Another Blether About Books (and a bit about life)

Actually penned on Thursday night, 30 November, but not posted, as I lost my stolen wireless connection.

I don't use the word 'enchanting' often (or ever), but in the following sentence it is most appropriate:

I just read the most enchanting book. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith is simply marvellous. I'm actually so sad it ended. I'd have liked Cassandra to go on forever and ever until she died. Most books don't encourage me to think on in the context of the story; I'm usually quite happy with the way they end and though I'll very often dwell on the contents of the story for some time after, I rarely think what might happen to the characters after the book ends. This book is rare for me in that I really do want to think may happen after Cassandra finished her journal. I wonder what happens to her, her family, the Cottons... without getting specific (because I think if you're looking for an enchanting book to read, you should head to your library right now and pick up a copy), I just wonder, hope, want everything to keep happening for her.

My brother gave me this book, telling me I'd love it. I believed him, but it's taken me this long (five months, or is it eight?) to start it. It's a quick read (or maybe I've just had a lot of time on my hands, being in bed for a million days), but it's lovely. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Perhaps I'm building it up too much now. I'll stop gushing. It was a really good break after reading the 500 exhausting (but well worth the effort) pages of Just a Little Prick* by Peter and Hilary Butler on vaccinations. I'm now reading Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson. I never did finish Vanity Fair. I'll admit I lost interest when Becky moved in with the Sir Pitt Crawley. I'll try to pick it up later, but I just find all the Crawleys so hard to like. And Becky's boring descriptions of them haven't kept me interested enough in Becky to keep going.

In other news, I went to work today. I stayed until 1.30 then came home. My boss didn't expect me to stay the whole day, which was a relief. Around noon I felt my body positively crashing. I'm still not over this thing, but I desperately needed to get some work done so I'm glad I went in. I'll go in again tomorrow and hopefully stay the whole day. I need to. And luckily it'll then be the weekend. More sleeping, or rather, trying to sleep. Let me just say cold plus heartburn plus big wiggly baby in womb makes it very difficult to sleep, as if just one of those things weren't bad enough on its own.

Oh yes and two more things:
First, Scott's parents are back from Australia and Japan. They came by tonight with soup, for which I am entirely grateful. They also brought us pressies - a kokeshi doll for me, some Japanese letter openers for Scott and a hand-knitted teddy bear for Schmooker, made by one of the ladies in the Melbourne branch of our church. They told me what my Christmas pressie will be too, but I'll keep that a secret until Christmas.

Second, I'll be working from home starting in June. My boss gave me the okay today. :D Praise God! And I get to take the iMac mini home with me to work from. Hurray!


*I actually think the back cover blurb for this book is horrible in comparison to the actual content of the book. It sounds all alarmist and blindly anti-vaccination and conspiracy-theory. The book is actually, in my opinion, well-written, not alarmist or conspiracy-theorist and fair. It's quite scientific and absolutely full of references to medical literature, not just opinions and theories. So if the subject interests you, don't let the back cover fool you. I think it's unfortunately misleading. And again, I think it's worth the effort, if the idea of vaccination doesn't just 100% sit well with you.


[UPDATE for Friday:] I did go into work all day today and managed just fine. I also OFFICIALLY officially finished Christmas shopping, as I finally got The Gran her present. We also got to start in on our advent calendars today, it being the first of December. Today's present for me was a gorgeous hat. Good times!