It definitely feels like summer is over for this year. Bittersweet, in that life's moving on, bright colours are starting to tinge the trees that were hitherto many shades of green, but of course, it's getting cold. Then it's only a matter of time before most of the leaves disappear altogether, taking with them much of the colour from the world.
It's been a great summer though, I think. All things considered. For a change, did loads of cycling :). Although hopefully that's not over yet. Enjoyed a lot of the sunshine. Some swimming in lakes even! Although I feel that's not been as big an attraction this time around as it has in past years. And books!
I feel in the last couple of months my urge to read has definitely slowed down a bit. But that's cool. I mean, it's good for things to evolve in life. Habits, hobbies, schedules... Otherwise there's the inevitable descent into monotony. Which is funny coming from me, because in many ways I am quite the creature of habit :). I suppose I don't like having the same habits all the time :D.
Speaking of books though, I had quite a lot of fun reading one of the more recent book club offerings: Turn Right at Machu Picchu. Non-fiction, travel related, based on one of those places that I've wanted to visit ever since I'd heard of it, it was actually a bit different from what I'd have expected :). In a very good way.
I was, perhaps inevitably (experienced travel author/editor, with zero real travel experience, undertakes massive undertaking), comparing this to A Walk in the Woods before I'd started reading. But the experience was very different. Don't get me wrong, I loved A Walk in the Woods, but this was a very different sort of book. For one thing, they actually did manage to do what they'd set out to, and then some :).
I very much enjoyed the layers to the narrative, the history of the Incas, Bingham and his expeditions, and finally the Adams - Leivers expedition as he calls it, sometimes neatly, sometimes a bit more messily intertwined with one another. I also loved the mix of very personal experiences in the backdrop of majestic landscape steeped in history. I think I particularly liked Adams' descriptions of Leivers and how the relationship between the two men seemed to develop.
And of course, I was mesmerised by the descriptions of the Peruvian landscapes! Thinking back on it now it seems really surprising that when we discussed the book earlier this week at the book club meet, we never really talked about it!! But at least from reading the book, it felt utterly breathtaking! But at the same time, reading the book, I'm no longer certain the best thing to do is just do the vanilla trip along with whatever million others every year. I mean, obviously not this year.... anyway.
Since then I've been reading The Goldfinch. Another book club suggestion. And so far I have deeply mixed feelings. It's a pretty big book. And the reading has been sporadic in a way - some bits taking me ages to get through while others go by in a flash. I guess it's a mark of great writing that the world Theo inhabits evolves and I get caught up in the emotions of it. But am I enjoying the journey? Hmm.
I am at least approaching the halfway mark and there's most of the month left to read this in. Which goes some way in explaining why my enthusiasm for inhaling books has cooled somewhat I suppose :). No matter, it's nice noticing the landscape flitting by on the train rides to and from work (the days when I actually do travel in to work) for a change, watching the colours change. And the leaves slowly fall.
