomination and/or winner. I should know by now that it’s not fun and it will not make me happy but I keep on trying.

This year’s winner is called Orbit. It’s an esoteric little number about the brew of the International Space Station. The guy at Waterstones gushed about it. There was a woman on the train clearly enraptured. To me it just seems a bit forced and pretentious. I  mean, I do read the occasional pretentious book. I read hard books all the time. I’m going to be a PhD sometime soon, fingers crossed. My point is that it’s not engaging. Not to me anyway.

What is the qualification to be a book prize judge? I say this carefully as one of my close friends is a prize winning writer. I mean… I joined a book group once. Hated being forced to read other people’s preference. Oh, the arguments. I can’t say it was a peaceful or enlightened experience.

These days I’m not afraid to put down a book and walk away if it’s not for me. Sorry Booker judges.

Things you don’t need

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Or at least things I don’t need. In the process of redecorating the house (these things we do when retired) there’s always been that charity shop bag by the door. I had a notification this week to say that, with gift aid (a tax back scheme for charities in the UK), the things we’ve chucked in this bag and walked to one of the shops in town had raised over £170 for the charity. How’s that for one person’s trash?

I’ve also been up in the attic (loft) and brought down the small library that has lived up there for the last 15 years. We’ve had new bookshelves built-in to the living room. Obviously, space is limited, but with some books stored in the office space, there had to be a cull. I hate giving up on books, but here’s the question do I need them? Many have not seen daylight in years. Thankfully, I have lots of friends who are happy to take some off my hands, there are apps that let you sell books, and I’d all else fails that the charity shop bag will be filled.

Increasing our ‘one in one out’ policy is becoming a ‘meh I don’t need that’ policy. The house is slowly emptying. Slowly. Tne decorating, new garden, time spent here because pandemic/retirement/working-from-home means that paying more attention to these surroundings became inevitable. When was the last time you really stopped to appreciate all that you have and wonder what you can actually live without. If nothing else ebay might help you pay for your next holiday!

Bye-bye Bullet Journal

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Yeah. I took this up to support my wife, who has ADHD. It works for my wife. I have tried. For a year or more. It is not working for me. Here is the thing. I forget to use it. Then I get frustrated cos I missed a day or a week. I tend not to carry it cos it’s a bit big, but a smaller one would be too small. So I’ve made a decision that scheduling is going digital ( I’m gonna use my phone again) since I pretty much always have my phone with me.

I have several beautiful notebooks. More precisely, I have some beautiful leather notebook covers that I use to contain my notebooks. I have a new pocket size one that I can carry around, and I do. I also have the big one I’ve been trying to bullet journal in. That I’m gonna keep and just use it as a regular notebook or, as my American chums might say, journal. That works better for me. The whole BuJo thing is great for people with ADHD brain. Can’t knock it, but for me, it does not work.

If you are interested in trying it, I’ll link to Ryder the guy who invented the BuJo (as the aficionados call it) so you can take a look. To each their own eh? I’ve noticed that “lifestyle” and “self improvement” bloggers and vloggers tend to get very “YOU NEED TO DO THIS” shouty about things that work for them and anyone who tries to convert me or sell something will very quickly know that it does not work. I have to find it useful or beautiful. Note to any salesperson. Don’t try to sell things. If I want help/information/advice I’ll ask. Try selling me something, I’ll leave. If that makes me seem nasty or anti social sorry folks. I never really got past my teens and if you try to make me do something you can bet its not gonna happen.

Back to the Real World

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If you were hoping for more tales of adventure I’m sorry to disappoint. Today is a work day for the PhD student in me and a difficult review meeting. Its been an interesting year… what with the ongoing pandemic and a big trip to Oz. I’ve been plugging away at the research stuff. It’s not glamorous. A lot of transferring notes and filling in forms. I’m at that difficult stage (like its not all difficult) where I actually have to put in some writing time. The forms are all but filled and need to go to a higher authority for approval. A chapter must be produced.

I admit I’m a great procrastinator. There’s always another place to look for inspiration. Another theory to check out….. I could go on but that’s just more procrastination.

My question is which chapter to begin first. The ever exciting ‘Literature Review’ or the even more scintillating ‘Methodology’.

I want to apologise now to my supervisors for not realising I could just get on with this before the ever popular ethics form was completed….. Doh.