pedanther

One of the reasons why, until this month, I hadn't been to town since 2019 was a lingering fear that if I went into the crowded city I would come back with something interesting and respiratory. In a typically human display of logical thinking, however, having made up my mind to go I didn't take any serious precautions against that outcome, and went cheerfully unmasked among crowds on trains and in buses and in rooms full of boardgamers and so on and so forth.

So it wasn't entirely a surprise when it became apparent, within a week of my return, that I had in fact acquired something interesting and respiratory.

It isn't covid, or at least I've got a negative result on all the covid tests I've been taking. I even tried a brace of those fancy new ones that also test for flu and RSV, and got negative results on those as well. So I'm not quite sure what it is, except that it's definitely annoying.

It started with a general feeling of being tired that had developed by Saturday morning into enough of a something that I cancelled my social plans for the afternoon and spent most of the afternoon asleep instead. The worst of it was over within a few days, leaving just the post-nasal drip and associated cough which do not appear to be in any hurry to go away.

I've been sticking at home to be on the safe side, and skipped board game club and other social occasions. (And a committee meeting, which felt particularly weird because I don't think I've missed a meeting of that committee in years and there's a part of me that worries about what they might get up to without my eye on them.)

One of the ways I passed the time during the week was re-reading Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic tetralogy, and then the sequel tetralogy, The Circle Opens. I started reading them years ago along with the Mark Reads online book club, but for some reason I don't now recall I stopped partway through. The decision to re-read them now and finish the series was partly a choice to read something fairly undemanding that I knew I'd enjoy, and partly a deliberate attempt to manipulate my reading statistics on StoryGraph: The all-time stats page includes a top ten list of the authors a user has read the most books by, which in my case starts with Terry Pratchett at #1 and continues down through several excellent SF writers, two creators of classic detective series, and the most prolific author of Doctor Who tie-in books, to finish – now – with Tamora Pierce at #10. The previous #10 was an author who I regrettably read voraciously during my undiscerning teen years but would now rather not give any hint of endorsement to, so I'm glad to have crowbarred him off the list.

Remarkably Bright Creatures fit the themed reading challenge for November ("a book about families") and the last book of The Circle Opens fit the challenge for December ("Finish a book or series that has been lingering for a long time" – and also the alternate option, "a book about someone who is gifted"), so I've completed that set of challenges ahead of schedule. On the other hand, I'm straggling with the random book challenges: I haven't finished the October book yet (This Is Improbable is one of those books that was designed to be dipped into on odd occasions, not read in long stretches) and I haven't settled on a November book. The November challenge is to pick a book at random from the books with your favourite StoryGraph 'mood' ("adventurous", in my case); I failed to get on with my first pick, as previously detailed, and my next few attempts to re-roll the choice landed on books I wasn't in a suitable frame of mind for. Part of the trouble, I think, is that if a book with my favourite mood has been sitting on the to-read shelf for years there's probably some reason I'm not keen to read it. I'm currently having a shot at a Sabatini novel I picked up in a second-hand shop once, and being reminded that although Sabatini inspired several classic adventure movies I've never entirely got on with his books at first hand.

Fiction books
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener. Atomic Robo and Other Strangeness (e) (re-read)
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener. Atomic Robo and the Shadow from Beyond Time (e) (re-read)
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Dragon Ship (e) (re-read)
Tamora Pierce. Cold Fire (e)
Terry Pratchett. Witches Abroad (e) (re-read)

In progress
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Dragon in Exile (e)
George MacDonald. The Princess and Curdie
Terry Pratchett. Small Gods (e) (re-read)

Non-fiction books
John Scalzi. The Mallet of Loving Correction (e)

In progress
Jung Chang. Empress Dowager Cixi

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
Matt Fraction, Christian Ward. Ody-C volume 1

Fiction books
Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener. Atomic Robo and the Fightin' Scientists of Tesladyne (e) (re-read)
George MacDonald. The Princess and the Goblin
Dustin Nguyen, Derek Fridolfs. Li'l Gotham volume 1
Dustin Nguyen, Derek Fridolfs. Li'l Gotham volume 2
Ryan North. Poor Yorick
Tamora Pierce. Street Magic (e)
Terry Pratchett. Reaper Man (e) (re-read)

In progress
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Necessity's Child (e) (re-read)
George MacDonald. The Princess and Curdie

Non-fiction books in progress
Jung Chang. Empress Dowager Cixi

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
Tamora Pierce. Cold Fire

Fiction books
G K Chesterton. The Incredulity of Father Brown (e)
George MacDonald. At the Back of the North Wind
Tamora Pierce. Magic Steps (e)
Eric Frank Russell. Wasp
Ryk E Spoor. Grand Central Arena (e) (re-read)
Ryk E Spoor. Spheres of Influence (e)
Ursula Vernon. Dragonbreath

In progress
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Ghost Ship (e) (re-read)
Tamora Pierce. Street Magic (e)
Terry Pratchett. Moving Pictures (e) (re-read)

Abandoned
Kylie Chan. White Tiger (e)

Non-fiction books in progress
Simon Singh. Big Bang

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
George MacDonald. The Princess and the Goblin

Fiction books
Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Lost Prince (e)

In progress
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. I Dare (re-read)
Tamora Pierce The Healing in the Vine (e)
Terry Pratchett. Guards! Guards! (e) (re-read)

Non-fiction books in progress
Simon Singh. Big Bang

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
Terry Pratchett. Eric

Fiction books
Brian Clevinger. Tesladyne Industries Field Guide
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Carpe Diem (re-read)
Tamora Pierce The Power in the Storm (e)

In progress
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Plan B (re-read)
Tamora Pierce The Fire in the Forging (e)
Terry Pratchett. Pyramids (e) (re-read)

Non-fiction books in progress
Simon Singh. Big Bang

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. I Dare

Fiction books
Gail Carson Levine. Ella Enchanted (e) (re-read)
Tamora Pierce. Trickster's Queen
Ellen Raskin. The Westing Game
Patricia C Wrede. Dealing with Dragons (e) (re-read)

In progress
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Scout's Progress (re-read)
Patricia C Wrede. Searching for Dragons (e) (re-read)

Non-fiction books in progress
Joachim Fest. Plotting Hitler's Death

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
Diana Wynne Jones. Deep Secret

Fiction books
Lynley Dodd. Hairy Maclary's Caterwaul Caper
Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell. Fortunately the Milk
Catherine Jinks. Pagan's Daughter
Catherine Jinks. A Very Unusual Pursuit
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Trade Secret (e)
Bernard Marshall. Cedric the Forester (e)
Tamora Pierce. Trickster's Choice
Susie Poole. All These Things
Terry Pratchett. Raising Steam
Michael Rosen, Helen Oxenbury. We're Going On a Bear Hunt

In progress
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Local Custom (re-read)
Tamora Pierce. Trickster's Queen

Non-fiction books in progress
Joachim Fest. Plotting Hitler's Death

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Scout's Progress

Fiction books
ellidfics. Captain Fraudulent (e)
Tamora Pierce. Lady Knight

In progress
GK Chesterton. The Wisdom of Father Brown (e)
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Balance of Trade (re-read)

Non-fiction books in progress
Joachim Fest. Plotting Hitler's Death

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
Tamora Pierce. Trickster's Choice

Fiction books
GK Chesterton. The Innocence of Father Brown (e)
Mem Fox, Pamela Lofts. Koala Lou
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Crystal Soldier (re-read)
Tamora Pierce. Page

In progress
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Crystal Dragon (re-read)

Non-fiction books in progress
Chad Orzel. How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog

( short, screen, and stage )
( books bought and borrowed )

Top of the to-read pile
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller. Balance of Trade