Talisman

I up to 10 books already and it isn't even the end of January. I have read some great ones already this year and continue to make good progress with the Around the World Reading Challenge, having got further with this than anyone else on here, most of whom seem to have given up! The most recent additions are Qatar, Kyrgyzstan and Latvia, a country I shall be visiting this summer. The most interesting book so far has been Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. I thought this would be a book on evolution, and it is in a way, but not just physical evolution, it is also about our spiritual and moral evolution and how that has impacted on other species. It is sort of thing that I love, as it is not only extremely interesting but also provides a wealth of material and food for thought for own writing, should I ever have the time to pick up that planned rewrite that I started and then didn't finish.

It's gorgeous isn't it? I hadn't even heard of her until a few months ago when I heard that she was performing at the four day music festival put on by Sigur Ros in Iceland that I went to at the end of last year. Sadly I wasn't able to stay for the full four days and so I missed her show. I won't make that mistake again.

Yes, it is a nasty one. Her Crohns is managed quite well from what I understand and only flares up now and then. This particular strain of flu is more than just flu though and from what she tells me she has had some pretty nasty diarrhoea as well. I guess having Crohns means that you are more vulnerable when you get this sort of thing and that it takes longer to recover. The timing isn't the best I admit, but she can't help that as these things have been going around at work for a while and she is not the only one to have time off with it. Given the nature of the work that we do and the amount of people visiting the site it is impossible to completely avoid these things. It is better that she does stay off work then as that way the rest of us are less likely to get it. I am still knackered, but I guess that's an occupational hazard too when you do this sort of work. On the bright side, I was given a nice box of chocolates today to share among my team in thanks for all the hard work we have put in this week. Despite my words I know that we are appreciated. It just all gets on top of you now and then - bloody menopause!

P***ing down with rain - enough said!

No, it's a bit annoying. What hasn't helped is the fact that my hormones have been all over the place of late, with some pretty extreme mood swings (these men have no idea what we women have to put up with). Stress definitely makes it worse, and I have found myself having to bite my tongue a few times, as if I said what I really thought I probably wouldn't still be working there! I am feeling a lot better today though having had a chat with my own Manager about things and we are getting on top of things. About a third of the rooms have now been done, and the rest are not as bad so quite a few should be done tomorrow as well. We will have to manage with just the two of us for a bit longer though, as my staff member who has flu has been signed off work for another week to make sure she recovers completely. She has Crohns Disease, which makes her more vulnerable to this sort of thing, as this particular strain has shall we say some other rather unpleasant side effects.

I have been listening to a lot of Julianna Barwick of late - her music is just gorgeous. Nepenthe is my favourite.

I do most of my reading in the evenings before bed time. I don't watch much TV (it's mostly rubbish anyway) so prefer to spend my time reading. Having time to read at the weekends does make a difference as well though. I suppose it depends on your domestic situation and whether you have kids and other responsibilities. I am lucky in that I don't which means I can do pretty much what I like most of the time.

I know how you feel. I am the same at the moment. This winter just seems so dreary and seems to drag on forever. Having a member of staff sick with flu doesn't help, and neither do the rest of the idiots (sorry, I meant other departments) that I have to deal with. For some reason they seem to think that we can deep clean 16 bathrooms in one week and drop everything just because they have an environmental health inspection next week. They must have known about this for ages yet I was only informed of it last Thursday. There was nothing I could do about it until today as I had one member of staff on holiday and the other off sick with a strained ankle. That same person has now been struck down with flu so might be off for a while. Those same idiots seem to also think I run a warehouse and have every single item they need in stock all the time and can get stuff without notice every time they click their fingers. If its true what they say that there is no rest for the wicked, I would love to know what I've done!

A lot warmer today - hovering around 10 degrees or so and dull and grey. Yesterdays snow disappeared as fast as it came - thank goodness. For those of us who have to start work early and drive on ungritted country roads it is less than ideal.

It isn't a matter of reading fast for me but a matter of how much time I spend reading, which averages at about an hour and a half a day - not really that much. I read at a speed of around 50 pages an hour which isn't that much really either, at least I don't think so. Of course it does depend on the subject matter as well. Last year I read a lot of non fiction which tends to take longer as you need to concentrate much more on these types of books and digest facts and so on. If I had the sort of job where I could read at lunch time I would probably read a lot more books than I do, but it is good to socialise and spend time with others and I still have plenty of time for reading outside of work. I wouldn't worry about too much about it to be honest Cechak. Yes there are a lot of great books out there and it does sometimes feel as if you want to read all of them, but you will never be able to do this. The thing is to just concentrate on enjoying the books that do read, and hopefully learn something from them as well.

Snowing here at the moment - and coming down thick and fast. I might have to go and build a snowman in a minute.

6 so far for me - I am aiming for 100 again this year but won't be too fussed if I don't manage it.

It has been! She was off work today as well, which I was expecting. I came in half an hour earlier to make sure I got everything done, as I knew I also had a big delivery coming. I owed them some time anyway because of Wednesday. By about 2.45 though I just hit that wall where you are exhausted and had to wander over to the sensory garden to get myself together even though it was freezing cold! I really don't want too many more days like that! I am glad your animals are all okay though. I would imagine it could be a bit scary for them. Fences can be replaced after all, but animals can't be, as they are part of the family. I am glad it's the weekend and intend to do as little as possible.

Sorry, I didn't remember seeing that bit!

Coran is fine now it's all over. I am knackered though. One of my cleaners is on holiday with his family in Poland and the other slipped and strained her ankle this morning leaving the house on her way to work. It was the same ankle unfortunately that she broke a few years ago - the poor thing has been at home all day then resting a rather sore and swollen foot and will be off again tomorrow as she can't put any weight on it. That left me doing the work of 3 people on my own - and it will be even worse tomorrow as I also have a big delivery of cleaning products also coming that I will need to sort out! If it's true what they say, no rest for the wicked, I would love to know what I've done!

It's Only a Paper Moon - Nat King Cole (who else was it going to be)

2018 is off to a flying start with 2 new countries already: Caribbee by Thomas Hoover for Barbados and Pu'ukani's Song by Hannah Steenbock for North Marianna Islands, a country that proved extremely difficult to find a book from. This one is a short story about a whale and how he uses his song to help the other whales in his pod. Very nice it was too and one of the shortest books I have read at just 36 pages. It only took half an hour to read!

I am up to 6 books already which is not bad going in less than 3 weeks. I have always wanted to read Angels of the Universe, which is one of those Icelandic classics so was delighted to finally find an English translation - on Kindle as well. I can see why Icelanders rave about this book. I also managed to find a book from the North Marianna Islands, a country that has proven extremely difficult to find. Goodreads though came to the rescue as they often do in recommending this one. It was one of the shortest books I have read at just 36 pages, so took all of half an our to read, which makes it even better!

Hold me Tighter in the Rain - Billy Griffin (I love this song)

I guess air conditioning doesn't even enter the minds of northern Europeans at least as it gets hot so rarely. In the south it's probably more of an issue, but they get the same humidity as you do in the states, so maybe that's why. I remember the last really hot summer we had - 2003 I think when the temperatures hit over 100 degrees - I was very glad for the air conditioning in my car that year! We actually had a smattering of snow here overnight which I wasn't expecting. Our village which is one of the highest points in the country has its own microclimate though and often gets it where the areas lower down don't.

I don't think anyone likes the dentist Athena - I know I don't. January is always a bit of a strange month for me with the dark mornings and getting back to work and everything. It often leaves me feeling a bit low, but I suspect I am not the only one. The days are gradually starting to lengthen though and it is gradually getting lighter in the mornings. I notice the mornings more I suppose as I have to start work relatively earlier than most (7.30am). I had the day off today as Coran had to have a colonoscopy. This is never a pleasant experience, although the lead up to it is worse than the actual procedure itself. I won't go into details as it nearly dinner time, but anyone who has had or knows anyone who has had this done will know what I mean! They advise someone to be with the person afterwards hence my day off. I needed the rest actually and it was great - I have spent most of the day reading.

A nice mug of milky coffee.

I have so far.

Last year I managed 100 books, a first for me, so let's see how many I can manage this year. I started the Around the World Reading Challenge officially in 2012 (I was unofficially doing this long before as I have always read and loved world fiction) and have so far managed an incredible 171 countries. The country's name will therefore be placed in brackets next to books that qualify for inclusion in this. The first this year is then from Barbados. Previous lists Around the World Reading Challenge 2017 2016 2014 2013 2012 January The Cost of Sugar: Gary Taubes Caribbee: Thomas Hoover (Barbados) Angels of the Universe: Einar Mar Gudmundsson (Iceland) Harvest; Jim Grace Games People Play: Louise Voss Pu'ukani's Song: Hannah Steenbock (North Marianna Islands) Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind: Yuval Noah Harari From Dunes to Dior: Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar (Qatar) Jamila: Chingiz Aitmatov (Kyrgyzstan) Eagle in the Fridge: Zenta Brice (Latvia) February Eskimo Folk Tales No Is Not Enough: Naomi Klein Loathe Thy Neighbour: James O'Brien The White Tiger: Aravind Adiga Memoirs of a Geisha: Arthur Golden (Japan) Do Not Say We Have Nothing: Madeline Thien (China) Why We Sleep: Matthew Walker March Marco Polo Guide to Andalucia (Spain) The Woman at 1000 Degrees: Hallgrimur Helgasson (Iceland) The Old You: Louise Voss Straight Jacket: Matthew Todd The Opposite of Hate; Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar (Laos) Call it Courage: Armstrong Sperry (French Polynesia) The Cypriot: Andreas Koumi (Cyprus) The Reluctant Fundamentalist: Mohsin Hamid (Pakistan) The Stranger in the Woods: Michael Finkel (United States) April A Question of Power: Bessie Head (Botswana) Weep Not, Child: Ngugi wa Thiong'o (Kenya) The Reykjavik Confessions: Simon Cox (Iceland) Daring to Drive: Manal Al-Sharah (Saudi Arabia) The Hunger: Alma Katsu (United States) The Moon is Following Me: Cecil Browne (St Vincent) The Gender Game: Bella Forrest Hired: Six Months Unercover in Low Wage Britain: James Bloodworth Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race: Reni Eddo-Lodge May Marco Polo Guide to Montenegro (Montenegro) A Lesser Dependency: Peter Benson (Diego Garcia) The Five Wonders of the Danube: Zoran Zivkovic (Serbia) Giovanni's Room: James Baldwin (France) From Tajkstan to the Moon: Robert Frimtzis (Moldova) Gather the Daughters: Jennie Melamed The Retreat: Mark Edwards A Town Like Alice: Nevil Shute (Malaysia/Australia) Beauty on Earth: Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (Switzerland) The Hate U Give: Angie Thomas (United States) June Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Robert Pirsig (United States) Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights: Dr Melanie Windridge Damages: BK Bazhe (Macedonia) The Shadow Killer: Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland) The Blue Fox: Sjon (Iceland) Exit West: Mohsin Hamid (Pakistan) The Tunnel: Enersto Sabato (Argentina) Animal Farm: George Orwell July How to Give Up Plastic: Will McCallum USSR: Diary of a Perstroika Kid: Vladimir Kozlov (Belarus) An Afternoon in Summer: Kathy Giuffre (Cook Islands) The Orchid House: Phyllis Shand Allfrey (Dominica) Hotel Silence: Audur Ava Olafsdottir (Iceland) Best European Fiction 2014 - Various The Last Days of My Mother: Solvi Bjorn Sigur (Iceland) Lonely Planet Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia August The Last Brother: Nathacha Appanah (Mauritius) The Sickness: Alberto Barrero Tyszka (Venezuela) The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred and One Year Old Man: Jonas Jonasson (Sweden) Un Complicated Life: Paul Daugherty A Marker to Measure Drift: Alexander Maksik (Liberia) Tears of the Desert: Halima Bashir (Sudan) Black Mamba Boy: Nadifa Mohammed (Somalia) Is a Transgender Woman a Woman? Felix Conrad The Blunders of our Governments: Anthony King September Silver People - Voices from the Panama Canal: Margarita Engel (Panama) The Colour Purple; Alice Walker (United States) Diversify: June Sarpong Gate crashing Paradise - Misadventure in the Real Maldives: Tom Chesshyre (Maldives) Belizean Nail Soup: Felene M Cayatano (Belize) The Mother Tongue: Bill Bryson Hola Amigo, Around Central America and Beyond: Jason Smart The Darlness: Ragnar Jonassson (Iceland) Death Row - The Final Minutes: Michelle Lyons (United States) October Unleashing Demons - The Inside Story of Brexit: Craig Oliver The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs: Damon Galgut (Namibia) Marco Polo Budapest Guide The Brexit Poems: Alec Jackson Secrets of the Seven Smallest States of Europe: Thomas M Eccardt (San Marino, Vatican City, Malta, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Gibraltar) Trap: Lilja Sigurdadottir (Iceland) The Murder of Harriet Moncton: Elizabeth Haynes November Folklore and Tales from Lesotho: Various Cold Comfort: Quentin Bates (Iceland) Crimson: Niviaq Komeliusen (Greenland) How to be Right - … in a World Gone Wrong : James O'Brien Parliament Ltd - A Journey to the Dark Heart of British Politics: Martin Williams The Tenth Island: Diana Marcum My Fathers Daughter: Hannah Pool (Eritrea) In Her Shadow: Mark Edwards Anything to Declare: Jon Frost December Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: Richard Carlson Anatomy of a Scandal: Sarah Vaughan The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah: Benjamin Zephaniah Gallivanting on Guam: Dave Siegle (Guam) The Ships: Roberto Quesada (Honduras) Silence in the Age of Noise: Erling Kagge The Ballad of Brexit and Other Brexit Poems: Charly Bishop Gather Together in my Name: Maya Angelou Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas: Maya Angelou

That is a bit extreme that far south! They reckon we are in a for another freeze here next week as well, although it won't be nearly as bad as what you have. The forecast for the southeast where I live is about 3 degrees or so, which isn't actually that cold. Reykjavik last week (this time last week I was sitting on the bus going back to the airport) was minus 4. Now that was cold - especially with the wind chill. I know its a lot worse in some places though - Calgary in Canada reached minus 30 last week!