After a rather surprisingly warm early November things seem to have gone back to normal. Well, kinda. The temperature dropped below zero, finally killing the plants that had been rather confused up until that point, even sending out some more flowers wondering if spring was arriving really early I suppose. Then came some snow!
That didn't last long however, as the temperature's gone back into the reds (i.e. above 0 degrees C) and the precipitation turned first to sleet and eventually to plain old rain :(. So most of that early snow's now been washed away. And that's taken with it the sense of brightness that snow cover seems to bring to the otherwise dark and miserable beginning of winter.
To add to the general sense of misery, after a couple of years of socially isolated winters, this year the early winter colds, sniffles, fevers and flus seem to be back with a vengeance. The Covid prevention habits are probably coming in handy though, as people seem to be getting things from their school-aged kids or public transport but then not necessarily passing it around too much :).
So yeah, it's been a great November so far :P. To be honest, I've hardly noticed its passing as I've been somewhat buried in work. The only travel further afield than Oslo coming from a one day work trip to Stockholm. My first visit there, and all I managed to see was mainly the insides of meeting rooms and the ever present water from taxis. To be fair, the weather wasn't exactly inviting either. Maybe another time I'll get to see more :).
Reading's been a bit slow as well. I did manage to finish Matter. Definitely the longest Culture book so far. And now that I'm done with it, not sure what to make of it to be completely honest. There were loads of bits I really liked. The ending left me feeling quite sad though. I was hoping Djan would make it through.
I think the main feeling I'm left with is a sense of being left hanging. The abruptness of the ending (yes, after nearly 600 pages, it still felt abrupt) leaving me oddly frustrated. I keep getting reminded of Phlebas in that sense. Although that book had a much better sense of conclusion and closure thanks to the epilogue.
I wonder what the last two Culture books have in store :). But instead of finding out, I decided to read next month's book club book, Lessons in Chemistry. And it's been quite the journey! I'm more than three quarters of the way through, so there's a lot of space for twists and turns still, but so far I've enjoyed reading it!
Which is not to say it's a "fun" book. There are definitely bits that make me laugh out loud. But many others that make me mad, leave me shocked, frustrated or just sad. And I think that's exactly what the author is going for. One of the more chilling aspects of the book is how even though it's set in the 1950s and '60s, it actually came out earlier this year, and the issues of sexism and gender based discrimination in workplaces is still so rife, making this a completely relevant book for this day and age.
Looking forward though, it's finally my turn to suggest books again! And instead of just being lazy and dredging up things from my to-read list, I went hunting through the fantasy section of our local library! I'm leaning more and more on the library these days actually. The last several book club books I've managed to find in the local one, and those that weren't available here, could be ordered free of charge from some public library or other further afield! Long may it continue :).
PS. Decided not to watch any World Cup matches this time around. This is actually much less of a sacrifice than it may sound. I'm not sure if I'm taking a stand specifically. Or if I am, what that stand is for or against precisely. But there we have it. I am checking the scores off and on though, and was happy to see that Messi got Argentina one step away from the brink yesterday.
