Ficta Voluptatis Causa Sint Proxima Veris
Jerry, who is a bossy little monster, has parked himself on my lap and is not letting me have much space -LOL. He's been scratching at me and butting me to end up on my lap. He's also been trying to mooch my chocolate cookies, which is not happening. Every so often he smuggles in for a hug and is happy to have me pet his tummy.
I had a very busy hour browsing the library's online offerings again. A week or so ago I found the “Bridgerton” series of books, and spent a couple of escapist days reading the first 3. They are entertaining and light and formulaic-but then I had to admit that the formulae work, which is why they are used. I have requested the next book in the series (an omnibus edition with books 4- 6) and I should have it in 3-4 weeks. I should have enough of a pause by then to jump in and enjoy the next instalment.
I enjoy using my Goodreads account to read my friends' lists. Some of them are very dedicated to a particular genre, and have a number of very serious books and some are flooded with "beach reads" and so on... My Goodreads account will also show that I have a number of children's literature authors, mainly from the early 20 century. I've been able to find recommendations from friends, and I love seeing/ reading their impressions of the same books that I read.
It's delightful to be able to share opinions on reading material, isn't it? My tastes are fairly eclectic, but I've noticed that I have a definite pattern! I have periods where I'll read 4-5 books at a time, and others when I'll be rereading favourites for a while, but in general I read at least 2 hours a day. Then, pre-surgery, I was blithely borrowing and reading a selection of cookbooks and getting ideas for meals. My niece has limited my purchases of new cookbooks unless they are very unique and add something to my collection. My current favourite cookbook author is apparently planning a new book but it's not out yet. I'm wanting (im)patiently for her to release it so I can add it and cook some of the items! apparently it will be focussed on indigenous recipes from the Caribbean, and I'm excited for that. As I've mentioned before, my collection is of Trinidadian recipes that go back to 1909 and I have one that is more of historical value on indigenous recipes-like barbacoa (barbecue) and ingredients that are pre-European. But since it's more academic there really aren't any useable recipes, so a new book with an emphasis on these ingredients and techniques would be an excellent addition to my collection!
I find it challenging to enjoy some newer authors. I've been enthusiastically losing myself in a fan fiction site, where several very talented women writers have created stories in the universe of a favourite author. It's great to see how they've used the characters and the stories they've shaped. One of them has also shared some of her other, original work with me, and I've gleefully re-read them a few times. I'll be spending time reading to my baby niece and nephew, so I'll definitely have exposure to new children’s writers, but I'm in a rut with older material. I've got a selection of classic fairy tales-and I've gifted them to the kids for when they are older, but I love the Colour fairy tales (The Red Story book" for example) and Grimm:, Hans Christian Andersen (deaths and all!); Perreault; Ransome; Seuss; Lewis, Carole; Twain; Blyton... it's a long and impressive list! But for myself, I'm happy to dive into any of them and get lost in their beautifully-crafted worlds. Some authors have fallen out of favour because the stories don't hold up very well, but others are timeless-or at least protected enough that they're still enjoyable. We can, if you want, discuss the integrated racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination present in children's literature in pre-WWII writings. We could also have a healthy debate on the effect of "PC culture" on literature and on broader society. Either or both would be entertaining and enlightening. Let me know if this is of interest..
Meanwhile, though. I will just agree with the title of this blog-if someone is creating fiction, it should be close to the truth. I think that it is borne out by believable characters and recognizable environments, even in fantasy or science-fiction. Else the reader spends too much effort imagining them and the book becomes" DNF " (Did Not Finish) which is a dreadful fate for any creative work.
That's all for tonight. I'm trying to reduce my sleep deprivation further. Good night!
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