Dozing

Again, I was feeling a bit droopy today. My sugar plummeted severely last night, to a point lower than I’ve ever registered so I had to get up in the middle of the night to eat something and stop the shaking and weakness that woke me up.  I called my endocrinology nurse to discuss changes to my dosing, and for a follow up with the doctor in a little while.  I hope that we’ve managed to find a way to avoid those lows — I’m not absolutely certain of the effects of a low dose on my body, but I have no desire to find out, thank you kindly.  So I’ll just be a little extra vigilant about my diet and medication, as I would like to avoid too many swings in my sugar levels.  Jerry suspects that something is going on and has turned himself into a tiny surveillance drone and has followed me everywhere, including following me into the bathroom to sit on my feet while I was on the toilet!  I understand what my friends who are parents of young children go through now!  He’s shadowing Don at the moment, who is feeling more alert than he was yesterday.  I’m always happy when he’s feeling well, for obvious reasons.  

Although I’m an avid reader, I don’t often seek out book reviews or recommended book lists in newspapers or on blogs or in magazines.  I prefer recommendations from friends as we sometimes have similar tastes, but even if we don’t, it’s a way to be introduced to new genres and authors.  When I see book reviews in the papers I’m not really inclined to seek it out because the way it’s presented leaves me unaffected.  Sometimes I might read reviews of books that I know, and thereby assess the tastes of the reviewer so that I can decide whether to read any of their suggestions.  

Today I got an email which included a list of 21 books that were being reviewed for July.  I skimmed the list, expecting (and finding) gushing praise for books.  (so many are called, “ground breaking,” “brilliant,” “a must read…”) But then, about 3 books into the list, the reviewer wrote, “I like this author and their works, but I hated this book.”  Of another, she said, “This book is light, fun, predictable and boring.”  I was intrigued.  It’s vanishingly rare to find someone who reviews books for pay who provides such honest commentary.  What surprised and delighted me though, was that she reviewed 2 books which I had read.  One is a favourite of mine, and I’ve reread it several times, while the other I’d read under duress for a book club to which I’d briefly belonged years ago.  Her remarks on these matched my opinions closely, even to having similar criticisms of the book I didn’t enjoy.  I’m now persuaded that not all reviewers gush mindlessly, although I still prefer getting personal referrals… very few of those let me down!  (The one that comes to mind as being a major disappointment is Interview with the Vampire, which I never finished nor am I interested in reading more.)

Just for your info, and to illustrate some of my idiosyncrasies, I’ll just admit freely that I will not read or watch anything with vampires, werewolves or zombies as protagonists.  I don’t find them to be sympathetic characters, so I skip any works that feature them as leads.  That leads to the current tendency to reform villainous characters and present them as simply misunderstood.  It’s true that nobody is purely angel or demon, and there are nuances that shift a character to being generally evil or potentially redeemed.  That being said, I like my villains (and heroes) to be fully developed, rounded characters who are not one-dimensional black hats who scream threats while waving weapons.  Where vampires etc are concerned, I don’t see them as mysterious, erotic, sensual or alluring; I’m not fascinated by the idea of the undead except to allow them to return to rest.  Oddly enough, I do enjoy stories by H.P. Lovecraft and his Cthulhu mythology— I don’t know how to reconcile that with my aversion to zombies, but it’s one of my personal quirks, I guess!

At the moment, though, I’m deep into Man’s search for meaning by Viktor Frankl, and offsetting it by a fluffy Victorian romance (Bridgerton, anyone? 😂. Not really, but it’s in the same style.)  If anyone is interested in what I’m reading and what’s on my “wish list” of books, I’m on Goodreads  That’s all for tonight.  I’ve overstayed my allowed typing time and am being nosed to clear my lap.  Good night!